The Calvinist International
George Buchanan was perhaps the finest Latin poet to write after the close of antiquity. I’ve discussed him previously here, here, and here. One of his most-loved works in verse is his Poetic paraphrase of the Psalms of David (Psalmorum Davidis paraphrasis poetica), the first complete edition of which appeared in 1565/6, the first edition […]
A key feature of much classicizing biblical poetry (that is, poetry that serves as paraphrase or gloss on the biblical text) is expansion for rhetorical, exegetical, or theological reasons. Such expansions indicate to the reader how the source-text is to be interpreted. George Buchanan’s version of Psalm 2.10-12a can serve as an example of rhetorical […]
Like many other poets of the sixteenth century, George Buchanan wrote classicizing Latin paraphrases of the Psalter. Here is his version of Psalm 117: Omnes ubique gentium quos solis ambit orbita, rerum parentis optimi laudes libenter pangite. agnoscite indulgentiam benignius nos in dies foventis, et constantiam promissa certam reddere. In rather wooden English:1 Everyone, everywhere […]
I am very happy to share that a man named Matthew Pfeifer has versified George Buchanan’s “Morning Hymn to Christ” that I recently posted as “Sprung from Fairest Father.” His translation makes for quite a nice hymn text. I don’t have his permission to post the whole thing, but you can find it here. I’d […]
I had intended to post this before Christmas, but the theme is never out of season. What follows is a short hymn to Christ by George Buchanan. After having made an unpoetical translation, I discovered that there have been a handful of translations of it over the past couple of centuries. But I’ll warrant I’m […]