AN EXAMPLE FROM ISAIAH
I cannot refrain from giving at least one example from Isaiah of a strophe-column, which corresponds with a parallel column of similar structure. I select the famous vision of Chapter vi. for the purpose. It may be regarded as one of the earliest prophecies of Isaiah, in conception perhaps the earliest of all. The Tesetes tradition gives the passage as a single whole, without break or paragraph. In dealing with a prophet of Isaiah’s rank, and one so pre-eminent in the composition of these prophetic discourses, we naturally seek to discover a definite plan in the composition of this vision, and such a plan does, as a matter of fact, become manifest to the critical student. The vision begins, “And I saw the Lord,” and the continuation and complement opens with the words (verse 8), “And I heard the voice of the Lord.” The passage, accordingly, falls into two parts, one describing what the prophet saw, the other what he heard. If we examine the two parts more closely we are struck by the phrase, “Then said I,” occurring in the one after he had seen all, and in the other after he had heard all. Hence it appears that the grand vision consists of two images, which correspond with each other exactly.
| 1) And I saw the Lord | 8) And I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, |
| Sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, | Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? |
| And his train filled the temple. | Then I said, Here am I, send me. |
| 2) Above him stood the Seraphim: | |
| Each one had six wings; | 9) And he said, Go, and tell this people |
| With twain he covered his face, | Hear ye indeed, but understand not; |
| And with twain he covered his feet, | And see ye indeed, but perceive not. |
| And with twain he did fly. | |
| 3) And one cried unto another, and said, | 10) How fat is the heart of this people |
| Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts. | And their ears how heavy, |
| The whole earth is full of his glory. | And their eyes as it were shut. |
| Else might they see with their eyes | |
| 4) And the foundations of the thresholds were moved at the voice of him that cried, | And hear with their ears |
| And understand with their heart, | |
| And turn again, and be healed. | |
| And the house was filled with smoke. | |
| 5) Then said I, Woe is me! | 11) Then said I, Lord, how long? |
| Because I am a man of unclean lips, etc. | And he answered, Until the cities be waste, without inhabitant, etc. |
Besides these two-column discourses, of which we have just seen an example, we find three-column discourses, especially in Micah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. They frequently consist of three parallel parts, each divided into two or three strophes. The strophes of each column correspond on the one hand, the corresponding stanzas of each part on the other, so that we have, if we may so express it, a vertical and a horizontal responsion. The double responsion gives, as it were, the fixed points between which the network of the strophes is outspread. A classic example of this method is the great discourse in the ninth chapter of Jeremiah, which belongs to the best period, and the authenticity of which is unreservedly admitted by Biblical criticism. Lack of space unfortunately forbids me to give it here arranged according to the principles I have laid down.
It is time to observe that the same laws may be shown to prevail in cuneiform inscriptions and the works of the prophet Mohammed.
AN ASSYRIAN EXAMPLE
As an example of responsion I give a passage from the great inscription of Sargon (L. 186-194).
| That city and that palace, | (But) its ruler, |
| Asshur, the father of the gods, | Its royal architect, |
| In the glory of his shining countenance | May he attain to old age, |
| May he obtain power | |
| Graciously may he look upon it, | For ever and ever, |
| To days far hence | May its maker grow old. |
| May he proclaim its renewing. | |
| With his shining mouth may he decree: | With his sounding lips may he speak: |
| The protecting genius, | He who dwelleth in them, |
| The rescuing God, | In health of body, |
| Day and night | And joy of heart, |
| Let them rule therein, | And gladness of spirit, |
| Nor let their power cease. | May he rejoice therein, |
| May he taste the joy of life. |