Jonah Chapter 2
A Possible Translation into Iatmul.
In the King James Bible, the first chapter of Jonah has 17 chapters, and it ends with the big fish swallowing Jonah whole.
In the New Jerusalem Bible, the first chapter of Jonah has 16 chapters, and it ends with the other sailors throwing Jonah into the sea.
I did not know this when I chose to translate the whole of Jonah chapter 2. This raises the question: Do I translate 10 verses or 11?
I will translate 10 verses – we follow the King James count. This decision will return in our exploration of verse 10.
Iatmul comes from the Sepik River in Northern Papua New Guinea. The Sepik is the longest river in New Guinea, clocking in at over 1,200 metres.
The Iatmul people live far inland along the river – provincial capital is Wewak, around 80km to the North. Most Iatmul speakers are also fluent in Tok Pisin and English, with the former having far more prominence.
Iatmul belongs to the Ndu Language family, though this is probably contested, what with this being PNG we’re talking about.
The Iatmul call themselves Nyaula (or Nyaura), and they divide themselves into a 4 geographical groups: Western Nyaula, Central Pali’bei, Eastern Waliakwi and Northern Maligwat – with a total of around 23,000 speakers.
In addition, there is a diaspora of roughly the same number. They left recently enough that their stay-at-home brethren still consider them speakers. It can be difficult for some speakers of some dialects to understand other ones.
By and large, the Iatmul still live a traditional lifestyle, catching fish and cultivating gardens. That said, urban/western lifestyles and technology – especially in terms of fishing equipment – is likely to cause greater economic disruption in the future.
New Jerusalem Version:
1. Now Yahweh ordained that a great fish should swallow Jonah; and Jonah remained in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights.
2. From the belly of the fish, Jonah prayed to Yahweh, his God; he said:
3. Out of my distress I cried to Yahweh and he answered me, from the belly of Sheol I cried out; you heard my voice!
4. For you threw me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the floods closed round me. All your waves and billows passed over me:
5. then I thought, ‘I am banished from your sight; how shall I ever see your holy Temple again?’
6. The waters round me rose to my neck, the deep was closing round me, seaweed twining round my head.
7. To the roots of the mountains, I sank into the underworld, and its bars closed round me for ever. But you raised my life from the Pit, Yahweh my God!
8. When my soul was growing ever weaker, Yahweh, I remembered you, and my prayer reached you in your holy Temple.
9. Some abandon their faithful love by worshipping false gods,
10. but I shall sacrifice to you with songs of praise. That vow I have made I shall fulfil! Salvation comes from Yahweh!
11. Yahweh spoke to the fish, which then vomited Jonah onto the dry land.
Iatmul:
1. Madi’yak si’magiba li’ka Wakkadwanak ni’ma ñaankak wakala Wa’vi.
2. Wadi’: Waa glaa Wakkadwanak walaiwun, wunkak wadi’. di’ki’ba li’ka Kiyaage glawun, wuna kudi wukmi’n.
3. Ya’kak wun ñigi guna maukak yakimi’n – dadagi’ talakka dawun – mi’na pali wun pali vaasaa kubalakudi.
4. Walaa, “Wun mi’na mi’niba lika ya’kimi’n – wuno wuligaibi kwaakiyawun!”
5. Wuna avlaakna tokuba gu kwadi’. Wunkak vaaguda bapmokwakaladi’, wuna naabu suwa sagidi.
6. Kwaigwak vi’kka daaiwun – wuna kadi’ba si’va ki’pma si’va kwavanami waadi’, wun yivuk ki’kki’daba li’ka klawakmi’n, Wana Wakkadwana.
7. Wuna yapba aavlaak da, Wakkadwun yalavi’kwun, wuna waklawakla mi’na wulige wakkai.
8. Wudi’ki ko ka’ik savalaa mi’na mi’ni kwakladi.
9. Mi’nak kudi ya’kikawun - da mi’nak vatñawun aaiwa kajabawun. Wakkadwana Tabakwida. Sa’k.
10. Wakkadwun si’magi’ walaa, ki’ttigaiyakak Wa’vi ichaku. Pa’k.
King James Version:
1. Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish’s belly,
2. And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.
3. For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the flood compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.
4. Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.
5. The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head.
6. I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.
7. When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.
8. They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.
9. But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.
10. And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.
Sources:
Jendraschek, Gerd, A grammar of Iatmul (Regensburg University 2012)
the cheeky Google and Wikipedia searches