The final bloom in my late autumn wreath of words was this Maunche. Fiona O'Maille put out a call for anyone that could write in Hebrew for an upcoming scroll. While I do not, I know those that do. As such I was confident in my ability to take the assignment and get the translation.
My first thought was to do a Jewish Poet’s version of the Muwashshah, as found in the al-Andalus era of Muslim rule in Spain. I had tackled this poetry form for a Silver Crescent this past Pennsic. The form, though appropriate in location, was correct for the recipient’s chosen persona as seen in their wiki (which was wonderful, full of details about their life and backstory).
I turned to the internet and searched for any Jewish works in Spain before 1492. While The author found was from somewhat before the recipient’s time period, it was the sort of writing that still would have been referenced in their time.
Sem Tob's Proverbios morales: A Rabbinic Voice for Anti-Rabbinic Sectarianism
Which yielded this: “It’s cuaderna vía style structure of 725 two-verse stanzas (which each contain two lines of fourteen syllables divided into two seven-syllable hemistiche.”
I found a complete translation of the proverbs at, The Jewish Proverbs of Santob de Carrion.
These proverbs were written by Shem Tob ben Isaac Ardutiel
“Shem Tov ben Isaac Ardutiel (also Shem Tov ibn Isaac Ardutiel or Santob de Carrión) (c. 1290 – c. 1369) a 14th-century Spanish Jew, Hebrew writer and a translator of Arabic texts. His best known works include Proverbios morales”
After reading the translations, I decided to write the scroll as a series of proverbs. I took several of the proverbs straight from the translation and put them in my google doc, for direct reference while I was composing the piece.
I wish to speak, concerning the world and its ways,
and my doubts about it, very truthful ways
For I am unable to find a mean or reach any decision
I retreat from more than a hundred resolutions everyday
What one man denigrates, I see another praise
What this one finds beautiful another finds uglyThe measuring rod that the buyer calls short,
Is the same rod called long by the seller
This particular proverb was evocative of the famous Saturday evening post image, Tipping the Scales by Leslie Thrasher
KEY - Cuaderna Vía (Fourfold Way)
two lines of 14 syllables divided into two 7 syllable sections
If the Royals are here in/ Shire of Rusted Woodlands
It is likely to be the/ War of a Hundred Minutes
The first quatrain captured the nature of the proverb well. It’s unusual to structure a scroll so that the place and event are in the first sentence. This flowed out as I started to figure out how to write the pertinent information of a scroll into a question/answer context
She is who They speak of Zah/ra de Andaluzia
For acute study begats/ exceptional craftsmanship
Instead of the first line with the causera being the question and answered in the second half of the quatrain, each of the 2 lines became its own Q&A. The recipient’s full name was also included and, unfortunately, names don’t adhere to strict syllable counts. More's the pity.
When Illumination and /calligraphy are displayed
Growth and skill is seen in the /participation of arts
Unfortunately, due to the bilingual nature of the scroll, there wasn’t as much opportunity to go into detail about the quality and nature of the arts they are receiving the award for.
When Sovereigns Matthias and /Feilinn come into accord
Zahra is the one granted /the East’s Order of the Maunche
This was a successful proverb quatrain. Each question or statement was answered after the seven syllable break.
Azure estencely, an orange blossom argent within a four-lobed quadrate cornice Or
The heraldic latin was not translated into Hebrew. To change this language is to change the image of the heraldry and such it was to be on the scroll exactly as it appears.
With only 83 words this is a fairly short scroll for a Maunche. The average word count (although it is by no means set in stone) is 150 - 200 words for the Grant Level awards. However for this scroll the C&I artist wanted it translated into Hebrew and to have both versions on the scroll.
After the composition had been made, the translation into Hebrew came next. Which proved a little more difficult than anticipated. But Baroness Amalie Reinhardt of Æthelmearc Came through and found Maya Resnikoff, a non-Scadian, to do the Hebrew translation. I am forever grateful for their help.
אם המלכים פה ב"מחוז של ארצי עצי חלודה אז זה עלול להיות מלחמת מאה דקות.
זאת היא זארא די אנדלוס שמחקר רציני מוליד אומנות מצויינת.
כשאיור וקליגרפיה נצגים, גידול וכשרון נראים בהשתחפות באומנות.
כאשר המלך מתיאס והמלכה פיילין מסכימים, ניתן לזארא פרס המאנץ המזרחי.
Here is the Hebrew with transliteration. The plan is to get a herald who can read the Hebrew, but having more information never hurts!
.אם המלכים פה ב"מחוז של ארצי עצי חלודה אז זה עלול להיות מלחמת מאה דקות
* Eem hah-mall-cheem peh b’mah-choze shell are-tzee eh-tzee chah-low-dah aahz zeh eh-lool l’high-yote mall-chah-mah mah-eh dah-cote
.זאת היא זארא די אנדלוס שמחקר רציני מוליד אומנות מצויינ
Zote hee Zarr-ay Dee And-Loose Sahm-cheh-care R’tzee-knee Mole-leed oh-mah-not m’tzoon.
.כשאיור וקליגרפיה נצגים, גידול וכשרון נראים בהשתחפות באומנות
Chee-shah-oar v’ka-leeg-rah-pee-yah neets-gah-eem gee-dole veeck-shah-rone neer-eem b’heesh-tachk-pote b’oh-mah-noot
.כאשר המלך מתיאס והמלכה פיילין מסכימים, ניתן לזארא פרס המאנץ המזרחי
Ch’ash-heir ha-meh-lech Matias v’ha-mal-cha Failenn mees-chee-meem, nee-taan leez-ah-rah p’raas ha-maantz ha-meez-
rah-chee.
Baroness Amalie Reinhardt provided some notes on pronunciation:
Ch is a sound that sounds phlegmy, not ch as
in cheer or match
o-e or i-e
Those are long letters like kite or note
As I understand, a herald who can read Hebrew has been found to read this in court.
As frustrated as I get when there is no one paper that says definitively “This was the rhyme and meter used in this place at this time and it was always the same until it changed,” it's still fun to search and see what I can find.
There were many people along the way to get to the final product. I asked friends who led me to new friends in the path of the translation and everyone was fabulous along the way. Though my name is on it as the wordsmith, there are about a dozen other people that I touched base with that lent an ear along the path. They all made the scroll better for it.
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