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Maundy Thursday. Letter clusters

05 Apr 12 - 05:20 PM (#3334207)
Subject: Maundy Thursday. Letter clusters
From: GUEST,leeneia

Well, happy Maundy Thursday, everyone. Today is the day before Good Friday.

I'll be reading tonight, and it's pretty clear that whoever worked up the Psalm was not an English major. Nobody who is into poetry would have people say

"God's steadfast love endures forever" fifteen times.

Remember the thread about my Chinese friend, and how she made me aware of how English sometimes bunches too many consonants in a row? Well, 'God's steadfast', with it's ds-st, is a good example.

The st-l of 'fast love' isn't any picnic either. I was gonna do this Psalm as a rap number, but I can't get it smooth enough.

It probably would have been a big liturgical breakthrough.


05 Apr 12 - 06:00 PM (#3334224)
Subject: RE: Maundy Thursday. Letter clusters
From: Crowhugger

Great idea. Does it have to be precisely verbatim? Maybe it'll smooth out better for you if you repeat certain words or add a word here or there, or insert a clap or two, to make the rhythm work for rather than against you. A good groove is more important than speed, especially if the listeners aren't already well exposed to the genre.


06 Apr 12 - 05:34 AM (#3334404)
Subject: RE: Maundy Thursday. Letter clusters
From: Mo the caller

Which Psalm is this? Is it AV, RSV or some adaptation?


06 Apr 12 - 10:25 AM (#3334485)
Subject: RE: Maundy Thursday. Letter clusters
From: GUEST,leeneia

It was Psalm 135, which tells of the Jews escaping Egypt and crossing the Red Sea, and it is a traditional reading at Passover. The language is modern, New Standard Revised, or something like that.   

It went well, though I didn't actually make it a rap. I tried to make it sound like someone telling a story. Crowhugger, you are right about modifying words if they don't change the sense, but the tongue-tangler, "God's steadfast love endures forever," was already printed in the bulletin, 15 times.

It was a nice service. The crowd was small, and we had it on the long benches in the chancel, where the choir sat (men on one side, women on the other, no doubt) in the Olden Days.

Maundy Thursday is not my favorite day of the year, but it's my favorite NAME for a day of the year.


06 Apr 12 - 05:51 PM (#3334718)
Subject: RE: Maundy Thursday. Letter clusters
From: GUEST,Ebor_Fiddler

I think you'll find that in the original version as sung in the Temple at Jerusalem, there would be at least two divisions in the choir. One part would sing the verse and "God's steadfast love endureth forever" would be repeated as a chorus or refrain(I never can remember the difference).
Happy Easter (though it's still Good Friday when I write this)

Chris.


06 Apr 12 - 10:24 PM (#3334796)
Subject: RE: Maundy Thursday. Letter clusters
From: GUEST,leeneia

Yes, Ebor, I'm sure you're right. And also, they would have had instruments - harp, psaltery, etc.


07 Apr 12 - 01:35 AM (#3334828)
Subject: RE: Maundy Thursday. Letter clusters
From: Joe Offer

I'm thinking the text leeneia refers to is Psalm 136, the phrase "His steadfast love endures forever" appears in a number of places in the Bible, particularly in Psalms 118 and 136. The Kings James and many other translations use "His mercy endures forever, but the word "mercy" can have certain negative connotations that may not have been intended in the original text. You can compare a number of translations here (click). Since this psalm is a litany, the phrase does tend to grind when you hear it over and over. The Good News version has "His love is eternal," which doesn't have a very poetic meter.

I usually find that the New Revised Standard Version is the most accurate translation, but that often causes it to lack the poetic feeling that many scriptural passages require. At least one translation has "His lovingkindness endures forever." That one feels best to me, although I'm sure some would question whether "lovingkindness" is a real word.

-Joe-


07 Apr 12 - 08:34 AM (#3334893)
Subject: RE: Maundy Thursday. Letter clusters
From: GUEST,leeneia

I think 'lovingkindness' is a word.

You're right, Joe, it was 136. The bulletin had 135, apparently a typo. I see that our pastor threw out the more murderous verses. (We do have 'peace' in our name.)

Tonight we are supposed to rendezvous with the Catholics and have a fire to begin the Easter vigil. I don't know if I'll go or not. Church four days in a row?


15 Apr 19 - 11:15 AM (#3987489)
Subject: RE: Maundy Thursday. Letter clusters
From: keberoxu

refresh --

and the Buddhists speak of lovingkindness,
I didn't know the Christians did.


15 Apr 19 - 11:29 AM (#3987493)
Subject: RE: Maundy Thursday. Letter clusters
From: leeneia

Whatcha been smoking, keb?


15 Apr 19 - 12:10 PM (#3987508)
Subject: RE: Maundy Thursday. Letter clusters
From: Jack Campin

Anyone got a translation of this one into a language that REALLY does consonant clusters, like Georgian or Abkhaz?