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 11 from the 1946 edition is in the classical questions-and-answer scheme that is used by many Confucian and Taoist classics (the 1946 edition did not have verse numbers either):

答客難

友人勸我學飛鳥。飛入深山避災殃。 君不見群小彎弓箭在絃。欲於暗中射賢良。 國家根基已崩潰。賢人焉能獨支撐。 我答友人言。此語何荒唐。一生恃主得無恙。何必入山去自藏。　 雅瑋坐天廷。雙目炯炯察世人。 賢良蒙鍛鍊。所以玉其成。惟彼兇與暴。乃為主所憎。 為惡嬰天羅。雷霆作杯羹。 為善邀天眷。常得承歡欣。

Transcription into Roman alphabet:

dá kè nán

yǒu rén quàn wǒ xué fēi niǎo 。 fēi rù shēn shān bì zāi yāng 。 jūn bù jiàn qún xiǎo wān gōng jiàn zài xián 。 yù yú àn zhōng shè xián liáng 。 guó jiā gēn jī yǐ bēng kuì 。 xián rén yān néng dú zhī chēng 。 wǒ dá yǒu rén yán 。 cǐ yǔ hé huāng táng 。 yī shēng shì zhǔ dé wú yàng 。 hé bì rù shān qù zì cáng 。　 yǎ wěi zuò tiān tíng 。 shuāng mù jiǒng jiǒng chá shì rén 。 xián liáng mēng duàn liàn 。 suǒ yǐ yù qí chéng 。 wéi bǐ xiōng yǔ bào 。 nǎi wéi zhǔ suǒ zēng 。 wéi è yīng tiān luó 。 léi tíng zuò bēi gēng 。 wéi shàn yāo tiān juàn 。 cháng dé chéng huān xīn 。

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 22 from the 1946 edition is in the so-called Sao style (the 1946 edition did not have verse numbers either and underlined proper names):

受天下之垢

主兮主兮。胡為棄我如遺。發呻吟於危急兮。何惠音之遲遲。 朝籲主而不應兮。暮惆悵而無依。 夫主固吾族之所口碑兮。精靈夙彪炳乎歌詩。 稽先人之遐迹兮。孰不托聖澤而優游。 但聞籲主而見拯兮。焉有倚主而蒙羞。 謇予乃蚯蚓而非人兮。為萬民所唾棄而受天下之垢。 覩予者皆大施其嘲嗤兮。相與反其唇而搖其首。 曰彼既托命於天主兮。應蒙天主之援手。苟為天主之所寵兮。當見天主之營救。
信夫吾平生之所仰望兮。惟在天主之躬。主既出予於母胎兮。又教予仰聖恩於慈母之懷中。 溯自予之有生兮。向承吾主之恩撫。即予之尚在胎中兮。主亦未始非予之所怙。 今大難已臨而援手無人兮。吾主寧能捐棄而不顧。
健牡紛紛兮。圍我周匝。來自巴珊兮。洶洶相逼。 猛如餓獅兮。張口欲食。 體渙解兮骨脫。心消融兮如蠟。 喉焦如礫兮舌貼齶。身被委棄兮轉溝壑。 惡犬環縈兮。群小蜂聚。 手與足兮洞穿。骨嶙峋兮可數。眾人旁觀兮。舉瞪目而視予。 分我外衣兮。鬮我內服。 求主毋我遐棄兮。祈恩佑之神速。 保吾魂於刀劍兮。脫吾命於狂畜。 出我於獅口兮。拯我於兕角。 會當宣聖名於諸弟兮。誦大德於會中。 願凡虔敬之人兮。播揚仁風。願雅谷之苗裔兮。聖道是弘。願義塞之子孫兮。惟主是崇。 惟天主之慈憫兮。樂拯厄而濟窮。信乎其有求而必應兮。何曾掩其天容。 吾欲申讚歎於廣眾之中兮。還夙願於諸聖之前。上以報罔極之恩。下以踐平生之言。 必使謙謙君子。飲和飽德。懷主之徒。絃歌不絕。心靈日健。永生不滅。 行見普天率土兮。幡然憬悟而來歸。列國萬民兮。翕然致眷戀於庭闈。 蓋主乃天地之宰兮。又為萬國之君。 世之豐席厚履者固當飲水而思源兮。困苦瀕死者亦應俯伏而投誠。勗哉吾魂。為主而生。 來胤後嗣。事主惟勤。世代緜緜。恭聆福音。 父以傳子。子以傳孫。念念毋忘。主之經綸。

