Words To God's Music: A New Book Of Psalms

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Throughout history poets have been drawn to beauty and power of the Psalms. Figures as skilled as John Milton, George Herbet, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and Lord Byron have turned their hand to translating various psalms, hoping to capture the eternal voice of these beloved poems for their own times. Laurance Wieder is only the third poet in history to produce a "complete" version of the psalms -- and his is extraordinary. Wieder's poems beautifully capture both the message of the psalms and the heart of King David, their author. This work is a literary gem that will delight all readers of poetry while also offering people of faith a deeply affective, highly relevant vehicle for reflecting on God and the religious dimension of life.

True to the Hebrew tradition, Wieder divides the psalms into five sections or books, with each of his 150 poems correspond to one of David's. Some of these psalms stick close to their biblical source, some stand as commentaries or variations on the original texts, and some venture afield with poetic license. Like their originals, these poems can be read in any order; each stands on its own. The poems can also be read alongside a standard Bible translation to lend a meaningful new perspective on the Scriptures.

Many of these poems have been published in noted magazines and anthologies, but only here for the first times does Wieder's whole work appear in one place. Notable for its exceptional quality, this volume will fast become a favorite devotional tool.