2013-07-14 Special comment from daily reader and commenter Stephen in Australia
"Like the dewfall"
I just happened to be looking at the new translation of Eucharistic Prayer II and comparing it to the Latin original. I thought the new translation was supposed to be ‘more faithful’ by being more literal. But what do I find: the Latin says “Haec ergo dona, quaesumus, Spiritus tui rore sanctifica” but the new translation says “Make holy, therefore, these gifts, we pray, by sending down your Spirit upon them like the dewfall”.
This is not literal but rather appears to be an example of “dynamic equivalence” (or creative license) which was what the original ICEL version was criticised for. There is no verb that can stand in for “sending down upon them” and the phrase “like the dewfall” has already been criticised, I believe for natural inaccuracy. The Latin is more correctly and more sparsely translated as “These gifts, therefore, we ask you make holy with the dew of your Spirit”.
The idea here is just as dry plants are revivified by the cooling night-time/early morning dew which is the residue of the replenishing air, (holiness = wholesomeness is a kind of refreshment), so may the gifts of bread and wine be made holy/whole by being refreshed by the aftermath of a visit of the Spirit. Ros, roris, the noun for “dew”, may mean “drops” but the condensation that results in dew is more alchemic and much gentler than a “fall”.
Just an observation.
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Thank you Stephen! John W
c.f. In seeking condescension through flattery and flowery speech, the translation adds an extra comedic effect by misusing words. The priest now prays, “Make holy, therefore, these gifts, we pray, by sending down your Spirit upon them like the dewfall” rather than “Let your Spirit come upon these gifts to make them holy.” However, “dewfall” is actually a time of day not a thing. Specifically it is the time of evening when dew forms. Thus rather than pray that the Spirit romantically cover and soak our offering with holiness like dew covers the grass, the priest asks the Spirit to send night upon it. What does that mean?
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