cardinal directions

The cardinal directions “east” and “west” are easy to translate into Maan here since the language uses “where the sun comes up” and “where the sun goes down.” For “north” the translator had “facing toward the sun rising to the left,” and for “south” she had “facing toward the sun rising to the right.” So the listener had to think hard before knowing what direction was in view when translating “to the north and south, to the east and west.” So, in case all four directions are mentioned, it was shortened by saying simply “all directions.” (Source: Don Slager) Likewise, Yakan has “from the four corners of the earth” (source: Yakan back-translation) or Western Bukidnon Manobo “from the four directions here on the earth” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo back-translation).

Kankanaey is “from the coming-out and the going-away of the sun and the north and the south” (source: Kankanaey back-translation), Northern Emberá “from where the sun comes up, from where it falls, from the looking [left] hand, from the real [right] hand” (source: Charles Mortensen), Amele “from the direction of the sun going up, from the direction of the sun going down, from the north and from the south” (source: John Roberts), Ejamat “look up to see the side where the sun comes from, and the side where it sets, and look on your right side, and on your left” (source: David Frank in this blog post).

In Lamba, only umutulesuŵa, “where the sun rises” and imbonsi, “where the sun sets” were available as cardinal directions that were not tied to the local area of language speakers (“north” is kumausi — “to the Aushi country” — and “south” kumalenje — “to the Lenje country”). So “north” and “south” were introduced as loanwords, nofu and saufu respectively. The whole phrase is kunofu nakusaufu nakumutulesuŵa nakumbonsi. (Source C. M. Doke in The Bible Translator 1958, p. 57ff.)

“West” is translated in Tzeltal as “where the sun pours-out” and in Kele as “down-river” (source: Reiling / Swellengrebel).

In Morelos Nahuatl, “north” is translated as “from above” and “south” as “from below.” (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)

The Hebrew text that gives instructions where to place items in the tabernacle with the help of cardinal directions (north and south) had to be approached in the Bambam translation specific to spacial concepts of that culture.

Phil Campbell explains: “There are no words in Bambam for north and south. In Exodus 26:35, God instructs that the table is to be placed on the north side and the lamp on the south side inside the tabernacle. The team wants to use right and left to tell where the lamp and table are located. In many languages we would say that the table is on the right and the lampstand is on the left based on the view of someone entering the tabernacle. However, that is not how Bambam people view it. They view the placement of things and rooms in a building according to the orientation of someone standing inside the building facing the front of the building. So that means the table is on the left side and the lampstand is on the right side.”

See also cardinal directions / left and right.

Translation commentary on Daniel 8:4

Westward and northward and southward: that is, in all directions except the east. For the writer, who was located in Judea, Persia was situated to the east. It apparently had no interest in making conquests further east in the direction of India. In those languages where the words for north and south are particularly difficult, the essential meaning may be conveyed by saying something like “on all sides except the direction of the rising sun.”

No beast could stand before him: here the verb stand before is a way of saying “withstand him (or it)” (New Jerusalem Bible and New American Bible), “resist his power,” or “hold its own against him” (Moffatt).

No one who could rescue from his power: literally “no one who could save from his hand.” Compare 1.2 on this use of the word “hand.” In some languages it may be necessary to state an object for the verb rescue. Translators may say “rescue any of his victims” or something similar. Revised English Bible rewords this to say “from its power there was no escape.”

He did as he pleased: or “he did whatever he wanted to do,” or “he did whatever his heart desired.”

Magnified himself: this expression, which also occurs in 8.8, 11, 25 as well as in 11.36, 37, 39, is more literally “he grew” or “he became great.” But translators and commentators alike are in agreement that this does not mean physical growth. Yet there is not complete agreement as to exactly what kind of growth is indicated. The most widely accepted interpretation is that the reference is to growth in power. New Jerusalem Bible has “became strong,” and New American Bible reads “became very powerful.” Good News Translation, however, indicates that he “grew arrogant.” And An American Translationhas “accomplished great exploits.”

Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René & Ellington, John. A Handbook on Daniel. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1994. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .