Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 45:1:
Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
“My heart is stirred with a pleasant story
when I am reciting my words to the king;
my tongue is the pen of a skilled write.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
Newari:
“When I wrote this song for the King
beautiful words came flooding into my heart.
And the tip of my tongue became like the pen of a skillful poet.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon:
“My mind is-filled with beautiful words
while I recite my poems/poetry to the king.
My ability to speak (is) like the ability of a skillful/[lit. good] writer.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Eastern Bru:
“My heart thinks complete goodness when I write this song for the king to hear. It’s like a skillful person writing good words, like that my tongue speaks all these words.” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
Laarim:
“My heart is full of matters which are good,
as I sing this song to a king,
my tongue is like a pen of a writer who is good.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
“Moyo wangu umejaa maneno mazuri,
nitamwimbia mfalme wimbo.
Ulimi wangu, uko kama vile kalamu,
ya mwandishi mzuri.
Maneno kwa mfalme” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
English:
“In my inner being I am stirred by a beautiful message
which will be sung to the king.
The words of this message will be written with a pen by me, a skilled writer.” (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.”
The psalmist begins by stating the nature and purpose of his composition. First (line a) he describes his own feeling as he gets ready to write: his heart is stirred up by the beautiful poem he is about to compose.
Overflows translates a verb that may mean “stir up, excite” (“My heart is stirred by a noble theme”).
Goodly theme translates “a good word,” variously represented by “a noble theme” (New English Bible, New International Version), “Beautiful words” (Good News Translation, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible), or “beautiful speech” (Bible en français courant).
In some languages it is not possible to represent the Hebrew My heart overflows nor Good News Translation “words fill my mind” without some adaptation. Sometimes it is possible to say idiomatically “My heart is full of good words” or “My heart is speaking good words.”
My verses (Good News Translation “this song”) translates what is literally “my deeds” in the Masoretic text; with different vowels the Hebrew word can be read as “my deed.” Most translate “my poem”; New English Bible has “the song I have made.”
The composition is dedicated to the king, and the psalmist compares himself to the pen of a ready scribe. The word translated ready means quick, skilled, expert (see its use in Ezek 7.6); scribe here means “writer.”
In some languages it will be necessary to state more explicitly the purpose for the writing of the song; for example, “I write this song the singers will sing to the king.” Otherwise the reader may understand that the song is merely for the possession of the king. In some languages it is necessary to place my tongue before the thing it is compared with, as in Revised Standard Version. Good News Translation has reversed the order, which is acceptable in poetic English. The expression like the pen of a ready scribe may require some adaptation in translation; for example, “like a person who knows how to write well.”
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 .
The following are presentations by the Psalms: Layer by Layer project, run by Scriptura . The first is an overview and the second an introduction into the exegesis of Psalm 45.
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