Blog | frasergo.orghttps://www.frasergo.org/blog/2015-04-24T12:07:18+00:00BlogJohn 1: Memorizing Scripture and Poetic Devices2015-04-24T12:07:18+00:00david/blog/author/david/https://www.frasergo.org/blog/2015/04/john-1-memorizing-scripture-and-poetic-devices/<p>For a believer in Christ, memorizing Scripture is a powerful and helpful aid to our faith. Poetic devices such as rhythm, rhyme, alliteration and structure are aids to memorization. Is it possible to produce Scripture translations that use these devices, <em>while remaining accurate translations</em>? These would have other benefits as well (children's illustrated Bibles, audio tapes that flow well, etc), but since memorization is clearly most helpful when as close to the original as possible, there would be challenges. Yet these challenges are similar to any translation effort; the switch of mode of expression is similar to a language switch.</p>
<p><img src="/static/media/uploads/papyrus66.jpg" style="float: right;" title="An early Papyrus - the first page of John's gospel" height="337" width="300" alt="The first page of Papyrus 66, showing the first verses of John's gospel">I've experimented with the first half of John 1. Interestingly, I found that this mode of translation can actually lend itself to a more literal translation in places; for example using the same English word for the same Greek word in the same passage can both be more transparent to the original, and function poetically. (<em>NB: I'm not a Greek scholar, nor am I proposing that this has sufficient academic rigour behind it; but as an experiment.</em>)</p>
<p>So here's my stab at the first half of John 1, drawing on other English translations, with some free verse, and some almost-limericks. In places it's a fairly close translation, in others I've thrown in repetitions or words for the sake of meter. Some lines flow significantly less well than others :)</p>
<p style="margin-left: 5em;">In the beginning was the Word<br>And the Word was with God<br>And the Word was God<br>He was with God<br>In the beginning</p>
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<p style="margin-left: 5em;">All things were made through him<br>Nothing that was made was made without him<br>In him was life<br>And that life was the light<br>The light of all mankind</p>
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<p style="margin-left: 5em;">The light shines<br>It shines in the darkness<br>The darkness has not overcome it</p>
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<p style="margin-left: 5em;">There came a young man sent from God<br>The name he was given was John<br>As a witness he came<br>Witnessing of the light<br>So that through him all might believe</p>
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<p style="margin-left: 5em;">He himself was not the light<br>But he came to bear witness to it<br>The true light that gives<br>Light to all people<br>Was coming right into the world</p>
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<p style="margin-left: 5em;">He was actually here in the world<br>The world came into being through him<br>But the world didn't know him<br>Though he came to his own<br>His own people did not receive him</p>
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<p style="margin-left: 5em;">But to those who received him<br>Who believed in his name<br>He has given the right to become<br>Children of God<br>Who were born not of blood<br>Nor the will of the flesh<br>Nor the will of a man, but of God</p>
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<p style="margin-left: 5em;">The Word became flesh<br>Came and dwelt among us<br>And we have seen his glory<br>The glory as of the only Son from the Father<br>Full of grace and truth</p>
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<p style="margin-left: 5em;">John witnessed about him<br>He cried out and spoke:<br>"This is the one that I said:<br>'He's coming after me<br>But he was before me<br>And so he ranks first above me'"</p>
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<p style="margin-left: 5em;">For from his fullness<br>We have all received<br>And grace upon grace now is ours</p>
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<p style="margin-left: 5em;">Through Moses was given the law<br>Through Jesus Christ grace and truth came</p>
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<p style="margin-left: 5em;">Though no-one has even seen God<br>The only One (himself God)<br>- so close to the Father<br>That One has made Him known.</p>Tribute to my father2014-08-05T04:02:34+00:00david/blog/author/david/https://www.frasergo.org/blog/2014/08/tribute-to-my-father/<p><em>Tribute to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/duncan.m.fraser">Duncan McKenzie Fraser</a> that I shared at his funeral along with those by my siblings, by mother, his friend Prof Eric Bateman and colleague Prof Jenni Case</em></p>
<p><strong><span>Gridlines<br></span></strong><span>I didn't often ask my dad for </span><span>advice</span><span> when I was younger, but had asked him about some significant decisions just before his stroke. I'll miss being able to do that. Growing up, my dad and mom were the relational </span><span>gridlines</span><span> that measured the world for me. It feels like all the horizontal lines have been suddenly pulled out and the vertical ones wobbled. I'm so proud of how my </span><span>mom</span><span> has reacted with faith and dignity in her unimaginable loss.</span></p>
<p><span><strong>Mountains and perspective</strong><br><a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:M%C3%A4nnlichen.jpg"><img src="/static/media/uploads/galleries/family/800px-männlichen.jpg" alt="The Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, view from Männlichen" height="275" title="The Eiger (3970m), Mönch (4107m) and Jungfrau (4158m), from left to right - note that the right-most peak is actually the highest..." width="800"></a><br>In Switzerland, when I was six years old, my dad pointed at a </span>mountain<span> and said “that's the tallest”. I objected because some closer mountains looked taller. He took me behind a car, knelt down with me, and showed me how from that angle it looked taller than the microbus behind it. That was my dad – willing to come down low, not just telling but showing us God's </span>perspective<span> on the world – that God is higher even if closer things seem more important. In our family the worship and prayer you've come to today was not a segment of life but permeated everything – I remember my dad's daily devotions in the lounge with his Bible and journal, and us singing and praying together at home as a family, and as we drove on family holidays. Even after his stroke he was writing down Scriptures that were his strength in suffering.</span></p>
<p><span><strong>Books and integrity</strong><br>My parents read to us from C S Lewis and Tolkien from when we were tiny and I grew to love them and then the rest of my dad's books – Christian biographies, theology and philosophy. My dad's faith ran through his whole life – his heart and mind and strength – and was shown in his love and acceptance and care for everyone around him.</span></p>
<p><span><strong>Running, walking and new paths</strong><br><img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2901/14736505902_0d19c327dc_m_d.jpg" style="float: right;" title="My dad finishing a marathon" height="240" width="172" alt="My dad finishing a marathon">My dad was a runner. I started </span>running<span> only in my thirties and he was amazingly supportive – when I ran the <a href="http://www.twooceansmarathon.org.za/events/half-marathon">Two Oceans Half Marathon</a> he would drop me off, then fetch Danielle and James and Charis and find three points along the way to meet and cheer me on. He also loved taking us on walks and especially discovering </span>new paths<span>. This week I tried to go on one of those walks, but the way was closed off. I respect my dad for how he was always openly growing and changing, even right until the end. Like him, we're going to need to keep on growing and finding new paths to walk on.</span></p>
<p><span><strong>Haikus for changing seasons</strong><br>My aunt Lesley composed a beautiful haiku for my dad's sixtieth birthday looking at the </span>seasons<span> of his life</span></p>
<p><i>Summer time is over now<br></i><i>The autumn of your life is here<br></i><i>May harvest be good</i></p>
<p>It's been so hard seeing his life cut off when we still anticipated so much. But God turns all things round for good for those who love him. I'll close with my attempt to follow up with a haiku on the season that has come.</p>
<p><i>Autumn fruits were ripening<br></i><i>When winter's chills so swiftly fell<br></i><em><span>We'll use this fruit for seed</span></em></p>