I am glad to see continued interaction over the translation issues in Psalm 68 at BBB. The issue of who receives what from whom when is a small part of the discussion. Does God receive or give gifts? I was asked if I was making a theoretical statement about Christian translation.
I have a hard time following long comment strings so I thought I had better try and clarify some of my own bias in translation. Here is the interaction:
Bob: God receives gifts in response to having given them - so the reversal of the citation is not problematic.
J.K.Gayle: Are you making a theoretical statement about Christian translation of the Scriptures?
I don't think I have a position on 'Christian' translation at all. I try not to use such adjectives. If I have a theory of translation, it is pattern dependent: we must observe the repeating patterns and see if we can discern the contained and the containing. In the case of the psalms, there are several observable patterns. Finding the significant ones is still difficult.
Now to come to this particular question: As Suzanne points out, in Psalm 68 in this passage, God seems to be receiving gifts. This might mean that the armies were successful and there are captives in Jerusalem which are being received. I pointed out before that it is surprising that even the rebellious are being received. Is this a shame to them or a gift to them?
`ALithA LàMAROm ShAbithA ShEbi
עָלִיתָ לַמָּרוֹם שָׁבִיתָ שֶּׁבִי
you are gone up on high captives you have captured
LAQàXTA màTAnOth BA)ADAm
לָקַחְתָּ מַתָּנוֹת בָּאָדָם
you have received gifts of humanity
A few questions: what does the preposition and article BA mean? 'in the' (in the human) or 'of' or 'for' or 'when'? These Hebrew prepositions are difficult for non-natives to appreciate. So I need to look for clues in other references to gift in the poem: verses 30, 32, 33 and verses 4-5 - God receives praise and song - according to Psalm 50, these glorify God and so may be deemed gifts. There is further evidence of unity in the poem: the three mentions of the rider (verses 5, 18, 34). Note how these are bound to the sections we are already considering.
Briefly, the overall structure seems something like this:
Outer section: theophany, righteous rejoice, sing - chariot (the holy), theophany, blessing
Middle section: announcement, retreat, booty, God's hill - chariot (the holy), [passage under consideration], blessing, salvation and its cost (wound - see psalm 110), procession
Outer section: praise of Israel, praise of Gentiles, chariot (the holy), giving and gift summary, blessing
In this case, Psalm 68, we are still in the middle of understanding the whole. There seems to be a whole and this verse is near its centre. Was there a sudden freeing of a threat to the people, and the poet remembered the passage in Judges, and created this poem of praise as an elaboration of the song of Deborah and Barak?
See a prosodic image here
Note how the first section is bound together by the word 'presence' and the last section by the word 'strength'. I don't think I have marked quite enough connections in the word structure yet. Holiness and the chariot are in all three sections. Singing and praise - extending beyond Israel - form an outer circle as parts of sections 1 and 3. So in section 2 in the middle - what does the gift giving signify - by whom and to whom? Is the KJV justified in its use of 'for'?
How can God receive even the rebellious without the cost of redemption? If God receives someone, is that not gift in itself? If God receives a gift in a human, or a human as gift, is this a reflection of the gift of ourselves to God through the Spirit? If I were a first century reader, I would be inclined as I am now to read the psalm this way after the experience of the Spirit as groaning in us who believe, or as water abundant in our earth. This is in itself both gift from God and gift to God through his Son.
I think I would render it as:
you have received gifts in the human,
even the rebellious in the tent of Yah, God.
And I would hope people could see the cost to God of receiving such a gift and in doing so would glorify God in music and song. Then if I were citing this psalm to a first century Diaspora community, I would note how the ultimate gift of the Son resulted in the disbursement of the Principal sum (not a down payment) of the Spirit to those with whom God is pleased.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Hebrew and Greek
I had deleted this - because my question was so ill formed. Then I see that it is still on the aggregators - so I put it back
Translations of Psalm 141:6 (Greek 140) - as with many psalms seem to read differently. I have not looked at enough of them yet. What I hoped was that some kind soul would explicate the LXX reading. My reading is positive since I see the psalm as recording lessons in trouble for the psalmist so that when others are in trouble, he can offer words that are sweet to their ears. My old JB makes it read like sarcasm rather than sweetness.
I would be interested in other opinions...
Greek: κατεπόθησαν ἐχόμενα πέτρας οἱ κριταὶ αὐτῶν· ἀκούσονται τὰ ρήματά μου ὅτι ἡδύνθησαν.
Hebrew: נִשְׁמְטוּ בִידֵי-סֶלַע, שֹׁפְטֵיהֶם; וְשָׁמְעוּ אֲמָרַי, כִּי נָעֵמוּ.
KJV: When their judges are overthrown in stony places, they shall hear my words; for they are sweet.
Also I note that I am beginning to think there are some (more) grand circular structures in the final redaction of the psalms. 140, 141 match somewhat with 3, 4, and 5. More detailed analysis required.
Now let's see what blogger software does with this Greek font - bunches of little boxes I bet on some machines.
Translations of Psalm 141:6 (Greek 140) - as with many psalms seem to read differently. I have not looked at enough of them yet. What I hoped was that some kind soul would explicate the LXX reading. My reading is positive since I see the psalm as recording lessons in trouble for the psalmist so that when others are in trouble, he can offer words that are sweet to their ears. My old JB makes it read like sarcasm rather than sweetness.
I would be interested in other opinions...
Greek: κατεπόθησαν ἐχόμενα πέτρας οἱ κριταὶ αὐτῶν· ἀκούσονται τὰ ρήματά μου ὅτι ἡδύνθησαν.
Hebrew: נִשְׁמְטוּ בִידֵי-סֶלַע, שֹׁפְטֵיהֶם; וְשָׁמְעוּ אֲמָרַי, כִּי נָעֵמוּ.
KJV: When their judges are overthrown in stony places, they shall hear my words; for they are sweet.
Also I note that I am beginning to think there are some (more) grand circular structures in the final redaction of the psalms. 140, 141 match somewhat with 3, 4, and 5. More detailed analysis required.
Now let's see what blogger software does with this Greek font - bunches of little boxes I bet on some machines.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Psalm 141
100% drafted is Book 5.
Psalm 141 has a thought about prayer - how the psalmist will speak words that the righteous will hear as sweet when they are at their lowest point. One must take this as prophetic for our use - for that is the truth in a nutshell. How did Jesus read the psalms, do you think?
