The Book of Tahkemoni: Jewish Tales from Medieval Spain 1874774986, 9781909821170, 1909821179, 9781874774037, 9781874774983

Table of contents :
Cover
Half Title
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Contents
Abbreviations and Conventions Used in the Text
Translator's Preface
The Book of Tahkemoni
Introduction
Gate 1: Whence this Work Sprung and by Whom it was Sung
Gate 2: Brimstone and Wrath against the Worldly Path
Gate 3: The Mystery and History of the Hebrew Song of Spain
Gate 4: A Descant on the Flea and the Ant
Gate 5: Twelve Poets Sound the Months' Round
Gate 6: Of One Too Swiftly Sped to the Marriage Bed
Gate 7: Of Battle Lords and Dripping Swords
Gate 8: In Praise of a Letter of Praise Read Two Ways
Gate 9: Poetic Invention: One and Thirty in Contention
Gate 10: Of Rustic Propriety and Winged Piety
Gate 11: Of Verbal Show: Using and Refusing the Letter O
Gate 12: Of the Ferocity of the Wars of Stint and Generosity
Gate 13: Wherein Shall a Man be Whole?
A Debate of Body, Mind, and Soul
Gate 14: Of a Prayer Beyond Price
Hewn from the Mountain of Spice
Gate 15: A Prayer Sent where Grace Reposes:
A Prayer to Godly Moses
Gate 16: Airs of Song's Seven Heirs
Gate 17: Rabbanite versus Karaite
Gate 18: The Rise and Reign
of Monarchs of Song in Hebrew Spain
Gate 19: Of a Dispute of Poets Seven:
Which Virtue is Dearest in the Eyes of Heaven
Gate 20: Of Seven Maidens and their Mendacity
Gate 21: Of a Sumptuous Feast and a Bumpkin Fleeced
Gate 22: Of Fate's Rack and the Zodiac
Gate 23: Of Hever the Kenite's Wretched Hour
and Sudden Rise to Wealth and Power
Gate 24: Of a Jolly Cantor and Folly Instanter
Gate 25: Of a Hid Place and a Champion of the Chase
Gate 26: Travels: Kudos and Cavils
Gate 27: Of the Cup's Joys and Other Alloys
Gate 28: Praise and Pity for David's City
Gate 29: Beggars' Arts versus Frozen Hearts
Gate 30: Of a Quack and his Bogus Pack
Gate 31: Of a Mocking Knight and a Wormwood Cup of Fright
Gate 32: Needlepoint: Point-Counterpoint
Gate 33: Homily, Hymn, and Homonym
Gate 34: Of a Host Bombastic and a Feast Fantastic
Gate 35: Of the Grave of Ezra the Blest and Poems Celeste
Gate 36: Challenge and Reply: Sweet Words Fly
Gate 37: In the Clasp of a Deadly Asp
Gate 38: Of Men and Ship in the Storm's Grip
Gate 39: The Debate of Day and Night:
Whose the Greater Might and Delight
Gate 40: The Battle of Sword and Pen for Mastery of Men
Gate 41: Badinage: Man and Woman Rage
Gate 42: Generosity or Greed—Which the Better Creed or Deed?
Gate 43: The Sea Roars its Worth against Proud Earth
Gate 44: Life's Laws: Proverbs and Saws
Gate 45: Hid Learning: Saws of Men of Discerning
Gate 46: Of This and That Community Sung with Impunity
Gate 47: Nation Contends with Nation for Rank and Station
Gate 48: The Heart's Grief and Relief
Gate 49: In Praise of the Fruits of the Garden Trees
Gate 50: Varia and Nefaria
Analyses
Analysis of Introduction
Gate 1
Gate 2
Gate 3
Gate 4
Gate 5
Gate 6
Gate 7
Gate 8
Gate 9
Gate 10
Gate 11
Gate 12
Gate 13
Gate 14
Gate 15
Gate 16
Gate 17
Gate 18
Gate 19
Gate 20
Gate 21
Gate 22
Gate 23
Gate 24
Gate 25
Gate 26
Gate 27
Gate 28
Gate 29
Gate 30
Gate 31
Gate 32
Gate 33
Gate 34
Gate 35
Gate 36
Gate 37
Gate 38
Gate 39
Gate 40
Gate 41
Gate 42
Gate 43
Gate 44
Gate 45
Gate 46
Gate 47
Gate 48
Gate 49
Gate 50
Afterword
Bibliography
Index of Biblical References
Index of Persons and Peoples
Index of Places
General Index

Citation preview

T H E

B O O K

OF

T A H K E M O N I

T H E

L I T T M A N

J E W I S H

L I B R A R Y

O F

C I V I L I Z A T I O N

MANAGING

EDITOR

Connie Webber

Dedicated to the memory of Louis T H O M A S S I D N E Y L I T T M whofounded the Littman Library for the love of God and in memory ofhis father JOSEPH

A A R O N

A N

L I T T M A N

- p - Q Q-lDT K I T

'Get wisdom, get understanding: Forsake her not and she shallpreserve thee' PROV.

