The value of poetry as an aid to spiritual uplifting has been recognized by every religious denomination. All creeds have their hymns and sacred songs. The reform element in Judaism uses a manual of prayer which contains quite a number of Jewish hymns. But with very few exceptions the composition of most of those does not date back very many years; the majority of them are very modern indeed.
The prayer book used by the orthodox branch is also full of poetry, which is quite unintelligible to those who have not an intimate acquaintance with the Hebrew language. This poetry is almost entirely the product of the mediaeval ages.
Up to the present time translations have been made here and there of some parts of the liturgy that are noteworthy for their solemnity of feeling or majesty of thought. In a new edition of the Machzor recently published in England, there are given some excellent renderings of several portions of the service. Israel Zangwill, to whose thoro knowledge of Hebrew, it seems to us, he owes some of his very precise and accurate knowledge of Jewish life and literature, has a fine rendering of אדון עולם
Lord of the world, He reigned alone,While yet the universe was naught.When by His will all things were wroughtThen first His sovran name was known.
And when the All shall cease to be, In dread lone splendor He shal reign. He was, He is, He shall remain In gorious eternity.
For He is One, no second shares His nature or His loneliness; Unending and beginningless, All strength is His, all sway He bears.
NEW TITLES.
"Short History of Jewish Literature," by Israel Amrahams.
He is the living God to save, My rock while sorrow's toils endure, My banner and my stronghold sure, The cup of life whene'er I crave.
I place my soul within His palm Before I sleep as when I wake, And though my body I forsake, Rest in the Lord in fearless calm.
Mr. Zangwill endeavors to preserve the spirit of the original מלך עליון in the following:
Highest divinity Throned in the firmament Potentate paramount Hand superdominant, Lord of Infinity!
Ah, why is the Kingdom, The realm of glory, Cast out and no longer Acclaimed in story?
Eleasar Kalir's ארות מלאכה is also translated into verse by Zangwill:
'Twas Bel the dragon. The idol hollow, With lawless footsteps We fain would follow..
The Scribners will soon publish:
“The Bible as English Literature,” by J. H. Gardiner.
..The Editor of the Maccabaean will be pleased to consider manuscripts in prose or verse.