happiness / joy

The Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek that is typically translated in English as “joy” or “happiness” is translated in the Hausa Common Language Bible idiomatically as farin ciki or “white stomach.” In some cases, such as in Genesis 29:11, it is also added for emphatic purposes.

Other languages that use the same expression include Southern Birifor (pʋpɛl), Dera (popolok awo), Reshe (ɾipo ɾipuhã). (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)

See also Seat of the Mind / Seat of Emotions, rejoiced greatly / celebrated, the Mossi translation of “righteous”, and joy.

complete verse (Psalm 126:5)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 126:5:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “Those who sowed while crying,
    they will harvest while singing songs of joy.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “Those who plant, weeping and weeping,
    will harvest, singing songs of rejoicing.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “May-it-be that the one who sowed-(by casting seeds) crying will-reap/harvest with joy.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “People who plant seeds with tears,
    they will harvest with songs of joy.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “Ambao wanapanda mbegu na machozi,
    ndio watakuja kuvuna na furaha.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “We cried when we planted seeds because it was hard work preparing the soil that had not been plowed for many years;
    now we want to shout joyfully because we are gathering a big harvest.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Psalm 126:4 - 126:5

The psalmist begins the prayer in these verses with the same language used in verse 1. It is possible that the words in verse 4a mean the same as in verse 1a, that is, “take us back to our land” (Good News Translation footnote); but it seems preferable to do as New Jerusalem Bible and Moffatt have done, either “Bring back our people from captivity” (New Jerusalem Bible) or “bring back now the rest of our exiles” (Moffatt). Revised Standard Version, New American Bible, and New International Version have the general sense, Restore our fortunes. Whatever the circumstances, the people are in need once more of Yahweh’s saving help. The translator must be careful in translating verse 4 not to give the impression that the psalmist is asking God to take the people back again into captivity, particularly if he follows Good News Translation. Readers may be confused, since in verse 1 the LORD has already brought the people back to Zion. The recommendation of following Moffatt or particularly New Jerusalem Bible will avoid the likely confusion. As an alternative translators may say, for example, “Restore us to our former glory” or “make us great as we were in former times.”

In verse 4b like the watercourses in the Negeb refers to the arid desert country south of Judah, where the dry riverbeds would be suddenly turned into rushing streams by a heavy rainfall. The language may have been proverbial, indicating a sudden change of fortune from bad to good. Good News Translation has used analogous expressions of bringing people back to the land, and bringing water back to dry river beds. If the translator has followed the model of New Jerusalem Bible in verse 4a, it may be possible in verse 4b to say “just as you bring water to the dry river beds” or “like you bring water to fill the dry river beds.”

It is not easy to understand in verses 5a, 6a why the people wept as they planted their crops (those who sow in tears). Commentators suggest that this weeping reflects an ancient pagan belief that the sowing of the seed had to be marked by weeping for the death of the nature god of fertility, who was thought to die when the dry season arrived and come back to life when the rains returned (see Taylor, Weiser, Anderson; see Ezek 8.14). As Taylor says, “Such a custom could linger on in Israel long after its primitive origin had been forgotten.” Or the saying may depict a time of famine, when the seed that could be used to feed a hungry family had to be planted in the earth. In any case, the figure of sorrow, or hard work, at seedtime and joy at harvest dramatically describes a change of fortune, which the people fervently hope will happen to them. None of the translations consulted gives a footnote to explain this saying. Translators may consider doing so, if the saying is obscure. They may be able to adapt this saying to the receptor language. The saying consists of verb-noun : noun-verb: hazorʿim bedimʿah : berinah yiqtsoru, in which the two noun phrases “in tears” and “with shouts” sound similar.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Reyburn, William D. A Handbook on the Book of Psalms. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1991. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .