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.” Manya uses a similar nomenclature for the cardinal 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 and people of the East.

complete verse (Job 39:26)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Job 39:26:

  • Kupsabiny: “Did you teach the kite to spread the wings so it could fly,
    when it flies migrating to the south?” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Is it your wisdom that makes the hawk soar
    and spread its wings toward the south? ” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “‘And think about big birds. Are you the one who enabled hawks to spread their wings
    and fly to the south for the winter?” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Job 39:26

In this final section, dealing with the hawk and the eagle, verses 26 and 27 are questions put to Job, and verses 28-30 are comments on the eagle.

Is it by your wisdom that the hawk soars…?: wisdom translates the same noun rendered “understanding” in verse 17. By your wisdom can also be expressed “because you have taught it.” Hawk translates a term used elsewhere in Leviticus 11.16 and Deuteronomy 14.15. At least eighteen species of hawks are reported to exist in Palestine, and it is not certain which one is referred to here. Both the hawk and the eagle are large meat-eating birds. Soars translates a verb found only here, but the word is related to the term translated as “pinions” in verse 13. Dhorme thinks it means “grows feathers,” but most take it to mean “use the wings,” hence “to fly.” Soar means to fly at a great height in the sky.

And spreads his wings toward the south depicts the hawk migrating to the south. Spreads his wings matches soars in line a; it also means “flies,” but is stated with a more graphic verb. In nonpoetic terms the meaning is “and flies away to the south.” If spreads its wings is retained, it may be necessary to indicate for the purpose of flying; for example, “and spreads its wings and flies to the south.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, Wiliam. A Handbook on Job. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1992. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .