John Wu Ching-hsiung (1899-1986) was a native of Ningbo, Zhejiang, a renowned jurist who studied in Europe and the United States, and served as a professor of law at Soochow University, as a judge and the Acting President of the Shanghai Provisional Court, and as the Vice President of the Commission for the Drafting of the Constitution of the Republic of China, before becoming the Minister of the Republic of China to the Holy See. Wu has written extensively, not only on law but also on Chinese philosophy, and has also written his autobiography, Beyond East and West, in English. Wu was a devout Catholic and had a personal relationship with Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975). Wu began translating the the Psalms in 1938, and was encouraged by Chiang to translate the entire New Testament, which he corrected in his own handwriting. (…) John Wu Ching-hsiung’s translation of the Psalms (first draft in 1946, revised in 1975) was translated into Literary Chinese in the form of poetic rhyme, with attention paid to the style of writing. According to the content and mood of the different chapters of the original psalm, Wu chose Chinese poetic forms such as tetrameter, pentameter, heptameter [4, 5 or 7 syllables/Chinese characters per stanza], and the [less formal] Sao style, and sometimes more than two poetic forms were used in a single poem. (Source: Simon Wong)

A contemporary researcher (Lindblom 2021) mentions this about Wu’s translation: “Wu created a unique and personal work of sacred art that bears the imprint of his own admitted love and devotion, a landmark achievement comparable to Antoni Gaudi’s Basilica of the Sagrada Família in Barcelona, Spain. Although its use is still somewhat limited today, it continues to attract readers for the aforementioned qualities, and continues to be used in prayers and music by those who desire beauty and an authentic Chinese-sounding text that draws from China’s ancient traditions.”

The translation of Psalm 10 from the 1946 edition is in pentameter and the rhyme scheme is -ong (the 1946 edition did not have verse numbers either and underlined proper names):

預祝勝利

惟願主雅瑋。眷爾患難中。惟願雅谷主。聖名保爾躬。 願主自聖殿。錫爾恩寵隆。願主自聖山。錫爾福履充。 念爾禋祀勤。悅爾燔祭豐。 心願悉獲償。謀為皆成功。 行見爾凱旋。萬民喜氣沖。會當樹長旌。共慶主名崇。 願主成爾志。使爾樂融融。固知受命王。酣暢主春風。主在諸天上。安然居九重。援爾以右手。帝力寧有窮。 徒誇車馬力。敵人何夢夢。吾人恃主名。不與彼人同。 彼皆仆在地。我立猶挺胸。 惟願主雅瑋。保王徹始終。聽我此日禱。鑒我區區衷。

Transcription into Roman alphabet with the rhyme scheme highlighted:

yù zhù shèng lì

wéi yuàn zhǔ yǎ wěi 。 juàn ěr huàn nán zhōng 。 wéi yuàn yǎ gǔ zhǔ 。 shèng míng bǎo ěr gōng 。 yuàn zhǔ zì shèng diàn 。 xī ěr ēn chǒng lóng 。 yuàn zhǔ zì shèng shān 。 xī ěr fú lǚ chōng 。 niàn ěr yīn sì qín 。 yuè ěr fán jì fēng 。 xīn yuàn xī huò cháng 。 móu wéi jiē chéng gōng 。 xíng jiàn ěr kǎi xuán 。 wàn mín xǐ qì chōng 。 huì dāng shù cháng jīng 。 gòng qìng zhǔ míng chóng 。 yuàn zhǔ chéng ěr zhì 。 shǐ ěr lè róng róng 。 gù zhī shòu mìng wáng 。 hān chàng zhǔ chūn fēng 。 zhǔ zài zhū tiān shàng 。 ān rán jū jiǔ zhòng 。 yuán ěr yǐ yòu shǒu 。 dì lì níng yǒu qióng 。 tú kuā chē mǎ lì 。 dí rén hé mèng mèng 。 wú rén shì zhǔ míng 。 bù yǔ bǐ rén tóng 。 bǐ jiē pū zài dì 。 wǒ lì yóu tǐng xiōng 。 wéi yuàn zhǔ yǎ wěi 。 bǎo wáng chè shǐ zhōng 。 tīng wǒ cǐ rì dǎo 。 jiàn wǒ qū qū zhōng 。

With thanks to Simon Wong.

