dove / pigeon

The Hebrew, Latin and Greek that is translated as “dove” or “pigeon” in English is translated in Pijin with the onomatopoeia kurrukurru. (Source: Bob Carter)

In Matumbi is is translated as ngunda, a kind of dove that has the reputation to be monogamous. (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)

 

In the fifteenth century the English word “pigeon” meant a young dove, the word “dove” being reserved for the adult birds. In modern English the words are used almost interchangeably. As a general rule, “pigeon” is used for domesticated forms of these birds, and for the larger variety of wild forms, while “dove” is used mainly for wild varieties. However, there are many exceptions to this general rule.

Pigeons and doves are both included in a bird family known scientifically as the Colombidae, consisting of well over two hundred species. In Israel and the Middle East are found the true Colombidae, which are easily distinguished from the genus Stretopelia, that is, the turtle doves.

The most common of the true Colombidae in the Middle East is most certainly the Asiatic Rock Dove Columba livia. This bird was first domesticated around 4500 B.C. in Mesopotamia. By 2500 B.C. it was kept as a domestic bird in Egypt, and by 1200 B.C. there is evidence that its homing abilities were already well known. It is this bird that is the ancestor of the domestic homing pigeons that people keep, some of which have escaped, returned to the wild, and now populate city streets all over the world. The ledges of modern buildings are a good substitute for the rock ledges that were its original nesting sites. It is likely that the Canaanites and the Israelites also kept these birds for both food and sacrifice. It is this bird that is called yonah in the Hebrew Bible and peristera in the Greek New Testament.

There are also three types of turtledove found in the land of Israel, two of which are resident species; the third is a migrant that arrives in spring and spends the summer in Israel. This migrant, the true Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur, and one of the species now resident, the Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto, are what the Bible writers called tor in Hebrew and trugōn in Greek. (Both the Hebrew and Greek names are based on the sound the turtledove makes.)

In biblical Hebrew the word gozal generally refers to a nestling of any bird species. In Genesis 15:9 it obviously refers specifically to a young pigeon. Nestling rock pigeons were collected from the rock ledges. Pigeons and doves were kept in cages and dovecotes, and wild ones were trapped in nets. This enabled the Jews to have a handy stock of birds for sacrificial purposes.

The rock pigeon is a blue-gray color with a pinkish sheen to the neck feathers. It has a black tip on its tail. Its call is a repeated moaning oom (the Hebrew name yonah is related to a verb meaning “to moan”) or a rapid cooing coo-ROO-coo-coo, usually repeated two or three times. The call is uttered with the beak closed, into the chest. The male’s sexual display starts with flying wing claps, and then when it lands next to the female, it begins bowing and turning with chest puffed and tail spread.

This type of pigeon lives in large colonies, and when a group is in flight, they maneuver as a single unit, often gliding short distances together with their wings held in a V shape.
The turtledove is a smaller blue-gray bird with a pinkish chest. It arrives in Israel in April, and its rhythmic call yoo-ROO-coo, yoo-ROO-coo, yoo-ROO-coo, repeated for two or three minutes at a time on sunny days, can be heard all over.

Doves are seed eaters, and this fact may be significant in the Flood narrative. The raven, a carrion eater, does not return to the ark, since food is available. The dove returns at first, and when it finally stays away, this is an indication that seeds of some sort are once again available to it, and the earth is again dry.

As seed-eaters, doves and pigeons are ritually clean birds for Jews. Their swift flight means that they are symbolic of speed in some biblical contexts, especially in Psalms. The fact that these birds court, mate, and nest repeatedly throughout the year resulted in their being a symbol of affection, sexuality, and fertility in the ancient Egyptian, Canaanite, and Hebrew cultures. This symbolism is important in the Song of Solomon.

A very ancient belief that the dove has no bile and is therefore devoid of anger led to its becoming a symbol of peace and gentleness. (In actual fact doves and pigeons are aggressive, often attacking other birds, especially at food sources.)

The name yonah for the pigeon and dove is associated with moaning and groaning in pain or sorrow. This is often the symbolism in prophetic poetry.

Pigeons and doves are found worldwide, except in some snow-bound regions and on some remote islands. Almost everywhere they live there is more than one species, and in almost all locations the domestic pigeon is one of these species. As a general rule, the word for the smaller wild dove should be used wherever possible, but in those contexts where both pigeons and doves are mentioned in connection with sacrifices, the word for the domestic pigeon can be used as well as the one for the wild dove.

In 2 Kings 6:25 there is a Hebrew expression that literally means “dove’s dung”. This seems to be a reference to some kind of food that is eaten only in emergencies. Suggestions about what this may refer to have varied from “chickpeas” (which do look somewhat like a dove’s droppings) to “locust-beans”, “wild onions”, and the roots of certain wild flowers. In view of the lack of certainty, it is probably best to translate it literally as “dove’s dung” and include the footnote, “This is probably some kind of wild food eaten only in emergencies.”

Source: All Creatures Great and Small: Living things in the Bible (UBS Helps for Translators)

complete verse (Song of Solomon 2:12)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Song of Solomon 2:12:

  • Kupsabiny: “Flowers are blooming everywhere
    and the days of singing have arrived
    and one hears the doves sing in
    every part of the country.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Flowers have begun to bloom on the earth.
    This is the time to sing,
    a dove’s voice is heard in our land.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The flowers are-blooming now in the field, and it (is) now time to-sing. The sound of the doves can- now -be-heard in the fields.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “flowers are blooming throughout the country/land.
    It is now time to sing;
    we hear the doves cooing.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Song of Songs 2:12

Three features of spring in Canaan are listed to give extra emphasis to his call for the young woman to join him outside.

