Thursday 26 February 2015

Song chapter 2 with cantillation

PDF of cantillation for Song 2 (mode 2, hypodorian) is here.

Here's the English - hmmm - want to try an underlay? Let me know and I will send you a score.
1
I am the crocus of the plain, the lily of the valley.
2
As a lily among thorns, so is my friend among the daughters.
3
As an apricot tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons;
in his shadow I was attracted and I sat, but his fruit was sweeter to my palate.
4
He brought me to the wine house, and his banner over me was love.
5
Support me with raisins, outspread me with apricots,
for ah, I, I am writhing with love.
6
His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me.
7
I have adjured You, daughters of Jerusalem, by the hosts of gazelle or by the hearted dear hart of the field,
if you arouse or if you disturb this my love till it delight.
8
The voice of my beloved, behold, this one, coming,
leaping over the hills, springing over the hillocks.
9
My belovedis like the hosts of gazelle, or the faun of the hart.
Behold, this one, standing behind our embankment, peering through the perforations, blossoming through the grate.
10
My beloved answered and said to me:
arise, you, my friend, my fair one, and you, come away.
11
For behold, winter is passed,
the heavy rain is abolished. It has walked offstage.
12
The flowers have appeared in the land, the time of psalm-singing touches,
and the tone of the turtledove is heard in our land.
13
The fig tree ripens her early fruit; and the vines with a tender bud give a smell.
Arise, you, my friend, my fair one, and you, come away.
14
My dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the secret steep place, let me see your appearance, and let me hear your tone,
for your tone is sweet and your appearance is lovely.
15
Catch and hold fast for us, foxes; wee foxes inflicting pain on vineyards.
But our vineyards are budding tenderly.
16
My beloved is mine, and I am his; he grazes among the lilies.
17
Till the day dawns and the shadows withdraw,
surround, be like, you, my beloved, the gazelle or the faun of the hart upon the rugged mountains.

O strange things - my program supports the following modes.
For the poetry (Psalms, Proverbs, and Speeches of Job)
'C4 D4#E4 F4#G4 A4 B4 C5 D5#E5 F5#'; -- SHV default for psalms chromatic hypodorian
'C4#D4#E4 F4#G4#A4 B4 C5#D5#E5 F5#'; -- Major
'C4 D4#E4 F4#G4#A4 B4 C5 D5#E5 F5#'; -- Major-minor Mitchell for Pss 120-134 Lydian Minor 6th f# is flat if singing
'C4 D4#E4 F4#G4 A4#B4 C5 D5#E5 F5#'; -- raised 4th <> prose 4 Hypodorian pronounced chromatic
'C4 D4 E4 F4 G4 A4 B4 C5 D5 E5 F5 '; -- Natural minor aolian
'C4 D4 E4 F4 G4#A4 B4 C5 D5 E5 F5 '; -- like prose 1
'C4 D4 E4 F4#G4 A4 B4 C5 D5 E5 F5#'; -- like prose 2
For the prologue and epilogue of Job and the other 21 books
'C4 D4 E4 F4 G4#A4 B4 C5 D5 E5 F5 '; -- SHV default for prose chromatic dorian
'C4 D4 E4 F4#G4 A4 B4 C5 D5 E5 F5#'; -- Hypodorian - diatonic minor
'C4#D4#E4 F4#G4#A4 B4 C5#D5#E5 F5#'; -- Lydian
'C4#D4 E4 F4#G4 A4#B4 C5#D5 E5 F5#'; -- chromatic phrygian with raised 4th
'C4 D4 E4 F4 G4 A4 B4 C5 D5 E5 F5 '; -- Natural minor aolian

No reason you couldn't combine these in one song - as long as you have two instruments tuned differently - and don't tune them to where they cannot go or you might break some strings - just transpose as needed.



