Psalm 77

The music in these posts is entirely derived from the accents in the Hebrew Bible. Introductions - letters, music, text and music, and terminology, are here.

Psalms 77: Syllables 391 Longest recitation 13 Tenor B 23.27%

So Asaph also wrote a poem for Jeduthun. Who was this person, I wonder. The keywords remember, ponder, and spirit recur in the first 12 verses. Verse 13-21 recall the exodus, to be more completely dealt with in the next psalm 78.

Tsinnor and zarqa appear in verses 3 and 17, shalshelet, the rarest of ornaments, in verse 4.

One interesting tidbit here is the word in bar 112 above וֽ֭שבילך uwbilç. It has two accents under the first syllable. The deciphering key has no trouble with this, but there are issues to the sequence of the Unicode at a technical level. It is impossible to tell from the Hebrew character how it was coded or whether the intent was g-e rather than e-g. There is in the Leningrad codex an additional silluq on second syllable. Three accents on one word! That's definitely overkill. The Aleppo codex confirms the two on the first syllable and rejects the one on the second syllable. So the measure becomes a g rather than an e recitation. The WLC coded the sequence as tifha-silluq. This might be an accident, but I think the g works better mid-verse than an e reciting note. Effectively the silluq works as an ornament. There is no ornament that will allow an initial dip of a third and a return to the reciting note.

Verses 17, 18, and 19 each contain a qadma. The first two are on the word waters. Perhaps particularly in poetry, the English poetic practice of reversing subject and verb should be more closely followed. You can see how the music might affect translation decisions on word order. Instead of "The waters saw you O God" we might set "They saw you, (the) waters, O God". Instead of "Thick clouds inundate waters" we might set "They inundate, waters, thick clouds". You could of course be freer than I am and more inventive. No one has set this particular theophany to these melodies except the original author and composer, or if not that, except this apparent accidental interpretation using the deciphering key of Suzanne Haïk-Vantoura. I don't see this as entirely random. Given that this deciphering has been found, the likelihood is overwhelming that it is not a complete accident.

