The Lord's Prayer

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

Anyone who is interested in seeing what a direct translation from ancient Christian texts to modern English might be, I would suggest you check out "Prayers of the Cosmos" by Neil Douglas-Klotz. To quote:

"Furthermore, like its sister languages Hebrew and Arabic, Aramaic can express many layers of meaning. Words are organized and defined based on a poetic root-and-pattern system, so that each word may have several meanins, at first unrelated, but upon contemplation revealing an inner connection."

For this reason, Douglas-Klotz gives multiple translations for each line of the prayer. I would strongly urge those who are interested to get the book and see all the translations. Here is the Lord's Prayer using my favorite translations for each line:

O Thou! The Breathing Life of all, Creator of the Shimmering Sound that touches us.

Help us breathe one holy breath feelingonly you--this creates a shrine inside, in wholeness.

Create your reign of unity now--through our fiery hearts and willing hands.

Help us love beyond our ideals and sprout acts of compassion for all creatures.

Generate through us the bread of life: we hold only what is asked to feed the next mouth.

Erase the inner marks our failures make, just as we scrub our hearts of others' faults.

Don't let us enter forgetfulness, the temptation of false appearances.

Again and again, from each universal gathering--of creatures, nations, planets, time and space--to the next.

[catbert836]

1. Wow!

I never knew it was like that. I like this version better than the one we've been stuck with.

[DemBones DemBones]

6. But if you say anything over and over it can get "old" and

"stale." This version is more poetic but it's difficult for us to experience the familiar version as "new" -- difficult but not impossible, if we try. :-)

[stellanoir]

2. here's another slightly more elaborate

version I've always loved. It was translated by someone who's fluent in both hebrew and aramaic. Understand that there are always multiple meanings in these ancient languages. That's the beauty and mystery in them.

Mods-it's from a MS text so I can't abide by the four paragraph rule in this case. n/l

Lord’s Prayer*


Oh heavenly source
of all radiance

Soften the ground
of our being and carve out
a space within us
where your Presence can abide.

Fill us with your creativity
so that we may be empowered
to bear the fruit of your mission.

Let each of our actions bear fruit
in accordance with our desire.

Endow us with the wisdom to produce
and share what each being needs
to grow and flourish.

Untie the tangled threads of destiny that bind us
as we release others from the entanglement
of past mistakes.

Protect us from being seduced
by that which would divert us
from our true purpose,
but illuminate
the redemptive opportunities
of each passing moment.

For you are the ground and the fruitful vision,
the creative power and fulfillment,
as all is gathered
and made whole once again

*(Translated directly from Aramaic to English as opposed to the traditional translation from Aramaic to Greek to Latin to English)

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

3. I like the "untie the tangled threads"

The Lord's Prayer in Aramaic can be done as a Dance of Universal Peace, and I have done it. It takes an entire evening. The moves for that section of the prayer are free and joyous, as one would feel if one untangles all the threads of misunderstanding and mistakes.

[GOPBasher]

4. I really like that version.

Thanks for posting. :-)

[JDPriestly]

5. Thanks. Beautiful.