Joel. Chapter 2 Verses 3 – 9: The Invasion of Locusts
The Ik language is spoken in the mountains of North-Eastern Uganda, and the North-Western corner of Kenya. It belongs to the Kuliak language family.
This is my the first time I have come into contact with this language. It became very fun to work with.
As for the passage itself, the Hebrew is a lot more imagistic than the English translation. With m translation into Ik, I was able to add even more imagery - especially involving animals.
New Jerusalem Version:
3. In their van a fire devours, in their rear a flame consumes. The country is like a garden of Eden ahead of them and a desert waste behind them. Nothing escapes them.
4. They look like horses, like chargers they gallop on,
5. with a racket like that of chariots they spring over the mountain tips, with a crackling like a blazing fire devouring the stubble, a mighty army in battle array.
6. At the sight of them, people are appalled and every face grows pale.
7. Like fighting men they press forward, like warriors they scale the walls, each marching straight ahead, not turning from his path;
8. they never jostle each other, each marches straight ahead: arrows fly, they still press forward, never breaking ranks.
9. They hurl themselves at the city, they leap onto the walls, swarm up the houses, getting in through the windows like thieves.
Ik:
3. Ats’esukotoo ts’aɗa takaredoo, itsuŋesukotoo ts’aɗiaka jiru. Sedadinuo takaredee kija, goozosukota jirie akak – nta iwalaloni taa zuk.
4. Toputetonati lomenio, ŋationati ɗita obija –
5. futonini ɗita gasoe, totironiyata nee fataraakee, ɗeɗeaoniati ɗita ts’aɗeeni atsesiye susaa, komonini ɗita roɓaani iririkonatik
6. Takaruo akwetekwetanoniyati – ɓets’aakata takara roɓa.
7. Ŋatiyati ɗita ŋixoniice, otsiyati ɲararataa ɗita cemicee, deikatie ɲot irianona mucea nda nta imamaɗati;
8. nta idatsinosati, ɲapei daŋamoroka; tsaketata nee naƙafɨkee nta topwaɲɨpwaɲat.
9. Ɓunumiyie sea ɲaratataƙok, otsetatie hoikaƙee, ɓuƙetati howelikwee ɗita dzuama.
King James Version:
3. Before them a fire devours, and behind them a flame scorches. The land before them is like the Garden of Eden, but behind them, it is like a desert wasteland – surely nothing will escape them.
4. Their appearance is like that of horses, and they gallop like swift steeds.
5. With a sound like that of chariots they bound over the mountaintops, like the crackling of fire consuming stubble, like a mighty army deployed for battle.
6. Nations writhe in horror before them; every face turns pale.
7. They charge like mighty men; they scale the walls like men of war. Each one marches in formation, not swerving from the course.
8. They do not jostle one another; each proceeds in his path.
9. They storm the city; they run along the wall; they climb into houses, entering through windows like thieves
I have become unforgivably lazy in citing my sources:
Schrock, Terrill B
A grammar of Ik (Ice-tod): Northeast Uganda’s last thriving Kuliak language (2014: Leiden University Doctorate Thesis)
The Ik language: Dictionary and Grammar Sketch (Berlin: Language Science Press 2017)
God Bless, and Amen