“Lost in Translation” is a Thing
By Pamela Glasgow
You probably arrived here by accident.
It is not your fault, of course. You had faithfully followed your GPS mapping system and yet still found yourself miles from your planned destination—after dark—sitting in your parked car, at a gas station in a sketch part of an unfamiliar town, wondering what to do next.
If you’re the adventurous sort, you will walk inside the building, buy a cup of coffee, chat up the locals, and find out if they can put you back on the right track. If you are not that brave, you will probably continue shivering in your car for some time, running the battery of your phone down trying to get the GPS to admit its error. Eventually, you will put your vehicle in gear and drive aimlessly about, hoping to find familiar territory.
The unfamiliar territory you’ve discovered is a translation from the Paleo-Hebrew. You may have never heard of Paleo-Hebrew. When people hear the word, “Paleo,” they usually think that dreaded four-letter word, “diet.” But—relax—this isn’t a diet. It is language, a very old language—the language in which most of scripture was originally written. That is what I do, you see—I translate scripture from the Paleo-Hebrew language.
It has been quite an adventure—indeed, an epic journey.
My journey in recent days has taken me back in time to the palace and vineyards of the richest of biblical kings—Shalamah ban Da’ud. Most people know him as Solomon. Shalamah is how his name is transliterated from the Paleo-Hebrew. Shalamah is accredited with writing the Song of Songs. It has been (and still is) a controversial book. Rumor has it that in the past, only Levitical priests past the age of thirty were allowed to read it. Song of Songs certainly has its steamy sections. It has been labeled allegory, a love story, poetry, and prophecy. Some clamoring voices have even called for it to be removed from the canon of scripture. It is hard to get more controversial than that.
You can certainly understand their reasoning. Take, for instance, its startling beginning:
THE SHA’UNUMAYTH He will kiss me
With the kisses
Of his mouth—
CHORUS OF ATTENDANTS For more excellent,
More beautiful,
More pleasant
Is your beloved than wine.
In the midst of controversy and scathing skepticism, much has been lost in translation. Shalamah’s work is witty, with beautiful Hebraic poetry, and dialogue that sparkles with flashing reparteé. Even the structure of the work itself has been overlooked. It is undoubtedly a wedding drama, with actors and chorus, entrances and exits, panoramic scenery, and a plotline jam-packed with seductions and betrayal and heartache. In Act 1, Scene 1, The Sha’unumayath laments:
My mother’s sons
Burned with anger
Against me.
They appointed me
To keep watch over the vineyards.
My own vineyard
I have not guarded.
What isn’t apparent in most translations is that the Sha’unumayath, the female protagonist of Song of Songs, was sold into indentured servitude by her own family. Even unto the end, her unscrupulous brothers are plotting how they might enrich themselves at her expense. The Sha’unumayath traverses scene after scene, all the while struggling to find her way past betrayal into a place where she is free to make her own choices.
So, now I warn you. What is presented to you in Song of Songs is not a safe and comfortable translation. Reading this English version translated from the Paleo-Hebrew may very well lead you to ideas you may not have encountered before. You may find yourself unsettled. It is not what you are accustomed to. Herein, I not only attempted to undertake the task of reconstructing Shalamah’s text faithfully, but I also restored it into the structure of a play, adding both characterization and staging.
I invite you to join the adventure, to follow the journey, and to leave your comfort zone. Discover for yourself the words of the Beloved:
MY BELOVED Arise!
Walk to me—
My beloved female,
My fairest—
And let me walk to you!
Pamela Glasgow is actively translating Scripture from the Paleo-Hebrew. She is currently working to complete Psalms and already completed the Torah—the first five books of Moses. Thank you everyone who has helped to support this massive project.
“When I came to Torah, when I realized that ALAHAYAM’s instructions for righteous living are true and applicable for us, I decided I needed to know what He requires of us. So, I began searching the texts, but there seemed to be conflicts between the English translations. This lead me to the Paleo. My journey took me into the Psalms and, ultimately, the Torah.
I began translating the first five books of the Torah for myself because I needed to know.”