cardinal directions

The cardinal directions “east” and “west” are easy to translate into Maan here since the language uses “where the sun comes up” and “where the sun goes down.” For “north” the translator had “facing toward the sun rising to the left,” and for “south” she had “facing toward the sun rising to the right.” So the listener had to think hard before knowing what direction was in view when translating “to the north and south, to the east and west.” So, in case all four directions are mentioned, it was shortened by saying simply “all directions.” (Source: Don Slager) Likewise, Yakan has “from the four corners of the earth” (source: Yakan back-translation) or Western Bukidnon Manobo “from the four directions here on the earth” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo back-translation).

Kankanaey is “from the coming-out and the going-away of the sun and the north and the south” (source: Kankanaey back-translation), Northern Emberá “from where the sun comes up, from where it falls, from the looking [left] hand, from the real [right] hand” (source: Charles Mortensen), Amele “from the direction of the sun going up, from the direction of the sun going down, from the north and from the south” (source: John Roberts), Ejamat “look up to see the side where the sun comes from, and the side where it sets, and look on your right side, and on your left” (source: David Frank in this blog post ).

In Lamba, only umutulesuŵa, “where the sun rises” and imbonsi, “where the sun sets” were available as cardinal directions that were not tied to the local area of language speakers (“north” is kumausi — “to the Aushi country” — and “south” kumalenje — “to the Lenje country”). So “north” and “south” were introduced as loanwords, nofu and saufu respectively. The whole phrase is kunofu nakusaufu nakumutulesuŵa nakumbonsi. (Source C. M. Doke in The Bible Translator 1958, p. 57ff. )

“West” is translated in Tzeltal as “where the sun pours-out” and in Kele as “down-river” (source: Reiling / Swellengrebel).

In Morelos Nahuatl, “north” is translated as “from above” and “south” as “from below.” (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)

In Matumbi cardinal directions are defined as in relation to another place. “East” for instance typically is “toward the beach” since the coast is in the eastern direction in Matumbi-speaking areas. “North” and “south” can be defined as above or below another place. (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)

The Hebrew text that gives instructions where to place items in the tabernacle with the help of cardinal directions (north and south) had to be approached in the Bambam translation specific to spacial concepts of that culture.

Phil Campbell explains: “There are no words in Bambam for north and south. In Exodus 26:35, God instructs that the table is to be placed on the north side and the lamp on the south side inside the tabernacle. The team wants to use right and left to tell where the lamp and table are located. In many languages we would say that the table is on the right and the lampstand is on the left based on the view of someone entering the tabernacle. However, that is not how Bambam people view it. They view the placement of things and rooms in a building according to the orientation of someone standing inside the building facing the front of the building. So that means the table is on the left side and the lampstand is on the right side.”

See also cardinal directions / left and right.

Translation commentary on Sirach 43:16 - 43:17

In some Greek manuscripts, and in the traditional verse numbering, the lines of these two verses have become confused. Good News Translation reflects the correct order, according to the Hebrew and some Greek manuscripts. It is the numbering in Ziegler’s Greek text. Verse 17a precedes verse 16; then comes the rest of verse 17. Translators are urged to follow Good News Translation‘s order. In the discussion below, the Revised Standard Version citations are given in the Good News Translation order.

The voice of his thunder rebukes the earth: Good News Translation follows Greek manuscripts other than those used by Revised Standard Version. Instead of rebukes, Good News Translation reads a Greek word used of a woman in painful labor. Instead of speaking of the earth having labor pains, however, Good News Translation says “thunder twists the earth in pain.” It is a striking figure, appropriate to Palestine, where the hills and canyons cause the thunder to echo loud and long. Translators who feel the figure is too difficult may render this line as “When he speaks, thunder shakes the earth [or, the earth shakes with thunder].” In languages where the expression for thunder is something like “the sky roars,” we may say “His voice roars in the sky and shakes the earth.”

At his appearing the mountains are shaken: An appearance of God is sometimes described in the Old Testament as making the earth quake. Compare Jdg 5.5; Psa 68.8; 77.18; Jer 10.10; Hab 3.10. Good News Translation, reading the Hebrew, has “by his strength” instead of “when he appears.” We suggest that translators follow Revised Standard Version and the Greek here. Contemporary English Version has a helpful model following the Greek: “and at the sight of him, mountains tremble.” However, those who wish to follow Good News Translation and the Hebrew may do so with good conscience. Another possible model is “He uses his power to shake the mountains.”

At his will the south wind blows: At his will is rendered “Whenever he wishes” by Good News Translation.

So do the tempest from the north and the whirlwind: The Greek word translated tempest seems to refer primarily to windstorms; the Hebrew supports this. A whirlwind is a wind that rotates in a circular pattern. It may be as harmless as a “dust devil,” which is a small column of moving air that carries dust into the air in a visible column, or it may be as violent as a tornado. Although true tornadoes are very rare in Palestine, the emphasis here is on the strength and force of the wind. Good News Translation reverses the clauses in this line to make it sound better in English. This line continues the previous one. The two lines may be expressed as “Whenever he wishes, winds blow from the south and the north, and so do the whirlwinds.”

He scatters the snow like birds flying down: Instead of flying, Good News Translation uses the word “fluttering,” which is used ordinarily of birds, but can be used of any lightweight object—such as snowflakes—moving with the wind as it slowly falls.

And its descent is like locusts alighting: Neither Revised Standard Version nor Good News Translation gives a hint as to what this means. It probably refers to snow covering the ground, like a dense swarm of locusts. New English Bible says “they settle like a swarm of locusts.” Another possible model is “and it [the snow] covers the ground like a swarm of locusts.” Contemporary English Version combines the last two lines as follows:

• God sends the snow,
and it settles on the ground
like a flock of birds
or a swarm of locusts.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Sirach. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.