Page:The seven great hymns of the mediaeval church - 1902.djvu/22

 in the tranlator uch fervor of admiration retrained by uch exacting criticim. Indeed, I am inclined to believe that Dr. Johnon o scrupulouly complied with his own inexorable canons as to dipoil his tranlation of poetic beauties which might better have been retained. For example, he acrificed the mot exact and poetical tranlation of the thirteenth tanza that has ever been made becaue it contained the word "hriven"—becaue the word hrive "is a ectarian term, and is ued in general with reference to the Romih Church, the Dies Iræ being ingularly free from everything peculiar to the communion of which its author was a member." When the word is taken in connection with Him "by whom the thief was hriven," I deem this criticim is too technical and the tranlation is as free from sectarianim as the original. I have, therefore, taken the liberty of retoring the rejected tanza. Taking this verion all in all, its adherence to the meaure of the original, its retention of the double-rhyme, its avoidance of the Englih participle ending in "ing," its preervation of the ideas and imagery of the original, I doubt