The flowers appear on the earth: wild flowers carpet the land in the early spring. The word appear is actually a passive form of the verb “see,” so “can be seen.” The phrase on the earth may also be translated “throughout the land,” or more simply as “everywhere.” Good News Translation “in the countryside” is also acceptable. We can translate the Hebrew rather literally, “Flowers are seen in all the land,” or use a simpler expression, “Flowers are everywhere!”

The time of singing has come: what kind of singing and who does the singing are not clear. The phrase is a part of the fuller description of the joy of spring. Our first thought may be that birds are singing, as the next line refers to the cooing of the turtledove. This is the opinion of Revised English Bible: “the season of birdsong is come.” Singing derives from a Hebrew verb that is often used of singing praises to God; but as Isa 25.5 shows, it can also apply to any kind of singing. In translating this verb we can add the adverb “joyously” if it will help bring out what is clear in the context. Bible en français courant renders the verse quite poetically: “It’s the time when everything sings!”

There has been a suggestion that the verb rendered singing is instead a verb derived from a root indicating some kind of pruning activity, the trimming of trees and shrubs, as in Isa 18.5. The suggestion is followed by New American Bible with its “pruning the vines.” The same idea is taken up in New Jerusalem Bible. However, most commentators realize the problem in this interpretation, for pruning takes place before the winter rather than after it. Retaining the word “singing” seems best. Good News Translation suggests “This is the time for singing.”

And the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land: this line copies the passive verb form of the first line in Hebrew, “flowers are seen,” and repeats the important word “land.” (Revised Standard Version has rendered it earth at that point.) Note, however, that we see a movement from general to particular as we move from the second line of the verse to this one; who is singing becomes clearer. This same general-to-particular development, which is a common feature of Hebrew parallelism, can be seen in the addition of “our”: “in our land.”

The turtledove is a small bird of the pigeon family; its appearance in Israel is one of the signs of spring. It represents what is soft and lovely, something gentle. As mentioned in 2.8 voice can mean “sound”; it refers to the bird’s call. The turtledove may not be known to the translator. In this case a general name for a bird that is known for its gentle cooing or singing can substitute here, or we can use a general expression, “the bird coos” or “birds sing all over our land.”

In our land may show the extent of the bird’s call, namely “throughout our land.” It can also merely refer to the fact that the turtledoves have arrived in the land in the course of their migration. In that case it has more of a time reference—it is the time when the turtledoves usually visit. Good News Translation suggests “in the fields,” but these doves are found around houses and in towns as well as in the fields, so it is not a suitable translation.

We can tell from the context that, like most young lovers, the young man is overwhelmed with the joy of spring. We may turn the passive into an active, “You can hear the call of the turtledove all through the [or, our] land.”

Again, the translator should aim for poetic form, at the very least showing the wonder and excitement the young lovers feel. One example may be:

• Flowers carpet the earth!
It’s a time for singing!
The joyful call of turtledoves
Spreads through our land.

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Zogbo, Lynell. A Handbook on the Book of Song of Songs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1998. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Song of Songs 2:12

2:12a–13c

In verses 12a–13c the man described how beautiful the countryside is in the springtime. He wanted the woman to imagine the sights (2:12a, 13a–b), sounds (2:12b–c), and smells (2:13c) of spring. He implied that it is a wonderful time for the woman to come and enjoy spring with him.

2:12a

The flowers have appeared in the countryside: The Hebrew verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as have appeared is more literally “have been seen.” It indicates that people can see flowers sprouting and blooming in the springtime. Wildflowers are common in Palestine during that time.

Some other ways to translate The flowers have appeared in the countryside are:

Flowers/Blooms are covering the earth.
-or-
Flowers bloom throughout the land.

In some languages there may be an idiom to describe this season when many flowers start to bloom. For example:

wildflowers spring up in the fields.

flowers: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as flowers can refer to any blossom. It includes blooms on flowering trees, bushes, and vines.

2:12b–c

In some languages it may be more natural to combine 2:12b and 2:12c. See the General Comment on 2:12b–c at the end of 2:12c for an example.

2:12b

the season of singing has come: There are three ways to interpret the Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as singing here:

(1) It means “singing.” For example:

the season of singing has come (New International Version)

(2) It means “pruning” (of grapevines). Some ancient versions (Greek and Latin) follow this interpretation. For example:

the time has arrived for pruning the vines (New American Standard Bible)

(3) It means both singing and pruning. This demonstrates special artistic skill on the part of the poet. Several scholars follow this view. For example:

the time for pruning and singing has come (NET Bible)

It is recommended that you follow option (1). This has the best support from English versions. It also seems to fit the context best. It parallels 2:12c “the cooing of turtledoves is heard in our land.” There are also several other reasons for following this option.

singing: Here singing probably refers to the singing of birds, since the following line refers to the voice of the “turtledove” (a kind of bird). However, the context may also imply that spring is a joyful time and therefore a time for human singing.

Some other ways to translate “the season of singing has come” are:

This is the time for singing (Good News Translation)
-or-
The time has come to sing

2:12c

and the cooing of turtledoves is heard in our land: This clause is passive. In some languages it may be more natural to translate it using an active clause. For example:

⌊ You⌋can hear turtledoves cooing in our land.
-or-

⌊ People⌋hear the song of the turtledove throughout our land.

turtledoves: The “turtledove” is a small songbird of the pigeon family. During the cold winters of Palestine, it migrates to a warmer climate. But each springtime it returns in the month of April. People thought of the sound of the turtledoves as a sign that springtime had come.