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)
The name that is transliterated as “Judah” or “Judea” in English (referring to the son of Jacob, the tribe, and the territory) is translated in Spanish Sign Language as “lion” (referring to Genesis 49:9 and Revelation 5:5). This sign for lion is reserved for regions and kingdoms. (Source: John Elwode in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 78ff. and Steve Parkhurst)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 48:11:
Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
“Mount Zion is rejoicing,
the villages of Judah are glad
because of your judgments.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
Newari:
“Let the people of Zion rejoice!
Let all the cities of Judah rejoice
because of the judgments that you render.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon:
“The residents of Zion and the residents of the other cities of Juda rejoice, because of your (sing.) righteous judgment.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Laarim:
“people rejoice at the mountain of Zion,
the homes of Judah are happy,
because of the matters which you judge.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
“Watu wa katika Sayuni washangilie,
miji ya katika Yuda ifurahie,
kwa sababu ya kuhukumu kwa unyofu.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
English:
“The people who live near Zion Hill should be happy!
The people in all the cities in Judah should rejoice
because you judge people fairly.” (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 Hebrew text in the first two lines is “As your name (extends) to the ends of the earth, so does your praise.” Here name stands for fame, reputation (see 5.11); Yahweh’s fame has spread over all the world, evoking praise from all peoples everywhere. Thy praise means “praise that people offer you.” The expression thy praise reaches to the ends of the earth will be difficult to express literally as in Revised Standard Version or in Good News Translation, since praise is not often said to reach or extend. In many languages it will be necessary to shift to another type of construction; for example, “and people all over the earth praise you because they know that you are great.”
In verse 10c the Hebrew tsedeq (see comments on “right” in 4.l) is translated victory by Revised Standard Version, Jerusalem Bible; “generosity” by Dahood; “salvation” by Weiser; “beneficence” by New Jerusalem Bible, all of which are possible. It seems better, however, to join verse 10c to verse 11, as four lines in a chiastic arrangement (a-b-b′-a′): “God’s justice … Mount Zion is glad; cities of Judah rejoice … God’s judgments.” Thus tsedeq in verse 10c is parallel with mishpat, judgments in verse 11c (see discussion at 7.6); so Good News Translation, Bible de Jérusalem, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, New English Bible.
Right hand in verse 10c is a figure of power, authority; Mount Zion in verse 11a stands for the citizens of Jerusalem; and the daughters of Judah in verse 11b means the people of the cities of Judah.
The expression thy judgments must often be rendered “because you judge people fairly.”
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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