Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Song of Solomon 5:15:
Kupsabiny: “His thighs/legs are strong like a stone pillar and his feet/legs are like gold. His face/appearance is like Lebanon that is known for its cedars.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “His legs are like marble pillars set on bases of pure gold. His appearance is like Lebanon. Majestic as its cedars.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “His legs (are) just like pillars of marble/[marmol] that stand on a base of pure gold. He (is) nice/good-looking to-look-at, like cedar/[sedro] trees in Lebanon.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “His legs are like pillars of marble that are set in bases made of pure gold. He is majestic, like the mountains of Lebanon, as delightful/beautiful as cedar trees.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
Long ago the majestic cedars of Lebanon (Cedrus libani) completely covered the upper slopes of the Lebanon Mountains on the western and northern sides. Now only a few pockets of these mighty cedars remain. At that time they were mixed, as they are today, with other trees such as Cilician fir, Grecian juniper, cypress, and Calabrian pine.
We know from 1 Kings that Solomon used cedar wood in his palace and in the Temple. Cedar was used for beams, boards, pillars, and ceilings. Historians tell us that the Assyrians also hauled cedars to their land for use in buildings. Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon also imported cedars from Lebanon. In some versions of Isaiah we read that people made idols of cedar and oak (44:14-20). Finally, when the Temple was rebuilt by the returning exiles (Ezra 3:7), they again cut down cedar trees to grace the house of God.
In 2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings, 1-2 Chronicles and Ezra, when Lebanon is specifically mentioned, there can be no doubt that ’erez is Cedrus libani, the “cedar of Lebanon,” although it is possible that sometimes the word was used loosely to include various evergreen trees.
In the description of the purification rituals (Leviticus 14:4 at al.), the word ’erez probably refers to the Phoenician juniper tree, since that was the only cedar-like tree in the Sinai Desert.
Cedar trees can reach 30 meters (100 feet) high with a trunk more than 2 meters (7 feet) in diameter. The leaves of true cedars are not flat like those of most trees, but consist of tufts of dark green, shiny spines. (The cedars in North America have a flatter type of spine than the biblical cedar.) The wood is fragrant and resistant to insects. Cedars bear cones and can live to be two or three thousand years old.
The cedar of Lebanon is famous for its large size (see Isaiah 2:13 et al.), and for the fragrance of its wood. Psalm 92:12 links the cedar to righteousness, that is, presumably, to its straightness and height above other trees. The cedar is the national emblem of Lebanon.
Cedrus species are found in the mountains of North Africa, in the Himalayas, in India, and in North America. Translators in these places, should, of course, use the local name in nonfigurative references. In sub Saharan Africa, translators can transliterate from Hebrew (’erez), Greek (kedar), English (sedar), or another major language, or they can take a generic solution such as “large, beautiful tree.” In poetic passages (wisdom literature and prophecy), some translators may wish to use a cultural equivalent with these traits. In Africa, according to Burkhill (The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa, volume 4. Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens, 1985), the Pink Mahogany Guarea cedrata is also called the pink African cedar because of the cedar-like scent of its timber. Likewise, some people in India and Australia use “cedar” to refer to the toon because of its reddish wood. I do not recommend such substitutes in historical passages, since the ’erez is not related to these trees. In some figurative passages, however, the substitution could be effective, since all are large trees with reddish wood. However, each passage has to be evaluated to determine the intended effect of the image.
His legs: again we have a metaphor rather than a simile, but it is quite acceptable to translate “His legs are like….” The Hebrew noun refers to the leg below the knee in Judges 15.8, while in 1 Sam 9.24 it applies to the thigh or upper leg. It seems best, in view of the ambiguity, to use the general term leg.
Are alabaster columns: “pillars” or columns refers to his straight and powerful legs. To further describe them as made of alabaster or (white) marble does not necessarily mean they are white, but that like marble columns they are straight and sturdy. Again the comparison with alabaster, a highly prized stone, indicates how precious and valued he is.
Set upon bases of gold: the metaphor of legs standing on gold bases is similar to Sirach 26.18, which speaks of a woman’s legs as golden pillars on silver bases. Again we believe that it is not the color that is the focal point. Columns and bases made of different precious metals recall those in the Tabernacle (Exo 26.19). In Job 38.6 there is a similar portrayal of the universe. In 1.5 the young woman described her beauty as like the curtains in Solomon’s Temple, so it seems that the Temple provided the poet with a source of imagery for talking about highly prized beauty.
Set upon: or “based on.” Like the previous examples of the extended simile, this one merely adds to the description of the columns themselves. It does not mean that he was wearing golden shoes!
A model for translation is:
• Like marble columns set in gold bases, so are his legs strong and sturdy.