Wednesday 25 February 2015

Hair-do (and don't), The Canticle 2, Song of Songs

Translation for me is more a matter of combing hair than studying history.  I am unavoidably caught by historical criticism, and all sorts of scholarship. I am absolutely dependent on modern technology for my information. Perhaps now, if it all failed, there is enough of a bootstrap in me and sufficient of slow-moving books, that I would remember enough, but I think it impossible that without the comb of my electronic concordance and the mirror of my automated music and the bias of my semi-automated semantic field clippers that I could approach this project at all.

When all is said and done, I have only my own tongue.

The Song chapter 2, I had played with before - but how it shocks me to make it conform to my rules. And what are these unique parts of the ancient house? Here's a few verses - not at my favorite yet. (Song 2:15)

אֲנִי֙ חֲבַצֶּ֣לֶת הַשָּׁר֔וֹן שֽׁוֹשַׁנַּ֖ת הָעֲמָקִֽים1I am the crocus of the plain, the lily of the valley.16
כְּשֽׁוֹשַׁנָּה֙ בֵּ֣ין הַחוֹחִ֔ים כֵּ֥ן רַעְיָתִ֖י בֵּ֥ין הַבָּנֽוֹת2As a lily among thorns, so is my friend among the daughters.16
כְּתַפּ֙וּחַ֙ בַּעֲצֵ֣י הַיַּ֔עַר כֵּ֥ן דּוֹדִ֖י בֵּ֣ין הַבָּנִ֑ים
בְּצִלּוֹ֙ חִמַּ֣דְתִּי וְיָשַׁ֔בְתִּי וּפִרְי֖וֹ מָת֥וֹק לְחִכִּֽי
3As an apricot tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons;
in his shadow I was attracted and I sat, but his fruit was sweeter to my palate.
17
18
הֱבִיאַ֙נִי֙ אֶל־בֵּ֣ית הַיָּ֔יִן וְדִגְל֥וֹ עָלַ֖י אַהֲבָֽה4He brought me to the wine house, and his banner over me was love.17
סַמְּכ֙וּנִי֙ בָּֽאֲשִׁישׁ֔וֹת רַפְּד֖וּנִי בַּתַּפּוּחִ֑ים
כִּי־חוֹלַ֥ת אַהֲבָ֖ה אָֽנִי
5Support me with raisins, outspread me with apricots,
for ah, I, I am writhing with love.
14
7
שְׂמֹאלוֹ֙ תַּ֣חַת לְרֹאשִׁ֔י וִימִינ֖וֹ תְּחַבְּקֵֽנִי6His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me.15
הִשְׁבַּ֨עְתִּי אֶתְכֶ֜ם בְּנ֤וֹת יְרוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙ בִּצְבָא֔וֹת א֖וֹ בְּאַיְל֣וֹת הַשָּׂדֶ֑ה
אִם־תָּעִ֧ירוּ ׀ וְֽאִם־תְּעֽוֹרְר֛וּ אֶת־הָאַהֲבָ֖ה עַ֥ד שֶׁתֶּחְפָּֽץ2
7I have adjured You, daughters of Jerusalem, by the hosts of gazelle or by the hearted dear hart of the field,
if you arouse or if you disturb this my love till it delight.
21
18
ק֣וֹל דּוֹדִ֔י הִנֵּה־זֶ֖ה בָּ֑א
מְדַלֵּג֙ עַל־הֶ֣הָרִ֔ים מְקַפֵּ֖ץ עַל־הַגְּבָעֽוֹת
8The voice of my beloved, behold, this one, coming,
leaping over the hills, springing over the hillocks.
7
14
דּוֹמֶ֤ה דוֹדִי֙ לִצְבִ֔י א֖וֹ לְעֹ֣פֶר הָֽאַיָּלִ֑ים
הִנֵּה־זֶ֤ה עוֹמֵד֙ אַחַ֣ר כָּתְלֵ֔נוּ מַשְׁגִּ֙יחַ֙ מִן־הַֽחֲלֹּנ֔וֹת מֵצִ֖יץ מִן־הַֽחֲרַכִּֽים
9My beloved is like the hosts of gazelle, or the faun of the hart;
behold, this one, standing behind our embankment, peering through the perforations, blossoming through the grate.
14
25
עָנָ֥ה דוֹדִ֖י וְאָ֣מַר לִ֑י
ק֥וּמִי לָ֛ךְ רַעְיָתִ֥י יָפָתִ֖י וּלְכִי־לָֽךְ
10My beloved answered and said to me:
arise, you, my friend, my fair one, and you, come away.
8
12
כִּֽי־הִנֵּ֥ה הסתו הַסְּתָ֖יו עָבָ֑ר
הַגֶּ֕שֶׁם חָלַ֖ף הָלַ֥ךְ לֽוֹ
11For behold, winter is passed,
the heavy rain is abolished. It has walked offstage.
8
8

