תהלים כ״ט | Psalms 29, an interpretive translation by Avi Dolgin • the Open Siddur Project

Categories: Tehilim Book 1 (Psalms 1–41), Earth, our Collective Home & Life-Support System

Excerpt: Avi Dolgin's translation of תהילים כט (Psalm 29) interweaves between the original Hebrew (הָב֣וּ לַֽ֭יהוָה בְּנֵ֣י אֵלִ֑ים | havu l’YHVH b’nei eilim) and an English language interpretation. The interpretation, while faithful to the original, leans heavily on environmental concerns, especially as seen from a North American West Coast perspective. . . .

Content:

Source (Hebrew)	Transliteration (Romanized Hebrew)	Translation (English)
¹ מִזְמ֗וֹר לְדָ֫וִ֥ד הָב֣וּ לַֽ֭יהוָה בְּנֵ֣י אֵלִ֑ים	Havu l’YHVH bnei elim	Acknowledge the Creator You who are semi-divine.
הָב֥וּ לַ֝יהוָ֗ה כָּב֥וֹד וָעֹֽז׃ ² הָב֣וּ לַֽ֭יהוָה כְּב֣וֹד שְׁמ֑וֹ הִשְׁתַּחֲו֥וּ לַ֝יהוָ֗ה בְּהַדְרַת־קֹֽדֶשׁ׃	Havu l’YHVH kavod va’oz Havu l’YHVH kvod sh’mo, hishtachavu l’YHVH b’hadrat kodesh	Acknowledge the glory and power of creation, the honour of naming the Creator in the beauty of holiness.
³ ק֥וֹל יְהוָ֗ה עַל־הַ֫מָּ֥יִם אֵֽל־הַכָּב֥וֹד הִרְעִ֑ים יְ֝הוָ֗ה עַל־מַ֥יִם רַבִּֽים׃	Kol YHVH al hamayim el hakavod hir’im YHVH al mayim rabim	The call of creation is in the waters The call of creation is in the mountains Even in the many fluids of our bodies.
⁴ קוֹל־יְהוָ֥ה בַּכֹּ֑חַ ק֥וֹל יְ֝הוָ֗ה בֶּהָדָֽר׃	Kol YHVH bakoach, kol YHVH behadar	Creation calls out in strength and in beauty
⁵ק֣וֹל יְ֭הוָה שֹׁבֵ֣ר אֲרָזִ֑ים וַיְשַׁבֵּ֥ר יְ֝הוָ֗ה אֶת־אַרְזֵ֥י הַלְּבָנֽוֹן׃	Kol YHVH shover arazim Vayishaber YHVH et arzei halvanon	in the cedar clearcuts and in the virgin old growth.
⁶ וַיַּרְקִידֵ֥ם כְּמוֹ־עֵ֑גֶל לְבָנ֥וֹן וְ֝שִׂרְיֹ֗ן כְּמ֣וֹ בֶן־רְאֵמִֽים׃	Vayarkidem k’mo egel l’vanon v’shiryon k’mo ven r’emim	Our world rings with nesting murrelets and diving orcas
⁷ קוֹל־יְהוָ֥ה חֹצֵ֗ב לַהֲב֥וֹת אֵֽשׁ׃	Kol YHVH chotzev lahavot esh	and the Creator calls to us in acid rain and global warming.
⁸ ק֣וֹל יְ֭הוָה יָחִ֣יל מִדְבָּ֑ר יָחִ֥יל יְ֝הוָ֗ה מִדְבַּ֥ר קָדֵֽשׁ׃ ⁹ ק֤וֹל יְהוָ֨ה ׀ יְחוֹלֵ֣ל אַיָּלוֹת֮ וַֽיֶּחֱשֹׂ֪ף יְעָ֫ר֥וֹת וּבְהֵיכָל֑וֹ כֻּ֝לּ֗וֹ אֹמֵ֥ר כָּבֽוֹד׃	Kol YHVH yachil midbar, yachil YHVH midbar kadesh, Kol YHVH y’cholel ayalot Vayechesof yarot u’v’hechalo kulo omer kavod	The fault lines shake. The landfills overflow In this temple, do we see creative glory?
¹⁰ יְ֭הוָה לַמַּבּ֣וּל יָשָׁ֑ב וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב יְ֝הוָ֗ה מֶ֣לֶךְ לְעוֹלָֽם׃	YHVH lamabul yashav Vayeshev YHVH melech l’olam	The Creator was there when the first Flood struck and the Creator will be there if new global disasters come.
¹¹ יְֽהוָ֗ה עֹ֭ז לְעַמּ֣וֹ יִתֵּ֑ן יְהוָ֓ה ׀ יְבָרֵ֖ךְ אֶת־עַמּ֣וֹ בַשָּׁלֽוֹם׃	YHVH oz l’amo yiten YHVH yivarech et amo vashalom	The Creator will give humanity the strength and bless us to use that strength for Shalom.

Avi Dolgin’s translation of תהלים כט (Psalm 29) interweaves between the original Hebrew (הָב֣וּ לַֽ֭יהוָה בְּנֵ֣י אֵלִ֑ים | havu l’YHVH b’nei eilim) and an English language interpretation. The interpretation, while faithful to the original, leans heavily on environmental concerns, especially as seen from a North American West Coast perspective. Avi Dolgin is a long-time resident of Vancouver, Canada and a member of Congregation Or Shalom.