4:5

The Littman Library of Jewish Civilization is a registered UK charity Registered Charity no. 1000784

THE BOOK OF

TAHKEMONI Jewish Talesfrom Medieval Spain

JUDAH

ALHARIZI

T R A N S L A T E D ,

E X P L I C A T E D ,

A N N O TAT ED

DAVID

SIMHA

AND

BY

SEGAL

Oxford • Portland, Oregon The Littman Library ofJewish Civilization

The Littman Library of Jewish Civilization Chief Executive Officer: Ludo Craddock PO Box 645, Oxford 0x2 ouj, UK Published in the United States and Canada by The Littman Library of Jewish Civilization c/o ISBS, 920 N.E. $8th Avenuey Suite j00 Portland\ Oregon 97213-3786 First published in hardback 2001 First published in paperback 2003 © David Simha Segal 2001, 2003 All rights reserved. No part oj this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in anyform or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of The Littman Library of Jewish Civilization The paperback edition of this book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publisher's prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser A catalogue recordfor this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress cataloguing-in-publication data appliedfor ISBN

i-874774-98-6

Publishing Co-ordinator: Janet Moth Production: John Saunders Design: Pete Russell Faringdon, Oxoti. Copy-editing: Leofranc Holford-Strevens Proof-reading: Lindsey Taylor-Guthartz Index: Bonnie Blackburn Typeset by Footnote Graphics, Warminster.; Wilts. Printed in Great Britain on acid-free paper by MPG Books, Bodmin, Cornwall

To the memory of my mother and teacher E T H E L

SEGAL

Give her of thefruit of her hands PROVERBS

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Contents Abbreviations and Conventions Used in the Text xii Translator's Preface xiii w THE

BOOK

OF

JUDAH

TAHKEMONI

ALHARIZI

Introduction 5 GATE

1

Whence this Work Sprung and by Whom it was Sung GATE

2

Brimstone and Wrath against the Worldly Path 32 GATE

3

The Mystery and History of the Hebrew Song of Spain GATE

4

A Descant on the Flea and the Ant 49 GATE

5

Twelve Poets Sound the Months' Round 59 GATE

6

Of One Too Swiftly Sped to the Marriage Bed 73 GATE

7

Of Battle Lords and Dripping Swords 81 GATE

8

In Praise of a Letter of Praise Read Two Ways 86 GATE

9

Poetic Invention: One and Thirty in Contention 93

Vlll

CONTENTS GATE

IO

Of Rustic Propriety and Winged Piety 103 GATE

11

GATE

12

Of Verbal Show: Using and Refusing the Letter O HI Of the Ferocity of the Wars of Stint and Generosity 119 GATE

13

Wherein Shall a Man be Whole? A Debate of Body, Mind, and Soul 134 GATE

14

Of a Prayer Beyond Price Hewn from the Mountain of Spice 143 GATE

15

A Prayer Sent where Grace Reposes: A Prayer to Godly Moses 153 GATE

16

Airs of Song's Seven Heirs 158 GATE

17

Rabbanite versus Karaite 167 GATE

18

The Rise and Reign of Monarchs of Song in Hebrew Spain 175 GATE

19

Of a Dispute of Poets Seven: Which Virtue is Dearest in the Eyes of Heaven 190 GATE

20

Of Seven Maidens and their Mendacity 195 GATE

21

Of a Sumptuous Feast and a Bumpkin Fleeced 201 GATE

22

Of Fate's Rack and the Zodiac 205

CONTENTS

GATE

23

Of Hever the Kenite's Wretched Hour and Sudden Rise to Wealth and Power 210 GATE

24

Of a Jolly Cantor and Folly Instanter 215 GATE

25

Of a Hid Place and a Champion of the Chase 224 GATE

26

Travels: Kudos and Cavils 228 GATE

27

GATE

28

Of the Cup's Joys and Other Alloys 233 Praise and Pity for David's City 238 GATE

29

Beggars' Arts versus Frozen Hearts 243 GATE

30

Of a Quack and his Bogus Pack 246 GATE

31

Of a Mocking Knight and a Wormwood Cup of Fright 250 GATE

32

Needlepoint: Point-Counterpoint 255 GATE

33

Homily, Hymn, and Homonym 267 GATE

34

Of a Host Bombastic and a Feast Fantastic 274 GATE

35

Of the Grave of Ezra the Blest and Poems Celeste 279 GATE

36

Challenge and Reply: Sweet Words Fly 285 GATE

37

In the Clasp of a Deadly Asp 290

IX

X

CONTENTS

GATE

38

Of Men and Ship in the Storm's Grip 294 GATE

39

The Debate of Day and Night: Whose the Greater Might and Delight 298 GATE

40

The Battle of Sword and Pen for Mastery of Men 302 GATE

41

Badinage: Man and Woman Rage 307 GATE

42

Generosity or Greed— Which the Better Creed or Deed? 311 GATE

43

The Sea Roars its Worth against Proud Earth 317 GATE

44

Life's Laws: Proverbs and Saws 322 GATE

45

GATE

46

Hid Learning: Saws of Men of Discerning 327 Of This and That Community Sung with Impunity 333 GATE

