Oratorio - still part 1 Jeremiah and Jonah

Jeremiah is a character in this oratorio. He is a bass. Here he has a duet with Job on cursing / (or otherwise ordering the death of) his day of his birth. This music uses the themes (In all this music the cantus firmus is derived from the accents over and under the text.) of each portion of Scripture in two differing keys and modes. Jeremiah 20:1 and Job 3:3 introduce the duet. As you might expect, these snippets of music are not exactly cheerful. These dismal songs are followed by Psalms 110 - incomprehensible but more upbeat. (Next post). 

These emotions are not triumphant. Jeremiah is miserable. He accuses God of seduction. Job is confrontational. The opening phrase (earlier in the oratorio) has already shown us the leit motif of creation. (All these details are evident in the original phrases in the Scripture if you can read the music. And you can read the music if you have the deciphering key.) Neither of these two, wishing they had never been, is petulant like Jonah ben Amittai - Mr Dove, child of truthfulness. (See this evensong from Selwyn for a sermon on Jonah that catches this extra bit of humour - the music is good too: Howells, Leighton, and Fauré.)

Prophet and storyteller alike should shake us from any lingering complacency.

Jeremiah 20:1

Jeremiah complains that he has been seduced

Syllables: 29. Words: 12. Roots: 10. Root Recurrence: 33%. Average per verse: 4.

cl (2) hih icl ihvh ivm kzq l lyg pth (2) wkq

פִּתִּיתַ֤נִי יְהוָה֙ וָֽאֶפָּ֔ת חֲזַקְתַּ֖נִי וַתּוּכָ֑ל הָיִ֤יתִי לִשְׂחוֹק֙ כָּל־הַיּ֔וֹם כֻּלֹּ֖ה לֹעֵ֥ג לִֽי		7 You have seduced me Yahweh, and I am seduced. You have more courage than I and you are overpowering. I am a laughingstock all the day long. Everyone derides me.
z pititni ihvh vapt kzqtni vtucl hiiti lwkoq cl-hiom culo loyg li	16 13	pt\itni ihvh va/pt kzq\tni vtv/cl h/i\iti l/wkq cl h/ivm cl\h lyg l\i

Recurrence: cl pth

Word / Gloss	1	2	Vs	Stem
פתיתני you have seduced me	▒		7	פתה
ואפת and I am seduced	▒		7	פתה
כל all		▒	7	כל
כלה everyone		▒	7	כל

Job 3

The first page of the section where Job un-creates the day of his birth

Syllables: 131. Words: 56. Roots: 38. Root Recurrence: 48%. Average per verse: 4.5.

abd al (5) alvh amr apl arr b (2) bva (2) byt cmr drw gal gbr glmvd hih (2) hnh hrh hva (3) ild ipy irk ivm (5) kdh kwc (2) lil (3) lqk lvitn nhr nqb rnn spr wcn wnh xl yl (3) ynn yrr ytd

יֹ֣אבַד י֭וֹם‬ אִוָּ֣לֶד בּ֑וֹ וְהַלַּ֥יְלָה אָ֝מַ֗ר הֹ֣רָה גָֽבֶר		3 ♪B Perish! day when I was born, and the night promising pregnancy of a valiant child.
g iabd iom aivvld bo vhlilh amr horh gbr	7 10	i/abd ivm av/ld b\v vh/lil\h amr hrh gbr
הַיּ֥וֹם הַה֗וּא יְֽהִ֫י חֹ֥שֶׁךְ אַֽל־יִדְרְשֵׁ֣הוּ אֱל֣וֹהַּ מִמָּ֑עַל וְאַל־תּוֹפַ֖ע עָלָ֣יו נְהָרָֽה		4 That day - let it be darkness. Let God not search for it from above, nor let a sunbeam on it shine.
d hiom hhua ihi kowç al-idrwhu aloh mmyl val-topy yliv nhrh	8 11 9	h/ivm h/hva i/hi kwc al i/drw\hv alvh mm/yl v/al tv/py yl\iv nhr\h
יִגְאָלֻ֡הוּ חֹ֣שֶׁךְ וְ֭צַלְמָוֶת תִּשְׁכָּן־עָלָ֣יו עֲנָנָ֑ה יְ֝בַעֲתֻ֗הוּ כִּֽמְרִ֥ירֵי יֽוֹם		5 Let darkness and shadows sully it. Let dwell on it a cloud. Let eclipses of the day alarm it.
h igaluhu kowç vxlmvvt twcon-yliv ynnh ibytuhu cmriri iom	17 9	i/gal\hv kwc v/xl\mvt t/wcn yl\iv ynn\h i/byt\hv cmr\iri ivm
הַלַּ֥יְלָה הַהוּא֮ יִקָּחֵ֪ה֫וּ אֹ֥פֶל אַל־יִ֭חַדְּ בִּימֵ֣י שָׁנָ֑ה בְּמִסְפַּ֥ר יְ֝רָחִ֗ים אַל־יָבֹֽא		6 The night, that very one, let gloom take it. Let it not be cheered with the days of the year. Into the count of moons let it not come.
v hlilh hhua iiqkhu aopl al-iikd bimi wnh bmspr irkim al-iboa	11 7 9	h/lil\h h/hva i/qk\hv apl al i/kd b/im\i wnh bm/spr irk\im al i/ba
הִנֵּ֤ה הַלַּ֣יְלָה הַ֭הוּא יְהִ֣י גַלְמ֑וּד אַל־תָּבֹ֖א רְנָנָ֣ה בֽוֹ		7 Behold that night, let it be bleak. Let come to it no shout of joy.
z hnh hlilh hhua ihi glmud al-tboa rnnh bo	11 7	hnh h/lil\h h/hva i/hi glmvd al t/bva rnn\h b\v
יִקְּבֻ֥הוּ אֹרְרֵי־י֑וֹם הָ֝עֲתִידִ֗ים עֹרֵ֥ר לִוְיָתָֽן		8 Let them pierce it that curse the day, those eager to unleash Leviathan.
k iiqbuhu aorri-iom hytidim yorr lvvitn	6 9	i/qb\hv arr\i ivm h/ytdm yrr lvitn

