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Monday 8 November 2021

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 / Gloss12VsStem
פתיתני you have seduced me
7פתה
ואפת and I am seduced
7פתה
כל all
7כל
כלה everyone
7כל

Job 3

Syllables: 131. Words: 56. Roots: 38. Root Recurrence: 48%. Average per verse: 4.5.
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 / Gloss123456789VsStem
יום day
3יום
בו when
3ב
והלילה and the night
3ליל
היום day
4יום
ההוא that
4הוא
יהי let it be
4היה
חשך darkness
4חשך
אל not
4אל
ממעל from above
4על
ואל nor
4אל
עליו on it
4על
חשך darkness
5חשך
עליו on it
5על
יום the day
5יום
הלילה the night
6ליל
ההוא that very one
6הוא
אל not
6אל
בימי with the days of
6יום
אל not
6אל
יבא let it come
6בוא
הלילה night
7ליל
ההוא that
7הוא
יהי let it be
7היה
אל no
7אל
תבוא let come
7בוא
בו to it
7ב
יום the day
8יום

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 / Gloss123456789101VsStem
ארור cursed
14ארר
היום the day
14יום
אשר which
14אשר
ילדתי I was born
14ילד
יום the day
14יום
אשר that
14אשר
ילדתני gave birth to me
14ילד
אמי my mother
14אם
יהי let it be
14היה
ארור cursed
15ארר
האיש the person
15איש
אשר that
15אשר
ילד is born
15ילד
לך to you
15ל
שמח gladness
15שמח
שמחהו making him glad
15שמח
והיה and let be
16היה
האיש this man
16איש
אשר that
16אשר
ולא and not
16לא
אשר that
17אשר
לא not
17לא
מרחם from the womb
17רחם
ותהי or that might have been
17היה
לי for me
17ל
אמי my mother
17אם
ורחמה and her womb
17רחם

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