I suggested an idea about reversed structures in Hebrew poetry in my last post. The very next Psalm I am destined to translate contains just such a structure. Psalm 90:1 and 17 as pointed out by Magonet -A Rabbi Reads the Psalms. Adonay ma'on (aleph) and vihi no'am adonay (in the last verse) - note the palindrome! These writers were playful just as we are - except for us really serious people.
Is there a similar structure in Psalm 2 that would allow the horrible use of a borrowed tongue in verse 12? The rather ugly raw transcription follows - my colour-coding fails me at the moment.
Psalm 2
1 LAMAH RAgSHU gOYIm
לָמָּה רָגְשׁוּ גוֹיִם
UL'eMim YeHGU-RiQ
וּלְאֻמִּים יֶהְגּוּ-רִיק
2 YIthiaTSbU maLkeY-'eReTS
יִתְיַצְּבוּ מַלְכֵי-אֶרֶץ
VROZnim nOçDU-YAXaD
וְרוֹזְנִים נוֹסְדוּ-יָחַד
.aL-YY V.aL-mSHiXO
עַל-יְהוָה וְעַל-מְשִׁיחוֹ
3 nnaTQAH 'eth-mOçROtheYmO
נְנַתְּקָה אֶת-מוֹסְרוֹתֵימוֹ
VnaSHLikAH mIMeNU .abotheYmO
וְנַשְׁלִיכָה מִמֶּנּוּ עֲבֹתֵימוֹ
4 YOSHeb BaSHAmaYIm YISXAQ
יוֹשֵׁב בַּשָּׁמַיִם יִשְׂחָק
YY YIL.ag-LAmO
יְהוָה יִלְעַג-לָמוֹ
5 'AZ YDaBeR 'eLeYmO b'aPO
אָז יְדַבֵּר אֵלֵימוֹ בְאַפּוֹ
UbaXaROnO YbaHaLemO
וּבַחֲרוֹנוֹ יְבַהֲלֵמוֹ
6 Va'ani nAçakTi maLki
וַאֲנִי נָסַכְתִּי מַלְכִּי
.aL-TSiOn HaR-QADSHi
עַל-צִיּוֹן הַר-קָדְשִׁי
7 'açaPRAH 'eL-XoQ YY
אֲסַפְּרָה אֶל-חֹק יְהוָה
'AmaR 'eLaY Bni 'aTAH
אָמַר אֵלַי בְּנִי אַתָּה
'ani HaYOm YLIDTikA
אֲנִי הַיּוֹם יְלִדְתִּיךָ
8 SH'aL mIMeNi
שְׁאַל מִמֶּנִּי
V'eTnAH gOYIm naXaLAthekA
וְאֶתְּנָה גוֹיִם נַחֲלָתֶךָ
Va'aXeZAthkA 'aphçeY-'AReTS
וַאֲחֻזָּתְךָ אַפְסֵי-אָרֶץ
9 TRo.em BSHebet
תְּרֹעֵם בְּשֵׁבֶט
BaRZeL kIkLi
בַּרְזֶל כִּכְלִי
YOTSeR TnaPTSem
יוֹצֵר תְּנַפְּצֵם
10 V.aTAH mLAkim
וְעַתָּה מְלָכִים
HaSkiLU HIUAçRU
הַשְׂכִּילוּ הִוָּסְרוּ
SHophteY 'AReTS
שֹׁפְטֵי אָרֶץ
11 .IbDU 'eth-YY BiIR'AH
עִבְדוּ אֶת-יְהוָה בְּיִרְאָה
VgiLU BIR.ADAH
וְגִילוּ בִּרְעָדָה
12 naSHQU-baR Pen-Ye'enaph
נַשְּׁקוּ-בַר פֶּן-יֶאֱנַף
Vtho'bDU DeRek
וְתֹאבְדוּ דֶרֶךְ
ki-YIb.aR kIm.at 'aPO
כִּי-יִבְעַר כִּמְעַט אַפּוֹ
'aSHReY kAL-XOçeY bO
אַשְׁרֵי כָּל-חוֹסֵי בוֹ
Thursday, May 17, 2007
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5 comments:
It may be because I'm suffering with a "bug" at the moment, but it does not look strong to me, if I understood you right its these phrases you are suggesting as a palindrome:
הר־קדשי in v.6
נשקו־בר in v.12
While I hear a sort of echo it does not seem to be strong enough to call a palindrome...
Unless in my befuddled state I've missed the point!?
Tim: I am searching for clues in the sound to see if there are hints in the other parts of psalm 2 that will aid in the resolution of the translation problem.
The one I highlighted is similar sounding in reverse in part – it is alliterative but not a palindrome as the one in Psalm 90.
I just printed John Hobbins’ 50 pages of stuff on Hebrew poetry – and, based on his comments on segholates, I changed my algorithm for transcription to eliminate E and e vowels under gutturals. I am not yet sure where this will lead.
Thanks for the comment and interest – more discoveries ahead I hope.
Sorry, I misunderstood.
I hear the assonance, though I guess I'd like some more indications of why/how you think these two parts of the psalm are linked, would a possible assonance alone, unless it was one that "worked" in some way be enough to drive an otherwise unlikely word choice?
Duh, sorry, I had not read the two posts above, silly of me, I should have! <Red Face>
I read blogs in bloglines, and get notified of new comments by email, so had not seen the posts - ah, the problems of too-hi-tech!
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