Yonatan Ratosh was born in 1908 in Warsaw, and emigrated to Palestine in 1921. In 1939 he founded the Canaanite movement, which rejected both Judaism and Zionism in favor of a new "Canaanite" identity which was, as Yatosh believed, more organic to the Fertile Crescent, and which sought to liberate all who lived the region from the stranglehold of Abrahamic monotheism. The Canaanite movement cultivated an archaic Biblical (or, theoretically, pre-Biblical) diction modeled to some degree on the language of Ugaritic epic (c.f. the Ugariticizing term "father of years" in this poem.)
This dirge was written for the poet's father, and is envisioned as a hymn for the pall-bearers. It describes how the dead father is carried westward beyond the sea to the dwelling of El, the head of the Canaanite pantheon.
The title of this poem in Hebrew is
Et Nišmat, literally "The Soul of." (The form with
et is in the accusative, and cannot normally stand alone in Hebrew anymore than the accusative form
Requiem can stand alone in Latin.) It comes from the beautiful prayer
El Mole Raḥamim "God Full of Mercy." That prayer is recited by a cantor at Jewish funerals, and is also traditionally recited during the walk up to a person's grave. Line 7 begins
Et Nišmat "The Soul Of" followed by a place where one is to utter the actual name of the deceased. This poem is an alternative to that prayer, a polytheistic (neo-)Canaanite dirge.
I felt it appropriate to make the recording for this poem using an archaizing pronunciation of Hebrew. In addition to the pharyngeal fricatives, I distinguish כ from ק in all cases, and realize the historical geminates as such.
I could make many notes about the resonant vocabulary here used. Two examples will have to suffice, since I haven't my usual commentary energy at the moment.
The first words of this poem are a direct quote from Psalm 85:14
tsédeq lep̱anav yehalleḵ veyasem leá¸eÌreḵ peËamav "Righteousness shall go before him, and shall set the way of his steps." Here, however, Justice/righteousness is personified.
The word עול×
Ëolam means not only "world" but also "eternity" or "all that one lives through." In the phrase
leËolamo "to his eternity" it means something more like "to his repose." (בית ×¢×•×œ× "house of the world/eternity" is a term for "graveyard.")
DirgeBy Yonatan Ratosh
Requested by Victor Leibowitz
Translated by A.Z. Foreman
Click to hear me recite the original Hebrew
Righteousness shall go before himMaking clear his wayRighteousness the shield-bearer before him in the darknessRighteousness shall walk before him.
Now to the God of the Sea WindsNow to the God of the West SpiritsIn the heart of the twin abyssesIn the heart of heaven and earthTo the God whose wing makes evening gloam,Whose beard is the grey of seething foam.
Up with the lamp of the Gods you've comeNow you courseDown with the lamp of the Gods, the sunTo its source.
Unto the end of all mighty watersThe fountainhead of all the world's earthOf every road ascending to the heavensOf every road descending to Sheol.
Unto the God of the Sea WindsUnto the God of the West SpiritsIn the timbered hall, the father of yearsIn whose hand is the soul of all flesh At whose feet bow all living things.
This man has knownAffliction and its rod.This man has ceased his labors Bound for home.
Righteousness shall go before himMaking clear his wayRighteousness the shield-bearer before him in the darknessRighteousness shall walk before him.
Into the heart of the twin abyssesInto the heart of heaven and earthTo the timbered hall of the father of years,Whose hand gave the crown of BaalWhose hand gave the might of AnatWhose hand gave the wisdom of KotharWhose hand gave the good of AstarteAt his right hand — the horn of BaalAt his left hand — the weight of Mot.
Almighty-pinioned ElWho shade the corners of the worldWho deal justice in your depths,Justice in heaven and earth, Bless him who returns to his kin.
Bless the soul of Your servantGone foreverTo his repose.
Righteousness shall go before himMaking clear his wayRighteousness the shield-bearer before him in the darknessRighteousness shall walk before him.
The Original:Click here to see romanization
×™×•× ×ª×Ÿ רטוש
×ת × ×©×ž×ª
 
צֶדֶק ×œÖ°×¤Ö¸× Ö¸×™×• יְהַלֵּךְ
יְפַלֵּס ×ָרְחוֹ מִיש×וֹר
צֶדֶק בַּמָּגֵן ×œÖ°×¤Ö¸× Ö¸×™×• בָּ×ַש×Ö°×žÖ·× Ö¼Ö´×™×
צֶדֶק ×œÖ°×¤Ö¸× Ö¸×™×• יְהַלֵּךְ
 
