happiness / joy

The Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek that is typically translated in English as “joy” or “happiness” is translated in the Hausa Common Language Ajami 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.

joy

Click here to view graphically

The Greek, Latin and Hebrew that is translated with “joy” or “gladness” in English is translated with various associations of “sweetness” or taste: Bambara has “the spirit is made sweet,” Kpelle translates as “sweet heart,” and Tzeltal as “the good taste of one’s heart,” Uduk uses the phrase “good to the stomach,” Baoulé “a song in the stomach,” Mískito “the liver is wide open” (“happily letting the pleasures flooding in upon it”) (source: Nida 1952), Mairasi says “good liver” (source: Enggavoter 2004), Noongar has koort-kwabba-djil or “heart very good” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang), and Chicahuaxtla Triqui “refreshed heart” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.).

See also Seat of the Mind for traditional views of “ways of knowing, thinking, and feeling,” happiness / joy, and exceeding joy.

complete verse (2 Timothy 1:4)

Following are a number of back-translations of 2 Timothy 1:4:

  • Uma: “I keep recalling-vividly [lit., see-the-face-of] the flowing of your tears weeping, and I long to see you so that my happiness will be complete.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “I remember that you wept when I left and my desire is that we (dual) see each other again so that I will be really glad.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “When I remember your shedding of tears when I left you, I am very lonely for you, and I desire very much that we should meet again so that I might be very happy.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “I am also thinking of the tearing of your (sing.) eyes at our (du) parting-ways previously, so I very-much-want to see you (sing.) so that I will-be-thoroughly -made-happy.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “I really miss you very much. I want to see you again so that I will be really happy, especially when I remember you in tears there at my leaving there.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “I remember that when I left you, you even cried. And now very much do I want to see you in order that there will be joy for me.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on 2 Timothy 1:4

A comparison between Revised Standard Version and Good News Bible indicates two ways of punctuating the Greek text. The question is: does the expression night and day go with “prayers” in verse 3 or with long to see you in verse 4? The latter position is depicted in Revised Standard Version, which is achieved by putting a full stop after “prayers,” thus taking night and day with verse 4 rather than with verse 3. The former position, which seems more likely, takes night and day to refer backward to “prayers” in verse 3; this is followed in Good News Translation and many other translations (see, for example, New International Version, New English Bible, Jerusalem Bible, New Revised Standard Version). The expression itself should not be taken literally but indicates continuing activity; the meaning therefore is similar to that of “constantly” in verse 3. One further note: in some languages it is more natural to reverse the order, hence “day and night.”

The words for remember and tears occur only here in the Pastoral Letters. Remember is synonymous with that found in the previous verse, except that the focus here is on recalling information. Tears may have had some connection with Timothy’s suffering, or with the sadness that Timothy felt when he and Paul said good-by to one another. Other ways to translate this are “I remember how you wept (or, cried)” or “I remember how sad you were.”

Long translates a present participle of a compound verb that means “to long after,” and in a negative way “to lust” or “to harbor a forbidden desire for something.” The focus here of course is on the positive sense, so Good News Translation “I want to see you very much.”

I may be filled translates an aorist passive of the verb that is usually translated “to fulfill.” It is used here to describe the completeness of the joy that Paul will experience in being reunited with Timothy. Filled with joy may also be expressed as “may have complete joy,” “may be completely happy,” or “my heart may be filled with joy.”

An alternative translation model for this verse is:
• I remember how you wept (or, cried), and I want to see you very much, because that will make me completely happy.

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1995. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .