Before the year 1611, many different translations of the Bible existed, but none were very consistent. At that time, by order of King James I, forty-seven scholars from various theological and educational backgrounds, divided into six individual groups, accomplished the task of translating the Bible from the original Hebrew manuscripts and existing English documents. Mary Sidney would have been very familiar with the resulting King James Version of the Bible, as would any other educated person in 18th-century England. In his paraphrase of “Psalm 139,” it seems that Sidney does not feel that the King James Version adequately expresses his innermost thoughts. The Psalms of the Bible are a production of a number of authors, the most important of them being David. While David's Psalms contain his innermost thoughts about God, Sidney frequently takes these thoughts and expands on them further. At times she seems to display more confidence than David, but at other times she seems more docile and reserved. Although she eloquently paraphrases David's work in beautiful verse, she lacks coherence and her overall credibility suffers. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay One of the most obvious differences between the King James version of "Psalm 139" and Mary Sidney's version is the style. Although the Psalms are traditionally known to be songs written by David, "Psalm 139" does not appear to be very structured in the King James Version. It is composed of twenty-four verses, each composed of approximately two iambic pentametric lines. However, the first verse contains only one line and verses twelve, fourteen, fifteen, and sixteen each contain three lines. Although it appears that the author attempted to form each line with ten beats, they range from six to twelve beats and are not necessarily made up of even feet. Often this leaves a feeling of awkwardness, as the reader expects there to be one more beat in the line for it to seem complete. The second line of verse six illustrates this dilemma: "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;/it is high, I cannot attain it." » One might expect that the first line of this verse would require an equally formally constructed sequel, but the reader is left with a feeling of incompleteness. This makes sense, however, in that the translators were probably trying to keep the text as close to the original as possible, thereby diminishing the importance of stylistic devices such as rhyme and meter. Sidney chooses to approach “Psalm 139” in a more poetic way. She wrote thirteen stanzas, each of which contained seven lines meticulously written in iambic tetrameter. In each stanza, Sidney does not deviate from an ABCCBAB rhyme scheme, which is extremely difficult to follow, especially when translating. Her ability to do this alone showcases Sidney's poetic prowess. However, Sidney had much more freedom to use poetic devices than the authors of the King James Version, resulting in stanzas that sound fluid and natural. What once was “You have compassed me behind and before,/and laid your hand upon me/Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;/it is high, I cannot attain” (KJV v. 5-6), transforms gracefully into "If I walk, you walk in front,/ If I come back, you are behind:/ So forward nor backward/ I miss your guard,/ No on me too, I find your hand ./ Well I am your wisdom can adore, but never reach withan earthly spirit” (Sidney, l. 15-21). The way Sidney paraphrases “Psalm 139” reveals much about his feelings and attitudes toward God. She seems to feel closer to God than the King James Version translators allow. While David declares that God "knows my fall and my rising;/you know my thoughts from afar" (KJV v. 2), Sidney is not content to simply believe that God knows his actions and understands his thoughts from afar. For her, God is much more actively interested in her daily activities: “For when I sit down/You notice it;/You notice no less when I get up;/Yes, the closet closest to my thoughts/ With windows open to your eyes” (l. 3-7). God not only knows his daily activities, but also records them. God does not merely observe his thoughts from Heaven, but witnesses the “closest closet” of his mind. Although David is often described as "a man after God's own heart," Sidney certainly seems to feel a closer emotional connection to God than he does. Sidney continues this feeling of closeness throughout the poem. David feels God directing his steps, but Sidney truly feels God walking with her (l. 8). She goes on to say that she feels the presence of God wherever she goes, while David refrains from making this statement. There is no evidence that he does not feel the omnipresence of God, but it is Sidney who expresses this concept. Perhaps this can be explained by Sidney's relatively carefree life. As David is forced to flee a mad and jealous king and witnesses the incestuous rape of his daughter and the violent death of his son, Sidney had only criticism to fear. Perhaps it is not so surprising that she feels happier than David in God's refuge. It is curious, then, that Sidney personifies the night as a proactive villain, while David describes it simply as "the darkness." Sidney challenges the night to “Do your best... / With a veil of sand to