The Wife of Dunash Will Her Love Remember אשתו של דונש הֲיִזְכּוֹר יַעֲלַת הַחֵן

הֲיִזְכּוֹר יַעֲלַת הַחֵן יְדִידָהּ בְּיוֹם פֵּירוּד וּבִזְרוֹעָהּ יְחִידָהּ
וְשָׂם חוֹתַם יְמִינוֹ עַל שְׂמֹאלָהּ וּבִזְרוֹעוֹ הֲלֹא שָׂמָה צְמִידָהּ
בְּיוֹם לָקְחָה לְזִכָּרוֹן רְדִידוֹ וְהוּא לָקַח לְזִכָּרוֹן רְדִידָהּ
הֲיִשָּׁאֵר בְּכָל אֶרֶץ סְפָרַד וְלוּ לָקַח חֲצִי מַלְכוּת נְגִידָהּ

Larinda Irene Higdon 31 Oct. 1913 - 31 Aug. 2006 & Jewell Jensen Higdon 11 Oct. 1912 - 26 Feb 1992

Will the husband remember his beautiful wife?
On the day of exile, her Bab on her arm,
he placed his wedding ring on her left hand.
And didn´t she clasp her bracelet upon his forearm?
On that day she took his coat, a memento, and he took her fan.
What will remain of the country, when he takes its culture with him?

translated into English by Mark Westergreen

 

Larinda was a dancer with Ted Mack and the Taborettes

In memory of my Grandparents Nanny Rin and Gene Higdon

Garden of Eden Dunash Ben Labrat גן עדן דונש בן לברט

וְגַן עֶדְנָךְ יְהוּ סִפְרֵי קְדוֹשִׁים
וּפַרְדֶּסְךָ יְהוּ סִפְרֵי עֲרָבִים

جنة عدن لك دفاتر مقدسة
وبستان الحكمة لك أشعار العرب

All scripture is a veritable garden of Eden

But poetry is paradise

a fragment translated into English and Arabic by Mark Westergreen

בראשית Genesis 1 - 2:3 translated into English by Mark Westergreen with commentary

בראשית

Genesis 1 - 2:3

When Elohim set out to form the sky and the land, the land was within a chaotic deluge, and darkness covered its depths, and the breath of Elohim blew over the water: And Elohim commanded "Let there be light" and there was light. And Elohim knew that the light was good. And Elohim separated the light from the darkness. And Elohim named the light, Day,and the darkness he named, Night. So there was evening and there was morning, one day.

And Elohim commanded, "Let there be a canopy in the midst of the water and let it separate water from water." So Elohim stretched out a canopy and it separated the water beneath the canopy from the water above the canopy, and it was so. And Elohim named the canopy, Sky. So there was evening and there was morning, a second day.

And Elohim commanded, "Let the water under the sky be gathered together so the dry ground appears", and it was so. And Elohim named the dry ground, Land, and the gathered water he named, Seas. And Elohim knew that it was good. And Elohim commanded, "Let the land blossom with vegetation, plant yielding seed, fruit trees bearing fruit after their kind, according to the seed", and it was so. And the land blossomed with vegetation, plant yielding seed according to its kind, and trees bearing fruit after the seed in them according to their kind. And Elohim knew that it was good. So there was evening and there was morning, a third day.

And Elohim commanded, "Let there be luminaries in the canopy of the sky to divide between the day and the night. And they will mark time, for seasons, for days and years. And they will be luminaries in the canopy of the sky to give light upon the land", and it was so. And Elohim made two great luminaries, the greater luminary to rule the day and the lesser luminary to rule the night, and the stars. And Elohim placed them within the canopy of the sky to give light upon the land. And to rule over the day and the night, and to separate between the light and between the darkness. And Elohim knew that it was good. So there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.

And Elohim commanded, "Let the water teem with swarms of living creatures, and birds flying over the land against the canopy of the sky". And Elohim formed great sea creatures, and all life that springs from the water according to its kind, and every bird of the wing according to its kind, and Elohim knew it was good. And Elohim blessed them and commanded them "Increase and multiply and fill the water of the seas, and the birds increase within the land". So there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.