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

shòu tiān xià zhī gòu

zhǔ xī zhǔ xī 。 hú wéi qì wǒ rú yí 。 fā shēn yín yú wēi jí xī 。 hé huì yīn zhī chí chí 。 zhāo xū zhǔ ér bù yīng xī 。 mù chóu chàng ér wú yī 。 fū zhǔ gù wú zú zhī suǒ kǒu bēi xī 。 jīng líng sù biāo bǐng hū gē shī 。 jī xiān rén zhī xiá jì xī 。 shú bù tuō shèng zé ér yōu yóu 。 dàn wén xū zhǔ ér jiàn zhěng xī 。 yān yǒu yǐ zhǔ ér mēng xiū 。 jiǎn yú nǎi qiū yǐn ér fēi rén xī 。 wéi wàn mín suǒ tuò qì ér shòu tiān xià zhī gòu 。 yì yú zhě jiē dà shī qí cháo chī xī 。 xiāng yǔ fǎn qí chún ér yáo qí shǒu 。 yuē bǐ jì tuō mìng yú tiān zhǔ xī 。 yīng mēng tiān zhǔ zhī yuán shǒu 。 gǒu wéi tiān zhǔ zhī suǒ chǒng xī 。 dāng jiàn tiān zhǔ zhī yíng jiù 。
xìn fū wú píng shēng zhī suǒ yǎng wàng xī 。 wéi zài tiān zhǔ zhī gōng 。 zhǔ jì chū yú yú mǔ tāi xī 。 yòu jiào yú yǎng shèng ēn yú cí mǔ zhī huái zhōng 。 sù zì yú zhī yǒu shēng xī 。 xiàng chéng wú zhǔ zhī ēn fǔ 。 jí yú zhī shàng zài tāi zhōng xī 。 zhǔ yì wèi shǐ fēi yú zhī suǒ hù 。 jīn dà nán yǐ lín ér yuán shǒu wú rén xī 。 wú zhǔ níng néng juān qì ér bù gù 。
jiàn mǔ fēn fēn xī 。 wéi wǒ zhōu zā 。 lái zì bā shān xī 。 xiōng xiōng xiāng bī 。 měng rú è shī xī 。 zhāng kǒu yù shí 。 tǐ huàn jiě xī gǔ tuō 。 xīn xiāo róng xī rú là 。 hóu jiāo rú lì xī shé tiē è 。 shēn bèi wěi qì xī zhuǎn gōu hè 。 è quǎn huán yíng xī 。 qún xiǎo fēng jù 。 shǒu yǔ zú xī dòng chuān 。 gǔ lín xún xī kě shù 。 zhòng rén páng guān xī 。 jǔ dèng mù ér shì yú 。 fēn wǒ wài yī xī 。 jiū wǒ nèi fú 。 qiú zhǔ wú wǒ xiá qì xī 。 qí ēn yòu zhī shén sù 。 bǎo wú hún yú dāo jiàn xī 。 tuō wú mìng yú kuáng xù 。 chū wǒ yú shī kǒu xī 。 zhěng wǒ yú sì jiǎo 。 huì dāng xuān shèng míng yú zhū dì xī 。 sòng dà dé yú huì zhōng 。 yuàn fán qián jìng zhī rén xī 。 bō yáng rén fēng 。 yuàn yǎ gǔ zhī miáo yì xī 。 shèng dào shì hóng 。 yuàn yì sāi zhī zǐ sūn xī 。 wéi zhǔ shì chóng 。 wéi tiān zhǔ zhī cí mǐn xī 。 lè zhěng è ér jì qióng 。 xìn hū qí yǒu qiú ér bì yīng xī 。 hé zēng yǎn qí tiān róng 。 wú yù shēn zàn tàn yú guǎng zhòng zhī zhōng xī 。 huán sù yuàn yú zhū shèng zhī qián 。 shàng yǐ bào wǎng jí zhī ēn 。 xià yǐ jiàn píng shēng zhī yán 。 bì shǐ qiān qiān jūn zǐ 。 yǐn hé bǎo dé 。 huái zhǔ zhī tú 。 xián gē bù jué 。 xīn líng rì jiàn 。 yǒng shēng bù miè 。 xíng jiàn pǔ tiān shuài tǔ xī 。 fān rán jǐng wù ér lái guī 。 liè guó wàn mín xī 。 xī rán zhì juàn liàn yú tíng wéi 。 gài zhǔ nǎi tiān dì zhī zǎi xī 。 yòu wéi wàn guó zhī jūn 。 shì zhī fēng xí hòu hòu lǚ zhě gù dāng yǐn shuǐ ér sī yuán xī 。 kùn kǔ bīn sǐ zhě yì yīng fǔ fú ér tóu chéng 。 xù zāi wú hún 。 wéi zhǔ ér shēng 。 lái yìn hòu sì 。 shì zhǔ wéi qín 。 shì dài mián mián 。 gōng líng fú yīn 。 fù yǐ chuán zǐ 。 zǐ yǐ chuán sūn 。 niàn niàn wú wàng 。 zhǔ zhī jīng lún 。