Psalm 141 has a thought about prayer - how the psalmist will speak words that the righteous will hear as sweet when they are at their lowest point. One must take this as prophetic for our use - for that is the truth in a nutshell. How did Jesus read the psalms, do you think?
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Psalm 109
I noticed that at SBL the subjects on Monday are Psalms 102 and 109. I just happened to have chosen 109 as my next target for draft. This poem exhibits a structural property that I have not seen named. It is evident in many other poems - e.g. Psalm 67.
We have the parallelismus membrorum. We have concentric structures and chiasms, and we have a theory of prosody - but this also is of interest: Hebrew poems are like cell structures in the process of division, an image of a fertilized seed. The edge is marked by a series of concentric circles. A nucleus often reveals the scripture that the psalmist is using as starting point. Arising from some strand are words that connect between cells. Cells are related by association and repetition of language. Often the cells are within a larger concentric structure. One cell may trump another. If one could see the poet at work, it might be like watching a film of cell division.
We have the parallelismus membrorum. We have concentric structures and chiasms, and we have a theory of prosody - but this also is of interest: Hebrew poems are like cell structures in the process of division, an image of a fertilized seed. The edge is marked by a series of concentric circles. A nucleus often reveals the scripture that the psalmist is using as starting point. Arising from some strand are words that connect between cells. Cells are related by association and repetition of language. Often the cells are within a larger concentric structure. One cell may trump another. If one could see the poet at work, it might be like watching a film of cell division.
So Psalm 109 has an outer shell - prayer, speak and mouth are the keywords. A second shell - verses 4 to 20, with keyword accuser is about the rebuke of the enemy and itself divides (4-5, 6-15, 16-19, 20). Verses 16-19 share in sequence 9 words with verses 21-22, 28-29. I think this is longer than an accident would allow. The bitter complaint has given rise to a prayer for the accused using exactly the same terms as the complaint against the accuser. The self-description and prayer of the accused are thus made the central feature of the last section (23-27) before the closing of the outermost circles.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Hebrew Verbs and Aspect
"the perfective aspect looks at the situation from outside, without necessarily distinguishing any of the internal structure of the situation; the imperfective aspect looks at the situation from inside, and as such is crucially concerned with the internal structure of the situation."
The above is quoted from B. Comrie, Aspect. An Introduction to the Study of Verbal Aspect and Related Problems (Cambridge, 1976) in this article from that set of online articles available here from JTS.
Doesn't that imply or confirm that when approaching a poem, both the internal structure (verbal cues, repetition, etc) must be included as well as the prosodic structure (externally visible form)?
That's a random obvious statement. I scanned this article - O for the day when my recognition of Hebrew is not mediated by slow brain paths - and I will read this article in detail later and see if there is anything that commends itself to my cilia and flagella. I think he is going to argue that without the expression of tense, aspect is not expressible... - Unknown ancient thought forms? And he doesn't deal with poetry - I know why I started with poetry - jump in to the maximum unknowns.
The above is quoted from B. Comrie, Aspect. An Introduction to the Study of Verbal Aspect and Related Problems (Cambridge, 1976) in this article from that set of online articles available here from JTS.
Doesn't that imply or confirm that when approaching a poem, both the internal structure (verbal cues, repetition, etc) must be included as well as the prosodic structure (externally visible form)?
That's a random obvious statement. I scanned this article - O for the day when my recognition of Hebrew is not mediated by slow brain paths - and I will read this article in detail later and see if there is anything that commends itself to my cilia and flagella. I think he is going to argue that without the expression of tense, aspect is not expressible... - Unknown ancient thought forms? And he doesn't deal with poetry - I know why I started with poetry - jump in to the maximum unknowns.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Psalm 102
Why should I always be positive?
You have extracted from me all that I could tell you.
You have taken me places where I cannot follow.
You have given me things that I cannot fix.
Will the LORD turn to the prayer of the destitute?
I have heard the cry and I have not responded.
Who could understand this if it was not personal?
עִנָּה בַדֶּרֶךְ כֹּחִי
He has humbled in the way my power.
I began drafting this fourth prayer in the book of psalms, thinking that it had happened already so I had nothing to fear. But why would I not fear my own success when it makes me deaf to the cry of the destitute? I make no excuse. The unknown poet has made the point well.
You have extracted from me all that I could tell you.
You have taken me places where I cannot follow.
You have given me things that I cannot fix.
Will the LORD turn to the prayer of the destitute?
I have heard the cry and I have not responded.
Who could understand this if it was not personal?
עִנָּה בַדֶּרֶךְ כֹּחִי
He has humbled in the way my power.
I began drafting this fourth prayer in the book of psalms, thinking that it had happened already so I had nothing to fear. But why would I not fear my own success when it makes me deaf to the cry of the destitute? I make no excuse. The unknown poet has made the point well.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
10 days later - and the process of translation
There should not be any broken links on the image site now. I published a sketch even if the English is not available. Gradually - unless I get a brain wave on how to do it quickly - I will add links to each image that navigate to useful sites for that psalm, or that navigate to other psalms of the same class. First I will link the psalms to each other as they describe themselves - by type, by instrument, by attribution. Then perhaps I will have a try at organizing them by genre - but that will be a long discovery process.
Of this list below, four have a first cut at the prosodic structure: 19, 46, - translation by John Hobbins, 51 English, 51 French, and 68. Some specific additional work towards a 'literary' translation by me has been done on a very few: Psalm 51, and Psalm 1.
Now you can see that drafting the inner structure of the words is not by any means translation - but I think it is a vital first step. Why? Consider: there is a linear movement from beginning to end - for such is the nature of time, reading, and performance. This is a primal shared experience. In this observation, I am not alone, lost in a hopeless subjectivism. But!!! there is also a spirit of fullness, who, as we live, read, or perform, circles certain ideas by repetition: here a word, there a repeated word, here a line, there a line - and the circles formed by the repetitions surround a critical juncture pointing us more and more clearly, by a kind of divine pedagogy, to the antidote to linearity and the doors of the perfect. That is the first step. If a translation does not maintain the inner structure, I think it fails. That's a blunt criticism.
Then, but perhaps concurrently, one can apply the excellent general rule of John Hobbins - I say excellent since he clearly has a mode of attenuating the complexity of rhythm, sound, and shape that has real promise in confirming the inner structure with an external one. This is step 1 and 2. And still we have not translated - but hopefully we have some accurate observations that could be confirmed by another independent observer.
Then, having done our best to see the original poet's work, we can consider our purpose in translation. Perhaps we have a political or theological agenda, or we have a target age range or education level in mind. Whether it be colonial domination, or ecclesial power, or individual piety, or a personal dispute, or the play of the erotic, or the feel of short words, or a latinate length, or a dynamic equivalence, or literal or literary or whatever, only now are we in a clear enough state to apply our tastes and biases to the communication of the original poet's work on behalf of our contemporaries.
Here's a sample translation exercise - I wonder, could this palindrome be expressed in Hebrew or French. Not to express its sequenced self-reversal would fail to translate it. This won a prize at a wedding where I first wrote it on the back of a napkin.
God imaging,
they, made one of two:
Will and Christina,
each drawing each,
Christina and Will:
two of one made, they,
imaging God.
42 remaining to draft.
Psalm --1 August 2006 (67)
Psalm --2 August 2006 (108)
Psalm --3 September 2006 (70)
Psalm --4 October 2006 (77)
Psalm --5 October 2006 (111)
Psalm --6 November 2006 (84)
Psalm --7 November 2006 (142)
Psalm --8 September 2006 (77)
Psalm --9 November 2006 (165)
Psalm -10 November 2006 (162)
Psalm -11 November 2006 (68)
Psalm -12 November 2006 (79)
Psalm -13 January 2007 (55)
Psalm -14 / -53 January 2007 (93)
Psalm -15 January 2007 (55)
Psalm -16 January 2007 (97)
Psalm -17 February 2007 (124)
Psalm -18 May 2007 (397)
Psalm -19 January 2007 (126)
Psalm -20 May 2007 (70)
Psalm -21 May 2007 (104)
Psalm -22 April 2007 (253)
Psalm -23 September 2006 (52)
Psalm -24 May 2007 (89)
Psalm -25 May 2007 (159)
Psalm -26 June 2007 (85)
Psalm -27 July 2007 (149)
Psalm -28 September 2007 (96)
Psalm -29 June 2007 (91)
Psalm -30 September 2007 (97)
Psalm -31 (220)
Psalm -32 September 2007 (110)
Psalm -33 (161)
Psalm -34 September 2007 (165)
Psalm -35 (229)
Psalm -36 (100)
Psalm -37 September 2007 (298)
Psalm -38 (169)
Psalm -39 October 2007 (129)
Psalm -40 (185)
Psalm -41 (120)
Psalm -42 January 2007 (132)
Psalm -43 February 2007 (59)
Psalm -44 June 2007 (197)
Psalm -45 June 2007 (160)
Psalm -46 September 2006 (99)
Psalm -47 May 2007 (77)
Psalm -48 June 2007 (111)
Psalm -49 (168)
Psalm -50 (178)
Psalm -51 December 2006 (153)
Psalm -52 July 2007 (90)
Psalm -54 July 2007 (62)
Psalm -55 July 2007 (193)
Psalm -56 (120)
Psalm -57 (107)
Psalm -58 (102)
Psalm -59 October 2007 (159)
Psalm -60 (114)
Psalm -61 (68)
Psalm -62 (117)
Psalm -63 (93)
Psalm -64 (82)
Psalm -65 October 2007 (109)
Psalm -66 (155)
Psalm -67 December 2006 (53)
Psalm -68 September 2007 (310)
Psalm -69 October 2007 (291)
Psalm -70 October 2007 (47)
Psalm -71 (206)
Psalm -72 (163)
Psalm -73 December 2006 (193)
Psalm -74 (197)
Psalm -75 (89)
Psalm -76 (90)
Psalm -77 (156)
Psalm -78 (530)
Psalm -79 September 2007 (132)
Psalm -80 September 2007 (141)
Psalm -81 (125)
Psalm -82 October 2007 (61)
Psalm -83 (130)
Psalm -84 June 2007 (116)
Psalm -85 June 2007 (96)
Psalm -86 August 2007 (147)
Psalm -87 June 2007 (54)
Psalm -88 (142)
Psalm -89 December 2006 (384)
Psalm -90 May 2007 (140)
Psalm -91 May 2007 (112)
Psalm -92 May 2007 (112)
Psalm -93 October 2007 (45)
Psalm -94 (169)
Psalm -95 October 2007 (89)
Psalm -96 (112)
Psalm -97 (95)
Psalm -98 (75)
Psalm -99 October 2007 (83)
Psalm 100 December 2006 (44)
Psalm 101 (84)
Psalm 102 (213)
Psalm 103 August 2007 (167)
Psalm 104 (271)
Psalm 105 (296)
Psalm 106 (331)
Psalm 107 January 2007 (278)
Psalm 108 September 2007 (98)
Psalm 109 (227)
Psalm 110 September 2007 (65)
Psalm 111 September 2007 (74)
Psalm 112 September 2007 (79)
Psalm 113 September 2007 (60)
Psalm 114 September 2007 (52)
Psalm 115 May 2007 (135)
Psalm 116 August 2007 (131)
Psalm 117 March 2007 (17)
Psalm 118 March 2007 (198)
Psalm 119-A-H March 2007 (241)
Psalm 119-K-* July 2007 (305)
Psalm 119-Ts-T July 2007 (292)
Psalm 119-V-Y July 2007 (258)
Psalm 120 June 2007 (51)
Psalm 121 May 2007 (56)
Psalm 122 June 2007 (62)
Psalm 123 May 2007 (41)
Psalm 124 May 2007 (57)
Psalm 125 June 2007 (49)
Psalm 126 June 2007 (50)
Psalm 127 June 2007 (60)
Psalm 128 June 2007 (47)
Psalm 129 August 2007 (54)
Psalm 130 August 2007 (54)
Psalm 131 August 2007 (33)
Psalm 132 August 2007 (131)
Psalm 133 May 2007 (40)
Psalm 134 April 2007 (25)
Psalm 135 August 2007 (167)
Psalm 136 August 2007 (166)
Psalm 137 August 2007 (84)
Psalm 138 September 2006 (75)
Psalm 139 August 2007 (177)
Psalm 140 (118)
Psalm 141 (95)
Psalm 142 (75)
Psalm 143 (117)
Psalm 144 September 2007 (130)
Psalm 145 September 2006 (161)
Psalm 146 May 2007 (85)
Psalm 147 June 2007 (141)
Psalm 148 June 2007 (111)
Psalm 149 July 2007 (63)
Psalm 150 December 2006 (37)
Of this list below, four have a first cut at the prosodic structure: 19, 46, - translation by John Hobbins, 51 English, 51 French, and 68. Some specific additional work towards a 'literary' translation by me has been done on a very few: Psalm 51, and Psalm 1.
