#Psalmtweet #Psalter 61:3

 

Language as metaphor. What is it that is higher?

מִקְצֵ֤ה הָאָ֨רֶץ ׀ אֵלֶ֣יךָ אֶ֭קְרָא בַּעֲטֹ֣ף לִבִּ֑י בְּצוּר־יָר֖וּם מִמֶּ֣נִּי תַנְחֵֽנִי		3 From the extremity of the earth, to you I will call when my heart is overwhelmed. To the rock that is higher than I, you will guide me.
g mqxh harx aliç aqra by'tof libi bxur-irum mmni tnkni	15 10	m/qxh h/arx al\ic a/qra b/y'tp lb\i b/xvr i/rvm m/mn\i t/nk\ni

A recent conversation with Philippe Sands

 On YouTube here

#Psalmtweet #Psalter 60:4

 Does prayer move God? Does it move the responsive people? Does it work through the community?

 ארצ arx (erets) is either land or earth as a whole.

הִרְעַ֣שְׁתָּה אֶ֣רֶץ פְּצַמְתָּ֑הּ רְפָ֖ה שְׁבָרֶ֣יהָ כִי־מָֽטָה		4 You have made earth quake. You fracture it. Heal her rifts for she is moved.
d hrywt arx pxmth rph wbrih ci-m'th	8 8	h/ryw\th arx pxm\th rp\h wbr\ih ci m't\h

#Psalmtweet #Psalter 59:5

 A note on this psalm as a whole and its translation is here.

Without whose iniquity? Note that verse five does not return to the tonic. It ends in mid-air!

בְּֽלִי־עָ֭וֺן יְרוּצ֣וּן וְיִכּוֹנָ֑נוּ ע֖וּרָה לִקְרָאתִ֣י וּרְאֵה		5 Without iniquity, they race and prepare themselves. Be aroused to my call and see!
h bli-yvon iruxun viiconnu yurh lqrati urah	11 7	bli yvn i/rx\vn vi/cvn\nv yvr\h l/qra\ti v/rah

Have you ever considered how much interpretation every translator puts into the work of rendering a text in another tongue? I grew up with Coverdale and I have loved the phrasing, but isn't it true that archaism produces its own beauty when one gets used to it? I love Anglican chant and plainsong also. The pulse and the variations of regularity appeal. But what is the psalter saying to me? Can I respond? Should I respond? Who speaks and to whom? Does ancient story and mythology help me govern myself? Read the comment at the link above -- there you can read the whole poem also. And sing all of it to the music of the accents here. (Also you can find out how the next verse resolves the mid-air ending of verse 5.)

#Psalmtweet #Psalter 58:1

 

Mysteries in the inscriptions

What is a miktam? Why is this psalm headed 'Do not destroy'? A little info on genres as inscribed is here.

לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ אַל־תַּשְׁחֵ֗ת לְדָוִ֥ד מִכְתָּֽם		1 For the leader. Do not destroy. Of David, a miktam.
a lmnxk al-twkt ldvid mctm	12	lm/nxk al t/wkt l/dvd m/ctm

#Psalmtweet #Psalter 57:8

 

Sung here

נָ֘כ֤וֹן לִבִּ֣י אֱ֭לֹהִים נָכ֣וֹן לִבִּ֑י אָ֝שִׁ֗ירָה וַאֲזַמֵּֽרָה		8 ♪~ Prepared is my heart O God, prepared is my heart. I will sing and I will sing a psalm.
k ncon libi alohim ncon libi awirh vazmrh	11 8	n/cvn lb\i alh\im n/cvn lb\i a/wir\h va/zmr\h

#Psalmtweet #Psalter 56:9

 

נֹדִי֮ סָפַ֪רְתָּ֫ה־אָ֥תָּה שִׂ֣ימָה דִמְעָתִ֣י בְנֹאדֶ֑ךָ הֲ֝לֹ֗א בְּסִפְרָתֶֽךָ		9 My waverings you yourself book. You lay up my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?
't nodi sprt-ath wimh dmyti bnadç hloa bsprtç	7 9 7	nd\i spr\th ath wim\h dmy\ti b/nad\c h/la b/spr\tc