desert / wilderness

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The Greek, Hebrew and Latin that is translated as “desert” or “wilderness” in English is translated in a number of ways:

  • Mairasi: “a place where noisiness is cut off (or: stops)” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
  • Muna: pandaso bhalano pr “big barren-field” (source: René van den Berg)
  • Balinese: “barren field” (source: J.L. Swellengrebel in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 75ff. )
  • Wantoat: “uninhabited place” (source: Holzhausen 1991, p. 38)
  • Umiray Dumaget Agta: “where no people dwell” (source: Larson 1998, p. 98)
  • Shipibo-Conibo: “where no house is” (source: James Lauriault in The Bible Translator 1951, p. 32ff. )
  • Amri Karbi: “waterless region/place” (source: Philippova 2021, p. 368)
  • Ocotlán Zapotec: “large empty place” (source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)
  • Pa’o Karen: “jungle” (denoting a place without any towns, villages and tilled fields) (source: Gordon Luce in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 153f. )
  • Low German translation by Johannes Jessen, publ. 1933, republ. 2006: “steppe”
  • Yakan: “the lonely place” (source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “a land where no people lived” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “the place with no inhabitants” (source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Matumbi uses various term: lubele (desert, sandy place without water) — used in John 11:54, lupu’ngu’ti (a place where no people live, can be a scrub land, a forest, or a savanna) — used in Mark 1:3 et al.), and mwitu (a forest, a place where wild animals live) — used in Mark 1:13 et al.) (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)
  • Chichewa Contemporary translation (2002/2016): chipululu: a place uninhabited by people with thick forest and bush (source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

Note that in Luke 15:4, usually a term is used that denotes pastoral land, such as “eating/grazing-place” in Tagbanwa (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation).

See also wilderness and desolate wilderness.

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 65:12)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 65:12:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “A grassy area in the wilderness overflow;
    mountains are clothed with joy.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “The fields of the desert are green.
    And the mountains overflow with joy.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “The grazing-areas in the desolate-place (are) abundant in grass;
    the hills/mountains (are) like people who rejoice/are-happy.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “The grass grows well in the grass land,
    and the mountains rejoice.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “Mifugo imejaa katika majani ya mbugani,
    milima imejaa furaha.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “The pastures are full of flocks of sheep and goats;
    it is as though the hills are very joyful.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Psalm 65:11 - 65:13

The psalmist uses poetic language to picture the large flocks and rich harvests with which God blesses his people. It is recommended that, if possible, a translator read these three verses in a number of different translations in order to get some sense of how these poetic figures hang together. After that a verse-by-verse first draft may be attempted.

In verse 11a Thou crownest the year with thy bounty means that God blesses the harvest season with rich crops, as though they were a crown that God places on the land that year (see the verb “to crown” in 8.5b). Here the verb “to crown” is used not in the sense of power and authority, like those of a king, but a wreath, a garland, that indicates victory and celebration. In many languages it will not be possible to speak of “goodness” performing an action such as providing rich harvests, as in Good News Translation. However, one may often say “Because you are good you give us rich harvests.”

In verse 11b the Hebrew is “your chariot tracks drip with fatness.” This pictures God riding around in his chariot, that is, the rain clouds (see 68.4, 33), and leaving abundant blessings wherever he goes. But it is not strictly necessary to keep the figure of a chariot. New Jerusalem Bible translates “Your paths,” and Bible en français courant has “abundance flourishes wherever you have passed.” But there are differences of opinion about the word translated “chariot tracks” (used also as “paths” in 17.5; 23.3); Dahood has “pastures,” and New English Bible “palm-trees.” Biblia Dios Habla Hoy translates “Your clouds.” The word fatness here indicates abundance of good things.

The same verb, “drip, trickle,” is used in verse 12a of The pastures. The Hebrew phrase The pastures of the wilderness are the open pastures where the flocks graze; for example, “grazing lands.” The figure here is that of “pastures … filled with flocks”; see New Jerusalem Bible “The meadows are clothed with flocks.” But instead of flocks, perhaps the psalmist is speaking of grass; so Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “the pastures of the wilderness are green”; New Jerusalem Bible “the pastures of the desert grow moist”; and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “The pastures in the wilderness are moist and green.” New English Bible translates in more general terms, “… are rich with blessing.”

In verses 12b, 13a-b the three verbs “to gird oneself,” “to clothe oneself,” and “to cover oneself” are used of the hills, of the meadows, and of the valleys, which are covered with joy, flocks, and grain. The poetry is beautiful and highly effective, but a literal translation may communicate very little, if anything, to readers whose way of life is radically different from that of the psalmist and his readers. Verses 12 and 13 are difficult to translate without making several adjustments. The main problem is that in Hebrew a series of inanimate objects are said to be doing things that only humans do. Good News Translation has shifted these to passive constructions and modified the “clothing” verbs. However, in languages which will not take passive constructions here, other changes will be required. One of the most obvious adaptations that can be made would be to switch to active constructions and to supply God as the agent. In addition it will often be necessary to supply some comparisons in order to keep the poetic ideas; for example, “you make the hills like joyful people” or “you cause the hills to look like happy people.”

The psalm ends with a portrayal of all of them, the pastures, the hillsides, and the valleys, shouting and singing together for joy in gratitude to God. The referent of they shout and sing is inanimate, and in many languages this figurative usage will be misleading. In languages where inanimate subjects cannot perform these events, it will often be necessary to supply a comparison; for example, “everything will be good like people shouting and singing for joy” or “all these things will be like people who shout and sing their thanks to God.”

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 .