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Jewish Babylonian Aramaic texts, annotated

Passages from the Babylonian Talmud, read word by word. The text is quoted, a line at a time, from the Wikisource edition of the Bavli as distributed by Sefaria (CC BY-SA), with attribution; it is unpointed in the source. The vocalisation and transliteration are our reconstruction after Margolis 1910, Epstein 1960 and the Yemenite tradition (Morag 1988), not part of the source. Abbreviations are expanded in the transliteration. Glossing: Aramaic of the Jewish texts — overview and Biblical Aramaic. Folio references are to the standard (Vilna) pagination.

1. Berakhot 2a — the first question of the Talmud

The Mishnah (Hebrew) has asked "From when may one recite the Shema in the evening?" The Gemara opens:

Aramaic:   תַּנָּא הֵיכָא קָאֵי דְּקָתָנֵי מֵאֵימָתַי
Translit.: tannā hēḵā qāʾē də-qātānē mē-ʾēmāṯay
Gloss:     tanna where stand.PTCP.ACT.MS REL-DUR-teach.PTCP.ACT.MS from-when(Heb.)
English:   Where does the tanna stand, that he teaches "from when"?
Source:    b. Berakhot 2a (Wikisource Bavli, CC BY-SA)

Aramaic:   וְתוּ מַאי שְׁנָא דְּתָנֵי בְּעַרְבִית בְּרֵישָׁא לִיתְנֵי דְּשַׁחֲרִית בְּרֵישָׁא
Translit.: wə-ṯū māy šənā də-ṯānē bə-ʿarḇīṯ bə-rēšā līṯnē də-šaḥărīṯ bə-rēšā
Gloss:     and-further what differ.PTCP REL-teach.PTCP in-evening.prayer at-head.DET teach.IPF.3MS REL-morning.prayer at-head.DET
English:   And further: why does he teach about the evening first? Let him teach about the morning first!
Source:    b. Berakhot 2a (Wikisource Bavli, CC BY-SA)

Aramaic:   תַּנָּא אַקְּרָא קָאֵי דִּכְתִיב בְּשָׁכְבְּךָ וּבְקוּמֶךָ
Translit.: tannā ʾa-qqərā qāʾē diḵṯīḇ bə-šoḵbəḵā ū-ḇə-qūmeḵā
Gloss:     tanna on-verse.DET stand.PTCP REL-write.PEAL.PTCP.PASS when-lie-2MS(Heb.) and-when-rise-2MS(Heb.)
English:   The tanna is standing on the verse, as it is written: "when you lie down and when you rise" (Deut 6:7)
Source:    b. Berakhot 2a (Wikisource Bavli, CC BY-SA)

Notes: הֵיכָא קָאֵי "where does he stand" = "what is his starting point?"; לִיתְנֵי shows the l- imperfect in its typical argumentative use ("he should have taught"); אַקְּרָא is עַל + קְרָא with עַל reduced to אַ־ (Particles and syntax of Jewish Babylonian Aramaic §3); דִּכְתִיב quotes the verse, which stays in Hebrew. See the move-by-move analysis in The technical language of the sugya §7.

2. Shabbat 31a — Hillel and the convert

The story is a Hebrew baraita; Hillel's answers are in Aramaic.

Hebrew:    בָּא לִפְנֵי הִלֵּל גַּיְּירֵיהּ
Aramaic:   … גַּיְּירֵיהּ
Translit.: … gayyərēh
Gloss:     … convert.PAEL.PF.3MS-3MS
English:   He came before Hillel; he converted him.
Source:    b. Shabbat 31a (Wikisource Bavli, CC BY-SA; written בא לפני הלל גייריה)

The language switches inside the sentence: Hebrew narrative (בָּא לִפְנֵי הִלֵּל) and an Aramaic verb with an object suffix (גַּיְּירֵיהּ). A per-word language tag is needed here.

