complete Psalm 148 (Natügu)

The traditional Natügu song form uses stanzas of four lines (“quatrains”) “in which the first and last lines exhibit verbatim repetition in the words (…). Given that repetition, the form requires that the clause of the first line also be able to function syntactically as a final clause in the fourth line, or as an independent sentence. And because the lines of the quatrain are rather short, it involves a distillation of the message into one or two short sentences. The number of syllables in each set of two lines is usually in the 12-15 syllable range.” (Source: Brenda Boerger in Open Theology 2016, p. 179ff. )

Psalm 148 “with its extensive repetition” provided an ideal text to use the traditional Natügu literary form. Following is a back-translation from Natügu that follows the stanzas of four lines with the first and last line repeated (the Natügu original can be read right here ):

1-2 Ever exalt Yahweh, all you heavenly ones.
You his angels, ever exalt Yahweh.
3 Ever exalt Yahweh, sun and moon.
And all you stars, ever exalt Yahweh.
4 Ever exalt him, everything in the sky.
And you upper waters, ever exalt him.
5 Ever exalt his name. He who made you,
By the word he gave. Ever exalt Yahweh.
6 His word’s eternal. He set for each one
Where you’ll ever be. His word’s eternal.
7 Ever exalt Yahweh, you fish and monsters
Of the sea and deeps. Ever exalt Yahweh.
8 You obey his word, lightning and hail.
Clouds, wind and rain, you obey his word.
9 Ever exalt Yahweh, all mountains and hills.
You trees of the bush, ever exalt Yahweh.
10 Ever exalt him, all animals and birds.
And things that crawl, ever exalt Yahweh.
11 Let’s exalt Yahweh too, all of us in the world.
VIPs and leaders, we must also exalt Yahweh.
12 Let’s exalt him too, us lads and lasses.
Babes and elders, let’s exalt him too.
13 Let’s exalt his name, all of us.
His name is high. Let’s exalt his name.
His greatness surpasses the land
And the sky too. His greatness!
14 Let’s ever exalt Yahweh,
All us his Israelites.
He saves and loves us.
Let’s ever exalt Yahweh.

complete verse (Psalm 148:9)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 148:9:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “you mountain and all heights,
    you fruit trees and all cedars,” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “mountains and hills,
    fruit bearing trees and all cedars,” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “[You (plur.)] praise the LORD, mountains/hills, trees which bear-fruit or not,” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “you the mountains and all the stones,
    the trees of fruit and all evergreen trees,” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “Msifuni, enyi milima na enyi vilima,
    enyi miti ambayo inazaa matunda, na enyi miti migumu.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “Hills and mountains,
    fruit trees and cedar trees,” (Source: Translation for Translators)

cedar

Long ago the majestic cedars of Lebanon (Cedrus libani) completely covered the upper slopes of the Lebanon Mountains on the western and northern sides. Now only a few pockets of these mighty cedars remain. At that time they were mixed, as they are today, with other trees such as Cilician fir, Grecian juniper, cypress, and Calabrian pine.

We know from 1 Kings that Solomon used cedar wood in his palace and in the Temple. Cedar was used for beams, boards, pillars, and ceilings. Historians tell us that the Assyrians also hauled cedars to their land for use in buildings. Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon also imported cedars from Lebanon. In some versions of Isaiah we read that people made idols of cedar and oak (44:14-20). Finally, when the Temple was rebuilt by the returning exiles (Ezra 3:7), they again cut down cedar trees to grace the house of God.

In 2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings, 1-2 Chronicles and Ezra, when Lebanon is specifically mentioned, there can be no doubt that ’erez is Cedrus libani, the “cedar of Lebanon,” although it is possible that sometimes the word was used loosely to include various evergreen trees.

In the description of the purification rituals (Leviticus 14:4 at al.), the word ’erez probably refers to the Phoenician juniper tree, since that was the only cedar-like tree in the Sinai Desert.

Description  Cedar trees can reach 30 meters (100 feet) high with a trunk more than 2 meters (7 feet) in diameter. The leaves of true cedars are not flat like those of most trees, but consist of tufts of dark green, shiny spines. (The cedars in North America have a flatter type of spine than the biblical cedar.) The wood is fragrant and resistant to insects. Cedars bear cones and can live to be two or three thousand years old.

The cedar of Lebanon is famous for its large size (see Isaiah 2:13 et al.), and for the fragrance of its wood. Psalm 92:12 links the cedar to righteousness, that is, presumably, to its straightness and height above other trees. The cedar is the national emblem of Lebanon.

Cedrus species are found in the mountains of North Africa, in the Himalayas, in India, and in North America. Translators in these places, should, of course, use the local name in nonfigurative references. In sub Saharan Africa, translators can transliterate from Hebrew (’erez), Greek (kedar), English (sedar), or another major language, or they can take a generic solution such as “large, beautiful tree.” In poetic passages (wisdom literature and prophecy), some translators may wish to use a cultural equivalent with these traits. In Africa, according to Burkhill (The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa, volume 4. Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens, 1985), the Pink Mahogany Guarea cedrata is also called the pink African cedar because of the cedar-like scent of its timber. Likewise, some people in India and Australia use “cedar” to refer to the toon because of its reddish wood. I do not recommend such substitutes in historical passages, since the ’erez is not related to these trees. In some figurative passages, however, the substitution could be effective, since all are large trees with reddish wood. However, each passage has to be evaluated to determine the intended effect of the image.

Cedar of Lebanon, Wikimedia Commons

Source: Each According to its Kind: Plants and Trees in the Bible (UBS Helps for Translators)

Translation commentary on Psalm 148:9 - 148:10

It is to be noticed that in the Hebrew text (see Revised Standard Version) there are no verbs in verses 9-12; actually verses 7-12 are one long sentence (see New Jerusalem Bible), with the one verb Praise at the beginning of verse 7. In many languages it will be necessary to imitate Good News Translation and have the verb “Praise” at the beginning of verses 9 and 11.

All plant life is commanded to praise Yahweh (verse 9); Good News Translation “forests” translates the word cedars, which are here representative of all uncultivated plants, while fruit trees represent all cultivated plants. In languages in which there is no generic term for “fruit,” the use of a specific fruit tree would be unsatisfactory. Accordingly, in such languages it may be better to say “all plants and trees” or “plants which people grow, and all other plants.”

Similarly in verse 10 the whole animal kingdom is called upon to praise Yahweh. Beasts and all cattle represents “all amimals, tame and wild,” and creeping things includes all reptiles, worms, and insects (see Gen 1.24-25).

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Reyburn, William D. A Handbook on the Book of Psalms. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1991. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .