Ed- Dear friends, Spirit Unbounded organiser Maggie Conway shared her Lenten goal to memorize The Lord’s Prayer in its Aramaic translation — beautiful, insightful, and recommended!
Prayers of the Cosmos, Meditations on the Aramaic words of Jesus The below translation of The Lord’s Prayer from Aramaic to English is taken from the book, Prayers of the Cosmos by Neil Douglas-Klotz. There are several translations below each line of the prayer. The Aramaic is in Bold letters and The King James V version is in parenthesis. Excerpts from The Beatitudes follow The Lord’s Prayer. There is so much more in this book than appears on this page. |
1. Our Birth in Unity Abwoon d’bwashmaya (King James V version: Our Father which art in heaven) O Birther! Father-Mother of the Cosmos, you create all that moves in light. O Thou! The Breathing Life of all, Creator of the Shimmering Sound that touches us. Respiration of all worlds, we hear you breathing–in and out– in silence. Source of Sound: in the roar and the whisper, in the breeze and the whirlwind, we hear your Name. Radiant One: You shine within us, outside us–even darkness shines–when we remember. Name of names, our small identity unravels in you, you give it back as a lesson. Wordless Action, Silent Potency– where ears and eyes awaken, there heaven comes. O Birther! Father-Mother of the Cosmos! Page 12 2. Clearing Space for the Name to Live Nethqadash shmakh (King James V version: Hallowed be they name) Focus your light within us–make it useful: as the rays of a beacon show the way. Help us breathe one holy breath feeling only you–this creates a shrine inside, in wholeness. Help us let go, clear the space inside of busy forgetfulness: so the Name comes to live. Your name, your sound can move us if we tune our hearts as instruments for its tone. Hear the one Sound that created all others, in this way the Name is hallowed in silence. In peace the Name resides: a “room of one’s own,” a holy of holies open, giving light, to all. We all look elsewwhere for this light– it draws us out of ourselves–but the Name always lives within. Focus your light within us–make it useful! Page 16 3. The Creative Fire Teytey malkuthakh (King James V version: Thy kingdom come) Create your reign of unity now– through our fiery hearts and willing hands. Let your counsel rule our lives, clearing our intention for co-creation. Unite our “I can” to yours, so that we walk as kings and queens with every creature. Desire with and through us the rule of universal fruitfulness onto the earth. Your rule springs into existence as our arms reach out to embrace all creation. Come into the bedroom of our hearts, prepare us for the marriage of power and beauty. From this divine union, let us birth new images for a new world of peace. Create your reign of unity now! Page 19 4. Heaven Comes to Earth: Universal Compassion Nehwey tzevyanach aykanna d’bwahmaya aph b’arha (King James V version: Thy Will be done in earth, as it is in heaven) Your one desire then acts with ours, as in all light, so in all forms. Let all wills move together in your vortex, as stars and planets swirl through the sky. Help us love beyond our ideals and sprout acts of compassion for all creatures. As we find your love in ours, let heaven and nature form a new creation. Unite the crowd within in a vision of passionate purpose: light mates with form. Create in me a divine cooperation– from many selves, one voice, one action. Let your heart’s fervent desire unite heaven and earth through our harmony. Your one desire then acts with ours, as in all light, so in all forms. Page 22 5. The Blessings of Earthiness: The Next Step Hawvlan lachma d’sunqanan yaomana (King James V version: Give us this day our daily bread) Grant what we need each day in bread and insight: subsistence for the call of growing life. Give us the food we need to grow through each new day, through each illumination of life’s needs. Let the measure of our need be earthiness: give all things simple, verdant, passionate. Produce in us, for us, the possible: each only-human step toward home lit up. Help us fulfill what lies within the circle of our lives: each day we ask no more, no less. Animate the earth within us: we then feel the Wisdom underneath supporting all. Generate through us the bread of life: we hold only what is asked to feed the next mouth. Grant what we need each day in bread and insight. Page 26 6. Letting Go, Heartbeat by Heartbeat Wahboqlan khaubayn (wakhtahayn) aykanna daph khnan shbwoqan l’khayyabayn (King James V version: And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors) Loose the cords of mistakes binding us, as we release the strands we hold of others’ guilt. Forgive our hidden past, the secret shames, as we consistently forgive what others hide. Lighten our load of secret debts as we relieve others of their need to repay. Erase the inner marks our failures make, just as we scrub our hearts of others’ faults. Absorb our frustrated hopes and dreams, as we embrace those of others with emptiness. Untangle the knots within so that we can mend our hearts’ simple ties to others. Compost our inner, stolen