John Wu Ching-hsiung (1899-1986) was a native of Ningbo, Zhejiang, a renowned jurist who studied in Europe and the United States, and served as a professor of law at Soochow University, as a judge and the Acting President of the Shanghai Provisional Court, and as the Vice President of the Commission for the Drafting of the Constitution of the Republic of China, before becoming the Minister of the Republic of China to the Holy See. Wu has written extensively, not only on law but also on Chinese philosophy, and has also written his autobiography, Beyond East and West, in English. Wu was a devout Catholic and had a personal relationship with Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975). Wu began translating the the Psalms in 1938, and was encouraged by Chiang to translate the entire New Testament, which he corrected in his own handwriting. (…) John Wu Ching-hsiung’s translation of the Psalms (first draft in 1946, revised in 1975) was translated into Literary Chinese in the form of poetic rhyme, with attention paid to the style of writing. According to the content and mood of the different chapters of the original psalm, Wu chose Chinese poetic forms such as tetrameter, pentameter, heptameter [4, 5 or 7 syllables/Chinese characters per stanza], and the [less formal] Sao style, and sometimes more than two poetic forms were used in a single poem. (Source: Simon Wong)

A contemporary researcher (Lindblom 2021) mentions this about Wu’s translation: “Wu created a unique and personal work of sacred art that bears the imprint of his own admitted love and devotion, a landmark achievement comparable to Antoni Gaudi’s Basilica of the Sagrada Família in Barcelona, Spain. Although its use is still somewhat limited today, it continues to attract readers for the aforementioned qualities, and continues to be used in prayers and music by those who desire beauty and an authentic Chinese-sounding text that draws from China’s ancient traditions.”

The translation of Psalm 19 from the 1946 edition is in pentameter and the rhyme schemes are -ong, -ang, and -i and (the 1946 edition did not have verse numbers either):

乾坤與妙法

乾坤揭主榮。碧穹布化工。 朝朝宣宏旨。夜夜傳微衷。 默默無一語。教在不言中。 周行遍大地。妙音送長風。
晨曦發帝鄉。丰采似玉郎。洋洋溢喜氣。逍遙出洞房。 天行一何健。六合任翱翔。普照無私曲。萬物被其光。
妙法洵全美。我魂得歸依。靈證洵萬確。童蒙識玄機。 玉律豈有瑕。祇守心自怡。聖典何皎潔。悅目驚新奇。 天威分明在。萬古永不移。神斷剖黑白。陰隲定是非。 價值邁金石。滋味勝蜜飴。 小子知趨避。福祿盡在茲。 誰能悟其愆。惟主濯其疵。 但願遠罪戾。庶免染塵緇。或可無大過。心口莫睽違。 我是遊蕩子。願父贖我歸。永不離膝下。朝暮相追隨。

Transcription into Roman alphabet with the rhyme schemes highlighted:

qián kūn yǔ miào fǎ

qián kūn jiē zhǔ róng 。 bì qióng bù huà gōng 。 zhāo zhāo xuān hóng zhǐ 。 yè yè chuán wēi zhōng 。 mò mò wú yī yǔ 。 jiào zài bù yán zhōng 。 zhōu xíng biàn dà dì 。 miào yīn sòng cháng fēng 。
chén xī fā dì xiāng 。 fēng cǎi sì yù láng 。 yáng yáng yì xǐ qì 。 xiāo yáo chū dòng fáng 。 tiān xíng yī hé jiàn 。 liù hé rèn áo xiáng 。 pǔ zhào wú sī qū 。 wàn wù bèi qí guāng 。
miào fǎ xún quán měi 。 wǒ hún dé guī yī 。 líng zhèng xún wàn què 。 tóng mēng shí xuán jī 。 yù lǜ qǐ yǒu xiá 。 qí shǒu xīn zì yí 。 shèng diǎn hé jiǎo jié 。 yuè mù jīng xīn qí 。 tiān wēi fēn míng zài 。 wàn gǔ yǒng bù yí 。 shén duàn pōu hēi bái 。 yīn cí dìng shì fēi 。 jià zhí mài jīn shí 。 zī wèi shèng mì yí 。 xiǎo zǐ zhī qū bì 。 fú lù jìn zài zī 。 shuí néng wù qí qiān 。 wéi zhǔ zhuó qí cī 。 dàn yuàn yuǎn zuì lì 。 shù miǎn rǎn chén zī 。 huò kě wú dà guò 。 xīn kǒu mò kuí wéi 。 wǒ shì yóu dàng zǐ 。 yuàn fù shú wǒ guī 。 yǒng bù lí xī xià 。 zhāo mù xiāng zhuī suí 。

With thanks to Simon Wong.