First time recurrence: al b bva hva hih kwc ivm lil yl

Word / Gloss	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Vs	Stem
יום day	▒									3	יום
בו when		▒								3	ב
והלילה and the night			▒							3	ליל
היום day	▒									4	יום
ההוא that				▒						4	הוא
יהי let it be					▒					4	היה
חשך darkness						▒				4	חשך
אל not							▒			4	אל
ממעל from above								▒		4	על
ואל nor							▒			4	אל
עליו on it								▒		4	על
חשך darkness						▒				5	חשך
עליו on it								▒		5	על
יום the day	▒									5	יום
הלילה the night			▒							6	ליל
ההוא that very one				▒						6	הוא
אל not							▒			6	אל
בימי with the days of	▒									6	יום
אל not							▒			6	אל
יבא let it come									▒	6	בוא
הלילה night			▒							7	ליל
ההוא that				▒						7	הוא
יהי let it be					▒					7	היה
אל no							▒			7	אל
תבוא let come									▒	7	בוא
בו to it		▒								7	ב
יום the day	▒									8	יום

Jeremiah 20:14-17

Jeremiah curses his birthday
Syllables: 112. Words: 51. Roots: 35. Root Recurrence: 53%. Average per verse: 6.8.

ab aiw (2) al am (2) amr arr (2) at awr (5) b bn bqr brc bwr hih (3) hpc hrh hva ihvh ild (3) ivm (2) l (2) la (2) mvt nkm qbr rkm (2) rvy wmk (2) wmy xhr yir ylm yt zcr zyq

אָר֣וּר הַיּ֔וֹם אֲשֶׁ֥ר יֻלַּ֖דְתִּי בּ֑וֹ י֛וֹם אֲשֶׁר־יְלָדַ֥תְנִי אִמִּ֖י אַל־יְהִ֥י בָרֽוּךְ		14 Cursed the day in which I was born, the day that my mother gave birth to me, let it not be blessed.
id arur hiom awr iuldti bo iom awr-ildtni aimi al-ihi bruç	10 14	arr h/ivm awr ild\ti b\v ivm awr ild\tni am\i al i/hi brvc
אָר֣וּר הָאִ֗ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֨ר בִּשַּׂ֤ר אֶת־אָבִי֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר יֻֽלַּד־לְךָ֖ בֵּ֣ן זָכָ֑ר שַׂמֵּ֖חַ שִׂמֳּחָֽהוּ		15 Cursed the person that brought good news to my father, saying, Born to you is a child, male, gladness, making him glad.
'tv arur haiw awr biwr at-abi lamor iuld-lç bn zcr wmk wimkhu	20 7	arr h/aiw awr bwr at ab\i l/amr ild l\c bn zcr wmk wmk\hv
וְהָיָה֙ הָאִ֣ישׁ הַה֔וּא כֶּֽעָרִ֛ים אֲשֶׁר־הָפַ֥ךְ יְהוָ֖ה וְלֹ֣א נִחָ֑ם וְשָׁמַ֤ע זְעָקָה֙ בַּבֹּ֔קֶר וּתְרוּעָ֖ה בְּעֵ֥ת צָהֳרָֽיִם		16 And let this man be, this very one, as the cities that Yahweh overturned, and sighed not. And let him hear an appeal in the morning, and a shout of triumph at noontide,
'tz vhih haiw hhua cyrim awr-hpç ihvh vla nikm vwmy zyqh bboqr utruyh byt xohriim	20 18	v/hih h/aiw h/hva c/yr\im awr hpc ihvh v/la nkm v/wmy zyq\h b/bqr vt/rvy\h b/yt xhr\im
אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־מוֹתְתַ֖נִי מֵרָ֑חֶם וַתְּהִי־לִ֤י אִמִּי֙ קִבְרִ֔י וְרַחְמָ֖הֿ הֲרַ֥ת עוֹלָֽם		17 That he did not put me to death from the womb, or that for me my mother might have been my tomb, and her womb pregnant ever.
iz awr la-mottni mrkm vthi-li aimi qbri vrkmh hrt yolm	9 14	awr la mvt\tni m/rkm vt/hi l\i am\i qbr\i v/rkm\h h/r\t yvlm

First time recurrence: aiw am arr awr hih ivm ild l la rkm wmk

Word / Gloss	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	1	Vs	Stem
ארור cursed	▒											14	ארר
היום the day		▒										14	יום
אשר which			▒									14	אשר
ילדתי I was born				▒								14	ילד
יום the day		▒										14	יום
אשר that			▒									14	אשר
ילדתני gave birth to me				▒								14	ילד
אמי my mother					▒							14	אם
יהי let it be						▒						14	היה
ארור cursed	▒											15	ארר
האיש the person							▒					15	איש
אשר that			▒									15	אשר
ילד is born				▒								15	ילד
לך to you								▒				15	ל
שמח gladness									▒			15	שמח
שמחהו making him glad									▒			15	שמח
והיה and let be						▒						16	היה
האיש this man							▒					16	איש
אשר that			▒									16	אשר
ולא and not										▒		16	לא
אשר that			▒									17	אשר
לא not										▒		17	לא
מרחם from the womb											▒	17	רחם
ותהי or that might have been						▒						17	היה
לי for me								▒				17	ל
אמי my mother					▒							17	אם
ורחמה and her womb											▒	17	רחם

Jeremiah and Job - miserable melodies melding