Now you can see that drafting the inner structure of the words is not by any means translation - but I think it is a vital first step. Why? Consider: there is a linear movement from beginning to end - for such is the nature of time, reading, and performance. This is a primal shared experience. In this observation, I am not alone, lost in a hopeless subjectivism. But!!! there is also a spirit of fullness, who, as we live, read, or perform, circles certain ideas by repetition: here a word, there a repeated word, here a line, there a line - and the circles formed by the repetitions surround a critical juncture pointing us more and more clearly, by a kind of divine pedagogy, to the antidote to linearity and the doors of the perfect. That is the first step. If a translation does not maintain the inner structure, I think it fails. That's a blunt criticism.
Then, but perhaps concurrently, one can apply the excellent general rule of John Hobbins - I say excellent since he clearly has a mode of attenuating the complexity of rhythm, sound, and shape that has real promise in confirming the inner structure with an external one. This is step 1 and 2. And still we have not translated - but hopefully we have some accurate observations that could be confirmed by another independent observer.
Then, having done our best to see the original poet's work, we can consider our purpose in translation. Perhaps we have a political or theological agenda, or we have a target age range or education level in mind. Whether it be colonial domination, or ecclesial power, or individual piety, or a personal dispute, or the play of the erotic, or the feel of short words, or a latinate length, or a dynamic equivalence, or literal or literary or whatever, only now are we in a clear enough state to apply our tastes and biases to the communication of the original poet's work on behalf of our contemporaries.
Here's a sample translation exercise - I wonder, could this palindrome be expressed in Hebrew or French. Not to express its sequenced self-reversal would fail to translate it. This won a prize at a wedding where I first wrote it on the back of a napkin.
God imaging,
they, made one of two:
Will and Christina,
each drawing each,
Christina and Will:
two of one made, they,
imaging God.
42 remaining to draft.
Psalm --1 August 2006 (67)
Psalm --2 August 2006 (108)
Psalm --3 September 2006 (70)
Psalm --4 October 2006 (77)
Psalm --5 October 2006 (111)
Psalm --6 November 2006 (84)
Psalm --7 November 2006 (142)
Psalm --8 September 2006 (77)
Psalm --9 November 2006 (165)
Psalm -10 November 2006 (162)
Psalm -11 November 2006 (68)
Psalm -12 November 2006 (79)
Psalm -13 January 2007 (55)
Psalm -14 / -53 January 2007 (93)
Psalm -15 January 2007 (55)
Psalm -16 January 2007 (97)
Psalm -17 February 2007 (124)
Psalm -18 May 2007 (397)
Psalm -19 January 2007 (126)
Psalm -20 May 2007 (70)
Psalm -21 May 2007 (104)
Psalm -22 April 2007 (253)
Psalm -23 September 2006 (52)
Psalm -24 May 2007 (89)
Psalm -25 May 2007 (159)
Psalm -26 June 2007 (85)
Psalm -27 July 2007 (149)
Psalm -28 September 2007 (96)
Psalm -29 June 2007 (91)
Psalm -30 September 2007 (97)
Psalm -31 (220)
Psalm -32 September 2007 (110)
Psalm -33 (161)
Psalm -34 September 2007 (165)
Psalm -35 (229)
Psalm -36 (100)
Psalm -37 September 2007 (298)
Psalm -38 (169)
Psalm -39 October 2007 (129)
Psalm -40 (185)
Psalm -41 (120)
Psalm -42 January 2007 (132)
Psalm -43 February 2007 (59)
Psalm -44 June 2007 (197)
Psalm -45 June 2007 (160)
Psalm -46 September 2006 (99)
Psalm -47 May 2007 (77)
Psalm -48 June 2007 (111)
Psalm -49 (168)
Psalm -50 (178)
Psalm -51 December 2006 (153)
Psalm -52 July 2007 (90)
Psalm -54 July 2007 (62)
Psalm -55 July 2007 (193)
Psalm -56 (120)
Psalm -57 (107)
Psalm -58 (102)
Psalm -59 October 2007 (159)
Psalm -60 (114)
Psalm -61 (68)
Psalm -62 (117)
Psalm -63 (93)
Psalm -64 (82)
Psalm -65 October 2007 (109)
Psalm -66 (155)
Psalm -67 December 2006 (53)
Psalm -68 September 2007 (310)
Psalm -69 October 2007 (291)
Psalm -70 October 2007 (47)
Psalm -71 (206)
Psalm -72 (163)
Psalm -73 December 2006 (193)
Psalm -74 (197)
Psalm -75 (89)
Psalm -76 (90)
Psalm -77 (156)
Psalm -78 (530)
Psalm -79 September 2007 (132)
Psalm -80 September 2007 (141)
Psalm -81 (125)
Psalm -82 October 2007 (61)
Psalm -83 (130)
Psalm -84 June 2007 (116)
Psalm -85 June 2007 (96)
Psalm -86 August 2007 (147)
Psalm -87 June 2007 (54)
Psalm -88 (142)
Psalm -89 December 2006 (384)
Psalm -90 May 2007 (140)
Psalm -91 May 2007 (112)
Psalm -92 May 2007 (112)
Psalm -93 October 2007 (45)
Psalm -94 (169)
Psalm -95 October 2007 (89)
Psalm -96 (112)
Psalm -97 (95)
Psalm -98 (75)
Psalm -99 October 2007 (83)
Psalm 100 December 2006 (44)
Psalm 101 (84)
Psalm 102 (213)
Psalm 103 August 2007 (167)
Psalm 104 (271)
Psalm 105 (296)
Psalm 106 (331)
Psalm 107 January 2007 (278)
Psalm 108 September 2007 (98)
Psalm 109 (227)
Psalm 110 September 2007 (65)
Psalm 111 September 2007 (74)
Psalm 112 September 2007 (79)
Psalm 113 September 2007 (60)
Psalm 114 September 2007 (52)
Psalm 115 May 2007 (135)
Psalm 116 August 2007 (131)
Psalm 117 March 2007 (17)
Psalm 118 March 2007 (198)
Psalm 119-A-H March 2007 (241)
Psalm 119-K-* July 2007 (305)
Psalm 119-Ts-T July 2007 (292)
Psalm 119-V-Y July 2007 (258)
Psalm 120 June 2007 (51)
Psalm 121 May 2007 (56)
Psalm 122 June 2007 (62)
Psalm 123 May 2007 (41)
Psalm 124 May 2007 (57)
Psalm 125 June 2007 (49)
Psalm 126 June 2007 (50)
Psalm 127 June 2007 (60)
Psalm 128 June 2007 (47)
Psalm 129 August 2007 (54)
Psalm 130 August 2007 (54)
Psalm 131 August 2007 (33)
Psalm 132 August 2007 (131)
Psalm 133 May 2007 (40)
Psalm 134 April 2007 (25)
Psalm 135 August 2007 (167)
Psalm 136 August 2007 (166)
Psalm 137 August 2007 (84)
Psalm 138 September 2006 (75)
Psalm 139 August 2007 (177)
Psalm 140 (118)
Psalm 141 (95)
Psalm 142 (75)
Psalm 143 (117)
Psalm 144 September 2007 (130)
Psalm 145 September 2006 (161)
Psalm 146 May 2007 (85)
Psalm 147 June 2007 (141)
Psalm 148 June 2007 (111)
Psalm 149 July 2007 (63)
Psalm 150 December 2006 (37)
Friday, October 19, 2007
Seeking understanding and clarity
It is often the case that when examining a complex area, we try to subsume the complexity under various concepts, categories, or types into an organizing schema. In the old paradigm of system development, there was a lot of handwaving on the idea of top-down versus bottom-up. The problem was - where is the top? When we moved away from this vague idea, we discovered object orientation and class structures, yet even here, what are the right classes and when and where should they be used are still difficult questions. So also the categorization of data elements and attributes remain a continuing challenge.