Aramaic:   יוֹמָא קַמָּא אֲמַר לֵיהּ אָלֶף בֵּית גִּימֶל דָּלֶת, לְמָחָר אַפֵּיךְ לֵיהּ
Translit.: yōmā qammā ʾămar lēh ʾālep̄ bēṯ gīmel dāleṯ, lə-māḥār ʾappēḵ lēh
Gloss:     day.DET first say.PF.3MS to-3MS alef bet gimel dalet, to-tomorrow reverse.APH.PF.3MS to-3MS
English:   The first day he told him: alef, bet, gimel, dalet. The next day he reversed them for him.
Source:    b. Shabbat 31a (Wikisource Bavli, CC BY-SA; written יומא קמא א"ל א"ב ג"ד למחר אפיך ליה)

Aramaic:   אֲמַר לֵיהּ: וְהָא אֶתְמוֹל לָא אֲמַרְתְּ לִי הָכִי
Translit.: ʾămar lēh: wə-hā ʾeṯmōl lā ʾămart lī hāḵī
Gloss:     say.PF.3MS to-3MS and-behold yesterday NEG say.PEAL.PF.2MS to-1SG thus
English:   He said to him: "But yesterday you did not tell me so!"
Source:    b. Shabbat 31a (Wikisource Bavli, CC BY-SA)

Aramaic:   אֲמַר לֵיהּ: לָאו עֲלַי דִּידִי קָא סָמְכַתְּ? דְּעַל פֶּה נַמִי סְמוֹךְ עֲלַי
Translit.: ʾămar lēh: lāw ʿălay dīḏī qā sāmḵat? də-ʿal pe nammī səmōḵ ʿălay
Gloss:     say.PF.3MS to-3MS NEG.Q on-1SG mine DUR rely.PTCP-2MS REL-oral(Heb.) also rely.PEAL.IMP.2MS on-1SG
English:   He said to him: "Are you not relying on me? Rely on me for the oral (Torah) too."
Source:    b. Shabbat 31a (Wikisource Bavli, CC BY-SA; written לאו עלי דידי קא סמכת דעל פה נמי סמוך עלי)

Aramaic:   דַּעֲלָךְ סְנֵי לְחַבְרָךְ לָא תַּעְבֵּיד
Translit.: də-ʿălāḵ sənē lə-ḥaḇrāḵ lā taʿbēḏ
Gloss:     REL-on-2MS hateful.PEAL.PTCP.PASS to-fellow-2MS NEG do.PEAL.IPF.2MS
English:   What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow.
Source:    b. Shabbat 31a (Wikisource Bavli, CC BY-SA; written דעלך סני לחברך לא תעביד)

Aramaic:   זוֹ הִיא כָּל הַתּוֹרָה כּוּלָּהּ, וְאִידָךְ פֵּירוּשָׁהּ הוּא, זִיל גְּמוֹר
Translit.: zō hī kol ha-ttōrā kullāh, wə-ʾīḏāḵ pērūšāh hū, zīl gəmōr
Gloss:     this(Heb.) COP(Heb.) all the-Torah all-3FS(Heb.), and-the.rest commentary-3FS COP.3MS, go.IMP learn.IMP
English:   This is the whole Torah; the rest is its commentary — go and learn.
Source:    b. Shabbat 31a (Wikisource Bavli, CC BY-SA)

Notes: the famous saying is Aramaic; the comment "this is the whole Torah" is Hebrew; "the rest is commentary, go and learn" is Aramaic again (אִידָךְ "the other", זִיל, גְּמוֹר). The negative command uses לָא + imperfect (not Hebrew אַל). סְנֵי "hated, hateful" is a passive participle of סני "hate".

3. Bava Metzia 2a — why does the Mishnah say it twice?

The Mishnah (Hebrew): "Two are holding a garment. This one says 'I found it' and that one says 'I found it'; this one says 'It is all mine' and that one says 'It is all mine'…"

Aramaic:   לְמָה לִי לְמִתְנָא "זֶה אוֹמֵר אֲנִי מְצָאתִיהָ" … "זֶה אוֹמֵר כּוּלָּהּ שֶׁלִּי"? לִיתְנֵי חֲדָא
Translit.: ləmā lī lə-miṯnā "ze ʾōmēr ʾănī məṣāṯīhā" … "ze ʾōmēr kullāh šellī"? līṯnē ḥăḏā
Gloss:     why to-1SG to-teach.PEAL.INF "…(Heb.)" … "…(Heb.)"? teach.IPF.3MS one.F
English:   Why do I need it to teach "this one says 'I found it'" and "this one says 'it is all mine'"? Let it teach one!
Source:    b. Bava Metzia 2a (Wikisource Bavli, CC BY-SA)

Aramaic:   חֲדָא קָתָנֵי: זֶה אוֹמֵר אֲנִי מְצָאתִיהָ וְכוּלָּהּ שֶׁלִּי
Translit.: ḥăḏā qātānē: …
Gloss:     one.F DUR-teach.PTCP.ACT.MS: …(Heb.)
English:   It teaches one (claim): this one says "I found it and it is all mine".
Source:    b. Bava Metzia 2a (Wikisource Bavli, CC BY-SA)

Aramaic:   וְלִיתְנֵי "אֲנִי מְצָאתִיהָ" וַאֲנָא יָדַעְנָא דְּכוּלָּהּ שֶׁלִּי
Translit.: wə-līṯnē "ʾănī məṣāṯīhā" wa-ʾănā yāḏaʿnā də-ḵullāh šellī
Gloss:     and-teach.IPF.3MS "I found-it(Heb.)" and-I know.PTCP-1SG COMP-all-3FS mine(Heb.)
English:   But let it teach (only) "I found it", and I (would) know that "it is all mine"!
Source:    b. Bava Metzia 2a (Wikisource Bavli, CC BY-SA; written וליתני אני מצאתיה ואנא ידענא דכולה שלי)

Aramaic:   אִי תָּנָא "אֲנִי מְצָאתִיהָ" הֲוָה אָמֵינָא: מַאי מְצָאתִיהָ? רְאִיתִיהָ
Translit.: ʾī tānā "ʾănī məṣāṯīhā" hăwā ʾāmēnā: māy məṣāṯīhā? rəʾīṯīhā
Gloss:     if teach.PEAL.PF.3MS "…(Heb.)" be.PF.3MS say.PTCP-1SG: what found-it(Heb.)? saw-it(Heb.)
English:   Had it taught "I found it", I would have said: what does "found it" mean? "I saw it"
Source:    b. Bava Metzia 2a (Wikisource Bavli, CC BY-SA)

Aramaic:   אַף עַל גַּב דְּלָא אֲתַאי לִידֵיהּ, בִּרְאִיָּה בְּעָלְמָא קָנֵי
Translit.: ʾap̄ ʿal gaḇ də-lā ʾăṯāy lī-ḏēh, bi-rʾiyyā bə-ʿālmā qānē
Gloss:     although REL-NEG come.PF.3FS to-hand-3MS, by-seeing(Heb.) merely acquire.PTCP.ACT.MS
English:   Even though it did not come into his hand, he acquires by mere seeing
Source:    b. Bava Metzia 2a (Wikisource Bavli, CC BY-SA; written אע"ג דלא אתאי לידיה בראיה בעלמא קני)

Notes: a model page of the stam: לְמָה לִי, לִיתְנֵי, הֲוָה אָמֵינָא, בְּעָלְמָא "merely" (lit. "in the world"); the Mishnah's Hebrew is quoted and taken apart word by word. אֲתַאי is a 3 f. sg. perfect of אתי (the garment, טַלִּית, is feminine).