John Wu Ching-hsiung (1899-1986) was a native of Ningbo, Zhejiang, a renowned jurist who studied in Europe and the United States, and served as a professor of law at Soochow University, as a judge and the Acting President of the Shanghai Provisional Court, and as the Vice President of the Commission for the Drafting of the Constitution of the Republic of China, before becoming the Minister of the Republic of China to the Holy See. Wu has written extensively, not only on law but also on Chinese philosophy, and has also written his autobiography, Beyond East and West, in English. Wu was a devout Catholic and had a personal relationship with Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975). Wu began translating the the Psalms in 1938, and was encouraged by Chiang to translate the entire New Testament, which he corrected in his own handwriting. (…) John Wu Ching-hsiung’s translation of the Psalms (first draft in 1946, revised in 1975) was translated into Literary Chinese in the form of poetic rhyme, with attention paid to the style of writing. According to the content and mood of the different chapters of the original psalm, Wu chose Chinese poetic forms such as tetrameter, pentameter, heptameter [4, 5 or 7 syllables/Chinese characters per stanza], and the [less formal] Sao style, and sometimes more than two poetic forms were used in a single poem. (Source: Simon Wong)

A contemporary researcher (Lindblom 2021) mentions this about Wu’s translation: “Wu created a unique and personal work of sacred art that bears the imprint of his own admitted love and devotion, a landmark achievement comparable to Antoni Gaudi’s Basilica of the Sagrada Família in Barcelona, Spain. Although its use is still somewhat limited today, it continues to attract readers for the aforementioned qualities, and continues to be used in prayers and music by those who desire beauty and an authentic Chinese-sounding text that draws from China’s ancient traditions.”

The translation of Psalm 17 from the 1946 edition is in pentameter (the 1946 edition did not have verse numbers either):

無妄

求主矜愚直。聽我聲聲訴。我言無矯飾。但將赤誠吐。 願主鑒中情。願主持公平。 主曾賜鍛鍊。清夜測吾心。考驗亦云詳。未發纖屑妄。凡我口所言。莫非心所想。我既抱精一。心口豈有兩。 耿耿懷主訓。習俗非所尚。驕人行殘暴。何曾敢傚倣。 兢兢履主道。未嘗循邪枉。
何為此絮絮。知主必聽之。還祈傾爾耳。俾得畢其詞。 急難求主佑。吾主未嘗辭。我今復求主。援手昭仁慈。 願主保小子。如保目中瞳。孵我於翼下。雍雍爾懷中。 既無群小慍。又免敵圍攻。
兇敵與群小。麻木無惻隱。 驕矜而自慢。相逼何太甚。 眈眈如餓虎。其勢不可遏。又如彼伏獅。穴中覷過客。
懇切求恩主。興起戮妖孽。用爾干與戈。救我脫橫逆。 更望賜提撕。俾與鄉願隔。鄉願生斯世。但為斯世活。以主無盡藏。暢恣其口腹。金玉既滿堂。有子萬事足。積蓄遺兒孫。繩繩相承續。 吾志異乎是。所求非世祿。清白歸我主。常享承顏樂。當吾甦醒日。見主便是福。

Transcription into Roman alphabet:

wú wàng

qiú zhǔ jīn yú zhí 。 tīng wǒ shēng shēng sù 。 wǒ yán wú jiǎo shì 。 dàn jiāng chì chéng tǔ 。 yuàn zhǔ jiàn zhōng qíng 。 yuàn zhǔ chí gōng píng 。 zhǔ zēng cì duàn liàn 。 qīng yè cè wú xīn 。 kǎo yàn yì yún xiáng 。 wèi fā xiān xiè wàng 。 fán wǒ kǒu suǒ yán 。 mò fēi xīn suǒ xiǎng 。 wǒ jì bào jīng yī 。 xīn kǒu qǐ yǒu liǎng 。 gěng gěng huái zhǔ xùn 。 xí sú fēi suǒ shàng 。 jiāo rén xíng cán bào 。 hé zēng gǎn xiào fǎng 。jīng jīng lǚ zhǔ dào 。 wèi cháng xún xié wǎng 。
hé wéi cǐ xù xù 。 zhī zhǔ bì tīng zhī 。 huán qí qīng ěr ěr 。 bǐ dé bì qí cí 。 jí nán qiú zhǔ yòu 。 wú zhǔ wèi cháng cí 。 wǒ jīn fù qiú zhǔ 。 yuán shǒu zhāo rén cí 。 yuàn zhǔ bǎo xiǎo zǐ 。 rú bǎo mù zhōng tóng 。 fū wǒ yú yì xià 。 yōng yōng ěr huái zhōng 。 jì wú qún xiǎo yùn 。 yòu miǎn dí wéi gōng 。
xiōng dí yǔ qún xiǎo 。 má mù wú cè yǐn 。 jiāo jīn ér zì màn 。 xiāng bī hé tài shèn 。 dān dān rú è hǔ 。 qí shì bù kě è 。 yòu rú bǐ fú shī 。 xué zhōng qù guò kè 。
kěn qiē qiú ēn zhǔ 。 xīng qǐ lù yāo niè 。 yòng ěr gān yǔ gē 。 jiù wǒ tuō héng nì 。 gēng wàng cì tí sī 。 bǐ yǔ xiāng yuàn gé 。 xiāng yuàn shēng sī shì 。 dàn wéi sī shì huó 。 yǐ zhǔ wú jìn cáng 。 chàng zī qí kǒu fù 。 jīn yù jì mǎn táng 。 yǒu zǐ wàn shì zú 。 jī xù yí ér sūn 。 shéng shéng xiāng chéng xù 。 wú zhì yì hū shì 。 suǒ qiú fēi shì lù 。 qīng bái guī wǒ zhǔ 。 cháng xiǎng chéng yán lè 。 dāng wú sū xǐng rì 。 jiàn zhǔ biàn shì fú 。

With thanks to Simon Wong.

John Wu Ching-hsiung (1899-1986) was a native of Ningbo, Zhejiang, a renowned jurist who studied in Europe and the United States, and served as a professor of law at Soochow University, as a judge and the Acting President of the Shanghai Provisional Court, and as the Vice President of the Commission for the Drafting of the Constitution of the Republic of China, before becoming the Minister of the Republic of China to the Holy See. Wu has written extensively, not only on law but also on Chinese philosophy, and has also written his autobiography, Beyond East and West, in English. Wu was a devout Catholic and had a personal relationship with Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975). Wu began translating the the Psalms in 1938, and was encouraged by Chiang to translate the entire New Testament, which he corrected in his own handwriting. (…) John Wu Ching-hsiung’s translation of the Psalms (first draft in 1946, revised in 1975) was translated into Literary Chinese in the form of poetic rhyme, with attention paid to the style of writing. According to the content and mood of the different chapters of the original psalm, Wu chose Chinese poetic forms such as tetrameter, pentameter, heptameter [4, 5 or 7 syllables/Chinese characters per stanza], and the [less formal] Sao style, and sometimes more than two poetic forms were used in a single poem. (Source: Simon Wong)

A contemporary researcher (Lindblom 2021) mentions this about Wu’s translation: “Wu created a unique and personal work of sacred art that bears the imprint of his own admitted love and devotion, a landmark achievement comparable to Antoni Gaudi’s Basilica of the Sagrada Família in Barcelona, Spain. Although its use is still somewhat limited today, it continues to attract readers for the aforementioned qualities, and continues to be used in prayers and music by those who desire beauty and an authentic Chinese-sounding text that draws from China’s ancient traditions.”

The translation of Psalm 10 from the 1946 edition is in pentameter (the 1946 edition did not have verse numbers either):

精神堡壘

主乃我所依。一生安且怡。 吾心白吾主。所天惟有汝。方寸無他好。懷主以為寶。 城中諸聖人。亦是我所親。同游聖教中。其樂何融融。
歸依邪魔者。愁上更添憂。祭祀含血腥。厥名亦可羞。
主是我基業。主是我歡杯。杯中酒常滿。家業永不衰。 優游田園中。俯仰稱心意。日涉漸成趣。樂斯境界美。
為我開明悟。主恩豈不富。夙夜無敢荒。惟恐忝大父。 大父常在眼。但期無失步。兢兢如臨深。幸有主佑扶。持此寬心神。 魂安魄亦舒。 所望保吾魂。莫使淪幽冥。更望聖者身。免染朽腐痕。 指我生命路。飫我瞻仰欣。吾主之右手。永為福樂源。

Transcription into Roman alphabet:

jīng shén bǎo lěi

zhǔ nǎi wǒ suǒ yī 。 yī shēng ān qiě yí 。 wú xīn bái wú zhǔ 。 suǒ tiān wéi yǒu rǔ 。 fāng cùn wú tā hǎo 。 huái zhǔ yǐ wéi bǎo 。 chéng zhōng zhū shèng rén 。 yì shì wǒ suǒ qīn 。 tóng yóu shèng jiào zhōng 。 qí lè hé róng róng 。
guī yī xié mó zhě 。 chóu shàng gēng tiān yōu 。 jì sì hán xuè xīng 。 jué míng yì kě xiū 。
zhǔ shì wǒ jī yè 。 zhǔ shì wǒ huān bēi 。 bēi zhōng jiǔ cháng mǎn 。 jiā yè yǒng bù shuāi 。 yōu yóu tián yuán zhōng 。 fǔ yǎng chēng xīn yì 。 rì shè jiàn chéng qù 。 lè sī jìng jiè měi 。
wéi wǒ kāi míng wù 。 zhǔ ēn qǐ bù fù 。 sù yè wú gǎn huāng 。 wéi kǒng tiǎn dà fù 。 dà fù cháng zài yǎn 。 dàn qī wú shī bù 。 jīng jīng rú lín shēn 。 xìng yǒu zhǔ yòu fú 。 chí cǐ kuān xīn shén 。 hún ān pò yì shū 。 suǒ wàng bǎo wú hún 。 mò shǐ lún yōu míng 。 gēng wàng shèng zhě shēn 。 miǎn rǎn xiǔ fǔ hén 。 zhǐ wǒ shēng mìng lù 。 yù wǒ zhān yǎng xīn 。 wú zhǔ zhī yòu shǒu 。 yǒng wéi fú lè yuán 。

With thanks to Simon Wong.

John Wu Ching-hsiung (1899-1986) was a native of Ningbo, Zhejiang, a renowned jurist who studied in Europe and the United States, and served as a professor of law at Soochow University, as a judge and the Acting President of the Shanghai Provisional Court, and as the Vice President of the Commission for the Drafting of the Constitution of the Republic of China, before becoming the Minister of the Republic of China to the Holy See. Wu has written extensively, not only on law but also on Chinese philosophy, and has also written his autobiography, Beyond East and West, in English. Wu was a devout Catholic and had a personal relationship with Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975). Wu began translating the the Psalms in 1938, and was encouraged by Chiang to translate the entire New Testament, which he corrected in his own handwriting. (…) John Wu Ching-hsiung’s translation of the Psalms (first draft in 1946, revised in 1975) was translated into Literary Chinese in the form of poetic rhyme, with attention paid to the style of writing. According to the content and mood of the different chapters of the original psalm, Wu chose Chinese poetic forms such as tetrameter, pentameter, heptameter [4, 5 or 7 syllables/Chinese characters per stanza], and the [less formal] Sao style, and sometimes more than two poetic forms were used in a single poem. (Source: Simon Wong)

A contemporary researcher (Lindblom 2021) mentions this about Wu’s translation: “Wu created a unique and personal work of sacred art that bears the imprint of his own admitted love and devotion, a landmark achievement comparable to Antoni Gaudi’s Basilica of the Sagrada Família in Barcelona, Spain. Although its use is still somewhat limited today, it continues to attract readers for the aforementioned qualities, and continues to be used in prayers and music by those who desire beauty and an authentic Chinese-sounding text that draws from China’s ancient traditions.”

