For fun, let’s translate David’s psalm for the last day of the Tabernacle feast into Scanian. Here it is:
1. Gai Jehowâ, ni gudasöner;
Gai Jehowâ er hai o bravâd!
2. Gai Jehowâ hans namnets hai;
tilbai Jehowâ i hans hailia sâl!3. Herrens kall øver vannen, Gud Haili dauna, Herre øver många vann.
4. Herrens kall i førsvâr; Herrens kall i ammelihait.
5. Herrens kall kærvar caider o Herren kærvar Libanons caidrar,
6. får dem att vaja som en Libanaisisk tjur, o Sirion som af ainhørninga ætt.7. Herrens kall e reivande ilds låga.
8. Herrens kall ryster ørken; Herren ryster aiden Kwadesh.
9. Herrens kall swarvar hindar o barkaflænger lund o i hans tempel snackar alla haider.10. Jehowâ uppehåller sig i inflödet
o Jehowâ sitter kung i aiwena.
11. Jehowâ ger manke åt sitt folk.
Jehowâ bringar sitt folk fred.
As far as I know (C. ambrosiana O 39 sup.), Origenes kept the Name of G-d in verses 1-3, but not in the other places. Recognizing the “Call of the Lord”-pattern of verses 3-5 and 7-9, and since we have the advantage of digital editing (it’s more frustrating when you see the pattern after you have written the line on super-expensive parchment), it seems reasonable to keep HaShem in every verse except the ones with the call.
Of note: kabod/doxa, these words are so common allover the bible and I need to study their meaning because I don’t really know. Maybe it is as I assumed in this translation that they can be connected with the concept of ordeal by fire. A person whose skin is relatively unchanged would be considered holy or in Swedish hederlig. Ordeal by fire was used when it was otherwise difficult to assure guilt. Not in 50-50 cases but rather in 70-30 or 90-10 situations, to provide maximum legal certainty.
The Scanians were champions of ordeal by fire, but as we lost our sovereignty, the Danes and Swedes abolished the practice in our territory. On one hand, maybe I read it into the Christian way of thinking because I am biased (Proverbs 6:28). On the other hand, it is perhaps all over the language I am translating to.
He in Scanian means skin, pronounced something like [hai], so I write hai for δόξα. I am not even sure if this he is the prefix in holy and hederlig etymologically. It just feels very plausible.
Mabul
What is this? It occurs in some form in Genesis 7:7,10; 9:11,15. I assumed it can be treated as a mix of יבל in the sense of ‘stream of water’ and מָבוֹא in the sense of ‘entrance, a coming in’, and so translated it inflow. But as Job, who had three daughters, mentioned (31:32), he always kept his doors opened to travellers. Suddenly, like Abraham, perhaps he would be visited by the Divine.
Now, God has promised he will send no more deluges (Genesis 9:11), so if there is a mass-inflow of people, you can’t really expect to find Him in it, but this verse 10 in psalm 28/29 could have a human interpretation on more reasonable unmonitored movements.
Auþida
I just copied the Gothic aiws for ‘generation’/’eternity’. It is a word Christians need to learn anyway. How about desert? An ørk isn’t really a barren land, rather a wilderness. I shall see if I can find a better word. Someone opined that ed was inherited from Gothic auþida. I don’t know, but it is Geatish so it should qualify in a Scanian translation. Don’t know if they are exactly barren, but I haven’t met any unicorns in them, which is what matters.
Cedars
All bible translations I have seen has the Lord breaking or shattering the cedars of Libanon. This must be a disappointing read for an environmentalist. It should be remedied with a little more diversity in bible translations. Sheber is listed with senses having to do with corn/cereals too so it could be something about harvesting, sowing or creating.
Any ideas?