The Icelandic Canadian - 01.12.1955, Side 34

32
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
Winter 1955
IFHMDSff mm
The two verses on the front cover,
very appropriately selected by The
Rev. R. Marteinsson, D.D., are from
the first of the fifty Passion-Hymns,
“Passiusalmar”, of The Rev. Hallgrim-
ur Petursson (1614^—1674). Bishop
Charles Venn Pilcher, D.D., of Aus-
tralia, has translated parts of thirty of
the Hymns (two from Hymn 1) and
in 1923 published the translation in a
booklet which he entitled: “Icelandic
Meditations on the Passion”. To this
title he added the following explan-
atory subtitle: “Being Selections from
the Passion-Hymns of tlallgrim Pet-
ursson Translated from the Icelandic
and Arranged as a Series of Medita-
tions for Each Day of the Month.”
The translator’s Foreword begins
with these words:
“The Passion-Hymns of Hallgrim
Petursson, ‘the flower of all Icelandic
poetry’, are recognized as the outstand-
ing religious classic of a noble litera-
Awake my mind, awake my soul;
From ransomed lips let praise forth
roll;
While heart and tongue as one prepare
The Master’s passion to declare.
For me He left His throne on high,
F’or me He yearned to come and die;
And I in turn should long to raise
To Christ my Lord a hymn of praise.
My soul is whelmed in bitter shame;
Alas! how low burns love’s bright flame:
Jesus has suffered in my place,
Too slight my memory of His grace.
My meditation shall be sweet,
As on that sacrifice complete
I dwell, which man, by sin defiled,
With holiest God hath reconciled.
ture.”
The temptation cannot be resisted
to include from the Foreword the fol-
lowing beautiful tribute:
“If there is one Icelandic name above
others which I should like to have the
privilege of associating with these
translations it is that of the late Fru
Lara Bjarnason of Winnipeg. It was
the gift of an old copy of Hallgrim’s
poems, sent just before the final call
came to her in a ripe old age, that
moved the writer to further work on
the hymns she loved. Almost with dy-
ing hand she wrote to prepare hospital-
ity for him during his visit -to Iceland.
To have known her and her husband
is an enrichment of life.”
The Meditation for the first day
of the month, under the -title “In-
ocation” is a translation of verses 1,
3, 4, 5, 6, and 8 of the First Passion-
Flyrnn. The translation and the origin-
al follow:
Lpp, upp, min sal, og allt mitt geS,
upp, mitt hjarta og rdmur meS;
hugur og tunga hjalpi til;
herrans pinu eg minnast vil.
Ljufan Jesum til lausnar mer
langaSi vlst aS deyja her;
mig skildi og lysta aS minnast Jaess
minum Drottni til Jaakklaetis.
Innra mig loksins angriS sker,
ae, hvaS er lltil raekt i mer;
Jesus er kvalinn i minn staS,
of sjaldan hef eg minnzt a {aa<5.
Sal min, skoSum ]aa stetu forn,
sent hefir oss viS GuS, Drottin vorn,
fordaemda aftur forlikaS;
fognuSur er aS hugsa um JaaS.