4. Bava Metzia 59b — the oven of Akhnai

Aramaic:   מַאי עַכְנַאי? אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר שְׁמוּאֵל: שֶׁהִקִּיפוּ דְּבָרִים כַּעֲכָנָא זוֹ
Translit.: māy ʿaḵnay? ʾāmar raḇ yəhūḏā ʾāmar šəmūʾēl: …
Gloss:     what Akhnai? say.PF.3MS Rav Judah say.PF.3MS Samuel: …(Heb.)
English:   What is "Akhnai"? Rav Judah said in the name of Samuel: "That they surrounded it with words like this snake."
Source:    b. Bava Metzia 59b (Wikisource Bavli, CC BY-SA)

Notes: the question is Aramaic, the answer (a saying of Samuel) Hebrew, but עֲכָנָא "snake" is the Aramaic word that explains the name.

Aramaic:   אַשְׁכְּחֵיהּ רַבִּי נָתָן לְאֵלִיָּהוּ, אֲמַר לֵיהּ: מַאי עָבֵיד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּהַהִיא שַׁעְתָּא
Translit.: ʾaškəḥēh rabbī nāṯān lə-ʾēliyyāhū, ʾămar lēh: māy ʿāḇēḏ qūḏšā bərīḵ hū bə-hahī šaʿtā
Gloss:     find.APH.PF.3MS-3MS Rabbi Nathan ACC-Elijah, say.PF.3MS to-3MS: what do.PTCP.ACT.MS holy.DET bless.PTCP.PASS COP.3MS in-that.F hour.DET
English:   Rabbi Nathan came upon Elijah and asked him: What did the Holy One, blessed be he, do at that moment?
Source:    b. Bava Metzia 59b (Wikisource Bavli, CC BY-SA; written אשכחיה רבי נתן לאליהו א"ל מאי עביד קוב"ה בההיא שעתא)

Aramaic:   אֲמַר לֵיהּ: קָא חָיֵיךְ וְאָמַר: נִצְּחוּנִי בָּנַי, נִצְּחוּנִי בָּנַי
Translit.: ʾămar lēh: qā ḥāyēḵ wə-ʾāmar: niṣṣəḥūnī bānay, niṣṣəḥūnī bānay
Gloss:     say.PF.3MS to-3MS: DUR laugh.PTCP.ACT.MS and-say.PTCP.ACT.MS: defeat.PF.3MPL-1SG(Heb.) son.PL-1SG(Heb.) ×2
English:   He said to him: He was laughing and saying, "My sons have defeated me, my sons have defeated me."
Source:    b. Bava Metzia 59b (Wikisource Bavli, CC BY-SA; written קא חייך ואמר נצחוני בני נצחוני בני)

Notes: prolepsis (אַשְׁכְּחֵיהּ … לְאֵלִיָּהוּ); קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא "the Holy One, blessed be he" (abbr. קוב"ה) is the Aramaic name of God of rabbinic literature, later frequent in the Zohar (The lexicon of the Zohar); קָא + participle describes the past progressive in narrative; God's words are in Hebrew (נִצְּחוּנִי בָּנַי) — Hebrew as the language of quoted authority even in God's mouth.

5. Taanit 23a — Honi the circle-drawer sleeps seventy years

Aramaic:   יוֹמָא חַד הֲוָה אָזֵיל בְּאוֹרְחָא, חַזְיֵיהּ לְהַהוּא גַּבְרָא דַּהֲוָה נָטַע חָרוּבָא
Translit.: yōmā ḥaḏ hăwā ʾāzēl bə-ʾōrḥā, ḥazyēh lə-hahū gaḇrā da-hăwā nāṭaʿ ḥārūḇā
Gloss:     day one be.PF.3MS go.PTCP.ACT.MS in-road.DET, see.PF.3MS-3MS ACC-that man REL-be.PF.3MS plant.PTCP.ACT.MS carob
English:   One day he was walking on the road and saw a man planting a carob tree.
Source:    b. Taanit 23a (Wikisource Bavli, CC BY-SA)

Aramaic:   אֲמַר לֵיהּ: הַאי עַד כַּמָּה שְׁנִין טָעֵין? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: עַד שַׁבְעִין שְׁנִין
Translit.: ʾămar lēh: hāy ʿaḏ kammā šənīn ṭāʿēn? ʾămar lēh: ʿaḏ šaḇʿīn šənīn
Gloss:     say.PF.3MS to-3MS: this until how.many year.PL.ABS bear.PTCP.ACT.MS? say.PF.3MS to-3MS: until seventy year.PL.ABS
English:   He said to him: "This one — how many years until it bears fruit?" He said: "Seventy years."
Source:    b. Taanit 23a (Wikisource Bavli, CC BY-SA)

