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.

complete verse (Luke 23:29)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 23:29:

  • Noongar: “Because the days are coming when people will say, ‘They are very happy those women without children, who did not give milk to them!'” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “Because the time will come when people say: ‘Fortunate are the barren women, who have not ever [lit., one time] given birth, and who have not ever nursed a child!'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “For there will be days coming in the future when the people will say, ‘How lucky are the women who cannot bear children and the women who never gave birth and gave suck.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Because the day is coming when a terrible trouble will take place here, and then people will say how better off are those women who have no children and are not nursing any children.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Because later a time of difficulty will arrive in which people will say, ‘Fortunate are the women who are barren who have not given-birth and breast-fed.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “For think about this. The day will come when people will say, ‘The situation is really better of women who don’t give birth and have no nursing-babies.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Luke 23:29

Exegesis:

hoti idou erchontai hēmerai lit. ‘for behold days come.’ idou focusses the attention on what follows. For erchontai hēmerai cf. on 5.35; erchontai is best understood as referring to the future.

hēmerai en hais lit. ‘days in which,’ i.e. ‘a time when.’

erousin ‘they will say,’ ‘people will say.’

makariai hai steirai ‘happy (are) the barren ones,’ cf. on 1.45 for makarios, and on 1.7 for steira.

kai hai koiliai hai ouk egennēsan ‘and (happy are) the wombs which never bore (children).’ Note the punctiliar aorist tense, ‘never once.’

kai mastoi hoi ouk ethrepsan ‘and (happy are) the breasts which never nursed/fed (children).’ For the aorist tense see above. mastos also 11.27.

Translation:

For the clauses in quoted speech cf. on 11.27 and 21.23. The barren (cf. on 1.7) refers to those who cannot bear children, the wombs that never bore to those who do not bear children.

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.