Psalm 29 as a poetological example of Peshitta Psalms translation

HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies

 
 
Field Value
 
Title Psalm 29 as a poetological example of Peshitta Psalms translation
 
Creator Vasheghanifarahani, Amir
 
Subject Religious studies, Ancient Poetry Peshitta; Syriac Psalm poetry; strophic structure; translation technique; Biblical Hebrew poetry; sound figures
Description The existing research on Peshitta has mostly overlooked the translation techniques used in Peshitta Psalms. Prior studies have primarily focused on comparing Peshitta Psalms with the Masoretic Text (MT), the Septuagint and Targum, leaving a gap in the analysis of Peshitta Psalms within the context of Classical Syriac Poetry. This study will delve into how adeptly the Syriac translator employed poetic elements to construct strophic structures and poetic style within the Peshitta Psalm. This article presents an analysis of strophic structure, word repetition, sound figures and versification in the Syriac translation of Psalm 29, comparing them with their Hebrew counterparts. In this study, the utilisation of the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (BHS) is employed for the MT, while the ‘Leiden edition’ is employed for the Peshitta. The findings from this analysis reveal that the Syriac rendition of Psalm 29 within the Peshitta incorporates numerous poetic elements. This suggests the translator’s familiarity with the strophic arrangement, word repetition, alliteration and various other poetic characteristics utilised by Hebrew scribes. The Peshitta translation of Psalm 29 closely resembles the MT Hebrew text, resulting in a balance of fidelity and aesthetic elegance. The Syriac rendition incorporates poetic elements like strophic arrangement, word repetition and alliteration but employs these features in a distinct manner. The Syriac text has a lower frequency of alliteration and word repetition but still possesses appealing poetic characteristics. The Syriac approach to verse composition closely resembles the Hebrew method, with some exceptions.Contribution: This study explores the Syriac translator’s use of poetic elements in Peshitta Psalms, revealing their familiarity with Hebrew techniques and the unique incorporation of elements. It provides insights into the evolution of Classical Syriac Poetry and contributes to our understanding of Biblical and Syriac poetry.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor Amir Vasheghanifarahani, Ph.D. student, University of Tartu
Date 2024-02-15
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — Analytical approach
Format text/html application/epub+zip text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/hts.v80i1.9389
 
Source HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies; Vol 80, No 1 (2024); 6 pages 2072-8050 0259-9422
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/9389/26457 https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/9389/26458 https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/9389/26459 https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/9389/26460
 
Coverage — Biblical and Peshitta —
Rights Copyright (c) 2024 Amir Vasheghanifarahani https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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