47

Nation Contends with Nation for Rank and Station 356 GATE

48

The Heart's Grief and Relief 362 GATE

49

GATE

50

In Praise of the Fruits of the Garden Trees 366 Varia and Nefaria 372 1P

CONTENTS

XI

ANALYS E S • INTRODUCTION • GATE I • GATE 3 • GATE 6

454

• GATE • G A T E 13

491

521

• G A T E 27

548

578

604

565

614

525

552

585

607

622

51I

541

• GATE

•

568

59J

616

499

526

29

558

545

576

6LO

6OI

•

w Afterword 637 Bibliography 659 Index of Biblical References 681 Index of Persons and Peoples 696

503

•

529

•

562

•

592

•

•

•

•

• GATE 44 619

•

•

• GATE 3J

•

General Index 705

515

• GATE 30

• G A T E 47

Index of Places 702

473

•

• G A T E 23

• GATE 40

627

488

• G A T E 16

• G A T E 33 588

•

• GATE 9

• G A T E 26

• G A T E 49 633

468

449

• G A T E 19

• G A T E 43

• G A T E 50

433

• G A T E 12

• GATE 36

• G A T E 46

• G A T E 48

482

• G A T E 22

• G A T E 39

•

• GATE 5

• G A T E 15

• G A T E 32

• G A T E 42

• G A T E 45

495

444

• GATE 8

• G A T E 25

• G A T E 35 595

459

• G A T E 18

• G A T E 28

• G A T E 38 • G A T E 41

507

534

• GATE 2

• G A T E II

• G A T E 21

• G A T E 31 • GATE 34

479

• G A T E 14

• G A T E 24

428

• GATE 4

• GATE 7 IO

• G A T E 17 • G A T E 20

438

417

•

612

•

Abbreviations and Conventions Used in the Text w BDB

BT

F. Brown, S. R. Driver, and C. A. Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament with an Appendix Containing the Biblical Aramaic, based on the Lexicon of William Gesenius, as translated by Edward Robinson (Oxford, 1959, reprinted with corrections) Babylonian Talmud

EI

Encyclopaedia ofIslam, new edn. (Leiden, i960- )

EJ

Encyclopaedia Judaica, 16 vols. (Jerusalem, 1971)

JT

Jerusalem Talmud

SSG

Sidur r. sa'adiyah gaon: Kitab jamle as-salawat wat-tasabih [The Prayerbook of Sa'adiah Gaon: The Book of All the Prayers and Petitions], ed. I. Davidson, S. Assaf, and B. I. Joel, 3rd edn. (Jerusalem, 1970) Sefer Tahkemoni, ed. Y. Toporovsky, Rabiyehudah alharizi: Tahkemoni (Tel Aviv, 1952). References are to page and line number: ST 13. 4-23 = page 13, lines 4-23

ST

Tractates of the Babylonian Talmud BB

Baba batra

Meg.

Megillah

BK

Baba kamma

Men.

Menahot

BM

Baba metsia

Pes.

Pesahim

Ber.

Berakhot

RH

Rosh hashanah

Eruv. Eruvin

Sanh. Sanhedrin

Hag.

Hagigah

Shab. Shabbat

Kid.

Kiddushin

Suk.

Sukkah

/

In translation: a play on words in the original

[ ]

In notes: a biblical allusion introduced by the translator

Translator's Preface w

J

A L H A R I Z I (1165-1225) appeared on the scene of Hebrew belles| lettres following the golden age of Hebrew poetry in Muslim Spain r.1000-1140), a point he emphasizes in his own historical literary surveys (Gates 3 and 18).1 Andalusian Jewish patrons, following Muslim example, fostered a court-centred culture whose poets wrote in strict quantitative metre, and within set conventions, and that in a restricted number of genres: panegyric, complaint, lament, reflective verse, and poetry of wine, eros, and nature, to cite the major groupings of secular poetry.2 This Jewish creativity was eradicated when Andalusia was overrun by the fundamentalist Almohad invaders from North Africa, who imposed on non-Muslims the choice of conversion or death; Hebrew culture moved north to Christian Spain, where, oddly enough, it took on, in delayed reaction as it were, a further Arabic influence, that of maqama—rhymed prose narrative, with some metric verse thrown in, depicting the adventures, or encounters, of a narrator and a wandering, often roguish, poet.3 More I shall not say at this point, directing the interested reader to Alharizi's Introduction and Gate 1, which lay out the genesis of the work; I-UDAH

1

A recent study by Sadan, 'Rabbi Judah Alharizi as a Cultural Crossroads' (Heb.), cites an eyewitness account by a contemporary of Alharizi, who records the precise date of our author's death at the age of 60 in Aleppo, namely 3 Dec. 1225, pointing to 1165 as the year of his birth (apparently in Toledo). For a brief discussion of Alharizi and Sefer Tahkemoni, see EJ ii. 627-9. For brief overviews in Hebrew, see Schirmann, Hebrew Poetry in Spain and in Provence, ii. 97-103, 688-9; id., 'Judah Alharizi, Poet and Storyteller'. The most recent comprehensive discussion of the author and his works will be found in Schirmann-Fleischer (hereafter S - F ) , History, ii. 145-221; the biographical information at ii. 146-68 is based in some measure on Sefer Tahkemoni itself. 2 See Gates 3 and 18. For histories of Hebrew poetry in Spain, including the outpouring of liturgical verse, see Gates 3 and 18 with their analyses. Earlier Hebrew sources that used rhyme include the Bible (infrequently) and early synagogue poetry, or piyut. The use of rhyme in these genres is discussed concisely and illustrated in 'Prosody, Hebrew', EJ xvi. 1202-10 and 1218-20. Other early Hebrew sources include polemic, such as the reply of Sa'adiah Gaon (882-942) to the freethinker Hiwi the Balkhite (on which see Rosenthal, 'Hiwi al Balkhi'); personal and official correspondence; and moral-didactic treatises. The last three categories are discussed briefly in Alloni, 'An Anthology' (Heb.). 3 The two major predecessors of Alharizi, al-Hamadhani and al-Hariri, are discussed in the Analysis of the Introduction. Earlier and more general meanings of the term maqama include addresses on various subjects (possibly delivered while standing), especially sermons; assemblages where persons—especially literati—gathered to hear addresses or tales; and compilations of matter typically delivered at such gatherings. The Hebrew term mahberet, used

XIV

T R A N S L A T O R ' S

PREFACE

to the literary histories of Gates 3 and 18; and, of course, to my analyses of these and all gates in Part II, and to the Afterword, where I summarize my findings. Surprise, contrast, and veiling are integral components of this work: to lay its contents out in advance would constitute a serious disservice to the reader. In my prefatory remarks I have chosen rather to focus on my method of translating Alharizi's singular medium of rhymed prose.4 With zest and very little modesty, our author lays out in his introduction to Sefer Tahkemoni the cornucopia of themes and genres that will characterize the work—chicanery, romance, proverbs, moral exhortation, history, prayer, debauchery, travel, panegyric, and more—all this touted as a storehouse of instruction for the pious, and for worldlings an amalgam of delights that will ultimately lead them to 'the good of the Lord'.5 Herein, says he, 'each seeker will find his heart's desire and will attain of his longing sufficient for his need of that which he lacks'.'' So reads the word-for-word translation —which is not the goal of this work; all the less in view of the existence of a literal translation by V. E. Reichert.7 In this book I have sought to reconstitute in English the variety, verve, and power of the original with its wide canvas. The need for this approach is self-evident in those 'gates' (chapters) that are showpieces of rhetorical skill—competitions or challenges to the protagonist, such as penning a letter readable forwards and backwards, with conflicting messages (Gate 8); praise of a Maecenas, in rhymed prose and metric verse, with every word using, then shunning, a specified letter of the alphabet (Gate n); creating double-homonym poems (Gate 33); matching, in content and style—and even in precise poetic metre—a rival's utterance (Gates 16 and 32); and more. But the task of parallel rendition, rather than literal translation, demands more than reconstituting all these verbal acrobatics. Alharizi, more than any other practitioner of his medium, has exquisitely exploited the potential of rhymed prose for all manner of themes, tones, and genres. He chills his reader as he limns the butchery of rival armies (Gate 7) and innocent fawns (Gate 25); skewers religious hypocrites (Gate as the translation of maqama and as an appellation for like creations, has been termed as particularly apt, containing the two meanings of assemblage and literary composition. See Goitein, T h e Maqama and the Mahberet', and Klar, 'Four Titles of Compilations', 246-52. 4

Even here my discussion is brief: further detailed discussions, more readily appreciable after further reading, are to be found in Analyses 5, 8, 9, 11, 16, 24, 32, 33, and 34; scattered remarks are also found in the analyses of several other gates. Summary remarks on the medium of rhymed prose are to be found in £/xiii. 1218-20. r 6 ' S T 13. 4-23. ST 13.10-12; tr. Reichert, i. 37. 7 Reichert has rendered a valuable service to Hebrew-speaking readers in providing an aid to the understanding of every word of the original.

XV T R A N S L A T O R ' S

PREFACE

10), poetasters (Gate 18), the nouveaux riches (Gate 34), and tightwads of all colours (throughout the work); creates contrasting claims in serious, as well as frivolous debates—Karaite versus Rabbanite (Gate 17), pen versus sword (Gate 43), and more. Our author's rhyming prose, a step down from the high style of poetry in set metres, affords something akin to the freer rhythms of Skelton and Ogden Nash (if without the comic neologisms" and exceedingly long rhyming phrases of the latter). In this loose structure the poet varies his emphases with the number of rhyming units (e.g. aa, bb, ccccc, dd, eeeeee,jff, and so on), and with the number and length of words in these units. A further, and crucial, element is the interweaving of scriptural citation, frequently wrenched out of context for dramatic effect, serious or humorous, and often situated at the end of a clause, sentence, or discussion for added emphasis. All this, of course, is further enriched by the standard buildingblocks of belletristic writing—figurative language and considered repetitions of motifs and keywords. This dense blend yields a rare product that demands re-creation. At the outset, the English reader might sense a certain artificiality of effect—but the same can be said of the modern reader of the Hebrew text.9 Rhyme, rhythm, and citation are not cream on the cake, but lie at the heart of Alharizi's accomplishment; the translator who strips these away offers a composition that is pale, and unjustifiably so. Let us consider an example—a sampling from the condemnation of wine in Gate 27. In the literal translation of Reichert this reads: He who goes astray through it will pawn his wealth and will squander all his money. He will lose the handicraft that he possesses. For through it he will cease from all his work. 10

My rendering: The bibbler ravages his health and dribbles away his wealth: stript of goodly occupation, the mock of his neighbours, he rests—seven days a week!—from all his labours. 11

Characteristic of my method is the 'liberty' of the added 'mock of his neighbours', introduced for the explicit purpose of forging that sense of 8 The rare instances of neologisms in this version—one example being 'Their modesty is unbodicedty, their industry sindustry' in Gate 19—are a liberty of the translator's. 9 It is true that Hebrew allows for a far greater number of units in a rhyming sequence, necessitating the rendering of four or five rhyming units by three, or three—sometimes four—by two; but this concession by no means mars the overall effect. 10 11 ST243. 25-7; tr. Reichert, ii. 140-1. Gen. 2: 3.

XVI

TRANSLATOR'S

PREFACE

comic climax present in the original due to the wedding of rhyme and witty biblical citation. My addition, at the same time, is wholly consonant with the overall tone and content of the preceding section. Indeed, in my translator's practice I follow the preferred style of Alharizi himself in his rendering of al-Hariri's Maqamat into Mahberot Iti'el.12 As more than one critic has noticed, the Hebrew author variously expands, deletes, or changes the Arabic (especially by Judaizing Islamic references),13 nothing loath to insert a plethora of citations wholly absent from the original. Now it is quite true that one underlying motivation on Alharizi's part was to Judaize the text, this as part of a larger artistic, nationalistic programme of combating Arabic culture;14 the outcome, however, was that his readership received a text whose allusions it could readily recognize. In this spirit, I have freely introduced English references not present in the original. The following example comes from the diatribe in Gate 2 against worldly pleasures. My rendering is followed by the English source I have exploited, a poem by Hart Crane, then Reichert's literal translation of the Hebrew original. Read on this frame, once aflame with passion's breath, the livid hieroglyphic of Death Far, far beneath the feet of grasshoppers and mice, the bones' abandoned dice take the slow roll of lice. 12

First published by Chenery, Machberoth Ithiel, on the basis of the one surviving, and incomplete, manuscript, this work was re-edited and vocalized by Perets and published as Mahberot iti'el betirgum rabiyehudah alharizi. On the history of this work and its relation to Sefer Tahkemoni, see the Introduction, Gate 1, and the respective Analyses. 13 Lavi, 'Comparative Study', looks quite closely at parallel texts from these two works, paying minute attention to the implicit logic of Alharizi in advancing parallel/appropriate Hebrew words and phrases for the Arabic. See also id., 'The Rationale of al-Harizi'. T w o major earlier studies of Alharizi's translation method are Schirmann, Die hebrauche Ubersetzung, and Percikowitsch, Al-Harizi als Ubersetzer der Makamen Al-Hariris. Both men emphasize the replacement of Koranic and other Islamic sources with Jewish, particularly biblical, references; and both note, if without close scrutiny, three major avenues chosen by Alharizi in his renderings: close and literal translation (in a minority of instances); broad reworking (also a minority of cases), as in rendering untranslatable gates (for example, a text where every other word in the Arabic is pointed); and, for the most part, freer rendering. Schirmann asserts ( S - F , History, ii. 180 and n. 143) that Alharizi in his freer renderings seems to follow the counsel of Moses ibn Ezra in his Kitab al-mubadara wa'l-mudhakarir. 'Now if you seek to render a matter from Arabic into Hebrew, first comprehend its intent and spirit. D o not convert what it says word for word, for languages are not identical' (ed. Halkin, 177). See also, generally, 'The Translation of the Maqamat of al-Hariri', in S - F , History, ii. 177-84. In a future article, I intend to offer a closer examination of gate 9 of Alharizi's Mahberot Iti'el-, more specifically, the Hebrew author's rendering, and modification, of the themes, progressions, and ironies of gate 9 of al-Hariri's Maqamat. 14

On this point see Analyses 15 and 35.

T R A N S L A T O R ' S

PREFACE

XVII

Often beneath the wave, wide from this ledge The dice of drowned men's bones he saw bequeath An embassy . .. And wrecks passed without sound of bells, The calyx of death's bounty giving back A scattered chapter, livid hieroglyph, The portent wound in corridors of shells . . , 1 5 And see what death has left of their voluptuous forms and corpulent and luxuriant bodies. . . . From the preserved shapes and lasting likenesses there only remain signs engraved upon the bones.16

Similarly I have not hesitated to draw, with varying effects, from Mother Goose rhymes: in a diatribe of this same preacher castigating worldly pursuits: 'Pleasure's cupboard is bone bare' (Gate 2, citing 'Old Mother Hubbard'); or in the excoriation of a cantor who drives away his congregants with his insufferable expansions of the liturgy, 'Lo, the shepherd had lost his sheep—some deep in Dream's haystacks, fast asleep' (Gate 24, citing 'Little Bo Peep'). Blake's introductory poem in Songs ofInnocence together with Poe's 'The Raven' afforded me phrases for Alharizi's explanation of his own method: fearing that my readers might find my matter dreary and grow bleary-eyed or weak and weary . . . I wrote my lines with cheery pen that all might joy in reading them.

There are many such liberties that the reader will encounter, drawn from such diverse sources as Shakespeare, Yeats, Frost, and English poets and authors of other eras; as well as twentieth-century popular song. Inasmuch as the felicitous blending of rhyme, rhythm, and biblical citation in the Hebrew are fused smooth-seamedly in Alharizi's work, I have not committed myself to slavish reproduction of each and every one of these elements—which would in any event be an impossible task—except that in those few places where the original dispenses with rhyme, I do likewise, since the emphatic effect was clearly intentional. For the recreation of the essential effect of the original, as I perceive it, I lay greater stress on this or that facet in the search for a parallel English articulation, at times condensing, expanding, and (more rarely) slightly rearranging Alharizi's text.17 15

Hart Crane, 'At Melville's Tomb', Complete Poems, 34. ST33. 25-6, 34. 5-6; tr. Reichert, i. 63. 17 One example of such rearrangement is to be found in Gate 2. M y translation says of the preacher that he could 'with his chastisement dig the graves of Lust'—referring to Num. 11: 34-5 and 33: 16-17. This allusion appears a few lines later in the Hebrew text, which says, 'I longed to subdue, through his chastisements, my whoring desire (ever) turning to its delights and camping in the graves of lust' (ST31. 9-10). 16

XV111

T R A N S L A T O R ' S

PREFACE

To illustrate citation-replacement, here is a word-for-word rendering from the beginning of Gate 24, lamenting the tight-fistedness of a local Jewry: but all of them—their money pouches are tight-drawn in their palms with no breaching or breaking out; no, not a grain falling to earth.18

The sources cited refer to healthy cattle, none dropping stillborn calves (Ps. r44: 14); and God's loving care of Israel, such that not a single one will be overlooked or abandoned (Amos 9: 9). My version reads: Stripling, greybeard, husband, wife—each tends his purse like the Tree of Life, 19 whispering, Thine are greatness, might and majesty, splendour and eternity,'20 Death, only Death, shall come betwixt me and theeP

In so rendering the citizenry's tight-fistedness I have opted for sources slightly more recognizable to a twentieth-century English-speaking readership—the Garden of Eden, a scriptural quotation used in the Sabbathmorning Torah service, and Ruth's loyalty unto death to Naomi. Similarly, my citations, like Alharizi's, are wrenched out of context: verses that praise God are used to depict people who worship money; like Alharizi's, they foreshadow a lampooned precentor's horrendous misuse of biblical citations from the morning service.22 At times I retain the same citation, but moved slightly from its place; at others, I retain the same biblical episode or utterance while citing different words from the same verse, or rendering the source more transparent, or both. To illustrate this last point: in Gate 50's Hebrew opening we find, literally, Now when I drew near with astonished heart to behold this sight I found a group of savants . . . hewing from their hearts' mines jewels and from the fount of their intelligence drawing up living waters . . .

Here Alharizi evokes the episode of Moses and the burning bush: An angel of the Lord appeared to him from out of the bush and he beheld and lo the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed. Moses said, 'Let me turn aside and see this sight...' (Exod. 3: 3) 18

ST 223.12-14. [Gen. 2: 9; 3: 22.] Any scriptural citation that is mine, rather than Alharizi's, is indicated by square brackets. In translating biblical phrases, I have, as in each case seemed appropriate, sometimes based myself on published translations and sometimes made my own. 20 21 [1 Chr. 29:11.] [Ruth 1:17.] 22 See Gate 9 and Analysis for further replacements of biblical citations and a consideration of the logic thereof; and Analysis 34 for the discussion on translation methodology. 19

XIX T R A N S L A T O R ' S

PREFACE

I translate: I mused, What have we here? and, drawing near, found—happy sight!—a noble company whose speech flamed bright; yes, brighter than the bush that summoned Moses. From the hotbeds of their intellects sprang scarlet roses. . .

I wish to emphasize that the translation method adopted here is no impediment to literary analysis—and specifically not to structural-aesthetic literary analysis, the major focus of this work. On the contrary: it is precisely my attention to, and mirroring of, repeated motifs and words, parallel and contrasting situations, characters, and citations, and, above all, tone and register, that facilitate analysis even as they render the work all the truer to the original, while also more comprehensible and enjoyable to the Englishspeaking reader.2' Finally, I call attention to an archaic usage harking back to English literature at least as late as the prose and poetry of Blake, and still well rooted in German—the occasional capitalization of common nouns for personification. Thus the reader will usually encounter such abstract nouns as Time, Fate, Song, and other words capitalized, albeit with deliberate inconsistency, especially when representing autonomous entities.24 A word on my analyses is in order. The work before the reader is very broad in scope, both in terms of genres used and of topics covered. The main purpose of this study is the aesthetic and structural analysis of Sefer Tahkemoni, though I occasionally identify hitherto unrecognized sources and explore the historical background. Hence I have not provided exhaustive references to persons, places, periods, movements, and topics; frequently, only the most recent, best, overview on a topic is presented—with a note that further bibliographical information is to be provided there. Similarly, I have often referred the reader to discussions in the Encyclopaedia Judaica, and to bibliographies there—whether as sufficient background reading, or in addition to specialized articles, as in my analysis of Gate 17.

It is my pleasure to acknowledge the input and assistance of the many people who have helped me in this long enterprise. I begin with deep gratitude to the editors of the Littman Library, 23 On the few occasions where necessary, I provide literal renderings of key passages together with transliteration. See e.g. discussion of the egregious errors of the boorish cantor in Analysis 24, the addendum to Analysis 32, and Analyses 34 and 49. 24 The translation follows the gender of personifications in the Hebrew: thus World, for tevel, is feminine, Time or Fate, for zeman, masculine.

XX

TRANSLATOR'S

PREFACE

Connie Webber and Janet Moth, whose careful guidance has been a staff and stay. To Leofranc Holford-Strevens, who examined and polished my efforts with painstaking care, my heartfelt thanks—above all for his trilingual rendering of Alharizi's trilingual poem in Gate II. Several colleagues have shared their expertise with me on my journey. Professor Gerald Blidstein of Ben-Gurion University graciously afforded me his knowledge of rabbinic sources on numerous occasions; Professor Daniel Lasker offered sound guidance on all that pertains to Karaism; and Professor Howard Kreisel provided critical comments on Alharizi and Jewish thought on prophecy in the Middle Ages. My discussion of several gates, especially Gate 24's satire on a pompous precentor, profited from the rich input of Professor David Golinkin of the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem. Professor Reuven Hammer directed me to several relevant surveys on reward and punishment for my discussion of Gate 25; and Professor Edward Greenstein of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America called my attention to two sources on the suffering of Job for my analysis of that gate. Dr Peretz Rodman, my former student, pointed out a pun based deftly on the Italian prayer rite in Gate 24. Professor Lenn Goodman of Vanderbilt University shed light on several fine points of philosophy in Alharizi's introduction; and like service was rendered for the body-soul debate of Gate 13 by Professor Alfred Ivry of New York University. For the resolution of fine points of Hebrew grammar I am obliged to Professors Moshe Bar Asher, chairman of the Hebrew Language Academy of Israel, and Haim Cohen of Ben-Gurion University. Colleagues who have generously shared their knowledge of Arabic language and culture with me include Professors Yitzhak Sadan and Rina Drory of Tel Aviv University, Alberto Arazi and Pesah Shinar of the Hebrew University, and Yael Blau of Ben-Gurion University. My thanks go to the efficient staff of the Ben-Gurion University library, and especially to three hard-worked reference librarians, Pinhas Ziv, Gisella Davidsohn, and Tsviya Polani, and to inter-library loan specialists Herta Yankovich and Sabina Sapirstein. I am grateful, too, to the library and administration of Gratz College, where I spent many fruitful hours during a two-year stay in Philadelphia. I owe a large debt to students too numerous to mention—at Ben-Gurion University, Brandeis University, and Gratz College: the very preparation of lectures on Sefer Tahkemoni, coupled with the frequently challenging questions and comments they offered, deepened my understanding of this

XXI T R A N S L A T O R ' S

PREFACE

extraordinarily fecund text. Three especially dedicated and insightful students I cite by name: Gila Malamud, Haya Sheli, and Ali Ramadin—the last also my research assistant many years back. I am beholden to the input and encouragement of early readers and listeners: Dr Naomi Graetz, Dr Judith A. Segal, and my daughters Gilia Segal and Dvora ben Shimol. My wife Marilyn's acumen and astute eye have been put to the test time and again, as she has variously edited translations and analyses, researched footnotes, brought order to burgeoning files and folders, and cheered me on. This work could not have been brought to completion without her wisdom and dedication. From my earliest years, love of the written word was tendered me by my late mother, Ethel Segal, through lullabies, recitations of poems and stories, and many shared hours in the kingdom of letters. To her I dedicate this work. D.S.S.

T H E B O O K OF

TAHKEMONI JUDAH

ALHARIZI

1 1 ear the vision of Poesy s prophet, the prince whom. Fate's sword has near slain, 'Who breathed—and the shadow of Poesy's dial turned back! like a twirled weathervane, Whose words cleave the Heavens with lightning, reviving dead bones1 with their rain; Who, while others are thrown by Song's stallion, commands Song with a tug of the rein. In rhymedprose and strict verse he has written adventures profound—and profane: fullfifty,

with tropes of rare colour

a-bubble with Wisdom's champagne. c

But he sinks to the depths of despondence whom Heaven had summoned to reign:

Irfe who hungfrom Song's neck like a pendant is now shackled in Wandering's chain; i f e who lived in a Garden of Eden Fate has markedfor a wandering Cain.4 c

hfe abandoned his land and his dwelling to run trembling to Zion's domain.

Irfe is Judah, wise Solomon's offspring, whose birthplace and country is Spain.

1

2 Kgs. 20: 9—II.

2

[Ezek. 37: I-N].

3

Ezek. 28:13.

4

[Gen. 4: 12-14].

I N T R O D U C T I O N In ^isChQime who Teaches ^M-an Wisdom

HAT MAN WHO i s w I s E , who is deeply clever, takes Wisdom for his guide and shield, his compass and his lever: Wisdom, who prospers his every endeavour, converses with him ever, and leaves him never. Wisdom it is who impels us to God's praise and tells us, Tell God's ways: He who, without eye, tongue, hand, formed Heaven, sea, and land; who, in the beginning, hung the high sphere above the void and set it spinning. He spoke—the sea upreared; he called—the heavens appeared and Chariot Beings thronged to lift His Chair, that being their holy service in the Upper Air. 'Praise God, the Ever Near but unknown dweller of Heaven's highest sphere; Ever Apart, yet habiting the human heart; AllPresent, yet beholden of no eye; hid, but to His seekers nigh. Extol Him, ye devout, Him, who, like a curtain, stretched the heavens out. See, in the mind's eye, His gloried throne, where He sits austere and lone. See blazing angels, seraphim in holy flame, cry loud His Holy Name, there where all souls sit silent at the cosmos' hid foundation, whose outer boundary is the rational soul's last station. Should she seek final vision in that awesome place, ask to gaze upon her Maker's face, the gates would close and a voice would cry, Come not nigh— this you cannot understand; you shall not pass through my land. J7\(pw the souls of the righteous aspire to wing home to that In His name who teaches man wisdom Ps. 94:10.

Him, who, like a curtain, stretched the heavens out [Ps. 104:2].

hung the high sphere above the void Job 26:7.

See blazing angels, seraphim in holy flame, cry loud His Holy Name Isa. 6: 2-3.

Chariot Beings thronged to lift His Chair Ezek. 1 : 4 ff.

you shall not pass through my land Num. 20:18.

IO

INTRODUCTION

glory, but they tire in the flesh's mire. Therefore, to gain the outer hall, they strip off their bodies all, to be given, from the treasuries of the King, royal garments worn of the King to put on when summoned to the King's side: those who come nigh the Lord shall be sanctified. Thereupon, pearl-white and bright as nacre, they laud and magnify their Maker, who, from primal rock in the pit of obscurity, formed the soul in all purity, yea, hewed her, drew her forth from the first light to be His daily delight. And when her time came He saw her and declared her, searched her out and prepared her. T"hen the angel of the Lord found her, faithful and pure, by the fountain ofWisdom/Shur on the way of Shur; and the angel said unto her: Leave your essence, whence I mined you; forget your people, put your father's home behind you and sit a lowly servant at the body's board; yea, bow low to him for he is your lord. (Jo she went and sat against him a good way off and anon, as though donning a robe, she put the body on. Then she breathed Heaven's heat into that earthly form and the child's flesh grew warm. Yes, by the soul's fire man rose from nothingness, as Holy Writ proclaims: The Lord descended thereon in flames. For her house is upon the town wall and she dwells upon that wall, standing sentry atop the body, seeing all; and lighting the body like the sun the skies, she eats of his loaf, drinks from his cup, and in his bosom lies. T'hen, from her light's shade, sprang the animal soul and the from the treasuries of the King Estherj: 9,4:7. royal garments worn of the King Esther6: 8. when summoned to the King's side Esther 4:11. those who come nigh the Lord shall be sanctified Exod. 19: 22. hewedher Isa. 51:1. to be His daily delight Prov. 8:30. He saw her and declared her, searched her out and prepared her Job 28:27. Then the angel of the L o r d . . . of Shur Gen. 16: 7. Leave your essence, whence I mined you; forget your people, put your father's home behind you Ps. 45:11.

bow low to him for he is your lord Ps. 45:12. So she went and sat against him a good way off Gen. 21:16. she breathed Heaven's heat into that earthly form and the child'sfleshgrew warm 2 Kgs. 4:34. The Lord descended thereon in flames Exod. 19:18. Forherhouseisupon the town wall and she dwells upon that wall Josh. 2:15. she eats of his loaf, drinks from his cup, and in his bosom lies 2 Sam. 12:3.

IOI N T R O D U C T I O N

vegetative soul, to form a tripartite whole, the two latter joined in common goal—to serve the upper soul and revere her. Then the handmaids and their children came near her, nothing proud, and low bowed.