The translation of Psalm 15 from the 1946 edition is in pentameter and the rhyme scheme is -an (the 1946 edition did not have verse numbers either):

忠厚廉潔

誰堪留帝所。誰堪居靈山。 其惟行善者。心口無欺謾。 既無讒人舌。又無惡心肝。處世惟忠厚。克己待人寬。 見惡避若浼。見善共相歡。一言九鼎重。得失非所患。 不將重利剝。不作貪汚官。行善邀福澤。長如磐石安。

Transcription into Roman alphabet with the rhyme scheme highlighted:

zhōng hòu lián jié

shuí kān liú dì suǒ 。 shuí kān jū líng shān 。 qí wéi xíng shàn zhě 。 xīn kǒu wú qī mán 。 jì wú chán rén shé 。 yòu wú è xīn gān 。 chǔ shì wéi zhōng hòu 。 kè jǐ dài rén kuān 。 jiàn è bì ruò měi 。 jiàn shàn gòng xiāng huān 。 yī yán jiǔ dǐng zhòng 。 dé shī fēi suǒ huàn 。 bù jiāng zhòng lì bāo 。 bù zuò tān wū guān 。 xíng shàn yāo fú zé 。 cháng rú pán shí ān 。

With thanks to Simon Wong.

John Wu Ching-hsiung (1899-1986) was a native of Ningbo, Zhejiang, a renowned jurist who studied in Europe and the United States, and served as a professor of law at Soochow University, as a judge and the Acting President of the Shanghai Provisional Court, and as the Vice President of the Commission for the Drafting of the Constitution of the Republic of China, before becoming the Minister of the Republic of China to the Holy See. Wu has written extensively, not only on law but also on Chinese philosophy, and has also written his autobiography, Beyond East and West, in English. Wu was a devout Catholic and had a personal relationship with Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975). Wu began translating the the Psalms in 1938, and was encouraged by Chiang to translate the entire New Testament, which he corrected in his own handwriting. (…) John Wu Ching-hsiung’s translation of the Psalms (first draft in 1946, revised in 1975) was translated into Literary Chinese in the form of poetic rhyme, with attention paid to the style of writing. According to the content and mood of the different chapters of the original psalm, Wu chose Chinese poetic forms such as tetrameter, pentameter, heptameter [4, 5 or 7 syllables/Chinese characters per stanza], and the [less formal] Sao style, and sometimes more than two poetic forms were used in a single poem. (Source: Simon Wong)

A contemporary researcher (Lindblom 2021) mentions this about Wu’s translation: “Wu created a unique and personal work of sacred art that bears the imprint of his own admitted love and devotion, a landmark achievement comparable to Antoni Gaudi’s Basilica of the Sagrada Família in Barcelona, Spain. Although its use is still somewhat limited today, it continues to attract readers for the aforementioned qualities, and continues to be used in prayers and music by those who desire beauty and an authentic Chinese-sounding text that draws from China’s ancient traditions.”

The translation of Psalm 14 from the 1946 edition is in pentameter (the 1946 edition did not have verse numbers either and underlined proper names):

視爾夢夢

愚人心中言。宇宙無主宰。此輩何卑汚。所為皆曖昧。欲求為善者。不見一人在。
主自九天上。俯首察生靈。儻有智慧子。願與主相親。 紛紛落歧途。溷濁同垢塵。悠悠寰海內。竟無一賢人。 豈其作惡者。莫具纖屑知。何以不懷主。靦然食民脂。
主與德為鄰。惡人惴惴恐。 平生侮貧人。貧人主所寵。
義塞之救恩。宜自西溫出。主必引眾俘。歸還其本宅。義塞與雅谷。歡樂將何極。

