Lost in Translation?

When comparing the Alter translation of Psalm 2 to the translation in the Bay Psalm book, I found that the most striking discrepancies were dealing with quoted dialogue and the narrative perspective of the psalm.  I found many discrepancies between the second and sixth verses. In verse 3, Alter chose to include a quotation that is believed to be uttered by the narrator of the poem. In the Alter translation, the beginning of the poem talks about how the nations and kings and princes of the earth are conspiring against the Lord. Alter then translates, "Let us tear off their fetters,/ let us fling away their bonds." But in the Bay Psalm book, there is no quoted material. Instead, the translation reads:

Though the content of the verse is still the same, there is a different point of view established in these translations. There is no attribution to David in this psalm, so the narrator or poet is quite vague in this psalm. But in the Alter translation, include a quotation for this verse has a couple different interpretations. First, it puts the text somewhat removed from the narrator. I get a sense that the first, unquoted part of the psalm, is acting more as stated fact, and that the quotation is the poet's reaction to the disrupt world leaders. Or, perhaps this quoted material could be illustrating a group dynamic where people are banding together against these leaders and chanting this material. In the Bay of Psalms translation, aside from having a more poetic and ancient feel to it, I get a sense of a more personal or introspective character to the psalm because there is no distinction between quoted and unquoted material in these first verses.

Also, at the beginning of verse 5, Alter translates, "Then will He speak to them in His wrath," while the Bay of Psalms translation reads, "Speak to them in his ire and wrath." Again, this illustrates the more distant and abstract quality of the Alter translation when compared to the more internal or personal nature of the Bay of Psalms translation. In the Alter translation, "Then will He speak" can be understood in more of a doubting or questioning way. There is uncertainty in this text, while there is no uncertainty in the Bay of Psalms translation. The Bay of Psalms translation is more personal; it is not expressing doubt or questioning, but is rather a personal plea from the poet directly to God.

Alter again includes a quote in this psalm. In his translation, there is a direct quote that God spoke to the narrator, and the quote is included in verses 7-9. Though there is no quote in the Bay of Psalms translation, this discrepancy is not as distinct or separating because the Bay of Psalms translation is still obviously quoting God, though no real quotes were used. The Bay of Psalms translation reads: 

  Both these translations start off with "God spoke to me" or "He said to me." What is significant about this is it illustrates how influential and experience of talking to god must be on a person. Though I feel the Alter translation creates a sense of distance between the narrator and the text while the Bay of Psalms translation does not, this quote comes off as extremely intimate in both translations.  You are led to believe this is the actual voice of God talking to the poet. That is a momentous occasion, and is illustrated in a personal way in both translations. 

I also spent some time comparing the translations of Psalm 8 in these two books as well. An interesting discrepancy I found was in the fifth and sixth verse of the psalm. Alter translates, "What is mad that You should not him,/ and the human creature, that You pay him heed,/ And you make him little less than gods,/ with glory and grandeur You crown him?" While the Bay of Psalms translation reads:

What is interesting here, is that there is a question mark after the sixth verse of the Alter translation and not in the Bay of Psalms translation. There could be several reasons for this. First, there could be more of sense of skepticism or uncertainty in the newer Alter translation which could reflect the skepticism of religion that is more of a modern notion. Or it just could reflect the sheer sense of awe the poet was experiencing while examining the great and many things God had created. Or, when looking at the whole quotation, it can be summed up to, "What is man that You should note him.... with glory and grandeur You crown him?" This could be interpreted as the poet asking who humans really are. He is asking, "who are we exactly?" and seemingly questioning what the meaning of life is.