×ֶל ×ֱלֹהֵי רוּחוֹת ×™Ö¸×
קֶרֶב ×ֲפִיק תְּהֹמוֹתַיִ×
×ֲשֶר ×‘Ö¼Ö´×›Ö°× Ö¸×¤×•Ö¹ מַעֲרִיב עֲרָבִי×
שֵׂיבַת ×–Ö°×§Ö¸× ×•Ö¹ עוֹלָה קָצֶף
 
×¢Ö´× × Öµ×¨Ö·×ª ×Öµ×œÖ´×™× ×¢Ö¸×œÖ´×™×ªÖ¸
×’Ö¼Ö·× ×ªÖ¼Ö¸×‘×•Ö¹×
×¢Ö´× × Öµ×¨Ö·×ª ×Öµ×œÖ´×™× ×”Ö·×©Ö¸×ּמֶש×
בַּמָּבוֹ×
 
×ֶל סוֹף כָּל ×žÖ·×™Ö´× ×¨Ö·Ö¼×‘Ö¼Ö´×™×
×ֶל רֹ××©× ×¢Ö·×¤Ö°×¨×•Ö¹×ª כָּל ×ָרֶץ
רֹ××©× ×›Ö¼Ö¸×œ דֶּרֶךְ הוֹלֶכֶת ש×ָמַיִ×
רֹ××©× ×›Ö¼Ö¸×œ דֶּרֶךְ יוֹרֶדֶת ש×Ö°×וֹל
 
×ֶל ×ֱלֹהֵי רוּחוֹת ×™Ö¸×
×§Ö¶×¨Ö¶×©× ×žÖ¶×œÖ¶×šÖ° ×ַב ש×Ö¸× Ö´×™×
×ֲשֶ×ר בְּיָדוֹ × Ö¶×¤Ö¶×©× ×›Ö¼Ö¸×œ בָּשָׂר
לִפְעָמָיו יִשְ×תַּחוּ כָּל חָי
 
זֶה הַגֶּבֶר
רָ×ָה ×¢Ö¹× Ö´×™ וְשִ×בטוֹ
זֶה ×”Ö¸×ִיש חָדַל מִמַּעַשׂ
לְבֵיתוֹ – –
 
צֶדֶק ×œÖ°×¤Ö¸× Ö¸×™×• יְהַלֵּךְ
יְפַלֵּס ×ָרְחוֹ מִיש×וֹר
צֶדֶק בַּמָּגֵן ×œÖ°×¤Ö¸× Ö¸×™×• בָּ×ַש×Ö°×žÖ·× Ö¼Ö´×™×
צֶדֶק ×œÖ°×¤Ö¸× Ö¸×™×• יְהַלֵּךְ
 
קֶרֶב ×ֲפִיק תְּהֹמוֹתַיִ×
×§Ö¶×¨Ö¶×©× ×žÖ¶×œÖ¶×šÖ° ×ַב ש×Ö¸× Ö´×™×
×ֲשֶ×ר מִיָּדוֹ × Öµ×–Ö¶×¨ בַּעַל
×ֲשֶ×ר מִיָּדוֹ ×¢Ö¹×– ×¢Ö²× Ö¸×ª
×ֲשֶ×ר מִיָּדוֹ חָכְמַת כּוֹש×ָר
×ֲשֶ×ר מִיָּדוֹ טוּב ×ֲשֵרָת
×ֲשֶ×ר ×žÖ´×™×žÖ´×™× ×•Ö¹ קֶרֶן בַּעַל
×ֲשֶ×ר מִשְֹּמֹ×לוֹ כֶּבֶד מוֹת
 
×ֵל ×ַדִּיר ×ֲבָרוֹת
מֵצֵל ×›Ö¼Ö·× Ö°×¤Öµ×™ עוֹלָ×
הָעוֹשֶׂה מִש×ְפָּט בִּתְהוֹמָיו
בָּרֵך ×ֶת ×”Ö·×‘Ö¼Ö¸× ×ֶל עַמָּיו
 
×ֶת × Ö´×©Ö°×מַת
עַבְדְּךָ
ש×ֶהָלַךְ
לעוֹלָמוֹ –
 
צֶדֶק ×œÖ°×¤Ö¸× Ö¸×™×• יְהַלֵּךְ
יְפַלֵּס ×ָרְחוֹ מִיש×וֹר
צֶדֶק בַּמָּגֵן ×œÖ°×¤Ö¸× Ö¸×™×• בָּ×ַש×Ö°×žÖ·× Ö¼Ö´×™×
צֶדֶק ×œÖ°×¤Ö¸× Ö¸×™×• יְהַלֵּךְ
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