With the Psalms, is there an organizing principle? Felix Just has a nice set of tables here that shows some of what the psalms tell us about themselves. On the bottom right corner is a column summarizing genre - according to 'modern scholars'. This is fine as far as it goes - but where is it going? I find it fascinating that when I was younger, I could divide the hymn book I grew up with into its table of contents easily - and it had more than 800 hymns. Many of them I knew from memory by number and by text. (I also knew the 'empty' sections of the book since in the bias of my time, we never used those hymns - was it the music or the theology?)
Why is it so hard to divide up the psalms? The Church year, the Festivals of Judaism, and so on are other organizing principles that we have used or could use. Recognizing that I am only 70% through my first draft, but searching for the top, and open to the idea that 'class' might be a viable concept, I am spending some time (target by January) in developing a navigation schema for the Psalms. I have made a few stabs at it - but it will not yield easily. Ideas welcome. (This is somewhat linked to the idea of an image of canon that I noted here.)
I recognize that my images are a cumbersome way of publishing. We are working out newer ways for making 'briefing books' for diagrams and by the end of this project (2008-2009), I hope to have various combinations of database and image and navigation that do not require the download of quite such large jpegs.
With the Psalms, is there an organizing principle? Felix Just has a nice set of tables here that shows some of what the psalms tell us about themselves. On the bottom right corner is a column summarizing genre - according to 'modern scholars'. This is fine as far as it goes - but where is it going? I find it fascinating that when I was younger, I could divide the hymn book I grew up with into its table of contents easily - and it had more than 800 hymns. Many of them I knew from memory by number and by text. (I also knew the 'empty' sections of the book since in the bias of my time, we never used those hymns - was it the music or the theology?)
Why is it so hard to divide up the psalms? The Church year, the Festivals of Judaism, and so on are other organizing principles that we have used or could use. Recognizing that I am only 70% through my first draft, but searching for the top, and open to the idea that 'class' might be a viable concept, I am spending some time (target by January) in developing a navigation schema for the Psalms. I have made a few stabs at it - but it will not yield easily. Ideas welcome. (This is somewhat linked to the idea of an image of canon that I noted here.)
I recognize that my images are a cumbersome way of publishing. We are working out newer ways for making 'briefing books' for diagrams and by the end of this project (2008-2009), I hope to have various combinations of database and image and navigation that do not require the download of quite such large jpegs.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Chiams, chiasms everywhere
Many thanks to Iyov for the pointer to some articles recently made available as scanned documents. I found one on Psalm 11 - nice outline of global structure which I have shown with my usual colourful arrows. But then extending the analysis, Pierre Auffret outlines a chiasm in every verse. I think that is overkill.
Look at verse 1. Is there a mockery implied of God on his holy hill and the psalmist's refuge in 'flee to your mountain, bird!' Flee = refuge, mountain = Zion as metoynm for God. Maybe.
But verse 2 also? between the wicked and the upright? No - this is the subject of the psalm, not a chiasm. And the apparent synonyms upright and righteous are a subtle recognition that none passes the test. If you stare at the diagram, you will see 5 keywords in the first half and each of them spreads to one or multiple repetitions in the second half.
As in Psalm 1, the contrast is between the the life (נַפְשׁוֹ) of the wicked (v5) and the life (לְנַפְשִׁי) of the one who takes refuge (v1). The the wicked of verse 2 and the righteous of verse 3 are both expanded in the second half - righteous occurring 3 times and wicked twice (surrounded by righteous). The upright (v2 and 7) also mark a repetition - but not, I think, as 'stereotypical' synonyms of righteous. It appears that the wicked is aiming darts at the upright - but without warning, the 'righteous' appears in v3 and takes the place of the upright, who does not appear again till v7.
My one word summary for this psalm was 'test'. How true I expect it is that the lover of violence hates his life. What cost is there to effect uprightness for such hate? How would foundations be destroyed (v3 - the centre)? Did the righteous one of whom it is said that the LORD tests and loves, submit to the test in order that those who flee for refuge might become upright and that those who hate their lives might learn to love their lives and flee for refuge?
So much work for fire and pitch.
Look at verse 1. Is there a mockery implied of God on his holy hill and the psalmist's refuge in 'flee to your mountain, bird!' Flee = refuge, mountain = Zion as metoynm for God. Maybe.
But verse 2 also? between the wicked and the upright? No - this is the subject of the psalm, not a chiasm. And the apparent synonyms upright and righteous are a subtle recognition that none passes the test. If you stare at the diagram, you will see 5 keywords in the first half and each of them spreads to one or multiple repetitions in the second half.
