Doctoral defence: Amir Vasheghanifarahani "Poetical Features of the Peshitta Psalter: A Comparative Study of the Hebrew and Syriac Psalms"

On 28 April at 16:15 Amir Vasheghanifarahani will defend his doctoral thesis "Poetical Features of the Peshitta Psalter: A Comparative Study of the Hebrew and Syriac Psalms" for obtaining the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Religious Studies).

Supervisor:

Professor Urmas Nõmmik, University of Tartu

Opponent:

Professor Serafim Veli-Petri Seppäla, University of Eastern Finland (Finland)

Summary

Considering previous studies on the translation techniques of the Peshitta, this study aims to investigate how Hebrew poetical structures are reflected in the Syriac Peshitta psalm translation in order to create a new approach to the Syriac psalms. The analysis focuses on Psalms 8, 19, 29, 86, 96, 120, 124, and 146, as well as the non-canonical Psalm 155 for comparative purposes.

Adopting a form-critical perspective, this study examines the Peshitta psalms with particular attention to strophic structures and poetic devices, including strophic markers, word repetition, sound figures (especially alliteration), parallelism, and metrical features based on word, syllable, and consonant counts. The comparative framework seeks to illuminate the structural and stylistic elements of Syriac poetry by utilising analytical methods developed for studying Hebrew psalms and poetry.

The rich tradition of poetic analysis of the Hebrew texts provides a valuable lens through which to view and interpret Syriac literary compositions, revealing new insights into their formal characteristics and expressive techniques. The Syriac translator’s distinct style allows for the effective transmission of specific poetic devices, notably parallelism, which closely mirrors the characteristics of the Hebrew text. However, other poetic devices, such as alliteration and word repetition, although present in the Peshitta psalms, are employed in ways that diverge from the supposed Hebrew source.

This suggests that while maintaining fidelity to the core poetic structure of the Vorlage (supposing it is similar to the Masoretic text), the Syriac translator exercised artistic license in adapting and modifying other stylistic elements to suit the unique linguistic and aesthetic sensibilities of the Syriac language and literary tradition. Strophes are a fundamental feature of Syriac psalms, showcasing diverse poetic techniques. Within these strophes, one can observe word repetition, alliteration, repeated syntactic structures, parallelism, inclusion, closure, chiasmus, and a balanced number of either syllables or words.