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 1 from the 1946 edition is in pentameter with rhyme schemes based on -i and -ie (the 1946 edition did not have verse numbers either):

君子與小人

長樂惟君子。為善百祥集。莫偕無道行。恥與群小立。 避彼輕慢徒。不屑與同席。優游聖道中。涵泳徹朝夕。 譬如溪畔樹。及時結嘉實。歲寒葉不枯。條鬯靡有極。
惡人徒狡黠。飄飄如穅屑。悠悠逐風轉。何處是歸結。 惡貫既滿盈。天人共棄絕。 我主識善人。無道終滅裂。

Transcription into Roman alphabet with rhymes highlighted:

jūn zǐ yǔ xiǎo rén

cháng lè wéi jūn zǐ 。 wéi shàn bǎi xiáng jí 。 mò xié wú dào xíng 。 chǐ yǔ qún xiǎo lì 。 bì bǐ qīng màn tú 。 bù xiè yǔ tóng xí 。 yōu yóu shèng dào zhōng 。 hán yǒng chè zhāo xī 。 pì rú xī pàn shù 。 jí shí jié jiā shí 。 suì hán yè bù kū 。 tiáo chàng mí yǒu jí 。
è rén tú jiǎo xiá 。 piāo piāo rú kāng xiè 。 yōu yōu zhú fēng zhuǎn 。 hé chǔ shì guī jié 。 è guàn jì mǎn yíng 。 tiān rén gòng qì jué 。 wǒ zhǔ shí shàn rén 。 wú dào zhōng miè liè 。

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 12 from the 1946 edition is in pentameter (the 1946 edition did not have verse numbers either):

世風歎

仁義成絕響。忠信已泯沒。 交友無誠意。口蜜心詭譎。 求主矯浮薄。復使反樸拙。懲罰巧言者。剪截誇誕舌。 此輩炫利口。自謂世無敵。脣舌我自主。誰得相干涉。
雅瑋聞此語。焉能長默默。已見弱者苦。已聞貧人泣。我今將興起。一慰長太息。務使貧與弱。各得其所適。 至誠惟天主。聖道何純質。白銀經七煉。未能方其潔。 主必濟窮民。莫隨斯世溺。 惡逆如橫行。賢良無寧日。