Aramaic:   פְּשִׁיטָא לָךְ דְּחָיֵית שַׁבְעִין שְׁנִין?
Translit.: pəšīṭā lāḵ də-ḥāyēṯ šaḇʿīn šənīn?
Gloss:     obvious to-2MS COMP-live.PTCP-2MS seventy year.PL.ABS
English:   Is it certain to you that you will live seventy years?
Source:    b. Taanit 23a (Wikisource Bavli, CC BY-SA; written פשיטא לך דחיית שבעין שנין)

Aramaic:   הַאי גַּבְרָא עָלְמָא בְּחָרוּבָא אַשְׁכַּחְתֵּיהּ; כִּי הֵיכִי דִּשְׁתַלוּ לִי אֲבָהָתַי, שָׁתֵילְנָא נַמִי לִבְרָאַי
Translit.: hāy gaḇrā ʿālmā bə-ḥārūḇā ʾaškaḥtēh; kī hēḵī də-štalū lī ʾăḇāhāṯay, šāṯēlnā nammī li-ḇrāʾay
Gloss:     this man world.DET with-carob find.APH.PF.1SG-3MS; as how REL-plant.PF.3MPL for-1SG father.PL-1SG, plant.PTCP-1SG also for-son.PL-1SG
English:   This man (= I) found the world with carob trees; as my fathers planted for me, so I too plant for my children.
Source:    b. Taanit 23a (Wikisource Bavli, CC BY-SA; written האי [גברא] עלמא בחרובא אשכחתיה כי היכי דשתלי לי אבהתי שתלי נמי לבראי)

Notes: הַאי גַּבְרָא "this man" is a polite self-reference ("I"); the printed text has שתלי twice, which we read as a perfect and a participle with the 1 sg. enclitic (the vowels are our reconstruction; manuscripts differ).

Aramaic:   יָתֵיב, קָא כָּרֵיךְ רִיפְתָּא, אֲתָא לֵיהּ שֵׁינְתָא, נִים
Translit.: yāṯēḇ, qā kārēḵ rīp̄tā, ʾăṯā lēh šēntā, nīm
Gloss:     sit.PTCP.ACT.MS, DUR eat.PTCP.ACT.MS bread.DET, come.PF.3MS to-3MS sleep.DET, sleep.PF.3MS
English:   He sat down and was eating bread; sleep came over him, and he slept.
Source:    b. Taanit 23a (Wikisource Bavli, CC BY-SA)

Aramaic:   כִּי קָם, חַזְיֵיהּ לְהַהוּא גַּבְרָא דַּהֲוָה קָא מְלַקֵּט מִינַּיְהוּ. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: אַתְּ הוּא דִּשְׁתַלְתֵּיהּ? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: בַּר בְּרֵיהּ אֲנָא
Translit.: kī qām, ḥazyēh lə-hahū gaḇrā da-hăwā qā məlaqqēṭ mīnnayhū. ʾămar lēh: ʾat hū di-štaltēh? ʾămar lēh: bar bərēh ʾănā
Gloss:     when rise.PF.3MS, see.PF.3MS-3MS ACC-that man REL-be.PF.3MS DUR gather.PAEL.PTCP.ACT.MS from-3MPL. say.PF.3MS to-3MS: you COP.3MS REL-plant.PF.2MS-3MS? say.PF.3MS to-3MS: son.CST son-3MS I
English:   When he got up, he saw a man gathering (carobs) from it. He said to him: "Are you the one who planted it?" He said: "I am his grandson."
Source:    b. Taanit 23a (Wikisource Bavli, CC BY-SA)

Aramaic:   אֲזַל לְבֵיתֵיהּ, אֲמַר לְהוּ: בְּרֵיהּ דְּחוֹנִי הַמְעַגֵּל מִי קַיָּים? אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: בְּרֵיהּ לֵיתָא, בַּר בְּרֵיהּ אִיתָא
Translit.: ʾăzal lə-ḇēṯēh, ʾămar ləhū: bərēh də-ḥōnī ham-ʿaggēl mī qayyām? ʾămarū lēh: bərēh lēṯā, bar bərēh ʾīṯā
Gloss:     go.PF.3MS to-house-3MS, say.PF.3MS to-3MPL: son-3MS REL-Honi the-circle.drawer Q alive? say.PF.3MPL to-3MS: son-3MS NEG.EXIST, son.CST son-3MS EXIST
English:   He went to his house and said to them: "Is the son of Honi the circle-drawer alive?" They said: "His son is not; his grandson is."
Source:    b. Taanit 23a (Wikisource Bavli, CC BY-SA)

Aramaic:   אֲמַר לְהוּ: אֲנָא נִיהוּ. לָא הֵימְנוּהוּ
Translit.: ʾămar ləhū: ʾănā nīhū. lā hēmnūhū
Gloss:     say.PF.3MS to-3MPL: I COP.3MS. NEG believe.APH.PF.3MPL-3MS
English:   He said to them: "I am he." They did not believe him.
Source:    b. Taanit 23a (Wikisource Bavli, CC BY-SA)

Aramaic:   חֲלַשׁ דַּעְתֵּיהּ, בְּעָא רַחֲמֵי וּמִית. אָמַר רָבָא: הַיְינוּ דְּאָמְרֵי אִינָשֵׁי: אוֹ חַבְרוּתָא אוֹ מִיתוּתָא
Translit.: ḥălaš daʿtēh, bəʿā raḥămē ū-mīṯ. ʾāmar rāḇā: haynū də-ʾāmrē ʾīnāšē: ʾō ḥaḇrūṯā ʾō mīṯūṯā
Gloss:     weak.PF.3MS mind-3MS, ask.PF.3MS mercy.PL and-die.PF.3MS. say.PF.3MS Rava: that.is REL-say.PTCP.PL people: or companionship or death
English:   He was distressed, prayed for mercy, and died. Rava said: This is what people say: "Either companionship or death."
Source:    b. Taanit 23a (Wikisource Bavli, CC BY-SA)

Notes: the story is a catalogue of JBA narrative grammar: הֲוָה + participle; קָא + participle; prolepsis; לֵיתָא / אִיתָא; the copula נִיהוּ; the proverb formula הַיְינוּ דְּאָמְרֵי אִינָשֵׁי; abstract nouns in ־וּתָא (חַבְרוּתָא, מִיתוּתָא); idioms חֲלַשׁ דַּעְתֵּיהּ "his mind became weak" = "he was upset", בְּעָא רַחֲמֵי "asked for mercy" = "prayed".

6. The incantation bowls

The bowls (5th–7th c. CE, Mesopotamia) are written in a spiral on the inside of clay bowls buried under houses. Their language is JBA close to that of the Bavli, with archaic and Mandaic-like features (Juusola 1999). We do not quote a bowl text here: the editions on which a quotation would rest (Naveh and Shaked 1985, 1993; Shaked, Ford and Bhayro 2013) are in copyright, and Montgomery 1913 (public domain) is not yet on disk. The typical structure, described in those editions, is:

  1. an opening formula wishing healing or protection "from heaven" for the client;
  2. the client named by mother's name ("X son of Y", Y a woman), as in all magical texts of the period;
  3. a list of demons, liliths, curses and "vows" to be bound, sealed and driven out;
  4. adjurations by names of God and angels, biblical verses in Hebrew, and the seals of Solomon;
  5. a closing "amen, amen, selah" with the client's name again.

For Mova the bowls matter as original JBA writing (no medieval copying) and as a register very different from the Bavli's argument. They are wanted (Sources).

The Elamur team

This page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/docs/languages/tmr/texts/