Oratorio part 4, Psalms 8:4-7

 So far the organ has been merely for the accompaniment of the final chorales of each of the first three parts. In part 4 it finds its voice. It will play with the evening and morning theme towards the end of the piece. 

The opening of Psalm 8. Aria for tenor in Unleashing Leviathan

Psalms 8

A Psalm of David, Yahweh, our Lord how majestic your name
Syllables: 192. Words: 77. Roots: 59. Root Recurrence: 40%. Average per verse: 3.1.

adm adr (2) advn (2) aib alp alvh anvw ark arx (2) awr (2) axby bhmh bn cbd ci (3) cl (4) cvcb cvn dg dvd gm hdr hgh hvd id ihvh (2) im (2) inq irk isd ksr lmyn mh (3) mwl my't nqm ntn nxk ph pqd rah rgl tkt wbt wdh wit wm (2) wmim (3) xan xpr xrr ybr y'tr yl (2) yvll ywh (2) yzz zcr zmr

לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ עַֽל־הַגִּתִּ֗ית מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד		1 For the leader on musing. A psalm of David.
a lmnxk yl-hgitit mzmor ldvid	13	lm/nxk yl h/g\tit m/zmr l/dvd
יְהוָ֤ה אֲדֹנֵ֗ינוּ מָֽה־אַדִּ֣יר שִׁ֭מְךָ בְּכָל־הָאָ֑רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר תְּנָ֥ה ה֝וֹדְךָ֗ עַל־הַשָּׁמָֽיִם		2 Yahweh our Lord how majestic your name in all the earth, whose splendour is chanted above the heavens.
b ihvh adoninu mh-adir wmç bcl-harx awr tnh hodç yl-hwmiim	16 11	ihvh adn\inv mh adr wm\c b/cl h/arx awr t\nh hvd\c yl h/wmim
מִפִּ֤י עֽוֹלְלִ֨ים ׀ וְֽיֹנְקִים֮ יִסַּ֪דְתָּ֫־עֹ֥ז לְמַ֥עַן צוֹרְרֶ֑יךָ לְהַשְׁבִּ֥ית א֝וֹיֵ֗ב וּמִתְנַקֵּֽם		3 From the mouths of babies and nurslings, you have founded strength, for the sake of your adversaries, that you might cease enemy and vengeance.
g mpi yollim vionqim iisdt-yoz lmyn xorriç lhwbit aoib umtnqm	11 6 9	m/p\i yvll\im v/inq\im isd\t yz lmyn xvrr\ic lh/wbt ab vmt/nqm
כִּֽי־אֶרְאֶ֣ה שָׁ֭מֶיךָ מַעֲשֵׂ֣י אֶצְבְּעֹתֶ֑יךָ יָרֵ֥חַ וְ֝כוֹכָבִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר כּוֹנָֽנְתָּה		4 For I see your heavens that your fingers make, moon and stars which you have established.
d ci-arah wmiç mywi axbyotiç irk vcocbim awr connt	14 12	ci a/rah wm\ic m/yw\i axby\tic irk v/cvcb\im awr cvn\nth
מָֽה־אֱנ֥וֹשׁ כִּֽי־תִזְכְּרֶ֑נּוּ וּבֶן־אָ֝דָ֗ם כִּ֣י תִפְקְדֶֽנּוּ		5 What is a mortal? for you remember it. And a child of humanity? for you visit it,
h mh-anow ci-tzcrnu ubn-adm ci tpqdnu	8 9	mh anvw ci t/zcr\nv v/bn adm ci t/pqd\nv
וַתְּחַסְּרֵ֣הוּ מְּ֭עַט מֵאֱלֹהִ֑ים וְכָב֖וֹד וְהָדָ֣ר תְּעַטְּרֵֽהוּ		6 And you make it a little less than God, and with glory and honour you crown it.
v vtksrhu my't malohim vcbod vhdr ty'trhu	10 10	vt/ksr\hv my+ m/alh\im v/cbd v/hdr t/y+r\hv
תַּ֭מְשִׁילֵהוּ בְּמַעֲשֵׂ֣י יָדֶ֑יךָ כֹּ֝ל שַׁ֣תָּה תַֽחַת־רַגְלָֽיו		7 ♪g You give it governance over what your hands make. All, you put under its feet.
z tmwilhu bmywi idiç col wth tkt-rgliv	11 7	t/mwl\hv bm/yw\i id\ic cl wt\h tkt rgl\iv
צֹנֶ֣ה וַאֲלָפִ֣ים כֻּלָּ֑ם וְ֝גַ֗ם בַּהֲמ֥וֹת שָׂדָֽי		8 ♪g Flock and drove, all of them, and even beasts of the field.
k xonh valpim culm vgm bhmot wdii	8 7	xn\h v/alp\im cl\m v/gm bhm\vt wd\i
צִפּ֣וֹר שָׁ֭מַיִם וּדְגֵ֣י הַיָּ֑ם עֹ֝בֵ֗ר אָרְח֥וֹת יַמִּֽים		9 Bird of the heavens and fish of the sea, traversing the paths of the seas.
't xipor wmiim udgi him yobr aorkot imim	8 6	xpr wmim v/dg\i h/im ybr ark\vt im\im
יְהוָ֥ה אֲדֹנֵ֑ינוּ מָֽה־אַדִּ֥יר שִׁ֝מְךָ֗ בְּכָל־הָאָֽרֶץ		10 Yahweh our Lord, how majestic your name in all the earth.
i ihvh adoninu mh-adir wmç bcl-harx	6 10	ihvh adn\inv mh adr wm\c b/cl h/arx