As in Psalm 1, the contrast is between the the life (נַפְשׁוֹ) of the wicked (v5) and the life (לְנַפְשִׁי) of the one who takes refuge (v1). The the wicked of verse 2 and the righteous of verse 3 are both expanded in the second half - righteous occurring 3 times and wicked twice (surrounded by righteous). The upright (v2 and 7) also mark a repetition - but not, I think, as 'stereotypical' synonyms of righteous. It appears that the wicked is aiming darts at the upright - but without warning, the 'righteous' appears in v3 and takes the place of the upright, who does not appear again till v7.
My one word summary for this psalm was 'test'. How true I expect it is that the lover of violence hates his life. What cost is there to effect uprightness for such hate? How would foundations be destroyed (v3 - the centre)? Did the righteous one of whom it is said that the LORD tests and loves, submit to the test in order that those who flee for refuge might become upright and that those who hate their lives might learn to love their lives and flee for refuge?
So much work for fire and pitch.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Translating Psalm 51
Update: new image - more circles. Several Bloggers are discussing translation (Peter Kirk) and teaching (Henry Neufeld) and psalm 51 (Update see also John Hobbins' later post here and my personal thoughts here). Psalm 51 is a psalm I am sure we all are very familiar with. These discussions speak of dynamic equivalence, literal, literary, and translations as lies as expressed in a comment on Doug's post, the slip and slide of Scripture. Here is my attempt at English. The words in bold outline the circles of the first half. The italics point to the keywords of the second half. The underlines mark the items circled by the repeated words of the first half and their reflection in the second half. In final copy even these reminders of the Hebrew word repetitions and synonyms have to be removed. But what we see in the inner thought is a move from the horror of the self-recognition of crime (I like John's word here but it demands criminals in the second part), to the recognition that God will accept the self-offering of the criminal. So the completion with cultic imagery is not an afterthought in the poem.
David's sin is blotted out by its being recounted in the great congregation. As it is written, the smoke of their torture goes up before the Lord and his saints for ever. Whoever says criminals cannot be saved does not know the power of God to effect his pleasure in the sacrifice.
I followed my preliminary prosodic structure in completing and refining this translation. I would welcome further criticisms and corrections.
------------------------
A psalm of David when Nathan the prophet came to him because he had come to Bathsheba.
David's sin is blotted out by its being recounted in the great congregation. As it is written, the smoke of their torture goes up before the Lord and his saints for ever. Whoever says criminals cannot be saved does not know the power of God to effect his pleasure in the sacrifice.
I followed my preliminary prosodic structure in completing and refining this translation. I would welcome further criticisms and corrections.
------------------------
A psalm of David when Nathan the prophet came to him because he had come to Bathsheba.
Have mercy on me, O God,
in your loving kindness.
In the multitude of your tender mercies,
blot out my crime.
Fully wash me from my guilt,
and from my sin purify me.
For I know my crime,
and my sin is continually in my face.
in your loving kindness.
In the multitude of your tender mercies,
blot out my crime.
Fully wash me from my guilt,
and from my sin purify me.
For I know my crime,
and my sin is continually in my face.
Against you, you only, I have sinned;
this evil in your sight I have done.
So you are right to speak,
you are clear to judge.
this evil in your sight I have done.
So you are right to speak,
you are clear to judge.
Indeed in guilt I was brought forth,
and in sin my mother conceived me.
Indeed, you take pleasure delight in the inner parts,
and in hidden wisdom you make me know.
You will offer me with hyssop and I will be pure;
you will wash me and I will be white as snow.
Make me to hear rejoicing and mirth,
rejoice the bones you have crushed.
Hide your face from my sin,
and all my guilt, blot out.
and in sin my mother conceived me.
Indeed, you
and in hidden wisdom you make me know.
You will offer me with hyssop and I will be pure;
you will wash me and I will be white as snow.
Make me to hear rejoicing and mirth,
rejoice the bones you have crushed.
Hide your face from my sin,
and all my guilt, blot out.
A clean heart create in me, O God,
and a right spirit, renew within me.
Do not cast me from your presence,
and your holy spirit do not remove from me.
Return to me the joy of your salvation,
in a willing spirit, support me.
I will teach criminals your ways,
and sinners to you will be turned.
and a right spirit, renew within me.
Do not cast me from your presence,
and your holy spirit do not remove from me.
Return to me the joy of your salvation,
in a willing spirit, support me.
I will teach criminals your ways,
and sinners to you will be turned.
Deliver me from the guilt of shed blood O God,
my God of my salvation;
my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.
Lord, my lips you will open,
and my mouth will make evident your praise.
For you do not delight in sacrifice or else I would make it,
burnt offering you will not accept.
my God of my salvation;
my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.
Lord, my lips you will open,
and my mouth will make evident your praise.
For you do not delight in sacrifice or else I would make it,
burnt offering you will not accept.
The offerings of God are a broken spirit,
a heart broken and crushed O God, you will not despise.
Do good in your acceptance of Zion;
build the walls of Jerusalem.
Then you will delight in sacrifices of righteousness,
burnt offering and whole offering;
then they will offer young bulls on your altar.
a heart broken and crushed O God, you will not despise.
Do good in your acceptance of Zion;
build the walls of Jerusalem.
Then you will delight in sacrifices of righteousness,
burnt offering and whole offering;
then they will offer young bulls on your altar.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Status - 102 drafted, 48 to go
It's just a long list, I know. Many of the first 80 or so are now autocoloured - at least it is consistent. But seriously, the spreading out of every word will eventually result in a simple visually pleasing prosody, or so I hope.
There is a new link on every image that takes you to the next psalm. Also I am adding links to take you to the next psalm of the same class as defined by the Psalmist - e.g. al shoshannim or the four 'do not destroy' psalms.
I am in the midst of Psalm 69, so I am being extra careful. For the Lord knows my foolishness, for I have not hidden it. But I don't want to be up-to-neck-in-winey-deep, thanks very much.
