INTRODUZIONE
“A New World” è il primo libro di Mosè, più noto come la Genesi, raccontato in modo unico. Versi scorrevoli in rima baciata ed un incalzante ritmo trasportano il lettore dalle delizie verdeggianti del Giardino dell’Eden, oltre Noè e l’alluvione e le avventure di Abramo e Isacco, fino all’arrivo di Giuseppe in Egitto e la sua ascesa al potere come braccio destro del Faraone. Uno stile scanzonato ma mai irriverente, porta in vita i personaggi di questa storia biblica e fa di ‘A New World’ una lettura molto piacevole sia per bambini che per adulti.
Per trarre il massimo beneficio dalla traccia audio, si consiglia di fare l’ascolto almeno una volta prima di passare alla lettura del testo.
The
multicoloured
coat
[Genesis 36:6]
During Jacob’s absence, Esau’s herds had grown,
His sheep and cattle covered an enormous grazing zone.
As Jacob’s herds were also big, they couldn’t stay too near,
So Esau moved and set up camp just below mount Seir.
His tribe grew rich and prospered, they lived in peace and freedom,
His sons became the Dukes of Seir and then the Kings of Edom.
Jacob settled where he was and set his herds to graze,
He let his sons look after things and whiled away his days.
He made a multicoloured coat that sparkled like the sun,
And gave the coat to Joseph, his dearest favourite son.
Joseph’s elder brothers were jealous as could be,
They spoke of him behind his back and said, “Why him, not me?”
Joseph didn’t realise his brothers felt that way,
And started to recount to them a dream he’d had that day.
“We were reaping corn,” he said, “just outside the town,
When suddenly my sheaf stood up and your sheaves all bowed down.”
His brothers laughed and told him it didn’t mean a thing,
His dream was wishful thinking, he’d never be their king.
Joseph then recounted another dream he’d had,
First he told his brothers and then he told his dad.
“Eleven stars, the sun and moon bowed down to me,” he said.
His brothers laughed out loud again, convinced he’d lost his head.
The thought of Joseph ruling them was really quite absurd,
But Jacob wasn’t quite so sure, he didn’t say a word.
Once, when Jacob’s sons had gone to feed the furthest sheep,
Jacob went to Joseph’s room and woke him from his sleep.
He made him put his coat on, his trousers and his shoes,
And sent him out to find the boys and bring back all their news.
Joseph was content to help and left at break of day,
But very soon the boy got lost and had to ask the way.
When his brothers saw him, approaching from afar,
They looked each other in the eye and shouted out, “Ah-ha!
At last the moment has arrived to carry out our scheme,
To put an end to little Jo, his fancy coat and dream.”
But Reuben, Jacob’s eldest child, said they’d lost their wits,
“Instead of killing him,” he said, let’s throw him in the pits.”
Reuben hoped that somehow young Joseph would survive,
And later he could rescue him, tearful, but alive.
“The pits will kill him,” he assured, “without a bloody scene,
And you can keep your consciences relatively clean.”
So just as Joseph reached them and made as if to sit,
They stripped his coloured coat off and threw him in a pit.
When a little later on, they all sat down to eat,
A company of Ishmaelites came riding through the heat.
On their way to Egypt with spices, myrrh, and balm,
They didn’t look at all intent on doing any harm.
Suddenly, young Judah smiled, he’d had a bright idea,
He called his brothers to his side and whispered in their ear.
“Why not sell our brother Jo to strangers?” Judah said.
“He’s worth much more alive to us than moribund or dead.”
Reuben wasn’t there just then to stop them or say no,
And so for twenty silver coins they sold their brother Jo.
When Reuben heard about it, he wept and tore his clothes,
And said, “We must make certain that our father never knows.”
To make it seem an accident, the brothers killed a goat,
And wiped its blood abundantly on Joseph’s fancy coat.
When old Jacob saw the coat and recognised the threads,
He had no doubt a wild beast had ripped his son to shreds.
The family consoled him, they all stood by his side,
But Jacob said he’d mourn his son until the day he died.
As Judah had devised the plan to sell his brother Jo,
The Lord beset his wretched life with every kind of woe.
Two of Judah’s eldest sons mysteriously died,
And not much later, Judah’s wife was buried by their side.
His daughter-in-law seduced him and added to his shame,
But Judah said quite openly that he deserved the blame.
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