RESOURCES FOR LEARNING GE'EZ: THE CLASSICAL LANGUAGE OF ETHIOPIA

RESOURCES FOR LEARNING GE'EZ-- THE CLASSICAL LANGUAGE OF ETHIOPIA

February 15, 2013

24: Decipher Text 4 - Book of Psalms

Here's another image of a folio from the Lerman family codex, with the Archdiocese of Toronto. The hand is pretty clear but I've provided a transcription below to help you along, in case you need it. The orthography is mostly regular with some exceptions that I've glossed below, along with the meanings of new terms without transparent cognates. These lines are a translation of Psalm 81:1-4 (LXX) / 82:1-4 (MT). 


1. መዝሙር ዘዳዊት።
mazmura za-dāwit

2. እግዚአብሔር ቆመ ውስተ ማኅበረ አማል[ክት]
әgziʾabḥer qoma wәsta māxbara ʾamāl[әkt]
ማኅበ= congregation, assembly

3. ወይኴንን በማከለ* አማልክት
wa-yәkʷenәn ba-māʿkala ʾamālәkt
ከለ > ማእከለ / ማከለ = prep. among
ይኴንን = imp. 3p masc. sing. of  ኰነነ:  to rule over, to judge

4. እስከ ዕዚኑ* ትኴንኑ ዐማፃ*
әska māʿzinu tәkʷenәnu ʿamāḍā
ዕዚኑ > እዜኑ = when
ዐማፃ > መፃ = unjustly

5. ወታደልዉ ለገጸ ኃጥአን
wa-tādalwu la-gaṣṣa* xāṭәʾan
አድለወ ለገጸ = to show favor

6. ፍትሑ ለነዳይ ወለእጓለ ማውታ
fәtḥu la-nadāy wa-la-әgʷāla māwtā
ማውታ = lit. offspring of the dead i.e. orphan

7. ወአጽድቁ ግፉዓ* ወምስኪነ
wa-ʾaṣdәqu gәfuʿā wa-mәskina
ግፉዓ > ግፋ = sing. acc. One who is unjustly / violently treated

8. ወአድኅኑ ባሕታ[] ወፅኑሰ*
wa-ʾadxәnu bāḥtā[we] wa-ḍnusa
ፅኑሰ > ጽኑሰ = sing. acc. One who is in misery

9. ወአንግፍዎሙ እምእደ ኃጥአን
wa-ʾangәfwomu ʾәm-ʾәda xātәʾan