Re: 7 Last Words (was) Re: Regarding "Eli, Eli"

[SamWeiss <SamWeiss...>]

At 09:01 PM 10/30/02, Eliezer Kaplan wrote:
> >in Aramaic (Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani).
>There are those who say that the Aramaic is actually 'lamah zabachtani' 
>(why have you slaughtered me). But anyhow I thought this was a list about 
>JEWISH music.

OK, here's the "Jewish" connection.  I have the 1917 Schirmer edition of 
Eili Eili arranged by Kurt Schindler, who writes in the preface:

"...The despairing outcry 'Eili Eili lomo asavtonu?' will be recognized as 
the second verse of the 22nd Psalm, 'Eli Eli lama sabachthani?' which... 
were the last words that Christ uttered..."

Of course, the 22nd Psalm has 'Eili Eili lomo azavtonu?' (assuming King 
David was a Litvak) and not "...sabachthani," which is the mysterious word 
in the Gospels.  But it gets better:  Mr. Schindler helpfully supplies an 
English version of the song as the first line under the music.  It begins:
"Eli Eli lama sabachthani,
Eli Eli lama sabachthani,
With fire and flame..." etc.

The Yiddish version on the second line has
"Eili Eili lomo asavtonu..." etc.  which thus gives the impression of being 
a Yiddish translation of the "original" 'sabachthani.'

_____________________________________________________________
Cantor Sam Weiss === Jewish Community Center of Paramus, NJ

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