1	Musing הגה (hgh) or mutter, on the Gittith or at the place of Gath. Rashi notes that the Rabbis consider this phrase on the Gittith as referring to Edom, which will be trodden as one treads in a wine-press, I trod out a vintage alone (Isaiah 63:3).
2	This is the first occurrence of our in the Psalter. It is rare in the first book of the Psalter (Psalms 1-41).
3	Fokkelman lets verse 3a stand with verse 2. He among others considers that babies (from a word cognate with filth as Rashi points out) and sucklings are a good answer to the question: who is chanting splendour? The name in the earth and the splendour above the heavens are for him an antithetical parallel. I have left it for the reader to consider. founded יסד (isd) or reasoned. [Matthew 11:25, 21:16]
5	child of humanity, אדם (adm) ground, humus. [Hebrews 2:6-9, 1 Corinthians 15:27, Ephesians 1:22] for, כי (ki) this conjunction used as modifier of remembering and visiting is a stronger word than in Psalm 144, so I have rendered it with for rather than a simple relative pronoun that. From the point of view of a parable of the upright person, Job (7:17) questions any simple view of human triumph by the hand of God (Eloah, the singular of Elohim, in Job). What is a mortal that you make him great and that you fix on him your heart and that you visit him every morning and every moment scrutinize him? Within the psalter almost as many verses from the end as we are now from the beginning, we get a reflection of this thought in Psalm 144:3: Yahweh what is this humus that you know it the children of humanity that you value them? (Note also the repetition of fingers, your fingers in Psalm 8, my fingers in Psalm 144, a nice touch). Authorities disagree as to dating: Craigie, page 106: "the parallel does not contribute to dating or sequence" and Fishbane, page 285 'the exegetical revision of Ps 8:5-7 by Job 7:17-18 is sharp and clear".
6	make it less, חסר (ksr) the same word as in Psalm 23, that the poet does not lack, or has no deficiency, also 34:10-11.

First time recurrence (for this book in the chapter): advn adr im mh ywh wm wmim

Word / Gloss	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	1	2	3	Vs	Stem
אדנינו our Lord			▒											2	אדון
מה how				▒										2	מה
אדיר majestic					▒									2	אדר
שמך your name						▒								2	שם
השמים the heavens										▒				2	שמים
שמיך your heavens										▒				4	שמים
מעשי that make												▒		4	עשה
מה what is				▒										5	מה
במעשי over what .. make												▒		7	עשה
שמים the heavens										▒				9	שמים
הים the sea													▒	9	ים
ימים the seas													▒	9	ים
אדנינו our Lord			▒											10	אדון
מה how				▒										10	מה
אדיר majestic					▒									10	אדר
שמך your name						▒								10	שם