The Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek that is typically translated in English as “joy” or “happiness” is translated in the HausaCommon 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)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 40:16:
Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
“But those who seek You
let them rejoice and be glad in You;
those who love your salvation
all the time let them say, ‘Jehovah be exalted!’” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
Newari:
“But may those who keep searching for You rejoice with You,
And may those who love Your salvation always speak like this,
‘How great is the LORD!’” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon:
“But may-it-be that all who take-refuge-in/go-for-help-from you (sing.) will- surely -rejoice/be-happy because of you (sing.).
May-it-be that those who desire salvation from you (sing.) always say, ‘The LORD be-praised.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Eastern Bru:
“Request you allow all people who believe in you to rejoice, and let all people who are thankful for salvation agree to say this: "God’s rule is great!"” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
Laarim:
“But you would allow all people who are search for you,
to be happy and rejoice in you,
you would let people who love your salvation to always say that,
‘You (plur.) let the LORD to be great!’” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
“Lakini wote ambao wanakutafuta wewe,
washangilie na kufurahi.
Ambao wanaupenda wokovu wako,
daima waseme, ‘BWANA awe anasifiwa!’” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
English:
“But I hope that all those who go to worship you will be very joyful.
I want those who love you because you saved them to shout repeatedly,
‘Yahweh is great!’” (Source: Translation for Translators)
Translators of different languages have found different ways with what kind of formality God is addressed. The first example is from a language where God is always addressed distinctly formal whereas the second is one where the opposite choice was made.
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Like many languages (but unlike Greek or Hebrew or English), Tuvan uses a formal vs. informal 2nd person pronoun (a familiar vs. a respectful “you”). Unlike other languages that have this feature, however, the translators of the Tuvan Bible have attempted to be very consistent in using the different forms of address in every case a 2nd person pronoun has to be used in the translation of the biblical text.
As Voinov shows in Pronominal Theology in Translating the Gospels (in: The Bible Translator2002, p. 210ff. ), the choice to use either of the pronouns many times involved theological judgment. While the formal pronoun can signal personal distance or a social/power distance between the speaker and addressee, the informal pronoun can indicate familiarity or social/power equality between speaker and addressee.
In these verses, in which humans address God, the informal, familiar pronoun is used that communicates closeness.
Voinov notes that “in the Tuvan Bible, God is only addressed with the informal pronoun. No exceptions. An interesting thing about this is that I’ve heard new Tuvan believers praying with the formal form to God until they are corrected by other Christians who tell them that God is close to us so we should address him with the informal pronoun. As a result, the informal pronoun is the only one that is used in praying to God among the Tuvan church.”
In Gbaya, “a superior, whether father, uncle, or older brother, mother, aunt, or older sister, president, governor, or chief, is never addressed in the singular unless the speaker intends a deliberate insult. When addressing the superior face to face, the second person plural pronoun ɛ́nɛ́ or ‘you (pl.)’ is used, similar to the French usage of vous.
Accordingly, the translators of the current version of the Gbaya Bible chose to use the plural ɛ́nɛ́ to address God. There are a few exceptions. In Psalms 86:8, 97:9, and 138:1, God is addressed alongside other “gods,” and here the third person pronoun o is used to avoid confusion about who is being addressed. In several New Testament passages (Matthew 21:23, 26:68, 27:40, Mark 11:28, Luke 20:2, 23:37, as well as in Jesus’ interaction with Pilate and Jesus’ interaction with the Samaritan woman at the well) the less courteous form for Jesus is used to indicate ignorance of his position or mocking (source Philip Noss).
In Dutch and Western Frisian translations, however, God is always addressed with the formal pronoun.
The psalmist prays for God’s blessings on his faithful people. Seek in line a means to go to the Temple to worship God (see comments on 24.6b). In line bin thee means “because of you,” “because of what you have done.” This phrase need not be represented formally, since the meaning is inherent in the expression “come to you” (see New Jerusalem Bible). Parallel lines may be used, as follows: “May all who seek you rejoice; may all who come to you be glad.”
Love thy salvation does not mean “love being saved by you”; here it may mean “to wish, desire,” or else “who are grateful for” (see Good News Translation). New English Bible “who long for”; New Jerusalem Bible “who are eager for”; Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “desire.” Bible en français courant translates “who love you, the Savior.” In some languages it will be essential to transform thy salvation into a clause; for example, “may all you have saved give you thanks,” or “may all the people you have saved show they are thankful,” or “may everyone who wants you to save them….”
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 .
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