happiness / joy

The Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek that is typically translated in English as “joy” or “happiness” is translated in the Hausa Common Language Bible idiomatically as farin ciki or “white stomach.” In some cases, such as in Genesis 29:11, it is also added for emphatic purposes.

Other languages that use the same expression include Southern Birifor (pʋpɛl), Dera (popolok awo), Reshe (ɾipo ɾipuhã). (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)

See also Seat of the Mind / Seat of Emotions, rejoiced greatly / celebrated, the Mossi translation of “righteous”, and joy.

complete verse (Romans 12:15)

Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 12:15:

  • Uma: “Be happy together with people who are happy, weep with people who weep.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Be joyful/glad together with those who are joyful/glad and grieve together with those who grieve.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “If there is a person and he has a cause for rejoicing, let us also rejoice because of his joy. And if there is a person who has a cause for sorrow, be sorrowful also because of his sorrow.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Be-happy-with those who are happy, and mourn/be-sorrowful-with those who are mourning/sorrowful.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “When there is occasion for your fellowman to rejoice, also you rejoice. When your fellowman is crying, also cry with him.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Romans 12:15

In verses 9-13 Paul used participles, in verse 14 he switched to imperatives, and now in verse 15 he uses infinitives. However, it is evident that all of these forms are equivalent to imperatives.

Be happy with those who are happy may be rendered as “be happy with others when they are happy.” Similarly, weep with those who weep may be rendered as “weep with others when they weep” or “show sorrow for others when they have sorrow.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Romans. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1973. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Romans 12:15

12:15a

Rejoice with those who rejoice: When a fellow believer is happy about something, we should be happy for him.

12:15b

weep with those who weep: When a fellow believer is crying about something because he is sad, we should cry with or for him.

weep: This word refers to crying. It implies that one cries because one is sad. Here are other ways to translate this word:

cry
-or-
have tears ⌊because of sadness⌋

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