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Thursday, 11 March 2021

Psalms 6

One more in sequence - The text is below. I have added back the Fn (first-note) column that shows the first note for a verse.

Quite likely based on the first note, I would reason that verses 4 and 6 are connected to 3 and 5 respectively. Verse 10, on the other hand, though starting dramatically on the dominant seems to signal a resumption following a pause in which the poet has received assurance from the one whose anger was feared. It's like the sign in the English Underground: mind the gap. Psalms have to be read slowly.

thlim v Fn Psalms 6 Min Max Syll
לַמְנַצֵּ֣חַ בִּ֭נְגִינוֹת עַֽל־הַשְּׁמִינִ֗ית מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד a lmnxk bnginot yl-hwminit mzmor ldvid 1 For the leader on strings over octaves. A psalm of David. 3e 4B 16
יְֽהוָ֗ה אַל־בְּאַפְּךָ֥ תוֹכִיחֵ֑נִי
וְֽאַל־בַּחֲמָתְךָ֥ תְיַסְּרֵֽנִי
b ihvh al-bapç tocikni
val-bkmtç tiisrni
2 Yahweh, do not in your anger correct me,
and do not in your heat chasten me.
3e 4A 10
10
חָנֵּ֥נִי יְהוָה֮ כִּ֤י אֻמְלַ֫ל־אָ֥נִי
רְפָאֵ֥נִי יְהוָ֑ה
כִּ֖י נִבְהֲל֣וּ עֲצָמָֽי
g konni ihvh ci aumll-ani
rpani ihvh
ci nbhlu yxmii
3 Be gracious to me, Yahweh, for I, I am feeble.
Heal me Yahweh,
for vexed are my bones.
3e 4C 10
6
7
וְ֭נַפְשִׁי נִבְהֲלָ֣ה מְאֹ֑ד
וְאַתָּ֥ה יְ֝הוָ֗ה עַד־מָתָֽי
d vnpwi nbhlh maod
vath ihvh yd-mtii
g 4 And my being is vexed much.
And you, Yahweh, how long?

3e 4B 8
8
שׁוּבָ֣ה יְ֭הוָה חַלְּצָ֣ה נַפְשִׁ֑י
ה֝וֹשִׁיעֵ֗נִי לְמַ֣עַן חַסְדֶּֽךָ
h wubh ihvh klxh npwi
howiyni lmyn ksdç
5 Turn Yahweh, rescue my being.
Save me for the sake of your kindness.
3e 4B 8
10
כִּ֤י אֵ֣ין בַּמָּ֣וֶת זִכְרֶ֑ךָ
בִּ֝שְׁא֗וֹל מִ֣י יֽוֹדֶה־לָּֽךְ
v ci ain bmvvt zcrç
bwaol mi iodh-lç
C 6 For there is not in death remembrance of you.
In the grave who will give thanks to you?

3e 4C 8
6
יָגַ֤עְתִּי ׀ בְּֽאַנְחָתִ֗י אַשְׂחֶ֣ה בְכָל־לַ֭יְלָה מִטָּתִ֑י
בְּ֝דִמְעָתִ֗י עַרְשִׂ֥י אַמְסֶֽה
z igyti bankti awkh bcl-lilh mi'tti
bdmyti yrwi amsh
7 I am weary with my sighing. I make my couch swim every night.
In my tears my bed I dissolve.
3e 4C 16
8
עָֽשְׁשָׁ֣ה מִכַּ֣עַס עֵינִ֑י
עָֽ֝תְקָ֗ה בְּכָל־צוֹרְרָֽי
k ywwh mcys yini
ytqh bcl-xorrii
8 Swollen from grief my eye,
viscous in all my troubles.

3e 4B 7
6
ס֣וּרוּ מִ֭מֶּנִּי כָּל־פֹּ֣עֲלֵי אָ֑וֶן
כִּֽי־שָׁמַ֥ע יְ֝הוָ֗ה ק֣וֹל בִּכְיִֽי
't suru mmni cl-poyli avvn
ci-wmy ihvh qol bcii
B 9 Depart from me, all workers of mischief,
for Yahweh has heard the voice of my weeping.
3e 4B 11
7
שָׁמַ֣ע יְ֭הוָה תְּחִנָּתִ֑י
יְ֝הוָ֗ה תְּֽפִלָּתִ֥י יִקָּֽח
i wmy ihvh tkinti
ihvh tpilti iiqk
10 Yahweh hears my supplication.
Yahweh will my prayer receive.
3e 4B 8
8
יֵבֹ֤שׁוּ ׀ וְיִבָּהֲל֣וּ מְ֭אֹד כָּל־אֹיְבָ֑י
יָ֝שֻׁ֗בוּ יֵבֹ֥שׁוּ רָֽגַע
ia ibowu viibhlu maod cl-aoibii
iwubu ibowu rgy
11 Shamed and vexed much all my enemies.
Let them turn and be ashamed in a moment.
3e 4C 13
8
The full music is below.  The incipit for this psalm is upbeat compared to the prior two psalms. The psalmist has a response from ihvh and is therefore happier. (Surprise!) Let it never be said that a visitation from ihvh, even in anger, is punishment. That word has no place in a translation of the Tanakh. God does not punish. Consequences are clear for any action, but it is humans who damage each other with punishment. 

There is a performance for this on my links page. It is a pretty tight voice (in tune but not pleasant to listen to). The notes are somewhat different at the beginning due to errors in the Letteris edition. (Haïk-Vantoura's inferences are spot on as far as I am concerned, but her preference for the Letteris edition is a historical accident.) The source closest to the origin of these markings is the Aleppo Codex. Whoever has the Aleppo codex digitized could duplicate my work (and likely improve it). I think it would be worthwhile.


There is only one tricolon in the psalm, verse 3. The music and the words arrange themselves as 3 verses then 2 then 2 then 3, a circular structure. 

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