village

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “village” or “town” in English is translated in Noongar as karlamaya or “fire (used for “home“) + houses” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

In Elhomwe it is typically translated as “place.” “Here in Malawi, villages very small, so changed to ‘places,’ since not sure whether biblical reference just to small villages or also to bigger towns. (Source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

complete verse (Song of Solomon 7:11)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Song of Solomon 7:11:

  • Kupsabiny: “My beloved, come and let us run quickly to those villages
    to go and sleep there.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “O my beloved, come let us go walk around in the field.
    And at night we will stay in the village.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Come, my beloved, let- us (incl.) -go to the field/farm, and there we (incl.) will-sleep (where) there-are henna flowers.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “You who love me, let’s go to the countryside,
    and sleep among the henna bushes (OR, in one of the villages).” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Song of Songs 7:11

In 4.16 the young woman called on her lover to come into the garden with her. The theme here is similar, though different vocabulary is used.

Let us go forth into the fields: owing to the secret nature of their relationship, the young woman suggests that they meet somewhere away from the town, in the countryside where they can be alone. The Hebrew gives singular “field,” but of course we can use plural fields, “to the country,” or “to the countryside.” New Jerusalem Bible “in the open” is ambiguous, meaning either out-of-doors or in a public place. Because of this it should not serve as a model.

Lodge in the villages: if the two lovers’ intention is to find privacy, then this Revised Standard Version translation may not be adequate. Lodge means they will spend the night somewhere (see notes on 1.13). Villages is the Revised Standard Version way of rendering the Hebrew word, which has a double meaning; it refers to villages out in the countryside, but the same word also refers to the henna bush (1.14). The latter seems the more reasonable sense in this context and is the one preferred by New English Bible, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, and others. On “henna flower” and its fragrance, see comments in 1.14; 4.13. We suggest using “henna bush” in the text. Alternatively we can translate as “villages” and explain the play on words in a footnote.

For translation we suggest:

• Come, my lover, let us go into the countryside [or, away from the village]; let us spend the night among the henna blossoms [or, among the wild flowers].

• My lover, come, let’s go out into the country.
Let’s spend the night in the villages.*
Footnote: * The word here means either “villages” or “henna bushes” and seems to be a play on words.

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 .