fair to behold

The Hebrew that is translated as “fair to behold” or similar in English is translated in Elhomwe with the idiomatic “her beauty hurt the heart.” (Source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

wearing a crown

The Hebrew that is rendered in English as “(bring Queen Vashti…) with her royal crown” was first translated into Bukusu as “wearing a crown,” but this appears to suggest that she did not wear anything else. Changed to: “She was well dressed, wearing her crown.”

See also Translation commentary on Esther 1:11.

king

Some languages do not have a concept of kingship and therefore no immediate equivalent for the Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Latin that is translated as “king” in English. Here are some (back-) translations:

(Click or tap here to see details)

  • Piro: “a great one”
  • Highland Totonac: “the big boss”
  • Huichol: “the one who commanded” (source for this and above: Bratcher / Nida)
  • Ekari: “the one who holds the country” (source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
  • Una: weik sienyi: “big headman” (source: Kroneman 2004, p. 407)
  • Pass Valley Yali: “Big Man” (source: Daud Soesilo)
  • Ninia Yali: “big brother with the uplifted name” (source: Daud Soesilio in Noss 2007, p. 175)
  • Nyamwezi: mutemi: generic word for ruler, by specifying the city or nation it becomes clear what kind of ruler (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
  • Ghomála’: Fo (“The word Fo refers to the paramount ruler in the kingdoms of West Cameroon. He holds administrative, political, and religious power over his own people, who are divided into two categories: princes (descendants of royalty) and servants (everyone else).” (Source: Michel Kenmogne in Theologizing in Context: An Example from the Study of a Ghomala’ Christian Hymn))

Faye Edgerton retells how the term in Navajo was determined:

“[This term was] easily expressed in the language of Biblical culture, which had kings and noblemen with their brilliant trappings and their position of honor and praise. But leadership among the Navajos is not accompanied by any such titles or distinctions of dress. Those most respected, especially in earlier days, were their headmen, who were the leaders in raids, and the shaman, who was able to serve the people by appealing for them to the gods, or by exorcising evil spirits. Neither of these made any outward show. Neither held his position by political intrigue or heredity. If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior. If the shaman failed many times in his healing ceremonies, it was considered that he was making mistakes in the chants, or had lost favor with the gods, and another was sought. The term Navajos use for headman is derived from a verb meaning ‘to move the head from side to side as in making an oration.’ The headman must be a good orator, able to move the people to go to war, or to follow him in any important decision. This word is naat’áanii which now means ‘one who rules or bosses.’ It is employed now for a foreman or boss of any kind of labor, as well as for the chairman of the tribal council. So in order to show that the king is not just a common boss but the highest ruler, the word ‘aláahgo, which expresses the superlative degree, was put before naat’áanii, and so ‘aláahgo naat’áanii ‘anyone-more-than-being around-he-moves-his-head-the-one-who’ means ‘the highest ruler.’ Naat’áanii was used for governor as the context usually shows that the person was a ruler of a country or associated with kings.”

(Source: Faye Edgerton in The Bible Translator 1962, p. 25ff. )

See also king (Japanese honorifics).

Translation commentary on Esther 1:11   

To bring: although the king ordered his servants to bring the queen, she was able to refuse to come. Therefore the translator must not use a verb bring that implies force; the servants were not sent to carry her to him. They were sent to “fetch” her, or to “lead her,” or to “escort” her.

With her royal crown: as Good News Translation and New Revised Standard Version make clear, Vashti was to come “wearing” her crown. This royal crown, or “diadem” (New Jerusalem Bible; see Septuagint at ESG 1.28[11]), was probably made of blue and white cloth wrapped around the head in the shape of a modern turban, with jewels inset. Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente correctly says “queenly turban.” Since only the crown is mentioned, ancient Jewish interpreters believed that Vashti was not to wear any clothes except the crown, but the meaning is that she was to appear wearing her royal clothing, including the crown. Translators need to make sure that the translation does not imply that Vashti was to appear naked, wearing only her crown. Some languages have expressions such as “bring [her] including her royal crown.”

Where no word for crown exists, a noun compound may be formed or a descriptive phrase may be used to describe a symbol of royalty worn on the head. The king wanted to exhibit the beauty of the queen to the people at the banquet. He wanted to let them see her, he wanted to show her off because, as the writer explains, she was fair to behold. An equivalent expression may be found that expresses great beauty without being vulgar or improper, such as “she captured everybody’s eyes” or “she stood very womanly.”

The peoples and the princes: regarding peoples see comments on 1.5, and for princes see comments on 1.3. The word rendered princes is rendered “governors” in verse 3b.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Noss, Philip A. A Handbook on Esther (The Hebrew Text). (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .