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Sunday 7 November 2021

Oratorio, part 1, Psalms 19:1-7

 My still to be challenging oratorio - must need the critical feedback of a workshop - and a real composer, begins with Psalms 19:1-7. Here is the raw data. I will leave in my verse by verse notes for the psalms on which the oratorio relies heavily. Each of the 7 sections ends with a psalm beginning with psalms 110 and continuing in sequence to Psalms 117. The whole ends with Psalms 150, and several other psalms are interspersed. The psalms are a commentary on both Torah and Prophets and they cover the gamut of human response to creation.

Psalms 19:1-7

The heavens recount
Syllables: 132. Words: 54. Roots: 44. Root Recurrence: 31%. Average per verse: 2.4.
לַמְנַצֵּ֗חַ מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד 1 For the leader. A psalm of David.
a lmnxk mzmor ldvid 9
lm/nxk m/zmr l/dvd
הַשָּׁמַ֗יִם מְֽסַפְּרִ֥ים כְּבֽוֹד־אֵ֑ל
וּמַ֘עֲשֵׂ֥ה יָ֝דָ֗יו מַגִּ֥יד הָרָקִֽיעַ
2 The heavens recount the glory of God,
and what his hands make is evident from the expanse.
b hwmiim msprim cbod-al
umywh idiv mgid hrqiy
9
12
h/wmim m/spr\im cbd al
vm/ywh id\iv m/gd h/rqy
י֣וֹם לְ֭יוֹם יַבִּ֣יעַֽ אֹ֑מֶר
וְלַ֥יְלָה לְּ֝לַ֗יְלָה יְחַוֶּה־דָּֽעַת
3 ♪B Day to day ferments promise,
and night to night breathes knowledge.

g iom liom ibiy aomr
vlilh llilh ikvvh-dyt
8
11
ivm l/ivm i/by amr
v/lil\h l/lil\h i/kvh dy\t
אֵֽין־אֹ֭מֶר וְאֵ֣ין דְּבָרִ֑ים
בְּ֝לִ֗י נִשְׁמָ֥ע קוֹלָֽם
4 There is no promise and there are no words.
Their voice is not heard.
d ain-aomr vain dbrim
bli nwmy qolm
8
6
ain amr v/ain dbr\im
bli n/wmy qvl\m
בְּכָל־הָאָ֨רֶץ ׀ יָ֘צָ֤א קַוָּ֗ם וּבִקְצֵ֣ה תֵ֭בֵל מִלֵּיהֶ֑ם
לַ֝שֶּׁ֗מֶשׁ שָֽׂם־אֹ֥הֶל בָּהֶֽם
5 In all the earth their line has gone out, and to the extremity of the world their speech.
For the sun he pitched a tent in them.
h bcl-harx ixa qvvm ubqxh tbl milihm
lwmw wm-aohl bhm
17
8
b/cl h/arx ixa qv\m vb/qxh tbl ml\ihm
l/wmw wm ahl b/hm
וְה֗וּא כְּ֭חָתָן יֹצֵ֣א מֵחֻפָּת֑וֹ
יָשִׂ֥ישׂ כְּ֝גִבּ֗וֹר לָר֥וּץ אֹֽרַח
6 And he as bridegroom from his canopy going forth,
joys as one who prevails racing on a path.
v vhua cktn ioxa mkupto
iwiw cgibor lrux aork
11
9
v/hva c/ktn ixa m/kp\tv
i/ww c/gbr l/rvx ark
מִקְצֵ֤ה הַשָּׁמַ֨יִם ׀ מֽוֹצָא֗וֹ וּתְקוּפָת֥וֹ עַל־קְצוֹתָ֑ם
וְאֵ֥ין נִ֝סְתָּ֗ר מֵֽחַמָּתוֹ
7 From an extreme of the heavens its going forth, and its circuit to their extremities,
and there is no hiding from its heat.

z mqxh hwmiim moxao utqupto yl-qxotm
vain nstr mkmto
16
8
m/qxh h/wmim mv/xa\v vt/qvp\tv yl qx\vtm
v/ain n/str m/km\tv
2First word 2nd line Mas text corr from SHV, Aleppo not avail.
: surface, or firmament, reflects the word used in Genesis 1. That surface רקע (rq`) is the first thing that God made. It is a mythic view of the universe from earth.
3promise, אמר ('mr) Translating this 'word' as promise helps show both the frame in this psalm and the link from this psalm to Psalm 119. breathes, חָוָה (xvh) once here and 5 times in Job only.
5[Romans 10:18]
speech מלה (mlh), a word that is very frequent in Job (34 times) but rare elsewhere. Twice in the psalms, here and in Psalm 139, For there is not a speech on my tongue but יְהוָה knows all of it.
line, קו (qv) Tur Sinai (via Magonet) suggests that the effect is 'writing' (compare Isaiah 28:11).
Selected recurrence: ain amr ivm ixa lil qxh wmim
Word / Gloss1234567VsStem
השמים the heavens
2שמים
יום day
3יום
ליום to day
3יום
אמר promise
3אמר
ולילה and night
3ליל
ללילה to night
3ליל
אין there is no
4אין
אמר promise
4אמר
ואין and there are no
4אין
יצא has gone out
5יצא
ובקצה and to the extremity of
5קצה
יצא going forth
6יצא
מקצה from an extreme of
7קצה
השמים the heavens
7שמים
מוצאו its going forth
7יצא
קצותם their extremities
7קצה
ואין and there is no
7אין
The opening page of the music of Psalm 19:1-7

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