fruit as we forgive others the spoils of their trespassing. Loose the cords of mistakes binding us, as we release the strands we hold of others’ guilt. Page 30 7. Remembrance: The Birth of New Creation and Liberty Wela tahlan l’nesyuna Ela patzan min bisha (King James V version: And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil) Don’t let surface things delude us, But free us from what holds us back (from our true purpose). Don’t let us enter forgetfulness, the temptation of false appearances. (To the fraud of inner vacillation– like a flag tossed in the wind– alert us.) But break the hold of unripeness, the inner stagnation that prevents good fruit. (From the evil of injustice– the green fruit and the rotten– grant us liberty.) Deceived neither by the outer nor the inner–free us to walk your path with joy. Keep us from hoarding false wealth, and from the inner shame of help not given in time. Don’t let surface things delude us, But free us from what holds us back. Page 34 8. A Celebration of Cosmic Renewal Metol dilakhie malkutha wahayla wateshbukhta l’ahlam almin. Ameyn.(King James V version: For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.) From you is born all ruling will, the power and life to do, the song that beautifies all– from age to age it renews.To you belongs each fertile function: ideals, energy, glorious harmony– during every cosmic cycle. Out of you, the queen- and kingship– ruling principles, the “I can” of the cosmos…Out of you, the vital force producing and sustaining all life, every virtue…Out of you, the astonishing fire, the birthing glory, returning light and sound to the cosmos…Again and again, from each universal gathering– of creatures, nations, planets, time, and space– to the next. Truly–power to these statements– may they be the ground from which all my actions grow: Sealed in trust and faith.Amen. Page 37 |
The Beatitudes from Prayers of the Cosmos by Neil Douglas-Klotz Jesus said: Tubwayhun l’meskenaee b’rukh d’dilhounhie malkutha d’ashmaya. (KJV version: Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.) Happy and aligned with the One are those who find their home in the breathing; to them belong the inner kingdom and queendom of heaven. Blessed are those who are refined in breath; they shall find their ruling principles and ideals guided by God’s light. Tuned to the Source are those who live by breathing Unity; their “I can!” is included in God’s. Healthy are those who devotedly hold fast to the spirit of life; holding them is the cosmic Ruler of all that shines and rises. Resisting corruption, possessing integrity are those whose breath forms a luminous sphere; they hear the universal Word and feel the earth’s power to accomplish it through their own hands. Healed are those who devote themselves to the link of spirit; the design of the universe is rendered through their form. Page 47 Jesus said: Tubwayhun lawile d’hinnon netbayun. (KJV version: Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted..) Blessed are those in emotional turmoil; they shall be united inside by love. Healthy are those weak and overextended for their purpose; they shall feel their inner flow of strength return. Healed are those who weep for their frustrated desire; they shall see the face of fulfillment in a new form. Aligned with the One are the mourners; they shall be comforted. Tuned to the Source are those feeling deeply confused by life; they shall be returned from their wandering. Page 50 Jesus said: Tubwayhun l’mskikhr d’hinnon nertun arha. (KJV version: Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.) Blessed are the gentle; they shall inherit the earth. Healthy are those who have softened what is rigid within; they shall recieve physical vigor and strength from the universe. Aligned with the One are the humble, those submitted to God’s will; they shall be gifted with the productivity of the earth. Healed are those who have wept inwardly with the pain of repressed desire; they shall be renewed in sympathy with nature. Integrated, resisting corruption are those who have dissolved heavy morality within; they shall be open to receive the splendor of the earth’s fruits. Page 53 Jesus said: Tubwayhun layleyn d’kaphneen watzheyn l’khenuta d’hinnon nishbhun. (KJV version: Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.) Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for physical justice–righteousness; they shall be surrounded by what is needed to sustain their bodies. Healthy are those who turn their mouths to receive a new birth of universal stability; they shall be encircled by the birth of a new society. Aligned with the One are those who wait up at night, weakened and dried out inside by the unnatural state of the world; they shall receive satisfaction. Healed are those who persistently feel inside: “If only I could find new strength and a clear purpose on which to base my life”; they shall be embraced by birthing power. Integrated, resisting delusion are those who long clearly for a foundation of peace between the warring parts of themselves; they shall find all around them the materials to build it. Page 56 |