In Search of an Alternative to Prose-like Translation of the Psalms into Tagalog with Psalm 13 as a Test Case

Translators of Old Testament poetical materials, particularly the Psalms, into Tagalog almost always resort to free verse. A free-verse approach to translation does not use a strict meter or rhyme scheme; it approximates the ordinary language that people speak or write. This study intends to find an alternative to the prose-like default approach adopted by Filipino translators in the translation of OT poetry into Tagalog. A survey of Tagalog translations from 1905 to 2018 is conducted and the translation approaches adopted by Filipino translators throughout the years are noted. The distinctive features of Hebrew poetry and Tagalog classical poetry are examined to produce guidelines that will help shape an alternative approach.