Transcription into Roman alphabet:

shì fēng tàn

rén yì chéng jué xiǎng 。 zhōng xìn yǐ mǐn méi 。 jiāo yǒu wú chéng yì 。 kǒu mì xīn guǐ jué 。 qiú zhǔ jiǎo fú báo 。 fù shǐ fǎn pǔ zhuō 。 chěng fá qiǎo yán zhě 。 jiǎn jié kuā dàn shé 。 cǐ bèi xuàn lì kǒu 。 zì wèi shì wú dí 。 chún shé wǒ zì zhǔ 。 shuí dé xiāng gān shè 。
yǎ wěi wén cǐ yǔ 。 yān néng cháng mò mò 。 yǐ jiàn ruò zhě kǔ 。 yǐ wén pín rén qì 。 wǒ jīn jiāng xīng qǐ 。 yī wèi cháng tài xī 。 wù shǐ pín yǔ ruò 。 gè dé qí suǒ shì 。 zhì chéng wéi tiān zhǔ 。 shèng dào hé chún zhì 。 bái yín jīng qī liàn 。 wèi néng fāng qí jié 。 zhǔ bì jì qióng mín 。 mò suí sī shì nì 。 è nì rú héng xíng 。 xián liáng wú níng rì 。

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 2 from the 1946 edition in the so-called Sao style (the 1946 edition did not have verse numbers either and underlined proper names):

順與逆

何列邦之擾攘兮。何萬民之猖狂。 世酋蠭起兮。跋扈飛揚。共圖背叛天主兮。反抗受命之王。 曰吾儕豈長甘羈絆兮。盍解其縛而脫其繮。
在天者必大笑兮。笑蜉蝣之不知自量。 終必勃然而怒兮。以懲當車之螳螂。 主曰吾已立君於西溫聖山之上兮。 君曰吾將宣聖旨於萬方。主曾告予兮。爾為予新得之元良。 予必應爾所求兮。如聲斯響。普天率土兮。莫非吾兒之宇疆。 爾當執鐵杖以粉碎群逆兮。有如瓦缶與壺觴。
嗚呼世之侯王兮。盍不及早省悟。鳴呼世之法吏兮。盍不自守法度。 小心翼翼以事主兮。寓歡樂於敬懼。 心悅誠服以順命兮。免天帝之震怒。何苦自取滅亡兮。自絕於康莊之大路。須知惟有委順兮。能邀無窮之福祚。

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

shùn yǔ nì

hé liè bāng zhī rǎo rǎng xī 。 hé wàn mín zhī chāng kuáng 。 shì qiú fēng qǐ xī 。 bá hù fēi yáng 。 gòng tú bèi pàn tiān zhǔ xī 。 fǎn kàng shòu mìng zhī wáng 。 yuē wú chái qǐ cháng gān jī bàn xī 。 hé jiě qí fù ér tuō qí jiāng 。
zài tiān zhě bì dà xiào xī 。 xiào fú yóu zhī bù zhī zì liáng 。 zhōng bì bó rán ér nù xī 。 yǐ chěng dāng chē zhī táng láng 。 zhǔ yuē wú yǐ lì jūn yú xī wēn shèng shān zhī shàng xī 。 jūn yuē wú jiāng xuān shèng zhǐ yú wàn fāng 。 zhǔ zēng gào yú xī 。 ěr wéi yú xīn dé zhī yuán liáng 。 yú bì yīng ěr suǒ qiú xī 。 rú shēng sī xiǎng 。 pǔ tiān shuài tǔ xī 。 mò fēi wú ér zhī yǔ jiāng 。 ěr dāng zhí tiě zhàng yǐ fěn suì qún nì xī 。 yǒu rú wǎ fǒu yǔ hú shāng 。
wū hū shì zhī hóu wáng xī 。 hé bù jí zǎo shěng wù 。 míng hū shì zhī fǎ lì xī 。 hé bù zì shǒu fǎ dù 。 xiǎo xīn yì yì yǐ shì zhǔ xī 。 yù huān lè yú jìng jù 。 xīn yuè chéng fú yǐ shùn mìng xī 。 miǎn tiān dì zhī zhèn nù 。 hé kǔ zì qǔ miè wáng xī 。 zì jué yú kāng zhuāng zhī dà lù 。 xū zhī wéi yǒu wěi shùn xī 。 néng yāo wú qióng zhī fú zuò 。

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.