As I have previously noted, there are essentially three types of options when it comes to books containing the psalms and main texts for Matins: psalters containing all of the hours; Matins only books (Nocturnale); and breviaries. I will leave consideration of breviaries and the Monastic Breviary Matins book until we look at the readings for Matins.
There are, though, two other useful sources of the psalms and common prayers that it seems timely to look at now, both of which I think are worth considering acquiring.
(1) Matins According to the Benedictine Ritual with a Supplement Latin-English, Clear Creek 2008.
The Clear Creek Matins book was originally intended primarily to help visitors to the monastery to follow Matins there, but is also available through Lulu.
What it contains
The book contains texts for Matins each day in Latin and English, other than the readings, responsories and collects. It includes the main seasonal antiphons but not all of the variants (such as the Sunday invitatory antiphon during Lent for example). The supplement actually mainly deals with the other hours, but does include some Matins texts.
The translation of the psalms is (I think) one of the Challoner-Douay-Rheims versions (though not the one that I have).
Pros and cons
This is an especially useful book for beginners as it lays out all the texts (such as Psalm 94) exactly as it is said for most of the year in full. This layout means the repeated texts appear in each day's pages, reducing the need for page flipping.
Of course, the downside is that this makes it slightly harder to use for feasts and other occasions when some of the texts change.
In addition, unlike the Psautier Monastique, it doesn't contain many of the seasonal texts. Still, if you are praying Matins devotionally, primarily in order to extend the number of psalms you are saying, the seasonal texts are not essential.
As it is put out by a monastery, though without a formal imprimateur, it can be argued to satisfy the requirement for official approval (in these days when many monasteries have used plastic folders and ad hoc editions for years, it is hard to insist on the letter of the Code when it comes to deciding what constitutes official books in my view!).
A reader has noted though that it only comes in paperback form, so it is unclear how well it will stand up to daily use.
(2) Holger Peter Stanhofe, Psalterium dispositum per hebdomadam pro nocurnis horis secundum regulam SS Patris Nostri Benedicti, 2002.
What it contains
This is a draft of a Benedictine Nocturnale produced by the late Holger Peter Standhofe, who put together the Nocturnale Romanum, and unfortunately never quite completed. It is Latin only, but includes the standard texts and chants for the psalter section of Matins each day.
It can be freely downloaded here.
Pros and cons
The text is a draft only, and unfortunately there are quite a few errors scattered through it - missing initials and mistakes in the psalter. Most of them are fairly obvious though, and it is not a big deal to go through and correct them.
Its big advantage over sources is that it provides the chants needed to sing the Ordinary of Matins (ie invitatory antiphons, hymns and antiphons), the only publicly available source I've found for these.
One option would be to do a cut and paste job, and use the chants in conjunction with the Psautier.
