Poets of the Bible

April 10, 2017
Scholar, poet, and translator Barnstone (The Poetics of Translation) draws from biblical, apocryphal, and gnostic texts for this absorbing collection of religious poems, which he categorizes as either “Old Testament” or “New Testament.” In his own translations from Hebrew and Greek, Barnstone renders the texts in a variety of poetic forms, including long narrative poems in eight-line stanzas from Samuel, Job, and Ruth, and aphorisms, such as “Lily”: “A lily among thorns/ Is my love among women.” Barnstone uses Hebrew and Aramaic, rather than Anglicized names, as in “Expulsion from the Garden”: “The man names his woman Havah/ Because she is the mother of all the living.” His translations allow familiar narratives to be heard in fresh ways: “Those who live in a land of shadow/ See the dawn blaze.” Brief introductions offer insights into the poetry of each book, such as the “secret sayings” from the Gospel of Thomas: “What you look for has come/ But you do not know it.” Thoughtful selections, a visually arresting presentation, and intriguing translations make these collected poems a valuable addition to biblical literature.

April 15, 2017

Poet, translator, and religious scholar Barnstone (emeritus, comparative literature & biblical studies, Indiana Univ.; The Restored New Testament) continues his biblical restoration project, here turning his attention toward poetry. Using a straightforward, generally literal approach to his translation from Hebrew and Greek to contemporary English, he has created an accessible and often gorgeous volume that contains biblical passages traditionally rendered in verse, such as the Psalms. He also considers passages frequently overlooked as poetry because they typically appear as prose, such as the teachings of Jesus in the Gospels. In addition to selections from the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures, Barnstone also includes poetry from the Apocrypha and several Gnostic Gospels. Brief introductions to each author or book provide narrative context and background information. One curiosity is Barnstone's tendency to deliver most verbs in the present tense, regardless of the tense of the original language. Overall, this lovely and ecumenical volume beautifully illustrates Barnstone's overarching conviction that the Bible contains some of the world's greatest--and sometimes underappreciated--poetry. VERDICT Highly recommended for readers interested in comparative religion, world literature, or works of inspiration.--Brian Sullivan, Alfred Univ. Lib., NY

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.