In Gbaya, the notion of being down or being on the ground is emphasized with mbɔlɔlɔ, an ideophone used to describe the expresses the fact of being down.
Ideophones are a class of sound symbolic words expressing human sensation that are used as literary devices in many African languages. (Source: Philip Noss)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 91:7:
- Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
“1,000 people may die on your side,
10,000 people on your right hand,
but those dangers will not reach closer with you.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
- Newari:
“Even though a thousand may fall down in front of you
and ten thousand on your right
still nothing will happen to you.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
- Hiligaynon:
“Even-if thousands of men/people die around you (sing.), nothing/(no harm) will-happen to you (sing.).” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
- Laarim:
“Maybe one thousand people will die where you are,
maybe ten thousand will die at your right hand,
but instead, there will be nothing bad done to you.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
- Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
“Hata kama watu 1,000 wanakufa karibu na wewe,
tena na na wengine 10,000 katika mkono wako wa kulia,
lakini wewe, angamizo halitakuja kusogea kwako.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
- English:
“Even if 1,000 people fall dead alongside you, even if 10,000 people are dying around you, you will not be harmed.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
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