Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Esther 8:12:
Kupsabiny: “But/And the day these things were supposed to happen in all the provinces in that country which king Ahasuerus was ruling, was the thirteenth day of the twelfth month.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “This event will take place in the 12th month, the month called Adar, on the 13th day in all of the provinces of King Ahasuerus’ realm.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “The Jews in all the provinces which are under-the-jurisdiction of the kingdom of King Ahasuerus will-do this for a period/[lit. inside] of just one day, on the 13th day of the 12th month which is the month of Adar.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Eastern Bru: “This word was to be obeyed all through the cities of Persia starting from the day which had been determined to kill all the Jews. That day was the thirteenth day of the twelfth month (the month of Adar).” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
English: “All this was to be done on March 7th of the following year. Mordecai signed the king’s name on the letters, and sealed them with the seal that was on the king’s ring. Then he gave them to messengers, who rode on fast horses that had been raised especially for the king.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
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:
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 (Dinė) 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.”
Revised Standard Version and many other versions present this verse as part of a sentence that continues from verse 11. The translator may find it preferable to restructure into a single and separate sentence as Good News Translation has done.
On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month was the day that had been set for the destruction of the Jews (see 3.13). Good News Translation makes the significance explicit by adding “on the day set for the slaughter of the Jews.” This decree is a complete reversal of the situation originally intended by Haman. It may be helpful in other languages to add the words “on the day set for the killing of the Jews,” as Good News Translation has done (also Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje), since that date was last mentioned in chapter 3.
On Adar see 3.7.
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 .
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.