Zarka (trope)

Zarqa
זַרְקָא֮ ֮ אֱלֹהִים֮
cantillation
Sof passuk ׃   Paseq ׀
Etnakhta/atnakh ֑   Segol ֒
Shalshelet ֓   Zakef katan ֔
Zakef gadol ֕   Tifcha/tarkha ֖
Rivia ֗   Zarka ֘
Pashta ֙   Yetiv ֚
Tevir ֛   Geresh ֜
Geresh muqdam [de] ֝   Gershayim ֞
Karne parah ֟   Telisha gedola/talsha ֠
Pazer ֡   Atnah hafukh [de] ֢
Munakh/shofar holekh ֣   Mahpach ֤
Merkha/ma’arikh ֥   Mercha kefula ֦
Darga ֧   Qadma ֨
Telisha qetana/tarsa ֩   Yerah ben yomo ֪
Ole ֫   Illuy ֬
Dehi [de] ֭   Tsinnorit ֮

Zarka or zarqa (Hebrew: זַרְקָא, with variant English spellings) is a cantillation mark found in the Torah, Haftarah, and other books of the Hebrew Bible. It is usually found together with the Segol, with a Munach preceding either or both. The symbol for a Zarka is a 90 degrees rotated, inverted S.[1] The Hebrew word זַרְקָא translates as "throwing" and the melody is ascending in Moroccan and Sefardic tradition (with two or one retracements respectively) and descending in the Ashkenazic.

Zarka is part of the Segol group. In this group, Zarka is the connector and Segol is the separator.[2]

  1. ^ Chanting the Hebrew Bible By Joshua R. Jacobson, page 61
  2. ^ Art of Torah Cantillation: A Step-by-step Guide to Chanting Torah By Marshall Portnoy, Josée Wolff, page 59