The Barakah of Mashaha (Dabarayam 33)

from the Paleo Hebrew

by Pamela Glasgow

 

The Barakah of Mashaha

This is the barakah of Mashaha wherewith Mashaha, the man of ha’ALAHAYAM did barak ath-the sons of Yashar’AL to the face of his death. 2 And he declared:

YAHAUAHA, the EVER-LIVING,

Has come from Sayanuya

And has sprung forth

From Sha’ă’yar unto them,

Shining forth from Mount Pha’aran.

And He arrived with a myriad

Of the set-apart ones—

In His right Hand

A fiery commandment

For them.

3 Wholly loving the people,

All His set-apart are in Your hand,

And they—they lay down

At Your foot,

Each He will lift up

From Your precepts.

4 Mashaha has commanded unto us

A Torah,

The inheritance

Of the gathered assemblies

Of Ya’ăqub.

5 And he existed malak in Yashara’un,

In the gathering together

Of the heads of the people,

Uniting the tribes of Yashar’AL!

6 Ra’a’uban shall exist

And shall not die

And of his males shall exist

Not a few.

7 And this is for Yaha’u’dah,

And he declared,

“Hear, O YAHAUAHA,

The voice of Yaha’u’dah.

And You will bring him

Toward his people,

His hands shall be sufficient

For him.

And You will exist

A Helper from his enemies”

8 And he declared of La’ua’ya—

Your Thummaya^[1]

And your A’uraya^[2]

Are for the pious man

Whom you did prove at Massaha,

And you did contend with

Over the water of Marayabaha.

9 Who has declared of his father

And of his mother,

I have not observed him,

And ath-his brothers

He did not recognize,

And ath-his son he knew not.

For he guarded Your speech,

And he kept watch over Your barayath.

10 He has taught Your judgments

Unto Ya’ăqub,

And he has placed incense

Into Your nose

And whole ascending offerings

Upon Your altar.

11 Barak, O YAHAUAHA,

His integrity

And You will graciously accept

The labor of his hands.

Smite the loins

Of those rising up [against] him,

And from his haters

Removing them

That they rise not!

12 Of Banuyaman declare,

He will be beloved of YAHAUAHA,

He will settle down to dwell

In safety beside him,

Covering over him all the days,

And between his shoulders

He shall dwell.

13 And of Ya’u’saph declare—

From the barakath^[3] of YAHAUAHA

Is his hand,

From the precious things of Shamayam,

From the dew,

And from the deep places

That lie beneath,

14 And from the precious things—

The fruit of Shamash,

And from the precious things

Produced by Yarachayam,^[4]

15 And from the head of the ancient mountain,

And from the precious things

Of the perpetual hills,

16 And from the precious things

Of Aratz and her fullness,

And the delight of Him Who Dwells

In the thorny bush—

You will bring [these]

Upon the head of Ya’u’saph,

And upon the crown of the head

Of the Nazayar ^[5]

Of his brothers.

17 The ornament of his splendor

Is the firstling of his ox

And his horns are the horns of ra’am,^[6]

With them he shall push the peoples,

He will unite the extremities of Aratz,

And they are the myriad thousands

Of Apharayam,

And they are the thousands

Of Manushah.

18 And of Zaba’ulan he declared—

Rejoice, Zaba’ulan,

In your going forth,

And Yasha’shakar in your tents.

19 He has called out there

The people of the mountain.

He has sacrificed the sacrifices

Of righteousness

For the abundance of the sea

He has suckled

And the hidden treasures

Concealed by the sand.

20 And of Gad he declared—

Bara’uk from the enlarging of Gad,

Like a lion he lies down

And tears in pieces the arm

With the top of the head.

21 He chooses the first for himself,

For there is the portion—

The carved-out panels—

And the heads of the people arrived,

He has fashioned

The righteousness of YAHAUAHA,

And His judgments with Yashar’AL.

22 And of Dan he declared—

Dan is a lion’s whelp.

He shall leap forth violently

From ha’Bashan.

23 And of Naphathulaya he declared—

O Naphathulaya,

Satisfied,

Delighted,

And made full

With the barakah Of YAHAUAHA.

You will take possession

Seaward

And Southward.

24 And of Ashar he declared—

Bara’uk with offspring

Ashar will exist.

Graciously accept his brothers,

And his foot shall be immersed

In oil.

25 Iron and brass are your shoes

And as your days,

[So shall be] your rest.

26 There is none like the AL

Of Yashara’un,

Who rides Shamayam in your aid,

And the firmament

In His splendor.

27 A Refuge is ALAHAYA of Ancient Time,

And beneath are the everlasting arms!

And He shall thrust out the enemy

From before your face,

And He shall declare, “Be destroyed!”

28 And Yashar’AL shall abide in security separately,

The eye of Ya’ăqub shall be toward a land

Of corn and new wine.

Additionally, his Shamayam shall drop down dew.

29 Your happiness, O Yashar’AL—

Who is like unto you,

A people we have saved

With the Shield of YAHAUAHA, Your Help,

And Who is the Sword of your majesty.

And your enemies shall be deceitful flatters

To you,

And you shall tread upon their high places!

 

[1] Perfections.

[2] Lights.

[3] This is the plural form of barakah.

[4] The moon’s lunar cycles.

[5] Prince, separated one, Nazarite.

[6] Usually translated as “unicorn.”