Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 61:6:
Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
“Add the days of the life of the king,
his years to many generations.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
Newari:
“Make the King’s lifespan long,
May he live from generation to generation.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon:
“Let- the life of the king -be-lengthened and let- him -reign forever/[lit. until whenever] through his descendants.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Laarim:
“Increase the years of the king to be many,
his years to be many for people who are still coming.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
“Uongeze uhai wa mfalme uwe mrefu,
ili aishi miaka mingi.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
English:
“I am the king of Israel;
please allow me to live and rule for many years, and allow my descendants to rule also.” (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.”
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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 to do this is through the usage (or a lack) of an honorific prefix as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. When the referent is God, the “divine” honorific prefix mi- (御 or み) can be used, as in mi-kao (御顔) or “face (of God)” in the referenced verses.
The psalmist prays for the king; see the similar prayer in 21.1-7, where one may find most of the petitions made here. The prayer is not just for a long life for the king, but for a long and prosperous reign, and the continuation of his dynasty through descendants who will succeed him on the throne; such is the meaning of all generations in verse 6b and for ever in verse 7a.
For comments on before God (verse 7a) see 56.13. The expression before God or “in your presence,” if translated literally, will often lead to misunderstanding. Therefore it will sometimes be necessary to say, for example, “… with God’s blessing” or “… with God’s protection.”
Verse 7b in the Masoretic text is literally “appoint constant love and faithfulness to protect him”; some Hebrew manuscripts and ancient versions omit the verb, so that the wording of the text is “May constant love and faithfulness protect” (or, “Constant love and faithfulness will protect”), with very little difference in meaning. For comments see 40.11b-c, and especially 57.3c. Watch over translates a verb rendered “guard” in 12.7b.
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 .
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