cover me: / Your veil of sand / Shall fail in vain” (l. 36-39). David simply states, “If I say, darkness will cover me, and even the night will be light around me” (v. 11). Although David has faced far more adversity in his life than Sidney and does not seem to feel as close to God as Sidney, he does not seem to fear attacks to the same extent as Sidney. Sidney's defiant challenge at night reveals that although she is convinced that God can overcome and overcome the darkness, she still worries about that same darkness. She sees the night as an opposing force that has somehow set her apart, whereas David simply recognizes the darkness as an entity that God will deal with. It's a strange phenomenon, because in reality, David has far more worries than Sidney, and yet she seems obsessed with his safety. It could be argued that David is not concerned about the darkness because he has had the opportunity to witness the power of God, whereas Sidney lives a relatively sheltered life. Sidney continues to push David's thoughts a little further in line forty-three. David tells God that he is in control of his life and has “possessed [his] kingdoms” (v. 13). This implies that David retains possession of his person, but has renounced all governance of himself for the benefit of God. Sidney tells God that “Every innermost piece of me is yours” (l. 43). Not only does she surrender control of her independent life to God, but she actually entrusts every part of herself to Him. As anyone who has ridden a horse knows, sometimes simply holding the reins is not enough to control a willful animal. This is especially true with David. Although he willingly gives God "reigns" over his life, he can and does chooseindeed, to commit crimes abominable in the eyes of God. He has Bathsheeba's husband, Uriah, killed so that he can take her as his wife (2 Samuel, ch. 11. KJV). He knows it's wrong in that moment, but he fights fiercely against God's control over his life. Like a warlike horse, reigns mean nothing to him. With this in mind, it seems that Sidney is trying to free herself from free choice, because she knows that left to her own devices, she too will rebel against God's will. Although Sidney appears to be completely comfortable in her faith, on one point she seems to contradict herself. She states: "My God, how I value these studies, / what thy hidden works show" (l. 64-65), implying that when God makes his thoughts known to her, he also reveals his secrets. However, to lines twenty and twenty-one, she states, “Well, I can worship your wisdom,/But never attain it with an earthly mind.” » David seems to be more humble about this and simply says, “How precious are your thoughts to me, O God” (v. 17). He does not claim to understand God or his “hidden works.” He is content to simply hear God's voice and does not attempt to decipher His thoughts. While Sidney certainly doesn't claim to know all of God's secrets, claiming to know even some of them borders on vanity. This conceit is also evident in other lines of Sidney's paraphrase. David places God first in all of his collected thoughts. Even if he runs away from God, he knows that God must necessarily be before him. He writes: “If I take the wings of the morning/and dwell on the ends of the sea/there your hand will lead me/and your right hand will take hold of me” (vv. 10-11). David knows that God's hands are leading him and is therefore ahead of him at all times. Sidney doesn't seem to share this sentiment. She declares: “I could flee,/ As far as the evening brings you:/ Even led westward, it would catch me” (l. 32-34). For God to be able to catch her, it implies that He is behind her, which means that Sidney has the ability to temporarily escape God and be in front of Him. This is very curious coming from someone who claims that “every most intimate part of me belongs [to God]” (l. 43). Although it may seem trivial to note a seemingly insignificant topic in one's poem, it is not as unimportant as it first appears. Sidney is a brilliant poet and chooses her words very carefully. She deliberately changes David's assertion that God always leads him, to one in which she is able to lead God, even for a very short period of time. God will catch her, but first he has to follow her. Sidney is interesting in that she seems extraordinarily confident at times, and hesitant and shy at others. In verse nineteen, David confidently proclaims, “You will surely kill the wicked, O God! So depart from me, you bloody men. » He knows without a doubt that God will destroy those who oppose him. David does not question God's ability to do this and boldly tells those who threaten him to leave immediately. Sidney is not so brave. She hesitantly asks God: “If you would kill but one,/Then I would immediately leave my pursuit/This accursed brood” (l. 71-73). She almost seems to be pleading with God to remove these obstacles in her path, and only half believes He will. She does not address her real attackers as David does, because she is not convinced of God's desire or ability to save her. Instead, she quietly asks God for help and tries to avoid further provocations from her enemies. Although Sidney frequently attempts to outdo David's heartfelt confessions, his narrow-mindedness becomes.., 2000. 961-964.