Psalm --1 August 2006 (67)
Psalm --2 August 2006 (108)
Psalm --3 September 2006 (70)
Psalm --4 October 2006 (77)
Psalm --5 October 2006 (111)
Psalm --6 November 2006 (84)
Psalm --7 November 2006 (142)
Psalm --8 September 2006 (77)
Psalm --9 November 2006 (165)
Psalm -10 November 2006 (162)
Psalm -11 November 2006 (68)
Psalm -12 November 2006 (79)
Psalm -13 January 2007 (55)
Psalm -14 / -53 January 2007 (93)
Psalm -15 January 2007 (55)
Psalm -16 January 2007 (97)
Psalm -17 February 2007 (124)
Psalm -18 May 2007 (397)
Psalm -19 January 2007 (126)
Psalm -20 May 2007 (70)
Psalm -21 May 2007 (104)
Psalm -22 April 2007 (253)
Psalm -23 September 2006 (52)
Psalm -24 May 2007 (89)
Psalm -25 May 2007 (159)
Psalm -26 June 2007 (85)
Psalm -27 July 2007 (149)
Psalm -28 September 2007 (96)
Psalm -29 June 2007 (91)
Psalm -30 September 2007 (97)
Psalm -32 September 2007 (110)
Psalm -34 September 2007 (165)
Psalm -37 September 2007 (298)
Psalm -39 October 2007 (129)
Psalm -42 January 2007 (132)
Psalm -43 February 2007 (59)
Psalm -44 June 2007 (197)
Psalm -45 June 2007 (160)
Psalm -46 September 2006 (99)
Psalm -47 May 2007 (77)
Psalm -48 June 2007 (111)
Psalm -51 December 2006 (153)
Psalm -52 July 2007 (90)
Psalm -54 July 2007 (62)
Psalm -55 July 2007 (193)
Psalm -59 October 2007 (157)
Psalm -65 October 2007 (109)
Psalm -67 December 2006 (53)
Psalm -68 September 2007 (310)
Psalm -70 October 2007 (47)
Psalm -73 December 2006 (193)
Psalm -79 September 2007 (132)
Psalm -80 September 2007 (141)
Psalm -84 June 2007 (116)
Psalm -85 June 2007 (96)
Psalm -86 August 2007 (147)
Psalm -87 June 2007 (54)
Psalm -89 December 2006 (384)
Psalm -90 May 2007 (140)
Psalm -91 May 2007 (112)
Psalm -92 May 2007 (112)
Psalm 100 December 2006 (44)
Psalm 103 August 2007 (167)
Psalm 107 January 2007 (278)
Psalm 108 September 2007 (98)
Psalm 110 September 2007 (65)
Psalm 111 September 2007 (74)
Psalm 112 September 2007 (79)
Psalm 113 September 2007 (60)
Psalm 114 September 2007 (52)
Psalm 115 May 2007 (135)
Psalm 116 August 2007 (131)
Psalm 117 March 2007 (17)
Psalm 118 March 2007 (198)
Psalm 119-A-H March 2007 (241)
Psalm 119-K-* July 2007 (305)
Psalm 119-Ts-T July 2007 (292)
Psalm 119-V-Y July 2007 (258)
Psalm 120 June 2007 (51)
Psalm 121 May 2007 (56)
Psalm 122 June 2007 (62)
Psalm 123 May 2007 (41)
Psalm 124 May 2007 (57)
Psalm 125 June 2007 (49)
Psalm 126 June 2007 (50)
Psalm 127 June 2007 (60)
Psalm 128 June 2007 (47)
Psalm 129 August 2007 (54)
Psalm 130 August 2007 (54)
Psalm 131 August 2007 (33)
Psalm 132 August 2007 (131)
Psalm 133 May 2007 (40)
Psalm 134 April 2007 (25)
Psalm 135 August 2007 (167)
Psalm 136 August 2007 (166)
Psalm 137 August 2007 (84)
Psalm 138 September 2006 (75)
Psalm 139 August 2007 (177)
Psalm 144 September 2007 (130)
Psalm 145 September 2006 (161)
Psalm 146 May 2007 (85)
Psalm 147 June 2007 (141)
Psalm 148 June 2007 (111)
Psalm 149 July 2007 (63)
Psalm 150 December 2006 (37)
There is a new link on every image that takes you to the next psalm. Also I am adding links to take you to the next psalm of the same class as defined by the Psalmist - e.g. al shoshannim or the four 'do not destroy' psalms.
I am in the midst of Psalm 69, so I am being extra careful. For the Lord knows my foolishness, for I have not hidden it. But I don't want to be up-to-neck-in-winey-deep, thanks very much.
Psalm --1 August 2006 (67)
Psalm --2 August 2006 (108)
Psalm --3 September 2006 (70)
Psalm --4 October 2006 (77)
Psalm --5 October 2006 (111)
Psalm --6 November 2006 (84)
Psalm --7 November 2006 (142)
Psalm --8 September 2006 (77)
Psalm --9 November 2006 (165)
Psalm -10 November 2006 (162)
Psalm -11 November 2006 (68)
Psalm -12 November 2006 (79)
Psalm -13 January 2007 (55)
Psalm -14 / -53 January 2007 (93)
Psalm -15 January 2007 (55)
Psalm -16 January 2007 (97)
Psalm -17 February 2007 (124)
Psalm -18 May 2007 (397)
Psalm -19 January 2007 (126)
Psalm -20 May 2007 (70)
Psalm -21 May 2007 (104)
Psalm -22 April 2007 (253)
Psalm -23 September 2006 (52)
Psalm -24 May 2007 (89)
Psalm -25 May 2007 (159)
Psalm -26 June 2007 (85)
Psalm -27 July 2007 (149)
Psalm -28 September 2007 (96)
Psalm -29 June 2007 (91)
Psalm -30 September 2007 (97)
Psalm -32 September 2007 (110)
Psalm -34 September 2007 (165)
Psalm -37 September 2007 (298)
Psalm -39 October 2007 (129)
Psalm -42 January 2007 (132)
Psalm -43 February 2007 (59)
Psalm -44 June 2007 (197)
Psalm -45 June 2007 (160)
Psalm -46 September 2006 (99)
Psalm -47 May 2007 (77)
Psalm -48 June 2007 (111)
Psalm -51 December 2006 (153)
Psalm -52 July 2007 (90)
Psalm -54 July 2007 (62)
Psalm -55 July 2007 (193)
Psalm -59 October 2007 (157)
Psalm -65 October 2007 (109)
Psalm -67 December 2006 (53)
Psalm -68 September 2007 (310)
Psalm -70 October 2007 (47)
Psalm -73 December 2006 (193)
Psalm -79 September 2007 (132)
Psalm -80 September 2007 (141)
Psalm -84 June 2007 (116)
Psalm -85 June 2007 (96)
Psalm -86 August 2007 (147)
Psalm -87 June 2007 (54)
Psalm -89 December 2006 (384)
Psalm -90 May 2007 (140)
Psalm -91 May 2007 (112)
Psalm -92 May 2007 (112)
Psalm 100 December 2006 (44)
Psalm 103 August 2007 (167)
Psalm 107 January 2007 (278)
Psalm 108 September 2007 (98)
Psalm 110 September 2007 (65)
Psalm 111 September 2007 (74)
Psalm 112 September 2007 (79)
Psalm 113 September 2007 (60)
Psalm 114 September 2007 (52)
Psalm 115 May 2007 (135)
Psalm 116 August 2007 (131)
Psalm 117 March 2007 (17)
Psalm 118 March 2007 (198)
Psalm 119-A-H March 2007 (241)
Psalm 119-K-* July 2007 (305)
Psalm 119-Ts-T July 2007 (292)
Psalm 119-V-Y July 2007 (258)
Psalm 120 June 2007 (51)
Psalm 121 May 2007 (56)
Psalm 122 June 2007 (62)
Psalm 123 May 2007 (41)
Psalm 124 May 2007 (57)
Psalm 125 June 2007 (49)
Psalm 126 June 2007 (50)
Psalm 127 June 2007 (60)
Psalm 128 June 2007 (47)
Psalm 129 August 2007 (54)
Psalm 130 August 2007 (54)
Psalm 131 August 2007 (33)
Psalm 132 August 2007 (131)
Psalm 133 May 2007 (40)
Psalm 134 April 2007 (25)