God is hidden in the animals of the Song. I am sure you knew this. Hence the wording of verse 7 - בִּצְבָא֔וֹת א֖וֹ בְּאַיְל֣וֹת הַשָּׂדֶ֑ה - tsava'ot, roe or gazelle, sounds like hosts as in Lord of Hosts, ayyilot hasadeh sounds like El Shaddai- a name for God. I was going to vary roe and gazelle unnecessarily - but it always causes trouble eventually. No hair-do needs an accidental curl.

Tuesday 24 February 2015

The framed middle of Psalm 31 - shifting words and meanings

Psalm 31 (30 Greek version) has a framed middle shown in the table below. This is one of the regular psalms for Compline, and the origin of the words for Jesus on the cross, Into your hands I commend my spirit. The frame includes 4 mentions of hands as can be seen, two of God's hands, and two of the enemies' hands.

The Greek adds to the inscription a single word, ἐκστάσεως, a word repeated in the Greek in verse 23, an extra repetition which is not in the Hebrew, verses 23-25 (Hebrew 22-24) being an afterthought reflecting the central section which is a complete rejection of the individual in question by the social structure: The poet has 'become as a vessel that has perished'.
From all my troubles I became a reproach and especially to my neighbours, and a dread to those knowing me. Those seeing me outside fled from me.
The additional word is one from which we get our word ecstasy but this is not exactly ecstatic rather it is reflecting alarm according to the New English Translation of the Septuagint (NETS) "But I said in my alarm, I have been cast from your sight."

Neither is this psalm theoretical, but very much concerned with hands and feet, shame, righteousness, and deliverance, trusting in a God that 'knows the insides of my being' and who is trustworthy. Yet I think of 'standing outside' - is that ecstasy? Hardly, it is isolation and solitude and here rejection and illness, or at least symptoms that could be metaphor of deep distress.

It's curious how words shift. Perhaps we really are in each others' hands - so how will we find trust that is not simply resignation?

Selected recurring words, verses 6 to 17 (Heb)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
1
בידך into your hands
6
יד
ואני but I
7
אני
בטחתי I will trust
7
בטח
בחסדך in your loving-kindness
8
חסד
ראית you have seen
8
ראה
ידעת you know
8
ידע
בצרות the inside of the troubles of
8
צרר
נפשׁי my being
8
נפשׁ
ביד in the hand of
9
יד
אויב an enemy
9
איב
* עשׁשׁה swollen are
10
עשׁשׁ
נפשׁי my being
10
נפשׁ
* עשׁשׁו swollen
11
עשׁשׁ
צררי my troubles
12
צרר
הייתי I became
12
היה
למידעי to those knowing me
12
ידע
ראי those seeing me
12
ראה
הייתי I have become
13
היה
נפשׁי my being
14
נפשׁ
ואני but I
15
אני
בטחתי I have trusted
15
בטח
בידך in your hands
16
יד
מיד from the hand of
16
יד
אויבי my enemy
16
איב
בחסדך in your loving-kindness
17
חסד