manure

The Greek that is translated as “manure” or “fertilizer” in English is translated in Uma as “fat land” (source: Uma Back Translation) and in Yakan as “for making fat the soil” (source: Yakan Back Translation).

complete verse (Luke 13:8)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 13:8:

  • Noongar: “But the worker said, ‘Boss, let the tree grow another year. I will put manure in the ground and dig around the tree.” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “‘The person who looked after the garden said: ‘Let it grow just this one more year, Nobleman. I will weed it, and I will haul fertile [lit., fat] land from outside for it.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “But the caretaker of the ground answered, he said, ‘Wait a while Sir, let me dig-up the soil and put fertilizer there this year. (fertilizer – lit. for making fat the soil)” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “However, that one who was taking care of the plants said, ‘Let’s not, we two, just yet, uncle, chop it down. Let’s just leave it for another year. I will clean around it and I will sprinkle some fertilizer on it.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “‘But that caretaker said, ‘Sir, let’s please bear-with-it for even one more year only so that meanwhile I will cultivate its base and fertilize-it.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “The manager/tender replied, saying, ‘If possible/acceptable, please don’t chop it down this year, for I will just pile-up-soil-around its base and then put fertilizer (lit. what-causes-plants -to-grow-strong). Maybe if like that is done, it will fruit.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Luke 13:8

Exegesis:

kurie ‘sir,’ cf. on 1.6.

aphes autēn kai touto to etos ‘leave it also this year,’ i.e. ‘this one year more.’

heōs hotou skapsō peri autēn kai balō kopria lit. ‘until I have dug around it and put on manure.’ As the subjunctives skapsō and balō show the clause has final meaning, and denotes the gardener’s plans concerning the fig tree. For skaptō cf. on 6.48.

koprion ‘dung,’ ‘manure.’

Translation:

Let it alone; in this context one may say, “don’t touch it” (Phillips), ‘allow it to go on growing, or, to stand here.’

Sir, or, ‘master,’ or an equivalent term commonly used by a servant or slave when addressing his employer or master, or by a labourer towards the owner of the garden he takes care of. Cf. on “Lord” in 1.6 sub (a).

Till I dig …, or, “while I dig…” (New English Bible); or, to bring out the propositive force of the clause, ‘then (or, in the meanwhile) I will dig…,’ ‘let me first dig…’ (Willibrord).

Dig about it and put on manure may be quite foreign to local agricultural methods. If so, one may consider a generic rendering like, ‘give it the best care I can.’ Dig about it may require an object, ‘dig-up/break-up the ground at its base’ (Tae’), ‘hoe the soil around it’ (Bahasa Indonesia 1968). Put on manure. One may describe the material, ‘put faeces of cattle (or, dirt of animals) on it’ (Tae,’ Kituba), ‘fill its foot with rotten-earth (i.e. compost)’ (Tzeltal), or the function, ‘make the soil more fertile,’ ‘give-to (it) its food’ (Pohnpeian).

Quoted with permission from Reiling, J. and Swellengrebel, J.L. A Handbook on the Gospel of Luke. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1971. For this and other handbooks for translators see here . Make sure to also consult the Handbook on the Gospel of Mark for parallel or similar verses.