phkorsak

A NEW ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF AN OLD HEBREW TEXT: PSALM 142
by Mary Phil Korsak

INTRODUCTION
The new version proposed here is intended as a complement to, not as a substitute for, former translations. Its invites the reader to look at Psalm 142 with fresh eyes. It seeks to bring out the immediacy of the ancient Hebrew text by reproducing its meaning without embellishment, by following the Hebrew syntax as closely as the English language permits – and even more closely than some may consider legitimate – and by a radical attempt to echo the Hebrew vocabulary. The word "radical" is to be taken literally. The etymological root is discernible in every Hebrew word. It is a challenge for the translator to search for equivalents to convey the tenor of these roots as precisely as possible.
The New version and the Revised Standard Version appear side by side. The history of the RSV dates back to the sixteenth century. Established as the authorized version under King James in the early seventeenth century, it inherits from Greek, Latin and German translations as well as from the original Hebrew. It uses the language of the period, which is rich and beautiful. Over the centuries, this ancient version has been subjected to many revisions. Today its claim to respect is such that any alteration can only be made after careful consideration by a committee of numerous scholars, whose conclusions are submitted to a board of representatives of the different Christian denominations.

TEXTS

Praises. 142 (New version)

Psalms. 142 (Revised Standard Version)

1

2

3

4

6

7

8

Insight.
Of David. When he was in the cave.
Prayer.

My voice: to YHWH I cry.
My voice: YHWH I implore.
I pour out before him my plaint;
my trouble before him I tell.

When my breath within me is faint,
you, you know my path.
On this road that I go on,
they have buried a trap for me.

Look to the right and see:
no one recognises me!
All refuge is lost to me;
No one enquires for my soul.

I cry to you, YHWH, and say
You, my shelter,
my lot in the land of the living.

Heed my song,
for I droop low.
Deliver me from my pursuers
for they are stronger than I.

Lead my soul from prison
to laud your name.
In me they are crowned, the just,
when you reward me.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

A Maskil of David,
when he was in the cave.
A Prayer.

I cry with my voice to the LORD,
with my voice I make supplication to the LORD,
I pour out my complaint before him,
I tell my trouble before him.
When my spirit is faint,
thou knowest my way!

In the path where I walk
they have buried a trap for me.
I look to the right and watch
but there is none who takes notice of me;
no refuge remains to me,
no man cares for me.

I cry to thee, O LORD;
I say, Thou art my refuge,
my portion in the land of the living.
Give heed to my cry;
for I am brought very low!

Deliver me from my persecutors;
for they are too strong for me!
Bring me out of prison,
that I may give thanks to thy name!
The righteous will surround me;
for thou wilt deal bountifully with me.

NOTES
Content
      The psalmist sings of his personal predicament: he suffers in solitude. The personal pronouns "I" and "me" and the possessive adjective "my" occur frequently. The psalmist cries out in distress in a hostile, aggressive world, represented by "they". He looks for relief to his only interlocutor, whom he addresses in the expressive sequence "YHWH", "him", "you". YHWH alone can save him in his present state and, by so doing, vindicate the innocent.
Form
      The thought expressed in Hebrew poetry progresses in parallel stages or steps. The different forms of parallelism were described as "synonymous, antithetical and synthetic" by Robert Lowth in 1753. Lowth's categories have been maintained by scholars up to the present day. Verse 2 (v 1 RSV) provides an example of synonymous parallelism: the concept expressed in the first member is developed in the second member. Verse 4 (v 3 RSV) provides examples of synthetic parallelism: the concept expressed in the first member is developed in the second member. There is no case in this psalm of antithetical parallelism with its effect of contrast and opposition.
      Although the verse form is commonly based on the couplet, it sometimes runs to three members (v 6) (v 5 RSV).
      Further contrasts, obtained by the interweaving of the personal pronouns, bind the lines of the psalm together as the psalmist progresses from his initial state of solitude to one of ultimate glory.
      According to J.A. Soggin (Introduction to the Old Testament, S.C.M. Press 1980) the key to Hebrew metre has yet to be discovered. Less cautious critics suggest that the accents, marked by a raising of the voice, are evenly distributed between the members of the couplet or triplet. The most important thing to remember, however, is that the psalms are intended to be sung or intoned to the accompaniment of musical instruments.
      The style of Psalm 132 is unaffected, vigorous and not without elegance. The content of Hebrew thought is constantly expressed in concrete terms. For example, the single word ruah means "wind", "breath" and "spirit", hence the different renderings: "my breath" (v 4) and "my spirit" (v 3 RSV).
      Praises tehilim: the Hebrew title of the book of psalms from the root halal, "to praise". This title is attested at a relatively late period, and hymns of praise, though the most frequent of the literary genres, make up only part of the Psalter. The term "psalter" comes from Greek.
The psalterion was a string instrument which accompanied the psalmos or song.
      Insight maskil: an uncertain term, related to the root sachal, "to have insight". This word, found in the superscriptions of thirteen psalms, is thought to refer to a literary genre: the prayer is proposed as a model for those who find themselves in an analogous situation. The superscriptions are relatively late additions.
      Of David le David: references to authorship in the superscriptions are not considered reliable. Seventy-four superscriptions include the mention "Of David". Rabbinical tradition interprets the preposition le in various ways: "of", "for", "in the spirit of". Recent scholarship concludes that le here implies "belonging to" a so-called Davidic collection. David is described as a skilful singer in 1 Samuel 16, 23; 2 Samuel 1, 17 ff; 3, 13 and as the organiser of temple worship in Chronicles 22-29.
      In the cave David is reported to seek refuge in a cave, when fleeing from Saul (1 Sam 22, 1; 24, 1), but precise information about the date and place of composition cannot be deduced from the superscription. The dating of the psalms remains as uncertain as their authorship. They are thought to have accompanied Israel's history from the early period of the monarchy to the time of the Machabees (10th- 2nd century B.C.E.). Some scholars trace their roots back to pre-Israelite times.
      David's cave finds its counterpart in the prison of verse 8, which in turn may suggest other caves: the Cyclops' lair; the den of Plato's philosophy; the tomb of Lazarus, to quote some well-known examples. Today's reader will not find it difficult to recognise his/her own spiritual cave, where solitude and weakness increase an incapacity to deal with an environment whose pressures appear sometimes overwhelming.
      My voice: the psalmist's sole weapon.
     YHWH: the divine personal name is represented by four consonants in Hebrew. These consonants are related to the root hayah, "to be, become". Commonly known as the tetragrammaton, they are written as such in the text but when read aloud they are replaced by adonaï, "my Lord" or ha-shem, "the Name". Tradition tells that the divine name was pronounced only once a year by the high priest in the Holy of Holies, the innermost sanctuary of the temple at Jerusalem. Today its original pronunciation is unknown and its meaning is open to conjecture.
      In the sixth century C.E. (Christian Era), when the massoretes introduced the vowels into the written text (previously only the consonants were recorded), they added the vowels of adonaï to the consonants YHWH. This led, in the middle ages, to an innovative Christian reading "Jehovah".
      You: in the new version, the "you" of current usage is adopted in preference to the conventional "thou" often found in prayers and biblical translations (RSV). Hebrew has distinct singular and plural forms.
      My lot in the land of the living: the translator is sometimes compelled to sacrifice the assonance, alliteration and word-play which are characteristic of Hebrew poetry for the sake of meaning. An alliterative effect is introduced here by way of compensation (see also v 3).

Published in Equivalences, review of l'Institut Supérieur de Traducteurs et d'Interprètes, Brussels, 15e année