Alter-ed Psalms

This afternoon’s Poetry Please was given over to the book of Psalms. Some were read in the King James version, and others in Robert Alter’s recent translation. These latter were particularly fabulous. There was an interesting selection of psalms, beginning with the familiarity of the King James version of Psalm 23, the bookends [...]

Alter on the psalter

Listen to Robert Alter being interviewed about his new translation of the psalms here.
He explains his choice to avoid the word ’soul’ in his versions.  This gives a strikingly different translation of Ps 23.  Where we are used to ‘he restores my soul’, Alter has ‘My life he brings back’.  In several places, such as [...]