His appearance focuses attention on the entire outward form and beauty of the lover. In this part of the verse we have a simile rather than a metaphor; he is like Lebanon. On Lebanon see comments in 4.8, 15. What does this imagery refer to? Lebanon, or its mountains, is an image of strength. Other references to Lebanon’s massive cedar trees also confirm this sense, so this reference to Lebanon probably describes the young man’s imposing stature and strength.
Choice as the cedars is a phrase in apposition with the previous one; it defines more closely what the simile is drawing attention to. Cedars, Lebanon’s primary symbol, also refers to strength and size. We may need to add the classifier “trees” if readers do not know that cedar is a kind of tree. Choice here refers to quality, the excellence or preeminence of its cedars. Jerusalem Bible “unrivalled as the cedars” does not give the exact force of the metaphor, whereas Good News Translation “like their towering cedars” is acceptable. New English Bible has “noble.”
For translation we can say:
• His whole appearance is like [the mountains of] Lebanon, strong like its massive cedar trees.
• He stands like [the mountains of] Lebanon, towering like its cedars.
This verse contains many striking images, and the translator should try to retain the poetic effect. We may say:
• Like columns of marble on bases of gold
His legs are sturdy and fine,
Like the towering mountains of Lebanon,
He stands—noble, like its cedars.
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 .
In 5:15a–b the woman continued to describe the man as if he were a statue. The statement “His legs are pillars of marble set on bases of pure gold” is a metaphor and also a hyperbole.
5:15a
His legs are pillars of marble: This clause is a metaphor. It indicates that the man’s legs were straight and strong, and they were beautiful like the precious stone called marble. Some other ways to translate this description are:
His legs are like columns made of alabaster -or-
His legs are as ⌊tall and beautiful as⌋ marble columns -or-
His legs are like tall posts made of beautiful stone
His legs:
The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as His legs probably includes the entire legs from the thighs down to the ankles.
pillars of marble: The Hebrew phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as pillars of marble indicates that the man’s legs were straight and strong, like tall, rounded posts made of carved marble.
marble is a stone that is made of a certain mineral. The color of the stone can be various shades of white and a light rust color. The stone is strong and durable. Sculptors used it to carve statues or other valuable objects such as vases.
Some versions translate this word as “alabaster.” Marble and alabaster are similar, and marble is the harder of the two stones. The Hebrew word can refer to either of these two stones. Use the term that communicates best in your language.
Some other ways to translate the phrase pillars of marble are:
⌊ tall⌋posts made of ⌊valuable⌋ stone -or-
alabaster columns
5:15b
set on bases of pure gold: Statues were set up on a strong base (foundation), which balanced the statue and kept it from falling over. Bases were often made of stone, but here the bases were made of gold. The phrase set on bases of pure gold probably implies that the man’s feet were like bases of gold. So the author indicates that the man’s head (5:11a) and his feet were valuable like gold.
Some other ways to translate this phrase are:
on feet of gold. (Contemporary English Version) -or-
placed in bases made of gold.
5:15c–d
The phrases in 5:15c–d are similes. They compare the man’s overall stature to the region of Lebanon and to the cedars in Lebanon. These similes are also hyperboles.
His appearance is like Lebanon, as majestic as the cedars: The phrase His appearance refers to the way the man seemed to the people who saw him. He seemed as wonderful and fascinating as the region of Lebanon, which has majestic mountains and tall cedar trees. Some other ways to translate 5:15c–d are:
He is majestic, like the Lebanon Mountains with their towering cedars. (Good News Translation) -or-
He looks as magnificent as the Lebanon Mountains and their tall cedar trees.
Lebanon:Lebanon was a rugged mountainous region north of Israel. It was famous for its tall cedar trees and was known as a beautiful and wild place. So when the woman described the man as being like the cedars of Lebanon, she implied that he was the tallest and strongest among all the other men. This description is like the phrase in 5:10 that describes the man as “outstanding among ten thousand.”
In earlier chapters the man also praised the woman by comparing her to Lebanon. He said that the fragrance of her garments was like Lebanon (4:11c), and he described her as being like streams that flow from Lebanon (4:15c). So here she responded to his praise in a similar way.
Lebanon was discussed in 4:8 and 4:15. Refer to the Notes there for more information.
as majestic as the cedars: Here the woman compared the man to the cedar trees in Lebanon. The word majestic indicates that the trees are of very good quality. The cedars of Lebanon were large and tall, and people valued their lumber highly. Cedars of Lebanon were also fragrant trees.
Here the woman compared the man to those cedars. He was tall, noble, and strong like the cedars of Lebanon. He was the choice man among all the other men. Some other ways to translate the comparison are:
like the cedars of Lebanon that ⌊everyone⌋ chooses as the best/finest trees. -or-
as the cedar trees in Lebanon, which ⌊people⌋ admire/consider as the best of all trees.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.