Psalmi - momentul Freemantle

The Lord is my shepherd
I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie

down in green pastures:

He leadeth me beside

the still waters

Domnul e pastorul meu

langa el nu duc lipsa de nimic.

El ma paste la pasuni verzi

Si ma duce la ape de odihna

I was missing my Psalms left in Bucharest, so I searched for such a book here in America. I discovered one that was the strangest and the most beautiful book I could ever imagine: a facsimile of a hand-painted illumination for the Psalms.

A lifework of a splendid soul. James Freemantle was not particularly religious, but he loved his wife devotedly, and he did this for her. Psalms are such beautiful love poetry, so he poured all his skills to render them to his beloved Clara.

Psalm after psalm, a Benedictine work. His son tells us the story:
Many hours to do just a couple of lines, with fine detailed lettering. Making the bodies of the letters first, and then adding the tails painstakingly so that no join should show. Then adding a wealth of decoration. Thus, half a page a night represented good progress.

The vivid illustrations represent mostly flowers, animals, and temples of India, where Freemantle lived, serving in the British army and administration. The book flower which closes at night is there, and the great jacaranda, the poinsettias and the mimosas, palms and wild violets. And storks, kingfishers, drummer butterflies, pheasants. And the Golden Temple of Amritsar.

The Heavens declare the Glory of God

and the firmament showeth His handywork.

Day unto day uttereth speech,

and night unto night sheweth knowledge.

There is no speech nor language,

where their voice is not heard.

Cerurile canta Slava lui Dumnezeu

iar bolta arata lucrarea mainilor Sale.

Ziua da veste zilei urmatoare

iar noaptea noptii ii da de stire.

Nu este grai si nici limba

in care glasul lor sa nu se auda.

There was the work of a whole life. He died of pneumonia within a year after finishing the book, in 1934.