Psalm 135 August 2007 (167)
Psalm 136 August 2007 (166)
Psalm 137 August 2007 (84)
Psalm 138 September 2006 (75)
Psalm 139 August 2007 (177)
Psalm 144 September 2007 (130)
Psalm 145 September 2006 (161)
Psalm 146 May 2007 (85)
Psalm 147 June 2007 (141)
Psalm 148 June 2007 (111)
Psalm 149 July 2007 (63)
Psalm 150 December 2006 (37)
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Language, number, and meaning
I feel a bit distracted by this playground of gematria. There is no reason why numbering letters should carry meaning. But the exercise has had a real impact while I am testing several software features in our diagramming tool, notably the automated setting of colour and text - and that is somewhat useful.
But I took it a bit further... I asked myself - what are the Hebrew words that I tend to translate as 'complete'. Complete is a word I associate with fulfillment, satisfaction, even the notion of peace if carried by the word Shalom. I am obviously biased towards the New Testament aspect of the sufficiency of the death of Christ as a sacrifice for the sin of the world. I am biased because I have found astonishing aspects of this gift. Unspeakable, they reframe the judgment of one who receives them. I feel instructed to 'find words'. They even can help with difficult passages of Scripture in ways that would not enter the mind of the flesh, but in ways that see the flesh not through the eyes of the flesh. The hints in other writers of equivalent knowledge suggest to me that gematria may be a way to dislocate our automatic assumptions about meaning. That makes it useful for things other than automated colouring!
So I did a diagram of all words that I have translated with the element 'complete' from the psalms, and I appended to the diagram all words that added up to the same gematria values as those words that translate as some form of 'complete'. Then I sorted these by colour.
I have a few places where there are extra words in the phrase - thus creating a gematria different from the word associated with 'complete' alone. These are marked with white foreground writing in the image, and the columns of references are marked without border, without gradient, and 50% opacity to distinguish them from the columns which contain at least one solo word rooted to completeness. And I could, but didn't, involve other themes related to cult terminology - terms of offering that in some sense involve aspects of completeness.
But I took it a bit further... I asked myself - what are the Hebrew words that I tend to translate as 'complete'. Complete is a word I associate with fulfillment, satisfaction, even the notion of peace if carried by the word Shalom. I am obviously biased towards the New Testament aspect of the sufficiency of the death of Christ as a sacrifice for the sin of the world. I am biased because I have found astonishing aspects of this gift. Unspeakable, they reframe the judgment of one who receives them. I feel instructed to 'find words'. They even can help with difficult passages of Scripture in ways that would not enter the mind of the flesh, but in ways that see the flesh not through the eyes of the flesh. The hints in other writers of equivalent knowledge suggest to me that gematria may be a way to dislocate our automatic assumptions about meaning. That makes it useful for things other than automated colouring!
So I did a diagram of all words that I have translated with the element 'complete' from the psalms, and I appended to the diagram all words that added up to the same gematria values as those words that translate as some form of 'complete'. Then I sorted these by colour.
I have a few places where there are extra words in the phrase - thus creating a gematria different from the word associated with 'complete' alone. These are marked with white foreground writing in the image, and the columns of references are marked without border, without gradient, and 50% opacity to distinguish them from the columns which contain at least one solo word rooted to completeness. And I could, but didn't, involve other themes related to cult terminology - terms of offering that in some sense involve aspects of completeness.
The Hebrew words which I start with are יִגְמָר(gmr, come to an end, nodes have a blue border),תָּמִים, (tmm, complete, red border) and אֲשַׁלֵּם (shlm, complete, be at peace, blue border) - About 3/4 of the words are related to the תָּמִים (tamim).
From this I get columns of words used in the psalms that have equivalent gematria values to תָּמִים with various enclitics. The diagram jpg is somewhat large (2M) but it has a few surprises. For instance, death has the same value as complete! There are links on the diagram to the specific psalm (if the psalm has been translated). You can tell if it has been translated since the words are English rather than a transcription.
I think I will go back to translation - but this has been an interesting exercise. If any of you have suggestions as to studies in word usage that might require imaging or computation, let me know and I will try and comply with the request.
Psalm 39
It's dangerous to write late at night, especially about a psalm that asks God to 'let me know my end, and the measure of my days'. Dentists always remind me of mortality - so I will take the sudden need for a root canal as the gift of this psalm.
Still, for those who lack humour, there is a smile at the end.
Look at me and I will smile (וְאַבְלִיגָה) before I go and there is no me.
Still, for those who lack humour, there is a smile at the end.
Look at me and I will smile (וְאַבְלִיגָה) before I go and there is no me.
Monday, October 01, 2007
One more graph
Here are syllables by psalm where syllable count = sum of the vowels + sum of shwa if it is the first in a word (smile at my reversion into the programming world).
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