And Elohim commanded, " Let the land bring forth living creatures according to their kind, in herds and swarms, and creatures of the land according to their kind". And it was so.
And Elohim formed the creatures of the land according to their kind, the herds according to their kind and every swarm of the ground according to its kind. And Elohim knew it was good.Then Elohim commanded, "Let us make humans in our image and after our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the herds, and over all the land, and over every swarm that moves upon the land". So Elohim formed humans in his image after the image of Elohim he formed them, male and female, he formed them. And Elohim blessed them and Elohim commanded them, "Increase and multiply, fill the land and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and over every living creature that moves upon the land". And Elohim commanded, "Here, I give to you every plant yielding seed that is upon the surface of all the land and every tree with seed in its fruit. They will be your food. And to all living creatures of the land and to all the birds of the sky and to all that moves upon the land that is alive every green plant for food". And it was so. And Elohim knew everything he had made, and it was very good. So there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

Now the sky and the land, and all their hosts were completed. And Elohim completed on the seventh day his work that he did and he abstained on the seventh day from all his work that he did. And Elohim blessed the seventh day and he sanctified it for thereon Elohim abstained from all his work which he set out to form and make.

________________________________________________________________________________
translated into English by Mark Westergreen

The Star Sura 53 النَّجْمِ

Sura 53 is a conflation of five separate pericopes. It is situated within one of many lectios within the Quran. This particular lectio encompasses suras 50-57. 

It is evident that units A,B & D of Sura 53 in form and function are individual pericopes in their own right. Units C & E are latter commentaries.

The end of 52 and the first line of 53 function as a mnemonic device.

A. 1-18

B. 19-22; 24-25

C. 23, 26-32

D. 33-56 (36-37; 52)

E. 57-62

Unit A: The lector speaks in defense of the unnamed servant and his message.  It belongs to the early invocation cycle.

Unit B: The lector chides and warns against polytheism.

أَفَرَأَيْتُمُ

Unit C is a commentary on both units B and D.

Unit D: The lector warns those who would turn back from their commitment and support. 

Lines 36-37 & 52 are the later additions of a redactor.

أَفَرَأَيْتَ 

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

وَالنَّجْمِ إِذَا هَوَى

مَا ضَلَّ صَاحِبُكُمْ وَمَا غَوَى

وَمَا يَنطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوَى

إِنْ هُوَ إِلاَّ وَحْيٌ يُوحَى

عَلَّمَهُ شَدِيدُ الْقُوَى

ذُو مِرَّةٍ فَاسْتَوَى

وَهُوَ بِالأُفُقِ الأَعْلَى

ثُمَّ دَنَا فَتَدَلَّى

فَكَانَ قَابَ قَوْسَيْنِ أَوْ أَدْنَى

فَأَوْحَى إِلَى عَبْدِهِ مَا أَوْحَى

مَا كَذَبَ الْفُؤَادُ مَا رَأَى

أَفَتُمَارُونَهُ عَلَى مَا يَرَى

وَلَقَدْ رَآهُ نَزْلَةً أُخْرَى

عِندَ سِدْرَةِ الْمُنتَهَى

عِندَهَا جَنَّةُ الْمَأْوَى

إِذْ يَغْشَى السِّدْرَةَ مَا يَغْشَى

مَا زَاغَ الْبَصَرُ وَمَا طَغَى

لَقَدْ رَأَى مِنْ آيَاتِ رَبِّهِ الْكُبْرَى

أَفَرَأَيْتُمُ اللاَّتَ وَالْعُزَّى

وَمَنَاةَ الثَّالِثَةَ الأُخْرَى

أَلَكُمُ الذَّكَرُ وَلَهُ الأُنثَى

تِلْكَ إِذًا قِسْمَةٌ ضِيزَى

إِنْ هِيَ إِلاَّ أَسْمَاء سَمَّيْتُمُوهَا أَنتُمْ وَآبَاؤُكُم مَّا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ بِهَا مِن سُلْطَانٍ إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلاَّ الظَّنَّ وَمَا تَهْوَى الأَنفُسُ 