1 For the leader. For Jeduthun. Of Asaph, a psalm. (1-1)
א למנצ֥ח עֽל־ידות֗ון לאס֥ף מזמֽור	13		a lmnxk yl-idutun lasf mzmor
2 My voice to God, and I cried out, my voice to God, and he listened to me. (1-4-1)
ב קול֣י אל־אלה֣ים ואצע֑קה קול֥י אל־א֝לה֗ים והאז֥ין אלֽי	10 12		b qoli al-alohim vaxyqh qoli al-alohim vhazin alii
3 In the day of my trouble I searched out my Lord, my hand by night wrung out and without numbness, my being would not be comforted. (1-2-4-1)
ג בי֥ום צרתי֮ אדנ֪י ד֫ר֥שתי יד֤י ל֣ילה נ֭גרה ול֣א תפ֑וג מאנ֖ה הנח֣ם נפשֽי	11 10 8		g biom xrti adonii drwti idi lilh nigrh vla tpug manh hinkm npwi
4 I remember God and I murmur. I ponder and my spirit is disabled. Selah. (1-4-1)
ד אזכר֣ה אלה֣ים ואֽהמי֑ה אש֓יחה ותתעט֖ף רוח֣י סֽלה	11 11		d azcrh alohim vahmih awikh vttyTf ruki slh
5 ♪g You have held fast my watching eyes. I am beaten down and I will not speak. (g-1-4-1)
ה א֭חזת שמר֣ות עינ֑י נ֝פע֗מתי ול֣א אדבֽר	8 8		h akzt wmurot yinii npymti vla adbr
6 I have reckoned the days of old, the years of the eras past. (1-4-1)
ו חש֣בתי ימ֣ים מק֑דם ש֝נ֗ות עולמֽים	8 5		v kiwbti imim mqdm wnot yolmim
7 I remember my music in the night. With my heart I ponder, and I plan in my spirit. (1-2-4-1)
ז אֽזכר֥ה נגינת֗י ב֫ל֥ילה עם־לבב֥י אש֑יחה ויחפ֥ש רוחֽי	10 7 5		z azcrh nginti blilh ym-lbbi awikh vikpw ruki
8 ♪g In the eras to come will my Lord reject? Or will he not again be favorable ever? (g-1-4-1)
ח הֽ֭לעולמים יזנ֥ח אדנ֑י ולֽא־יס֖יף לרצ֣ות עֽוד	9 6		k hlyolmim iznk adonii vla-iosif lrxot yod
9 Is it ended in perpetuity, his kindness? Obliterated, a promise from generation to generation? (1-4-1)
ט האפ֣ס לנ֣צח חסד֑ו ג֥מר א֝֗מר לד֣ר ודֽר	8 8		T haps lnxk ksdo gmr aomr ldor vdor
10 Has God forgotten grace? As if in anger his compassions were shut up? Selah. (1-4-1)
י השכ֣ח חנ֣ות א֑ל אם־קפ֥ץ ב֝א֗ף רחמ֥יו סֽלה	6 10		i hwck knot al am-qpx baf rkmiv slh
11 ♪g And I say, My entreaty is this: the years of the right hand of the Most High. (g-1-4-1)
יא ו֭אמר חל֣ותי ה֑יא ש֝נ֗ות ימ֣ין עליֽון	7 6		ia vaomr kloti hia wnot imin ylion
12 I will remember the prodigality of Yah, for I remember from of old your wonders. (1-4-1)
יב אזכ֥ור מֽעללי־י֑ה כֽי־אזכר֖ה מק֣דם פלאֽך	6 10		ib azcor mylli-ih ci-azcrh mqdm plaç
13 And I will muse on all your works, And in your prodigality I ponder. (1-4-1)
יג והג֥יתי בכל־פעל֑ך וֽבעל֖ילות֣יך אשֽיחה	10 10		ig vhgiti bcl-poylç ubylilotiç awikh
14 ♪g God in holiness is your way. Who is a god as great as God? (g-1-4-1)
יד א֭להים בק֣דש דרכ֑ך מי־א֥ל ג֝ד֗ול כֽאלהֽים	9 7		id alohim bqodw drcç mi-al gdol calohim
15 You are the God doing a wonder. You make your strength known among the people. (1-4-1)
טו את֣ה ה֭אל ע֣שה פ֑לא הוד֖עת בעמ֣ים עזֽך	8 9		Tv ath hal yowh pla hodyt bymim yuzç
16 You redeemed your people with an arm, the children of Jacob and Joseph. Selah. (1-4-1)
טז גא֣לת בזר֣וע עמ֑ך בני־יעק֖ב ויוס֣ף סֽלה	9 9		Tz galt bzroy ymç bni-iyqob viosf slh
17 ♪~ The waters saw you O God. The waters saw you and they writhed. Indeed the abysses shuddered. (~1-4-1)
יז ר֘א֤וך מ֨ים אֽלה֗ים רא֣וך מ֣ים יח֑ילו א֝֗ף ירגז֥ו תהמֽות	14 7		iz rauç mim alohim rauç mim ikilu af irgzu thomot
18 ♪C Thick clouds inundate waters, skies give voice. Indeed your arrows walked about. (C-1-4-1)
יח ז֤רמו מ֨ים עב֗ות ק֭ול נתנ֣ו שחק֑ים אף־ח֝צצ֗יך יתהלֽכו	11 9		ik zormu mim ybot qol ntnu wkqim af-kxxiç ithlcu
19 ♪C The voice of your thunder in the whirlwind, the lightnings lightened the world. The earth shuddered and quaked. (C-1-4-1)
יט ק֤ול רעמך֨ בגלג֗ל הא֣ירו ברק֣ים תב֑ל רגז֖ה ותרע֣ש האֽרץ	15 8		iT qol rymç bglgl hairu brqim tbl rgzh vtryw harx
20 In the sea is your way, and your wake in abundant waters, and your footprints were not known. (1-4-1)
כ בי֤ם דרכ֗ך וֽ֭שבילך במ֣ים רב֑ים ו֝עקבות֗יך ל֣א נדֽעו	12 9		c bim drcç uwbilç bmim rbim vyiqbotiç la nodyu
21 You guided as a flock your people, by the hand of Moses and Aaron. (1-4-1)
כא נח֣ית כצ֣אן עמ֑ך בֽיד־מש֥ה ואהרֽן	8 8		ca nkit cxan ymç bid-mwh vahron