Friday, February 12, 2010

Psalm 119 - Part 16 Grammar

עָשִׂיתִי מִשְׁפָּט וָצֶדֶק
בַּל תַּנִּיחֵנִי לְעֹשְׁקָי

I have dealt judgment and righteousness
do not leave me to those oppressing me
עֲרֹב עַבְדְּךָ לְטוֹב
אַל יַעַשְׁקֻנִי זֵדִים

Insure your servant for good
the proud will not oppress me
עֵינַי כָּלוּ לִישׁוּעָתֶךָ
וּלְאִמְרַת צִדְקֶךָ

I - I - my eyes - faint for your salvation
and for the promise of your righteousness
עֲשֵׂה עִם עַבְדְּךָ כְחַסְדֶּךָ
וְחֻקֶּיךָ לַמְּדֵנִי

I ask you to deal with your servant according to your mercy
and teach me your statutes
עַבְדְּךָ אָנִי הֲבִינֵנִי
וְאֵדְעָה עֵדֹתֶיךָ

I am your servant, let me understand
that I may know your testimonies
עֵת לַעֲשׂוֹת לַיהוָה
הֵפֵרוּ תּוֹרָתֶךָ

It is time for dealing - for יְהוָה
they have frustrated your teaching
עַל כֵּן אָהַבְתִּי מִצְו‍ֹתֶיךָ
מִזָּהָב וּמִפָּז

I have loved your commandments therefore
above gold and fine gold
עַל כֵּן כָּל פִּקּוּדֵי כֹל יִשָּׁרְתִּי
כָּל אֹרַח שֶׁקֶר שָׂנֵאתִי

Indeed all your precepts - all - I find agreeable
every path of deceit I hate

While following Hebrew word order is sometimes slavish - and I do not always do it, the reversal of predicate and subject in English poetry is common. So I do delay the subject as Hebrew does, especially when I am reading parallels. Slow down to read. This is a bumpy road with many flowers by the wayside, not to mention several ditches. Here is where we deal.

Details - Google has made table processing very difficult. Software changes have been made to their online editor without testing. There are many bugs in it. So the following legal but uneditable table is left without comments. Still it is a good exercise to check word by word for grammar or my idiosyncratic renderings.
`asytyעָשִׂיתִיI have dealt
mishpa+מִשְׁפָּטjudgment
vacedeqוָצֶדֶקand righteousness
bàl tànyxényבַּל תַּנִּיחֵנִיdo not leave me
l`oshqayלְעֹשְׁקָיto those oppressing me
`arobעֲרֹבInsure
`àbdkaעַבְדְּךָyour servant
l+vobלְטוֹבfor good
)àl yà`àshqunyאַל יַעַשְׁקֻנִיnot will they oppress me
zédymזֵדִיםthe proud
`éynàyעֵינַיIyiyi - my eyes
kalvuכָּלוּfaint
lyshvu`atekaלִישׁוּעָתֶךָfor your salvation
vul)imràtוּלְאִמְרַתand for the promise of
cidqkaצִדְקֶךָyour righteousness
`aséhעֲשֵׂהI ask you to deal
`im `àbdkaעִם עַבְדְּךָwith your servant
kxàsdekaכְחַסְדֶּךָaccording to your mercy
vxuqeykaוְחֻקֶּיךָand your statutes
làmdényלַמְּדֵנִיteach me
`àbdka )anyעַבְדְּךָ אָנִיI am your servant
habynényהֲבִינֵנִיhave me understand
v)éd`ahוְאֵדְעָהthat I may know
`édoteykaעֵדֹתֶיךָyour testimonies
`étעֵתIt is time
là`asvotלַעֲשׂוֹתfor dealing
là-yyלַיהוָהfor יהוָהI find this ambiguous - does the repeated preposition mean for the Lord to work or for the individual / community to work for the Lord? Deal of course is my play for this part.
hépérvuהֵפֵרוּthey have frustrated
tvoratekaתּוֹרָתֶךָyour teaching
`àl kénעַל כֵּןtherefore
)ahàbtyאָהַבְתִּיI have loved
micvoteykaמִצְו‍ֹתֶיךָyour commandments
mizahabמִזָּהָבabove gold
vumipazוּמִפָּזand fine gold
`àl kénעַל כֵּןindeed
kal piqvudéyכָּל פִּקּוּדֵיall your precepts
kolכֹלall
yishartyיִשָּׁרְתִּיI find agreeable
kal )oràxכָּל אֹרַחevery path of
sheqrשֶׁקֶרdeceit
sané)tyשָׂנֵאתִיI hate

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