Words to God's Music: A New Book of Psalms [Hardcover]

Laurance Wieder (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2003

People for centuries have been drawn to the Bible's psalms — to their beauty and power, to their music and their poetry. In "Words to God's Music" poet Laurance Wieder gives these songs of the soul a new and richly imaginative interpretation.

Many poets over the years have translated some of the psalms, but Wieder's text — contemporary without being trendy — offers a complete version of them. The result of Wieder's sustained inspiration, careful craft, and deep immersion in numerous versions of the psalms, "Words to God's Music" is extraordinary. These poems speak with grace and eloquence to readers of literature and readers of Scripture alike.

Wieder follows the traditional Hebrew division of Psalms into five books, with each of his 150 poems corresponding to one of the biblical psalms. This correspondence varies from poem to poem, as Wieder explains: "Some of these poems live fairly close to their biblical originals; some stand as commentaries or variations on the text; some venture afield." So these are not translations or interpretations in the strictest sense. And yet they get at the heart of the psalms, with an awareness of how they speak to "both the eternal and the immediate, living moment," how they speak to every reader across time and circumstance.

This is a beautiful collection, with Wieder's words set to God's music in a way that will make listening to the songs of the psalms a familiar yet freshly profound experience.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 150 pages
• Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (April 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802860893
• ISBN-13: 978-0802860897
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 6.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,241,666 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Refreshing Look at the Psalms, April 10, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Words to God's Music: A New Book of Psalms (Hardcover)

The Psalms in the King James Version of the Bible contain some of the most familiar and beautiful passages written in the English language. Yet having read them many times over I have found myself becoming inured to their beauty and meaning-thank God for Laurance Wieder's writing the Psalms again!
From the first Psalm, where he describes the fruit of trees "Cupped by green leaves...", to the final lines of the 150th Psalm "Drumbeats, singing, humming, breathing, Close to what they praise." Wieder reveals to us a fresh, new perspective on the Psalms, the Psalmist's experience writing them, and provides a captivating way to meditate and worship.
Wieder explains his scholarly pursuit of the psalms in the "Brief Explanation" he uses instead of an introduction, and so draws us into the art and craft of poetry expressed by the Psalms. His perspective on the voice of the Psalmist, and his acknowledged dissidence of the spirit and the truth of the law of the Bible makes reading these more poignant.
Even if you do not enjoy the Psalms, these stand as beautiful poetry that anyone can enjoy-to read aloud to others, to one's self or just to savor in the quiet of your mind.
I had originally read this book because it was on the "new" shelf at the local library. I loved it so I renewed it over and over, and have now purchased not only a copy for myself, but one to give away. If you enjoy the Psalms don't miss this book.

5.0 out of 5 stars psalms in modern poetry, February 24, 2009

By 

Carl (chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Words to God's Music: A New Book of Psalms (Hardcover)

This is one of the freshest, most beautiful works of prose/poetry I've read in some time. Excellent. Not a scholar's translation, but the modern poet has done some homework. People might quibble about accuracy in terms of the psalms' specific content, but Wieder gets the spirit of the Psalter. It's too bad that it seems to be out of print. There is definitely an audience for this--Jews and Christians with an artistic bent, for one--but I don't know how many of them know this book is out there.