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[This page is still under construction so it's still a little "rough."]

John Mason Neale was (and remains) one of the most important translators of Greek and Latin hymns. His translations first appeared in his own books and collections:

Many (perhaps most) of the best known ancient hymns from the Greek and Latin which are known and used today are translations of J. M. Neale:

Although most of Neal's translations first appeared in his own publications, many also appeared in Hymns Ancient and Modern (1858 - 1961) and it was from this source that his hymn translations became known to a wide audience and consequently entered into the hymnic mainstream.

With work in virtually all English language hymnals, John Mason Neale is considered one of the most important Greek and Latin translators. Born on Conduit Street in London on January 24, 1818, Neale was ducated at Shelbourne Grammar school by private tutors before he entered Trinity College in Cambridge in 1836 where he became involved with the Church Movement and became one of the founders of the Ecclesiological or Cambridge-Camden Movement.  In 1842 he married Sarah Norman Webster and that should have been the start of an ascending career, but he was kept by church politics to obscure and low paying positions throughout the duration of his service.  He paid for his High Church views.  Soon after assuming his first incumbency in Crawley in Sussex chronic lung disease took hold and he had to relocate to the Madiera Islands off the northwest coast of Africa; but there he found a wonderful library which became a source for later books he wrote.  By one standard his life was a failure 'he spent nearly half his life where he died in the position of warden of an obscure Almshouse on a salary of £27 a year.' (Julian)  The almshouse was Sackville College in East Grimstead, it was a refuge for destitute old men.  Over the course of a stunted career and short life he did however establish the Sisterhood of St. Margaret to minister to the poor, sick and needy.  From this work grew an orphanage, a middle class school for girls and a house of refuge for prostitutes.

Neale could read, write and think in 21 languages and was especially conversant in Latin and Greek. In 1851 his collection of hymns, Hymnal Noted was published.  A man of "scrupulously delicate and honorable character," he died as his conditioned worsened in August 6, 1866 at the age of 48.  Neale, as part of Oxford movement of the 19th century, translated many hymns from the ancient and medieval periods.
 
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See Gracia Grindal's page here .

Hymns translated by John M. Neale:

"ALL GLORY, LAUD, AND HONOR"
"CHRIST IS MADE THE SURE FOUNDATION"
"COME, YOU FAITHFUL, RAISE THE STRAIN"
"DRAW NEAR AND TAKE THE BODY OF THE LORD"
"FROM GOD THE FATHER, VIRGIN-BORN"
"GOOD CHRISTIAN FRIENDS, REJOICE"
"JERUSALEM, THE GOLDEN"
"NOW THAT THE DAYLIGHT FILLS THE SKY"
"OH, COME, OH, COME EMMANUEL"
"OF THE FATHER'S LOVE BEGOTTEN"
"OF THE GLORIOUS BODY TELLING"
"OH, WHAT THEIR JOY"
"OH, WONDEROUS TYPE, OH VISION FAIR"
"O SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF THE KING"
"SING, MY TONGUE"
"THE DAY OF THE RESURRECTION"
"THAT EASTER DAY WITH JOY WAS BRIGHT"
"THE ROYAL BANNERS FORWARD GO"
"TO YOU, BEFORE THE CLOSE OF THE DAY"
"WHEN CHRIST'S APPEARING WAS MADE KNOWN"

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