Songs of Love and Hope

8/3/2019 Songs of Love and Hope

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SONGS OF LOVE & HOPE: Solomon ibn Gabirol

by Pieter Uys

http://www.logoslibrary.eu/owawt/new_wordtheque.w6_home_author.home?code_author=17281&lang=EN

Ibn Gabirol’s religious poetry is filled with a mystic awe of God, and much of it has been incorporated into the Judaic liturgy. His great philosophical work, TheWell of Life, showing the influence of Neo-Platonism, was written in Arabic. In itsLatin translation (Fons vitae), it exercised a great influence on Christian thought.The book is an attempt to explain the universality of matter, man’s purpose inlife, and the communion of man’s soul with the spiritual sources that created it.

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Of all the Jewish medieval poets & philosophers who flourished in the

golden age of Andalusian culture, Solomon ibn Gabirol was the

greatest. This collection of devotional poetry was translated into English

verse by Israel Zangwill from a critical text by Professor Israel Davidsonwho was an authority on Hebrew poetry and Jewish liturgy.

In the Introduction, Davidson discusses the scant biographical

information and the nature and impact of Gabirol's timeless work, as

well as those of his contemporaries. Born in Malaga in 1021 or 1022,

Solomon was a prominent philosopher and poet, and a contemporary of

El Cid, Spain's national hero. He belonged to the third period of Hebrew

poetry in Spain.

Orphaned at a young age, Gabirol spent his formative years in

Saragossa and began his literary career at about sixteen. He was

supported by patrons, first Yekutiel then Samuel HaNagid. His other

literary works include Biblical exegesis, Hebrew grammar, philosophy &ethics. More than 300 poems survive, half secular and half religious.

Written in Arabic, only two of his more than 20 books on ethics and

philosophy have survived, one of which is the famous Fountain of Life

(Fons Vitae).

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The influence of the Sefer Yetzirah on his poetry is marked, and his

lyrics have a permanent appeal to the emotions, aspirations and

yearning of mankind. Davidson quotes from Moses ben Ezra and Harizi,

two medieval critics who appreciated his work. He concludes byaffirming that Gabirol's words are a sanctuary to which the weary in

heart turn for consolation, the troubled in mind for guidance and all

lovers of beauty for partaking in exuberant joy.

A chapter on the translation by Israel Zangwill comes next. The poems

in this volume were all incorporated or designed for the liturgy of the

synagogue. In them, one encounters the devotional spirit aligning itself

more with individual expression than tradition. There is a strong

personal quality about them. Gabirol was the first Hebrew poet to use

secular images and philosophy in his verse and also the first really great

Hebrew poet to employ rhyme and meter.

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Before Gabirol, rhyme or meter was not used much. Biblical poetry has

parallelism but it is mainly the accent that counts; in other words, it was

free verse. The English translations are in rhyme in order to preserve

the singing element, except for the magnificent Keter Malkut (The RoyalCrown) which takes up 41 pages. The original Hebrew rhymes but has

no fixed meter. A long philosophical poem, its exquisite beauty of

expression complements its profundity of thought.

There are 50 poems, from At The Dawn to The Royal Crown. The

English versions are on the left page and the Hebrew on the right. They

are most moving and spiritually uplifting, especially those dealing with

the wounded heart of Israel. Like a melody of eternal hope they lead the

reader closer to God. All of them are memorable, but those I remember

well after the first reading include The Messiah, Before My King, My

Refuge, Ecstasy, The Redemption, God and Israel, My Lord and King,

Lord of the World and Lord of Heaven.

The book concludes with Notes on the Introduction, Notes on the Text

(on the poems - mainly references to scripture and grammatical

explanations), a Hebrew version of the previous and a short section

titled Technical Payyetanic Terms in this Collection. These appear to be

liturgical elements preceding prayers and benedictions, probably the

same as what is called "antiphons" in Christian devotional music, for

example the work of Hildegard von Bingen.

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Complete list of poems in Selected Religious Poems of Solomon ibn Gabirol:

At the Dawn

My Soul Shall Declare

The Messiah

Invitation

Three Things Conspire

Before My King

Open the Gate

Pour Out Thy Heart

Six Years Were Decreed`Tis Joy to Me

My Refuge

Ecstasy

I Have Sought Thee Daily

Humble of Spirit

For a Marriage

The Sun

The Redemption

God and Israel

Reassurance

Duologue

Establish Peace

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Judgment

Prayer for the Hazzan

Two Things Have Met

For New Year's Day

My Lord and King

Blow Ye the Trumpet

Let the Isles Rejoice

For the Day of Memorial

God Dwelleth High

For Atonement Eve

Lord of the World

Lord, What is Man?

The Day of Judgment

Lamentation

The Dwellers in Clay

Almighty God

The Lord of Heaven

Ask of Me

Forget hey AfflictionTo My Soul

Look up to Thy Maker

Invocation

Benediction

My Heart Clamours

Arise, O My Rapture

Passover Psalm

O God, My Sun

The Love of God

The Royal Crown

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Songs of Love and Hope