Youth is a glorious thing.

[cygna_hime]

I played outside with Sister today. It was a lot of fun, just running around, laughing, playing Frisbee. I love being a normal kid. Unfortunately, I also scraped my knee. Sometimes normalcy ain't so great.

Rider-chan asked me for "The Angel Song", a song I've been singing at services since before I knew how to separate it into words. It's very short, is sung in English, and goes like this:

In the name, the name of God,
God of Yisrael,
May Michael be on my right,
On my left Gavriel,
Uriel before me,
Raphael behind me,
And o'er my head, surrounding me,
Shechinat-El.

This song is why I cannot think of the angels' names pronounced the way other people do. "Michael" as we pronounce it is a name; "Micha-el" is an angel. "Gabriel" is a name; "Gavriel" is the angel. My brain just does not file them otherwise. (N.B.--in the names, a 'ch' is the Hebrew 'ch', as in chai, not the English 'ch' as in 'cheese'.)

Comments

[nirejseki.livejournal.com]

ACK! Why in the world did we never get to sing cool songs like that in my temple(s)?

...oh, wait. I never paid attention in temple, the few times I went...

Well, if we had songs like that, I'd have listened. *pout* Know ye any more cool angel-related things? Not limited to songs?

[cygna-hime.livejournal.com]

Because we are so un-Jewish it isn't even funny? (Official Denomination: Renewal. Familial Attendance Rate: Thrice-a-year Jews.)

...Like, what kind of angel-related things? Fic? I wish; haven't found any I don't know already. Actual text? Closest thing I have is a deep longing for Gneil works. Which sort of counts.

I was planning to ask you, anyway.

[nirejseki.livejournal.com]

*laughs* We need to share a listing of angel!things-of-all-sorts, obviously.

Have you read Gneil's "The Black Cat"? The short-story-turned-graphic-novel, in the same book as "Daughter of Owls", not just the short story? One of the best depictions of the Devil I have ever seen.

Sadly, I heard Brust's "To Reign in Hell" wasn't so good...

[cygna-hime.livejournal.com]

We so do. It can hang on the wall in our communal brainspace.

Nuuu, I haven't read that (or much else Gneil) yet. It is to pout. The temptation to walk into the bookstore and take one of everything with his name on it is v. v. strong.

To Reign in Hell is one of the few angel-novels I have read. It is a first novel, so it isn't as good as he became, but I can excuse the first-novelness of it in exchange for the wonderful story itself. It is, I gather, very much like Zelazny. But it is good--you can see shades of what the Dragaera books would become, plus I love the concept to pieces. ("From all of my readings on the revolt of the angels, two facts become clear: God is omnipotent, and Satan is not a fool. There seems to be a contradiction here..."--Brust, on the back cover, and OMGsoright.) Personally, I think it's well worth the three bucks for a paperback. C'mon, don't tell me you don't want to see the revolt of the angels treated as a Byzantine intrigue!

[nirejseki.livejournal.com]

Bah...I suppose, but it was my dad who told me it. He introduced me to Zelazny (who is my favorite author), so I'm a bit iffy on the comparison (when it comes to Zelazny, I trust my dad over most critics, considering how much of Zelazny's stuff he's read), but I suppose I ought to give it a shot.

The concept is a lovely one, as is the title. I will admit that.

And the inclination for grabbing Gneil? Do it. Do it now. Quick, quick. Yes, there is a reason for the haste. What of the following have you read?

Sandman
Neverwhere
American Gods
Short Stories
Younger stories (Coraline, Wolves, Goldfish,etc.)
Good Omens
Stardust

[cygna-hime.livejournal.com]

First vol. Sandman, Neverwhere, Good Omens, Coraline. American Gods as soon as I can be sure my dad won't catch me get a chance.

Definitely read TRIH if you have the least little idea it might be good.

...Why the haste? Except, of course, that I need to have AGods finished before Anansi Boys comes out.

[nirejseki.livejournal.com]

Exactly the haste - it's coming out in early May.

I'm on schooltime, so early May is right around the corner for me...APs, SAT 2s, cons...all in early May. Kill me now.

[cygna-hime.livejournal.com]

Well, it's on the bookshelf, so I ought to be able to get around to it. Dad's out for most of the weekend. (<-has maternal permission, but not paternal, to read)

Meh. I'm on schooltime to, but I'm a year behind you, which makes a difference. No APs yet, and never have time for cons anyway. Mostly academic dinners, achievement awards, Latin competitionm etc. Oh, and my birthday. I know what *I* want.

[shiro-no-wired.livejournal.com]

And here I was, thinking you had to be 41 before you sang stuff like that. I must say that's very interesting. why didn't I ever get to sing stuff like that? *pouts*

[ghostly-watcher.livejournal.com]

Er...hi! ^_^
Lurker here.
Just want to say that I love your writing very much, especially the ones at [Unknown site tag] and [Unknown site tag].
Also, as a fellow Jew, how come you didn't translate the last line of the angel-song? It should be "The presence (or spirit) of G-d".

[cygna-hime.livejournal.com]

Hi-hi! I'm glad you like my writing. (At where now? < lj user=username >, sans spaces)

I didn't translate it because, when we sing it, it stays untranslated while the rest is in English. It's treated as a proper noun (very specially proper, now I come to think of it).

[ghostly-watcher.livejournal.com]

At tsukimineshrine and tomoeda_drama.

I know about how it is treated so special- Some people I know pronounce it as "Kel" if they aren't using it in a prayer or a religious text, because they don't want to say the name in vain. I actually know someone named Shmuel, and one of his friends once called him Shmu-kel, so now he is always referred to as "Kelly".
But it is a really beautiful song. So many religious songs are.