وَلَقَدْ جَاءَهُم مِّن رَّبِّهِمُ الْهُدَى

أَمْ لِلإِنسَانِ مَا تَمَنَّى

فَلِلَّهِ الآخِرَةُ وَالأُولَى

وَكَم مِّن مَّلَكٍ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ لا تُغْنِي شَفَاعَتُهُمْ شَيْئًا إِلاَّ مِن بَعْدِ أَن يَأْذَنَ اللَّهُ لِمَن يَشَاء وَيَرْضَى

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ لا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالآخِرَةِ لَيُسَمُّونَ الْمَلائِكَةَ تَسْمِيَةَ الأُنثَى

وَمَا لَهُم بِهِ مِنْ عِلْمٍ إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلاَّ الظَّنَّ وَإِنَّ الظَّنَّ لا يُغْنِي مِنَ الْحَقِّ شَيْئًا

فَأَعْرِضْ عَن مَّن تَوَلَّى عَن ذِكْرِنَا وَلَمْ يُرِدْ إِلاَّ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا

ذَلِكَ مَبْلَغُهُم مِّنَ الْعِلْمِ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنِ اهْتَدَى

وَلِلَّهِ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الأَرْضِ لِيَجْزِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسَاؤُوا بِمَا عَمِلُوا وَيَجْزِيَ الَّذِينَ 

أَحْسَنُوا بِالْحُسْنَى

الَّذِينَ يَجْتَنِبُونَ كَبَائِرَ الإِثْمِ وَالْفَوَاحِشَ إِلاَّ اللَّمَمَ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ وَاسِعُ الْمَغْفِرَةِ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِكُمْ إِذْ 

أَنشَأَكُم مِّنَ الأَرْضِ وَإِذْ أَنتُمْ أَجِنَّةٌ فِي بُطُونِ أُمَّهَاتِكُمْ فَلا تُزَكُّوا أَنفُسَكُمْ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنِ اتَّقَى

أَفَرَأَيْتَ الَّذِي تَوَلَّى

وَأَعْطَى قَلِيلا وَأَكْدَى

أَعِندَهُ عِلْمُ الْغَيْبِ فَهُوَ يَرَى

أَمْ لَمْ يُنَبَّأْ بِمَا فِي صُحُفِ مُوسَى

وَإِبْرَاهِيمَ الَّذِي وَفَّى

أَلاَّ تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَى

وَأَن لَّيْسَ لِلإِنسَانِ إِلاَّ مَا سَعَى

وَأَنَّ سَعْيَهُ سَوْفَ يُرَى

ثُمَّ يُجْزَاهُ الْجَزَاء الأَوْفَى

وَأَنَّ إِلَى رَبِّكَ الْمُنتَهَى

وَأَنَّهُ هُوَ أَضْحَكَ وَأَبْكَى

وَأَنَّهُ هُوَ أَمَاتَ وَأَحْيَا

وَأَنَّهُ خَلَقَ الزَّوْجَيْنِ الذَّكَرَ وَالأُنثَى

مِن نُّطْفَةٍ إِذَا تُمْنَى

وَأَنَّ عَلَيْهِ النَّشْأَةَ الأُخْرَى

وَأَنَّهُ هُوَ أَغْنَى وَأَقْنَى

وَأَنَّهُ هُوَ رَبُّ الشِّعْرَى

وَأَنَّهُ أَهْلَكَ عَادًا الأُولَى

وَثَمُودَ فَمَا أَبْقَى

وَقَوْمَ نُوحٍ مِّن قَبْلُ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا هُمْ أَظْلَمَ وَأَطْغَى

وَالْمُؤْتَفِكَةَ أَهْوَى

فَغَشَّاهَا مَا غَشَّى

فَبِأَيِّ آلاء رَبِّكَ تَتَمَارَى

هَذَا نَذِيرٌ مِّنَ النُّذُرِ الأُولَى

أَزِفَتِ الآزِفَةُ

لَيْسَ لَهَا مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ كَاشِفَةٌ

أَفَمِنْ هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ تَعْجَبُونَ

وَتَضْحَكُونَ وَلا تَبْكُونَ

وَأَنتُمْ سَامِدُونَ

فَاسْجُدُوا لِلَّهِ وَاعْبُدُوا