Lovely, Lively Lyrics: Selected Studies in Biblical Hebrew Verse

This book applies a literary functional equivalence (LiFE) approach in a practical, procedure-documented manner to the text analysis and translation for various literature of the Scriptures. Eight case studies from the lyric corpus of the Hebrew Bible are considered: Job 28, Psalm 73, Proverbs 31, Psalm 137, Proverbs 26, Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes 12 and Psalm 24. The author explains and illustrates a rhetorical literary-structure method with different focus and emphasis depending on the form, content and communication aim of the poetic book. Chapters conclude with implications and applications for Scripture translation. The biblical passages included here are not so frequently considered by scholars, teachers, and preachers, and may be neglected by translators due to their perceived difficulty. My cravings as a linguist, translator, poet, and ethno-arts supporter were all satisfied by the buffet Wendland sets before us. He compares...structures of Hebrew with those of...[African] vernaculars...suggesting ways to translate them...using dynamic target language poetic devices and cultural forms. This is literature translating literature.... Dr. Brenda H. Boerger, from the Foreword Ernst R. Wendland (Ph. D., African Languages and Literature, University of Wisconsin) is an instructor at Lusaka Lutheran Seminary and a dissertation examiner in Zambian languages at the University of Zambia. A former UBS Translation Consultant, he still serves as Professor Extraordinary in the Centre for Bible Interpretation and Translation in Africa, Department of Ancient Studies, Stellenbosch University, South Africa.