INTRODUCTION

only, at the end of each second line. This refers to the poem's rhyme scheme, which typically appears as a couplet where the second line rhymes with a previous one The only passages in which this arrangement appears to be abandoned are couplets 25, 68 and 71. The first of these passages is admittedly unintelligible; in the second, sense can be obtained only by altering the text.

Accordingly Wright William Wright (1830–1889), a famous scholar of Semitic languages who produced a foundational edition of this text proposes to read he shall triumph original Syriac: ܢ̇ܨܚ (neṣṣaḥ) (for he triumphed original Syriac: ܢ̣ܨܚ (naṣṣaḥ); the scholar suggests changing the grammatical tense to fix the rhyme or rhythm); but the assumption of a lacuna A gap or missing section in a manuscript where text has been lost over time suffices to account for the syntactical difficulty.

With regard to the number of syllables in each line, it is impossible, in consequence of the uncertainty of the text, to give accurate statistics. Moreover Syriac A dialect of the Aramaic language used by Christians in the Middle East from the 1st century AD verse-writers allow themselves great license in the insertion and suppression of vowels. But it will be found, on inspection, that in this Poem about 70 per cent. of the lines consist of 6 syllables or, at least, may be made to consist of 6 syllables by assuming some ordinary license Poetic license; the freedom of a poet to break standard rules of grammar or pronunciation to maintain a rhythm. In a considerable number of cases (about 18 per cent.) a line seems to consist of 7 sylla...