Transcription into Roman alphabet:

shì ěr mèng mèng

yú rén xīn zhōng yán 。 yǔ zhòu wú zhǔ zǎi 。 cǐ bèi hé bēi wū 。 suǒ wéi jiē ài mèi 。 yù qiú wéi shàn zhě 。 bù jiàn yī rén zài 。
zhǔ zì jiǔ tiān shàng 。 fǔ shǒu chá shēng líng 。 tǎng yǒu zhì huì zǐ 。 yuàn yǔ zhǔ xiāng qīn 。 fēn fēn luò qí tú 。 hùn zhuó tóng gòu chén 。 yōu yōu huán hǎi nèi 。 jìng wú yī xián rén 。 qǐ qí zuò è zhě 。 mò jù xiān xiè zhī 。 hé yǐ bù huái zhǔ 。 miǎn rán shí mín zhī 。
zhǔ yǔ dé wéi lín 。 è rén zhuì zhuì kǒng 。 píng shēng wǔ pín rén 。 pín rén zhǔ suǒ chǒng 。
yì sāi zhī jiù ēn 。 yí zì xī wēn chū 。 zhǔ bì yǐn zhòng fú 。 guī huán qí běn zhái 。 yì sāi yǔ yǎ gǔ 。 huān lè jiāng hé jí 。

With thanks to Simon Wong.

John Wu Ching-hsiung (1899-1986) was a native of Ningbo, Zhejiang, a renowned jurist who studied in Europe and the United States, and served as a professor of law at Soochow University, as a judge and the Acting President of the Shanghai Provisional Court, and as the Vice President of the Commission for the Drafting of the Constitution of the Republic of China, before becoming the Minister of the Republic of China to the Holy See. Wu has written extensively, not only on law but also on Chinese philosophy, and has also written his autobiography, Beyond East and West, in English. Wu was a devout Catholic and had a personal relationship with Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975). Wu began translating the the Psalms in 1938, and was encouraged by Chiang to translate the entire New Testament, which he corrected in his own handwriting. (…) John Wu Ching-hsiung’s translation of the Psalms (first draft in 1946, revised in 1975) was translated into Literary Chinese in the form of poetic rhyme, with attention paid to the style of writing. According to the content and mood of the different chapters of the original psalm, Wu chose Chinese poetic forms such as tetrameter, pentameter, heptameter [4, 5 or 7 syllables/Chinese characters per stanza], and the [less formal] Sao style, and sometimes more than two poetic forms were used in a single poem. (Source: Simon Wong)

A contemporary researcher (Lindblom 2021) mentions this about Wu’s translation: “Wu created a unique and personal work of sacred art that bears the imprint of his own admitted love and devotion, a landmark achievement comparable to Antoni Gaudi’s Basilica of the Sagrada Família in Barcelona, Spain. Although its use is still somewhat limited today, it continues to attract readers for the aforementioned qualities, and continues to be used in prayers and music by those who desire beauty and an authentic Chinese-sounding text that draws from China’s ancient traditions.”

The translation of Psalm 13 from the 1946 edition is in the so-called Sao style (the 1946 edition did not have verse numbers either):

夜如何其

吁嗟天主兮。盍其有極。棄我如遺兮。慈顏恆匿。 不見吾主兮。中心悒悒。黯然銷魂兮。將至何日。敵人高壓兮。何時得息。 主其垂青兮。應我之求。賜光明於吾目兮。庶免昏睡而長休。 豈可使彼敵人兮。幸吾災而樂吾憂。 我之恃主兮。始末不渝。終必蒙救兮。賜以歡愉。我當謳歌兮。詠主德之特殊。

Transcription into Roman alphabet with the particle xī, that is characteristic for the Sao style, highlighted:

yè rú hé qí

xū jiē tiān zhǔ xī 。 hé qí yǒu jí 。 qì wǒ rú yí xī 。 cí yán héng nì 。 bù jiàn wú zhǔ xī 。 zhōng xīn yì yì 。 àn rán xiāo hún xī 。 jiāng zhì hé rì 。 dí rén gāo yā xī 。 hé shí dé xī 。 zhǔ qí chuí qīng xī 。 yīng wǒ zhī qiú 。 cì guāng míng yú wú mù xī 。 shù miǎn hūn shuì ér cháng xiū 。 qǐ kě shǐ bǐ dí rén xī 。 xìng wú zāi ér lè wú yōu 。 wǒ zhī shì zhǔ xī 。 shǐ mò bù yú 。 zhōng bì mēng jiù xī 。 cì yǐ huān yú 。 wǒ dāng ōu gē xī 。 yǒng zhǔ dé zhī tè shū 。

With thanks to Simon Wong.