Hi everyone,
I remember as a kid and even teenager, Psalm 150 in Kiahk (for the Distribution) was in a tune like the Gospel response, with a refrain that went either “Ⲡⲓⲙⲓⲥⲓ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϧⲉⲛ Ⲫⲓⲱⲧ ϧⲁϫⲱⲟⲩ ⲛⲛⲓⲉⲱⲛ ⲧⲏⲣⲟⲩ" or “The Begotten of the Father before all ages was incarnate of the Virgin”. But as I got older I learned that this was wrong and that there is a specific tune for it. Where did this first, incorrect refrain and tune come from? Who decided to add “was incarnate of the Virgin” to the English and Arabic? When did we decide to correct/update this? Was this local only to me, or do any of your churches still say ⲡⲓⲙⲓⲥⲓ?
Thanks!
-Daniel
Comments
I believe that the addition of refrains in general is a new thing that probably came about in the 80's of the last century (?) I personally don't hold such a practice in high regard but I am not going to elaborate on this now.
I disagree that the meaning has been lost when adding the phrase ⲡⲓⲙⲓⲥⲓ ⲉⲃⲟⲗϧⲉⲛ Ⲫⲓⲱⲧ because that's the whole point. We say ⲥⲙⲟⲩ ⲉⲪϯ/ⲉⲣⲟϥ... ⲡⲓⲙⲓⲥⲓ ⲉⲃⲟⲗϧⲉⲛ... Praise God/Him... Who was born... - it makes perfect sense and indeed that is why I don't want to open a can of worms on all Arabic (hence English and other translation refrains) belonging to the festive psalm 150. On the Coptic though the only other one that makes sense is the Nativity one where after Ⲓⲏ̅ⲥ̅ Ⲡⲭ̅ⲥ̅ ⲡ̀Ϣⲏⲣⲓ ⲙ̀Ⲫϯ there is the connective preposition ⲫⲏ which makes the phrase a descriptor for the psalm verse, rather than 2 unconnected statements.
Back to the translation refrain (and the one created for the Annunciation feast as well as the 29th of each month) I learnt this from this very website, but I can't remember from whom - @RamezM, @remenkimi, @ilovesaintmark or someone else that it is inappropriate to say Who was born of the Virgin with no mention of the Holy Spirit - ie in contravention to the Creed. However, as per what our psalmody lists (especially in the Sunday taodokeyas) that it should be ⲁϥϭⲓⲥⲁⲣⲝ ϧⲉⲛ ϯⲡⲁⲣⲑⲉⲛⲟⲥ rather than ⲁϥϭⲓⲥⲁⲣⲝ ⲉⲃⲟⲗϧⲉⲛ - yes the proper translation should be "was incarnate in", and not "from".. we just have have some simple minded people in the Coptic church which I actually believe is something that the Lord really loves about our church but I personally a proponent of of selling things with deep understanding rather than being superficial or or mixing things up..
I hope that this is clear..
Ⲟⲩϫⲁⲓ ϧⲉⲛ ⲡϭⲥ
ebol?
For me it goes like this:
Ⲥⲙⲟⲩ ⲉⲪϯ ⲡⲓⲙⲓⲥⲓ ⲉⲃⲟⲗϧⲉⲛ Ⲫⲓⲱⲧ - praise God the begotten of the Father
Ⲥⲙⲟⲩ ⲉⲪϯ Ⲓⲏ̅ⲥ̅ Ⲡⲭ̅ⲥ̅ ⲫⲏⲉⲧⲁⲩⲙⲁⲥϥ - praise God Jesus Christ who was born
Ⲥⲙⲟⲩ ⲉⲪϯ Ⲓⲏ̅ⲥ̅ Ⲡⲭ̅ⲥ̅ ⲁϥⲧⲱⲛϥ - praise God and BTW Jesus Christ is risen
Ⲥⲙⲟⲩ ⲉⲪϯ Ⲓⲏ̅ⲥ̅ Ⲡⲭ̅ⲥ̅ ⲁϥϭⲓⲥⲁⲣⲝ - praise God and BTW Jesus Christ was incarnate of the Virgin (?) oh yes but isn't this a godly incarnation with the work of the Holy Spirit or are we being heretics?
@mabsoota - the Coptic refrain ⲡⲓⲙⲓⲥⲓ ⲉⲃⲟⲗϧⲉⲛ Ⲫⲓⲱⲧ ϧⲁϫⲱⲟⲩ ⲛ̀ⲛⲓⲉⲱⲛ ⲧⲏⲣⲟⲩ is translated as: the begotten of the Father before all ages..
It bears nothing to the Arabic or English "was incarnate of the Virgin"
We add this phrase (correctly) from the beginning of Kiahk, but some people incorrectly add it from the beginning of the fast..
Don't let me start on ⲁⲙⲏⲛ ⲁ̅ⲗ̅ : it just happens that in the diaspora people removed the association between the Coptic liturgy and the Coptic calendar, despite the fact that it is part of Coptic prayers - indeed during the Passion Week we mention the river Nile and Egypt, but some people make additions and amendments! In the matins doxology for Virgin Mary we mention our land referring to Egypt, not the country we are singing in..
I definitely have not seen this in British churches in Egypt or Australian, let alone Catholic, and yes I have been to a few in my youth!
But we are just content to mask our weak personality, and lack of loyalty (due to oppression experiences) with false mottos eg we should be inclusive, we are not in Egypt anymore, we should love the brethren, and everything is gradually diluted till the eventual loss of what is genuinely and sincerely a deep stance with profoundly meaningful practice - it is a disease of this generation driving a superficial attitude and lack of discernment, hence the increasing numbers of people leaving the Church..
Oops I think I opened the can of worms myself..
Ⲟⲩϫⲁⲓ ϧⲉⲛ ⲡϭⲥ
As you rightly say I would say the Coptic refrain and avoid the English and Arabic - however, I would encourage a higher level of singing, since the psalm tune without the refrain is the original hymn, not made up like the one with the refrain regardless of the language, that is the one I would always encourage.. It is not even hard at all, but my feeling is (I hope I am wrong) it was deserted because people don't know either or both the first 3 Kiahk alleluja and the final part from ⲇⲟⲝⲁ Ⲡⲁⲧⲣⲓ till the end (let alone ϥⲥⲙⲁⲣⲱⲟⲩⲧ and ϥⲉⲙⲡϣⲁ ⲅⲁⲣ)
Ⲟⲩϫⲁⲓ ϧⲉⲛ ⲡϭⲥ