The Greek that is translated in English as “painful” or “sorrow” is translated in Huba as “cut the insides.” David Frank explains: “Huba has just one expression that covers both ‘angry’ and ‘sad.’ They don’t make a distinction in their language. I suppose you could say that the term they use means more generically, ‘strong emotional reaction.’ (Source: David Frank in this blog post )
In Enlhet it is translated as “going aside of the innermost.” “Innermost” or valhoc is a term that is frequently used in Enlhet to describe a large variety of emotions or states of mind (for other examples see here). (Source: Jacob Loewen in The Bible Translator 1969, p. 24ff. )
The Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek that is typically translated in English as “joy” or “happiness” is translated in the HausaCommon 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)
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.).
Following are a number of back-translations of John 16:22:
Uma: “So it will be with you. At this time your hearts are sad. But I will meet you again. At that time, you will be glad again, and no-one can take that joy away from you.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Likewise also you, now you are troubled. But we (incl.) will see each other again. Then you will really be glad and that joy of yours nobody can take from your livers.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “In just the same way you will sorrow now, however when we see each other again, you will greatly rejoice. And no one will be able to take away your joy.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “It’s the same with you, because now, you are sad. But in a future day, we will see-each-other and then you will be happy. And that happiness of yours, no one will remove-it from you.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “As for you, that’s how it is indeed. Today/now you will grieve, but you will indeed see/meet me. At that your happiness will then be really very great. And as for this happiness of yours, it’s firmly-grounded and won’t be able to be removed by anyone.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Also it is like that for you. The time will come when you will be sad. But I am going to return to see you. Then you will be happy. It will be a joy that no one can take away.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Like many languages (but unlike Greek or Hebrew or English), Tuvan uses a formal vs. informal 2nd person pronoun (a familiar vs. a respectful “you”). Unlike other languages that have this feature, however, the translators of the Tuvan Bible have attempted to be very consistent in using the different forms of address in every case a 2nd person pronoun has to be used in the translation of the biblical text.
As Voinov shows in Pronominal Theology in Translating the Gospels (in: The Bible Translator 2002, p. 210ff.), the choice to use either of the pronouns many times involved theological judgment. While the formal pronoun can signal personal distance or a social/power distance between the speaker and addressee, the informal pronoun can indicate familiarity or social/power equality between speaker and addressee.
Here, Jesus is addressing his disciples, individuals and/or crowds with the formal pronoun, showing respect.
In most Dutch translations, Jesus addresses his disciples and common people with the informal pronoun, whereas they address him with the formal form.
That is how it is with you (Jerusalem Bible, New English Bible “So it is with you”; New American Bible “In the same way”) translates the Greek word kai which means “and” or “also.” Here it is used to draw a parallel between the parable and the experiences of the disciples. That is how it is with you may be rendered “that is what you are experiencing now” or “that is what is happening to you right now.”
The pronoun you (you are sad) is emphatic in the Greek sentence structure.
You are sad translates the UBS Greek text, which has the verb in the present tense (literally “you have sadness”). However, in some manuscripts the Greek verb used here is in the future tense. Most translators evidently prefer the present tense; and the future tense was probably used in some manuscripts because of you will be sad in verse 20.
Your hearts will be filled with gladness is more literally “your (plural) heart will be glad.” But in English it is natural to say your hearts when speaking of more than one person. The translation will be filled with gladness is simply an idiomatic way of saying “will be glad.” Gladness is often expressed in other idiomatic ways, for example, “your heart will dance,” “you will feel sweetness,” or “happiness will grab you.”
Can take away appears in some manuscripts in the future tense (note are sad above), but most translations prefer the present tense. Moreover, the Greek text is literally “no one takes it away from you,” but can (can take) is implicit, and many translations make it explicit as Good News Translation.
In some languages “taking away gladness” can be expressed as “causing someone not to feel gladness any longer.” Thus the final clause of verse 22 may be translated “You will be glad in such a way that no one can cause you to cease being glad” or “… stop you from being glad” or “… stop your hearts from dancing.”
Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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