I've been investigating different sorts of birds in the bible ..... I'm sure you all know of my interest in birds, what with my blog about it being mentioned in the sidebar.
In general, I can report that they're a bit dodgy .... namely, if you look them up in different languages, you often find they turn into different birds, doing different things ! Now that can't be right !
There's two verses ( 6 and 7) in Psalm 102 ..... in the English version ... the " Authorised" version, they read like this ..
6] I am like a Pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert.
7] I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top.
Well, that's all a bit glum.
And if you look at the picture up at the top, you can also see that there is some slight (?) disagreement about it too.
I've already found out that my Welsh bibles turns the birds into something different... and what they're doing and where they're living ... so ......
.... we're probably going to to have a bit of fun when we look at the German version of it !
Here's what my German bible does with the same two verses ...
6] Ich bin wie eine Rohrdommel in die Wüste: ich bin gleich wie ein Käuzlein in den verstörten Stätten.
7] Ich wache und bin wie ein einsamer Vogel auf dem Dache.
So, first thing ... have a go at working out what that actually says.
If you manage it, you'll find that things are a bit different.
Especially in the first bit.
Was für eine Überraschung !
We'll have another picture while you give it a go.
It's quite a jolly picture .. and relevant too.
Try to work it all out for yourself first ..
So here's what I turned it into...
" I am like a Bittern in the desert : I am like a Little Owl in the "bewildered" places.
I keep watch and I am like a lonely bird on the roof."
[ bewildered" seems a bit odd, but presumably it comes from "places that have become wild" ... which makes sense. ]
OK ... enough serious stuff for now ..... here's a REALLY odd thing ... Revolverheld are playing live, and the singer makes a complete hash of it .... you feel sorry for him actually .... something's wrong somehow.... but it's a gripping watch, and I challenge any of you, dear readers, to work out what the hell he's singing about !!
I keep watch and I am like a lonely bird on the roof."
I think that's how the singer must have felt.
Bitterns don't want to be in the desert ... they like water to sploosh about in and catch frogs and fish and suchlike.
And Sparrows don't want to be alone ... they're incredibly sociable creatures.