Translations of the Names of Old Testament Sacrifices in M. Rej’s Psałterz Dawidowy (David’s Psalter)
Abstract
In the article the way of translating the Old Testament realities connected with sacrifices in Mikołaj Rej’s Psałterz Dawidowy is presented. In order to check originality of the poet’s translational solutions they are compared with, on the one hand, the basis of the translation, that is Psalmorum omnium iuxta hebraica veritatem paraphrastica interpretatio by Johan van der Campen, and on the other, with an earlier Polish translation (from Vulgate), Żołtarz, by W. Wróbel.
The analyses that have been made have shown that Rej, translating the parts of Psalms in which Old Testament sacrifices are referred to, is distant both from the letter and the spirit of the original text. Adjusting his translation to the needs of the contemporary reader he consequently eliminates from his paraphrase all Old Testament sacrifice realities, as incompatible with the spirit of the Christian religion. In their place he introduces first of all spiritual sacrifices that were highly valued in the 16th century, or, he speaks about the very act of sacrifice without launching forth in details. In the text he refers twice to the sacrifice rite that was common in his times. Fragments connected with sacrifices are also modernized by W. Wróbel; however, he does it not like Rej, that is by a definite wording of the text of the Psalms, but by placing a commentary explaining the meaning of selected phrases next to particular verses.
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