confused / dismayed

In Gbaya, the notion of confusion or dismay is emphasized in the referenced verses with yelem, an ideophone that expresses becoming confused, not knowing what to think.

Note that for 1 Maccabees 10:74 the Gbaya translators interpreted along the lines of the French Traduction œcuménique de la Bible which has “he was completely shaken by it” ( il en fut tout ébranlé) instead of the New Revised Standard Version, updated edition‘s “his spirit was aroused.”

Ideophones are a class of sound symbolic words expressing human sensation that are used as literary devices in many African languages. (Source: Philip Noss)

complete verse (Jeremiah 14:3)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Jeremiah 14:3:

  • Kupsabiny: “When the rich men sent their servants for water,
    they went to the wells,
    but did not find water.
    Then they came back with empty pots
    covering their heads
    on account of fear/shame and frustration.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The rich-ones commanded their servants to draw water. They went to the well which-is a place-of-storing water but there is no water. Therefore they returned with their container empty. Because of to much shame, they were-covering their heads.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “The rich people send their servants to wells to get water,
    but all the wells are dry.
    The servants return with empty pitchers;
    they cover their heads
    because they are ashamed and humiliated/disappointed and sad.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Jeremiah 14:3

With this verse compare 2.13.

Her nobles send their servants for water: Her refers to Jerusalem, or possibly to all of Judah. Good News Translation omits this information. Nobles is used elsewhere only in 25.34-36 (Revised Standard Version “lords”) and 30.21 (Revised Standard Version “prince”). Most translations prefer “nobles,” but Luther 1984 has “The great” while Good News Translation and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch have “The rich.” This noun refers to persons of position who are wealthy enough to have servants. Thus some translators have said “masters.” The word servants (so most translations) is more literally “little ones” or “insignificant ones.” Elsewhere in Jeremiah the word is found in 48.4; 49.20; 50.45. In some languages send … for water is more naturally expressed as “send … to fetch water.”

Come is often more naturally “arrive at” or “reach.”

For cisterns see 2.13.

For vessels translators can use whatever container would be normal for carrying water.

In a somewhat different form the verb confounded is rendered “ashamed” in 3.3 and “blush” in 6.15. But in this verse it occurs with another term of similar meaning (which Revised Standard Version renders ashamed here). Translators may either merge these two terms, or retain them as separate terms, as in “ashamed and humiliated” or “disappointed and shamed” (Revised English Bible).

Cover their heads: This is an indication of grief and disappointment (see 2Sam 15.30; Est 6.12). To make this clear, the translation can be “cover their heads in shame” or “… to show they are ashamed.” Or this information could be included in a footnote.

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Jeremiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2003. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .