complete verse (Joel 1:3)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Joel 1:3:

  • Kupsabiny: “Show/explain this matter to your children
    so that they can tell it to their children
    and then those can also recount it to the coming generation.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Tell your sons and daughters about this matter,
    let your sons and daughters tell their sons and daughters,
    and again those sons and daughters will tell their next generation.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “This must be-told to each generation of your (plur.) descendants:” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Relate-it to your children so-that they will relate-it to their children and their children will also relate-it to those who come-next-in-line to them.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on Joel 1:3

Tell your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation: The destruction caused by the locusts is so terrible that the story of the experience should be passed on to three generations—children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. The Hebrew here can be understood to mean four generations. The three lines are connected to each other by means of repeating the expression for the previous generation when introducing the next generation. This structure suggests that the story should be told to all generations to come. The previous verse referred to the ancestors, but this one refers to the descendants.

The verb Tell is imperative, and this command really applies to the next two generations as well, even though the prophet is not speaking to them directly. In English the third person imperative is usually marked by the auxiliary verb “let,” followed by the infinitive of the verb of command. Thus let your children tell is a command, not a statement granting them permission to tell. The Hebrew verb for tell only occurs in the first line, but it is implied in the next two lines also. Revised Standard Version has added it to the second line, but leaves it implied in the third line. Some languages may need to make it explicit in all three lines. If so, they may use synonymous verbs such as “pass on” and “inform” in the second and third lines.

The Hebrew expression for of it is in an emphatic position, implying that they should provide a complete account of the disaster and of how terrible it was. Some languages require that what has to be told should be made specific. Since at this stage we have not been given any details of what happened, a generic term like “disaster” can be used instead of the pronoun it.

Instead of another generation, translators may say “their children,” as long as it is clearly understood that we are dealing with a succession of three generations.

Quoted with permission from de Blois, Kees & Dorn, Louis. A Handbook on Joel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2020. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joel 1:3

1:3a Tell it to your children;

Tell (plur.) your children what happened.
-or-
You (plur.) must let your sons and daughters know ⌊about this disaster⌋ ,
-or-
Teach (plur.) your children ⌊about the suffering/trouble⌋ ⌊that you saw/witnessed⌋ .

1:3b let your children tell it to their children,

Your (plur.) children should also tell their children about it,
-or-
and your (plur.) sons and daughters must also let their own sons and daughters know.
-or-
Your (plur.) children should teach it to your grandchildren,

1:3c and their children to the next generation.

and in the same way their children ⌊should also tell it⌋ to their own children.
-or-
Their sons and daughters, too, must make sure their own sons and daughters in their time/turn ⌊know/learn about this disaster⌋ .
-or-
and your (plur.) grandchildren ⌊should pass on the memory⌋ to your great grandchildren ⌊so that it is not forgotten⌋ .

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Commentaire sur la traduction de Joël 1.3

Ce verset est très poétique, avec la répétition quatre fois du mot « enfants » (fils). Il débute par un autre verbe à l’impératif, « racontez ». Celui-ci apparaît dans le premier vers mais il est sous-entendu dans les vers suivants.

Le texte dit littéralement :

sur cela/elle à vos enfants racontez
et vos enfants à leurs enfants …
et leurs enfants à une autre génération …

La reprise des expressions vos fils et leurs fils d’un vers à l’autre crée un certain rythme qui peut être imité dans la majorité des langues. Ce genre de parallélisme est appelé le parallélisme ascendant.

Faites-en le récit : il est difficile d’identifier le référent du pronom féminin en hébreu « sur cela » rendu dans la Traduction œcuménique de la Bible par en. Mais dans ce contexte, il semble se référer au pronom précédent « ceci », qui parle d’une situation ou d’un événement qui sera décrit par la suite. L’expression Faites-en le récit rend le verbe hébreu ספר spr « compter », « faire une liste ». Les traducteurs pourront trouver un verbe qui convient, « Dites cette affaire ».

à vos fils : le mot en hébreu désigne les enfants mâles et femelles et les traducteurs feront bien de ne pas se limiter à une forme ne désignant que des mâles. Dans beaucoup de langues, le même terme désigne les filles aussi bien que les garçons.

et vos fils à leurs fils est un vers très rythmique que les traducteurs peuvent essayer d’imiter. Cependant, dans certaines langues, il va falloir expliciter le verbe : « vos fils doivent le raconter à leurs fils » ou « vos enfants devraient le raconter à leurs enfants ».

et leurs fils à la génération qui viendra est encore un vers très poétique, car les derniers mots du vers précédent, leurs fils, sont repris au début de celui-ci. Encore une fois dans certaines langues, il sera nécessaire d’expliciter « et leurs enfants vont le raconter à la génération qui viendra ».

à la génération qui viendra : le mot hébreu rendu par génération (דּוֹר dôr) a plusieurs sens dans la Bible. Il peut désigner toutes les personnes qui sont nées à peu près en même temps et qui sont alors dans le même groupe d’âge, comme les classes d’âge dans certaines sociétés africaines. Mais parfois ce terme est utilisé dans la Bible pour désigner les générations passées et futures. Ici le texte hébreu est littéralement « à une autre génération », c’est-à-dire à une génération future. Dans certaines langues, on parlera des « classes de devant » ou « des gens qui vont naître plus tard ».

Source: Aroga Bessong, Dieudonné P.; Somé, Joachim & Zogbo, Lynell. Joël – Manuel de traduction – Commentaire linguistique et exégétique de la Bible. Alliance biblique universelle, 2010.