my heart is in anguish within me

The Hebrew in Psalm 55:4 that is translated as “my heart is in anguish within me” or similar in English is translated in Sar as “a dark belly goes with me gadə gadə.” Gadə gadə is an ideophone (a word that expresses what is perceived by the five senses) to emphasize the emotion. It “expresses an action deploying efforts (right and left). Examples: searching for a person by searching everywhere, going back and forth).” (Source: Ngarbolnan Riminan in Le Sycomore 2000, p. 20ff. ).

complete verse (Psalm 55:4)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 55:4:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “My heart is hurting inside me;
    the fear of death has fallen on me.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “My heart is filled with cold fear.
    I am also afraid that I will die.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “The pounding in my chest (is) very-much-so/hard/[emphasis marker].
    I am-worried/nervous that maybe I will-die.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “My heart trembles,
    and I fear the matters of my death.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “Moyo wangu unaumia ndani mwangu,
    hofu ya kifo imenishika.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “I am terrified,
    and I am very much afraid that I will die.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Psalm 55:4 - 33:5

The psalmist describes his distress: he is in anguish, crushed by the terrors of death; Fear, trembling, and horror have overcome him. Verse 4a in Hebrew is “My heart trembles within me”; Biblia Dios Habla Hoy has “My heart jumps in my breast.”

The translator’s main task in these two verses is to find the verbs that go naturally with these intense emotions. Good News Translation in verses 4b-5 uses the active “crush” and the passives “I am gripped … I am overcome.” Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, in the same lines, has the actives “has fallen on me,” “has entered into me,” and “I am trembling (with fear).” And Bible en français courant has “they fall on me,” “I am seized,” and “I am submerged.”

Terrors of death are the terrors caused by the danger of death. The nouns Fear and trembling in many languages must be shifted to verbs; for example, “I am afraid and I tremble.” In the same way horror may have to be recast as a verb, as in English “I am horrified,” or as a figurative expression, “my skin grows cold” or “my heart rattles in me.”

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 .