Ardor's AccountLOVE YOUR ENIMIES!NOTES ON CHANGES, CHAPTER BY CHAPTER
(Does not include a number of grammatical changes, minor in nature)
Second of the two opening paragraphs
INGER/POUL: ". . .But the more simple the Word is, the more clearly it will reproduce the Thought, which comes from God and is in God, the Thought, which is the source of everything. KAI: “. . .But the simpler the word, the more clearly it conveys the thought, which comes from God and is in God — thought, the source of all that is. HANNE/CHRIS: “. . .But the simpler the word, the more clearly will it convey the thought, which comes from God and is in God — Thought, the source of all that is. HARRY:”. . . But the simpler the word, the more clearly does it convey the Thought, which comes from God and is in God — Thought, the source of all that is. EDITING COMMENT: The Danish text italicizes only “Thought.” Also, why does Kai not capitalize the first letter of “Thought”? Perhaps a typesetter error not caught by the proofreader. Chapter 4, paragraph 4
INGER/POUL: ". . .so that the Light from that Kingdom of Beauty could penetrate and shine over the earth and form it on an analogy with the spiritual prototype, formed by Him." KAI: “. . .that the Light from this glorious kingdom could irradiate and penetrate the Globe to make it conform to the spiritual prototypewhich He had created." HANNE/CHRIS: “. . .that the Light from this realm of beauty might pervade and shine upon the Earth and mould it in the likeness of the spiritual ideal that He had formed." HARRY:”. . .so that the Light from that realm of beauty might penetrate and irradiate the globe and make it conform to the likeness of the spiritual prototype formed by Him. EDITING COMMENT:“Ideal” and “prototype” have not the same meaning, but either could “fit”. I prefer Kai’s and Inger’s and Poul's choice. What is the Danish word? Chapter 4, par 9 INGER/POUL: "And they shall live a life in beauty and happiness on one of the formed globes, on the one I have chosen for this purpose." KAI: “They shall lead a life of glory and happiness on one of the developed globes I have selected for that purpose.” HANNE/CHRIS: “And they shall live a life in beauty and joy on one of the globes that I have formed, on the one that I have chosen for that purpose.” HARRY: “. . .And they shall lead a life in beauty and glory on one of the developed globes, on the one that I have chosen for that purpose. EDITING NOTE: Sorry to be nitpicky, but there is a subtle difference here. In the HANNE/CHRIS version, God simply says they shall live on a globe he has formed. There is no reference to the condition of the globe. Kai has God saying, on the other hand, that they shall live on a globe that has reached a point of development now suitable for habitation. Do you see the difference? Exactly what does it say in the Danish text? Also, Hanne and Chris say “beauty and joy”, Kai says “glory and happiness",Inger and Poul say "beauty and happiness".They all fit. But what does the Danish text say. Chapter 4, par 14
INGER/POUL: ". . .God's children talked to each other about whom the Father would choose. And many of the Eldest thought that the choice would fall on them. . ." KAI: “. . .God’s children spoke among themselves as to who might be chosen by the Father. And many of the oldest childrenbelieved that they would be chosen. . .” HANNE/CHRIS: “. . .God’s children spoke among themselves of whom their Father would choose. And many of the Eldest believed that the choice should fall upon them. . .” HARRY: ". . .God’s children spoke with one another of whom their Father would choose. And many among the older children – the “Eldest” — believed that the choice would fall upon them. DANISH TEXT: “. . .Guds Bjorn talede med hverandre om, hvem Faderen vilde udvaelge. Og mange af de Aeldste mente, at Valget maatte falde paa dem. . .” EDITING NOTE: This one stumped me as apparently it also did Kai. For the first time we see the Oldest or Eldest (both mean the same) mentioned in Toward the Light. Hanne and Chris capitalize the first letter, Eldest, and use the word alone, exactly as in the Danish original, as do Inger and Poul. Kai sees the Danish and is puzzled (I assume), and he tries to anticipate the reader’s reaction: Who are these mysterious “Eldest”? So he tries a minor device of grammar. He uses the small “e” (or ‘o”) and adds one word, “children”, even though this is not in the Danish original (as far as I can see). But now the reader knows that the reference is clearly to the older children from among all the children, and when Eldest (or Oldest, as Kai prefers it) appears again later, the capital “E” (or “O”) is restored. But now the reference is no longer a mystery. Now the reader knows who these “Eldest” are. Even though the explanation for the difference between “Eldest” (“Oldest”) and “Youngest” appears elsewhere, it appears not in Ardor’s Account and perhaps a Translator’s footnote would be suitable there to explain same. Chapter 4, par 31 Then the Elder of the Eldest stood forth. And he said: “Our Father says the life of Darkness is not everlasting, but we know not this to be so! EDITING NOTE: I question not the translation here, only what is said. The implication of what the Elder of the Eldest says here is quite significant. God's children were apparently advanced enough to be able to clearly hear the voice of God. They must have known that He was their Father. It is not then a matter of getting them to believe that there existed a Deity who had created them and everything else. We must assume that they believed in and trusted all knowledge that came from God. Yet now we see the Elder of the Eldest asserting that even though God says the life of Darkness is not everlasting, why should we believe Him? Did the first children of God doubt at times that He knew what He was saying? I find this hard to swallow. The only answer I can imagine is that once the Eldest had fallen under the influence of Darkness their thinking became so confused that they began to doubt God's supreme knowledge. I almost wish that Ardor had added a few words. "Then the Elder of the Eldest stood forth. And, CONFUSED BY THE DARKNESS, he said: “Our Father says the life of Darkness is not everlasting, but we know not this to be so! Chapter 4, par 64 INGER/POUL: "Then the Eldest One said: "We are unable to put this in order' because we have no power to do it. Let us descend to the earth; for I see that also the earth has darkened." KAI: “Then the Elder said: “We are incapable of restoring order here, for we lack the power to do so. Let us, therefore, descend to Earth itself, for I can see that it also has darkened.” HANNE/CHRIS: “Then the Elder said: “We are not able to make this straight, for we lack the power to do so. Let us descend unto the Earth, for I see that there is Darkness also.” HARRY: “. . . Then said the Elder: “We are not able to put this in order, for we have not the power. Let us, therefore, descend to the Earth itself, for I can see that it also has darkened." EDITING NOTE: Is something missing? The Elder says they cannot bring order to ther realm, so let’s go down to the Earth where there is also Darkness. First, do they mean the power called Darkness or simply a physical darkening?Next, why is this a reason to go there? The Elder seems to imply that if normalcy is now lacking in their own kingdom, perhaps the situation is better on Earth. But then he says there is also Darkness on the Earth (or just simply darker?). What, then, does a visit there have to do with the Eldests’ lack of ability to make things straight in their own home? That’s like saying, “We can’t seem to clean up this dirty house we’re living in, so let’s go to the house next door because it is also dirty.” Again, “Darkness" refers to the vibrations of that energy. The word "darkened" could be used in either a material or non-material sense. What is the precise word used in the Danish text? The end effect as far as the Earth was concerned was the same. Yes, in a non-material sense Ardor saw that Darkness had come to it; yes, he saw that physically the Earth had darkened (fogs, gloom, etc.), as a consequence of the arrival of the vibrations of Darkness. Remember the subtle difference here: A beautiful summer day could darken as the night arrived, the moon would shine on two lovers, the crickets chirp, songbirds sing in the night, the fragrance of flowers be carried on the warm night breeze, etc. None of this would have anything to do with Darkness, the power of evil. Chapter 5, par 7 INGER/POUL: "And the Eldest said: "See, our children apply to the light of the earth for help, our children turn away from us, turn away from the Darkness." KAI: “And the Elder said: “Behold! Our children seek help from the Earthly light. Our children turn away from us, away from darkness.” HANNE/CHRIS: “And the Elder said: “Behold, our children seek help from the Light of the Earth, our children turn away from us, away from Darkness.” DANISH TEXT: “Og den Aeldest sagde: “Se, vore Born soge Hjaelp hos Jordens Lys, vore Born vende sig fra os, vende sig fra Morket.” HARRY:“. . . And the Eldest said to one another: "See! Our children turn to the light of the Earth for help; our children turn away from us, away from Darkness. EDITING NOTE: Hanne/Chris and Inger/Poul apparently refer correctly to the powers called Light and Darkness, Kai refers to ordinary atmospheric light and dark. Did he forget to capitalize, or did the typesetter make a mistake then overlooked by the proofreader, or did Kai think the Danish text was in error? Also, is it the Elder speaking alone, or the Eldest speaking collectively? Chapter 5, par 16 INGER/POUL: "The human beings acted like the animals, lived like the animals, paired like the animals, and their offspring became very great." KAI: “The human beings observed the animals, lived like the animals, mated like the animals; and their offspring became abundant.” HANNE/CHRIS: “The human beings were like unto the beasts, they lived like them, mated like them, and their offspring became abundant.” HARRY: “The humans were as the animals, living like them, mating like them; and their offspring became abundant.” EDITING NOTE: Were the humans like the animals because of their own animal-like nature, or did they actually watch and imitate the animals? I suspect Kai picked the wrong word here. Hanne’s and Chris’s “like unto” is an awkward attempt to sound archaic and thus add solemnity to the words. It doesn’t work. Better is: “The humans were as the animals, living like them, mating like them; and their off-spring became abundant.” Chapter 5, par 35 INGER/POUL: "And they cried: "Father, Father have mercy on these miserable shadows, our beings! Father give them of the permanent life of the Light, so they shall not for ever be living and yet lifeless!. . ." KAI: And they cried: "Our Father, have pity on these wretched Shadows, our creatures. Father, grant them the everlasting life of Light that they shall not remain animate through all eternity, and yet be devoid of life. Father, have compassion; forgive us our evil deeds." HANNE/CHRIS: “And they cried out: ‘Father, Father, be merciful toward these wretched shadows, our creatures! Father, grant them the everlasting life of the Light, that they shall not live for ever and yet be without life!. . .” HARRY: “And they cried: “Father, Father, have pity for these wretched shadows, our creatures! Father, grant them the everlasting life of the Light, that they shall not live forever and yet be without life! . . .” KAI’S COMMENT: “. . .that they shall not live forever. . .” This is faithful to the Danish text, but connotatively, for the English ear, animate would serve better. “. . .that they shall not be animate forever. . .” EDITING NOTE:Kai's comment would apply alike to Inger and Poul. But I do like the way they said it, so I shall go with Inger and Poul. Chapter 5, par 36 INGER/POUL: ". . .When they had cried like this, God's voice was again heard; but then it sounded clear and beautiful. KAI: “. . .Those who had called out, again heard God’s voice; but now it sounded clear and resonant. . .” HANNE/CHRIS: “. . .When they had thus cried out, the voice of God was heard once more; but then it sounded beautiful and clear. . .” HARRY:”. . .When they had thus cried out, God's voice was heard once more, now clear and resonant. EDITING NOTE: "Beautiful" and "resonant" have different meanings. What is it in the Danish text? Probably "beautiful", since both Hanne/Chris and Inger/Poul use it. But here is one of those mystery reversals again. It changes not the meaning, but why do Hanne/Chris reverse "clear and beautiful" to "beautiful and clear"? Chapter 6, par 6 INGER/POUL: "And God created the spiritual worlds in such a way, that they, through numerous shades, slowly went from faint Dawn to bright and beautiful Light." KAI: “And God created these habitations so as to gradate through numerous shadings from dawn to bright, radiant Light. . ." HANNE/CHRIS: “AndGod created the spheres in such manner that they brightened, through numerous shadings, from shimmering dawn to clear and glorious light. . .” HARRY: And God created these spheres in such manner that they brightened, through numerous shadings, from shimmering dawn to clear and beautiful Light.” EDITING NOTE: Hanne and Chris use a lower-case “l” in light. Kai and Inger/Poul capitalize it. Are we talking about ordinary illumination or the vibrations of the energy called Light? The Danish original is Lys. Yet I am inclined to think that Hanne and Chris are correct. The description of dawn to bright light sounds more like an ordinary day than a reference to the energy of Light. If so, then the Danish should be lys not Chapter 7, par 11 INGER/POUL: "But when the first of the Youngest became human beings, then the earthly time commenced; because previously everything was disorder and confusion." KAI: “The embodiment of the first of the Youngest was the beginning of Earthly time, for, before then, everything had beenchaos and confusion. HANNE/CHRIS: “But when the first of the Youngest were become as human beings, earthly time began; for until that hour all had been disorder and confusion. . .” HARRY: “And it was with the embodiment of the first of the Youngest as human beings that earthly time began, for before then all was chaos. EDITING NOTE: Kai italicizes the entire paragraph. The others do not. Who is correct? Also, get rid of those redundancies. Examples: “. . .everything had been chaos.” “Everything had been confusion.” “Everything had been disorder.” Take your pick. If you use two it is the same as saying “Everything had been chaos and chaos.” Or, “Everything had been confusion and confusion”, etc. I suspect the redundancy appears also in the Danish text. Chapter 7, par 13
INGER/POUL: ". . .Much the human beings learned of their leaders, learned to form the weak thoughts in talk and in signs. . ." KAI: “. . .The human beings learned much from their leaders, learned to express their feeble thoughts in speech and in signs. . .” HANNE/CHRIS: “. . .Human beings learnt much from their leaders, learnt to shape their simple thoughts in speech and characters. . .” HARRY: From their leaders, human beings learned much; learned to express their simple thoughts in speech and by signs. . .” EDITING NOTE: “Feeble” and “simple” have different meanings. “Feeble” means physically weak or weak intellectually or morally. “Simple” means easy to understand or deal with. Thus, thoughts could be simple but strong. In a subtle sense, either word appears okay, but I think Hanne and Chris used the better word. Chapter 7, par 22
INGER/POUL: "And the Youngest tried to impart knowledge to the human beings about a higher power, a spiritual being who ruled andarrangedeverything." KAI: “And the Youngest sought to teach the human beings of a Higher Power, of a Spiritual Being, Who guided and regulated all things. . .” HANNE/CHRIS: “And the Youngest sought to bring mankind knowledge of a higher Power, a spiritual Being who ruled over and ordained all things. . .” HARRY: “And the Youngest attempted to bring to humans knowledge of a higher Power, of a spiritual Being who ruled over andappointed all things. EDITING NOTE: There are subtle differences in meaning in all these words. Take your pick. Chapter 7, par 26 INGER/POUL: "Thus the purifying currents of the Light were led over the earth; thus the Light of the spirit was brought to mankind. KAI: “Thus, the purifying currents of Light were drawn over the Earth; and, thus, spiritual enlightenment was brought to mankind. HANNE/CHRIS: “Thus were the purifying streams of the Light drawn across the Earth; thus was brought the Light of the Spirit unto human beings.” HARRY: Thus were the purifying currents of the Light led over the Earth, and thus was spiritual enlightenment brought to mankind. KAI’S COMMENT: “. . .thus was brought the Light of the Spirit. . .” Which Spirit? The original Danish is spiritual Light. “. . .thus was brought the spiritual Light.” EDITING NOTE: I agree with Kai. But who is correct with their italicizing? Chapter 8, par 4 INGER/POUL: "But the Eldest taught them to envy and persecute each other, to live insin and in misdeeds; taught them. . ." KAI: “But the Oldest taught them to envy and persecute one another, to live insin and crime; taught them. . .” HANNE/CHRIS: “But the Eldest taught them to envy and to persecute one another, to live in sin andwickedness; taught them. . .” HARRY: “But the Eldest taught them to envy and to persecute one another, to live in sin and lawlessness; taught them. . .” EDITOR: Much redundancy here. I prefer "to live in sin and lawlessness." Yes, that is apparently redundant also. But it would be possible to live in sin yet outwardly obey a government's laws. So here we are saying that not only did people commit sins, but they also refused to obey the laws. Chapter 9, par 9 INGER/POUL: "See, how the sun of the earth glows and shines; it brings heat and beauty to all who are on the earth. Is this not better than the cold and darkness, which prevail here?. . ." KAI: “Behold the glowing sun which shines over the Earth! It brings warmth and beauty to all who live there. Is this not better than the cold and the darkness of our kingdom?. . .” HANNE/CHRIS: “Behold, how the sun of the Earth shines and glows! It brings warmth and beauty unto all who live upon the Earth. Is this not better than the cold and Darkness which reign here?. . ." HARRY: “See how the sun that shines over the Earth brings warmth and beauty to all who dwell there. Is this not better than the cold and gloom that prevails here? EDITING NOTE:The "darkness" spoken of here is not the power called "Darkness". It is lack of ordinary illumination. Notice that only Hanne and Chris capitalize the first letter of darkness. So it would be more proper to say “the cold and the dark of our kingdom.” But to avoid confusion, let’s call it gloom, which means a partial absence of daylight. Chapter 9, par 26 INGER/POUL: "But in their hearts they were cowardly and low; for the fear and the horror of the Darkness were over them." KAI: “But, in their hearts, they were cowardly and paltry; for fear and terror of the Dark stayed with them.” HANNE/CHRIS: “But in their hearts they were cowardly and vile, for the fear and terror of Darkness was upon them.” HARRY: “But in their hearts they were cowardly and depraved, for the horror over the Darkness was with them. EDITING NOTE:“Vile”and “paltry” both appear suitable. The first meaning of vile is “wretchedly bad.” The third meaning of “paltry”is “mean or contemptible”. Both could apply to the Eldest. Inger/Poul's "low" is also correct but has so many shades of meaning that we could argue over it. Again, what is used in the Danish text? Chapter 9, par 49
INGER/POUL: "Only a few were able to escape for the all-comprehending glowing streams of fire." KAI: “. . .only a few escaped the flowing, all-consuming fire.” HANNE/CHRIS: “Only few were able to flee from the glowing, all-engulfing torrents of fire.” HARRY: ‘’”Only a few were able to flee the flowing, all-consuming fire. DITIMG NOTE: I assume we are talking about molten lava, which could both glowandflow. What does it say in the Danish text? Also, I remind you that I am not pointing out Inger’s and Poul's various grammatical errors in these editing notes. In the example here, it can be seen that they clearly needed an English editor. The words should have been ". . .Only a few were able to escape from the all-engulfing (or all-consuming) streams of fire." Chapter 9, par 83
INGER/POUL: "And he said: "Father, we come to you with our sorrows; for the Darkness has defeated us. . ." KAI: “And he said: “Our Father, we come to Thee with our grief, for Darkness has defeated us. . .” HANNE/CHRIS: “And he said: “Father, we come to you with our sorrows; for Darkness has conquered us. . .” HARRY: “And he said: “Father, we come to Thee with our sorrows; for we are defeated by the Darkness. EDITING NOTE: “Conquered” suggests that the Youngest had come under control of Darkness as had the Eldest. “Defeated” suggests a setback, for instance, which is really what the Youngest had undergone. Darkness had not taken them over in battle, it had merely failed to give way to them. I’m with Kai and Inger/Poul on this one. Chapter 9, par 108
INGER/POUL: ". . .then it will become more easy for you to carry out your mission; for then the human beings will in you see the one you are. . ." KAI: “. . .Your journey will be lighter and easier, and the human beings will recognize you for what you are. . .” HANNE/CHRIS: “. . .then will the way of your journey be easier and more full of the Light, for then will mankind see in you the being that you are. . .” HARRY: “. . .then will your journey lighten and become easier, for the people will see in you the being that you are." EDITING NOTE:Hanne and Chris refer to the power called Light. Kai says “lighter”, which is NOT a reference to the Light. The only connection is that things can become easier (or “lighter”) under the influence of the Light. Chapter 9
EDITING NOTE: A question about what seems a puzzling discrepancy between Ardor’s Account and the Commentary to Ardor’s Account. Go first to Chapter 9 in Ardor’s Account. There we are told that Ardor first began incarnating the Eldest in human bodies and how heavy the times then became for human beings as the Eldest grew up among them, carrying on wars, doing sinful things in temples, lusting for more power, etc. The impression is that this was carried on for many years. But then Ardor says: “Again the inner forces of the Earth broke forth in fiery eruption, again a mighty realm sank into the sea. . .” This was of course the sinking of Atlantis, and the impression is that the Eldest had been incarnating for many, many years BEFORE the sinking of Atlantis. Now go to the Commentary concerning Chapter 9 and you find these words: “The FIRST appearance of the Eldest as human beings occurred about HALF A CENTURY before the destruction of the Atlantic island. . .” That does not give the Eldest much time to have accomplished all the things that Ardor says they did, or that it appears that he said they did, in human form, BEFORE the sinking of Atlantis. Fifty years is enough to allow them to do some damage, but not enough to do all the things that Ardor mentions. Obviously, they must have done most of their dirty work as humans AFTER the disappearance of Atlantis. But Ardor conveys the impression that they were incarnated long before the sinking of Atlantis. Will someone please double-check this in the Danish text? What EXACTLY did Ardor say about the sinking of Atlantis in relation to the appearance of the Eldest as humans? Also, inasmuch as theEldest began incarnating in Atlantis shortly before it sank, together with the fact that the eldest of the Youngest was also incarnated there (for the third time) and died the same year the island disappeared, it might have been helpful if someone had asked the following question: Was the eldest of theYoungest incarnated at this time because the Eldest were beginning for the first time to incarnate among humans? Was it the mission of the eldest of the Youngest to attempt in some way to warn humans of the evil influence of the Eldest who would now be appearing among them physically? Chapter 11, par 24 INGER/POUL: ". . .that the odour from this could ascend to the heavens and please his heart!" KAI: “. . .that the fragrance may rise to the heavens to appease his heart!” HANNE/CHRIS: “. . .that the scent thereof may rise unto the heavens and delight his heart!” HARRY:”. . . that the scent thereof might rise to the heavens and please his heart!” EDITOR: “Delight” and “appease” have different meanings. “Delight” suggests pleasure, joy, happiness — hardly the qualities one associates with a god of wrath and vengeance. “Appease”suggests satisfying someone’s anger. Inger/Poul's "please" is also okay, because appeasing God's heart would also please Him but not necessarily delight Him in the sense of bringing Him joy and happiness. His "delight" would be more on the order of, "There! Now I have made those miserable human creatures pay homage to me. It delights me to see them acknowledge me as their absolute master and to know that they fear my wrath should they neglect or disobey me!" Chapter 13, par 1 INGER/POUL: "After the meeting with the Baptist, Jesus often wandered to deserted places, for in the stillness to search his heart, in order to think of his deed, and to listen to that, which was suggested to him. KAI: “After the meeting with the Baptist, Jesus often went into the wildernesswhere, in the stillness, he could search his heart, ponder his mission and listen to his inner voice. . .” HANNE/CHRIS: ‘. . .After his meeting with the Baptist, Jesus often journeyed unto the desert places, so as to search his heart in the stillness, so as to ponder his task and to listen to that which was inspired in him. . .” HARRY: After his meeting with the Baptist, Jesus went often into the solitude of the desert where in the stillness he could search his heart, ponder his task, and listen to his inner urgings. EDITING NOTE:Hardly worth mentioning, but again let's be as faithful to the Danish text as possible. “Wilderness” could be in the jungle or in the Arctic, but we know that where Jesus lived the wilderness was most likely the desert (or in the mountains). We can also imply from Hanne’s and Chris’s “desert places” that these are in the wilderness. The meaning is not changed either way, but how is it said in the Danish text? Inger and Poul mistakenly use "deserted", which could be anywhere — in the desert, the jungle, abandoned houses, etc. They really meant "desert". Chapter 13, par 16
HANNE/CHRIS: “When God drew Darkness away from the Elder, and Jesus beheld his brother’s countenance — then he dimly remembered. . .” EDITING NOTE:This is one of those minor “typos” that can easily go through edition after edition unnoticed. I believe the word should be “Then”, not “When”. It is “Then” in Kai’s and Inger/Poul's translations, and it is more grammatically correct as such. So I am using “Then” in my edited version. Chapter 14, par 12 INGER/POUL: "And I tell you: You shall advance to greater bliss. . ." KAI: “And, I say, you shall advance to a state of more blessedness. . .” HANNE/CHRIS: “And Isay unto you: you shall go forward unto greater bliss. . .” HARRY: “And I tell you that you shall go forward to greater blessedness. . .” EDITING NOTE: To bless is to make holy. Blissis supreme happiness. So to be in a state of bliss, one is blessed, or to be blessed brings on a state of bliss. Either word will do, but what does the Danish text say? Chapter 16, par 1 INGER/POUL: "Often Jesus wandered to the deserted places for in the stillness to search his heart and listen to his thoughts." KAI: (in his original translation):“Jesus often went to desolate places so that, in the stillness, he could search his heart and listen to his thoughts.” KAI: (in his revised translation): “Jesus often went into the wilderness so that, in the stillness, he could search his heart and listen to his thoughts.” HANNE/CHRIS: “Jesus often went unto the desert places, that in the stillness he might search his heart and ponder his thoughts.” HARRY: Jesus often went into the solitude of the desert that, in the stillness, he could search his heart and listen to his thoughts. DANISH TEXT:“Ofte vandrede Jesus till de ode Stederfor i Stilheden at ransage sit Hjerte og lytte til sine Tanker.” EDITING NOTE:This illustrates the difficulty a translator can have with something simple. I managed to find the Danish original, but I cannot understand all of it. Chapter 19, heading
INGER/POUL: Has Jesus Given an Opinion on the Meaning of the Baptism such as it Appears from the Words handed down to Us? KAI: Do the Words Spoken by Jesus on the Importance of Baptism Conform to the Words of the Scriptures? HANNE/CHRIS: Did Jesus speak on the significance of baptism with the words ascribed to him by tradition? HARRY: Did Jesus speak on the significance of baptism with the words ascribed to him by tradition? EDITING NOTE: I’ll go with Hanne and Chris. Chapter 23, par 3 INGER/POUL: "And he was among those who with great longing expected the Messiah's early coming; and he prayed daily to God, that He would grant him the pleasure to behold the long expected." (Presumably a "typo" here, with "One" missing.) KAI: “He, too, yearned for the coming of the expected Messiah. Daily, he prayed to God to grant him the privilege of seeing the Expected One. HANNE/CHRIS: “And he was among those who yearned for the coming of the Messiah; and daily he prayed unto God that He would grant him the joy of beholding the long-awaited One. HARRY: “And he was among those who with great longing hoped for the early coming of the Messiah; and he prayed each day that God would grant him the privilege and the joy of beholding the long-awaited One. EDITING NOTE: As you can see, I feel “privilege and joy” says it best. Chapter 23, par 20 INGER/POUL: ". . .Are you the Messiah, then tell it to me, and I shall plead your cause for all, then the elders and the highest ones. . ." KAI: “. . .“If you are the Messiah. tell me so, and I shall speak for your cause before all the people, and the elders and the high priests. . .” HANNE/CHRIS: “. . .Are you the Messiah, then tell me, and I shall speak for your cause before all the people; then shall the elders and the rulers. . .” HARRY: "Are you the Messiah, then tell it to me and I shall plead your cause before all, then shall the elders and the highest ones receive you upon my words." EDITING NOTE:Again, all three could be correct. Exactly what does the Danish text say? Until someone says otherwise, I will go with Inger’s and Poul’s “highest ones.” Chapter 24, heading
INGER/POUL: Has Jesus Predicted the End of the Earth and His Second Coming such as it is Handed Down? KAI: Did Jesus Foretell the End of the World and his “Second Coming” in the Manner Handed down by Tradition? HANNE/CHRIS: Did Jesus prophesy the “End of the World” and his “Second Coming” as related in the Scriptures? HARRY: Did Jesus foretell the “End of the World” and his “Second Coming” as related in the Scriptures? EDITING NOTE:: Is it “Scriptures”, “Tradition”, or "handed down" in the Danish text? Chapter 24 , par 3
INGER/POUL: "When his companions heard these words, some of them said: "This building shall surely exist for centuries. . ." KAI: “When his companions heard these words, some said: ‘This edifice will assuredly stand far into the future. . .” HANNE/CHRIS: “When his followers heard these words, some said: ‘This temple shall surely stand until the end of time. . .” HARRY: “When his companions heard these words, some said: “This temple shall surely stand until the end of time,” EDITING NOTE: Is it “temple”, “edifice”, or "building" in the Danish text? An edifice could also be an office building, or a magnificent dwelling place. As for the time factor, our translators cannot seem to agree there either: "End of time" is not the same as "far into the future", while centuries could be any number of same — five or ten or a thousand centuries? Can some knowledgeable Dane please pin this down in the original text? Chapter 25, heading
INGER/POUL: Was it Predetermined that Jesus should Betray Jesus? For what Purpose and with which Words did Jesus Institute the Eucharist? KAI: Was Judas Predestined to Betray Jesus? Why and with What Words Did Jesus Institute the Eucharist? HANNE/CHRIS: Was it Predetermined that Judas should Betray Jesus? With what Purpose and with what Words did Jesus Institute the Holy Communion? HARRY: Was it foreordained that Judas betray Jesus? Why and with what words did Jesus institute the Eucharist? EDITING NOTE: “Eucharist” is also termed the sacrament of Holy Communion, the sacrifice of the Mass, and the Lord’s Supper. In the Danish heading it says "Nadveren". What does that translate into in English? Chapter 25, par20 INGER/POUL: “But Jesus answered them and said: “I go, for it is required of me; I go that through my death I may confirm thetruth of the words that I have spoken unto you.” EDITING NOTE:This is not a question about the three translations. All three state that Jesus says he will die in order to confirm the truth of his words. The question is: How does his death confirm their truth? Can someone clarify this? Chapter 26, par 11
INGER/POUL: "But when Jesus was taken before them, a great silence fell upon them all; for he was like a king to them.." KAI: “But, when Jesus was brought forth, deep silence fell over them all; for he stood before them likea king.” HANNE/CHRIS: “But when Jesus was led before them, deep silence fell upon them all; for he stood before them asa king” HARRY: ‘’When Jesus was led before them, deep silence fell upon them all; for he stood before them as if a king.” EDITOR: Nitpickers take your pick. Chapter 26, par 21
INGER/POUL: ". . .What you say is true, those were my words. And I tell you, you shall all once see me in my Father's Kingdom, and there you shall all bow to me." KAI: ". . .What you say is true. Such were my words. And, I say unto you, some day you shall all see me in my Father’s Kingdom, and there you shall all bow before me.” HANNE/CHRIS: “. . .“That which you say is true. Those were my words. And I say unto you: the day will come when you shall all see me in my Father’s Kingdom, and then shall you all bow down before me.” HARRY: "What you say is true. Such were my words, and I tell you that the day will come when you shall all see me in my Father's Kingdom, and there all bow before me." EDITING NOTE: I question not the translators but instead would like to know exactly how this was said in Danish? It is disturbing to be told elsewhere in VML that Jesus had doubt about being the Messiah. Along with this, we like to think of him as a humble man even though he could be roused to anger. Now he stands before the Council and seems to say — in a way that would make almost anyone angry and defiant — that he IS God’s son and so important that if they don’t believe it now, one day they will all be forced to fall to their knees in homage before him. At least, that’s the impression created in me on reading the foregoing words as Hanne/Chris and Kai render them. I think what bothers me the most is that suddenly Jesus finds this absolute self-confidence that he knows exactly who he is. He in effect seems to say to the Council, “Yes, not only am I THE Son of God but I really have power in Heaven and you poor fools will find out how important I am after you die and see me in God’s Kingdom where you will all in fear and trembling fall to your knees to acknowledge this fact!” I suspect, though, that Jesus probably said something like: “Yes, I did say I was the Son of God, and all of you will have to acknowledge the truth of this one day when you see me in our Father’s Kingdom.” Chapter 26, par 28 INGER/POUL: ""But the next day, early in the morning, he was taken to Pilate the chief of the country, and the latter affirmed the sentence." KAI: “Early the following morning he was led to Pilate, the governor, who upheld the verdict.” HANNE/CHRIS: “But the following day, in the early morning, he was brought before PontiusPilate, and he affirmed the judgment” HARRY: ‘”The next day, in the early morning, he was brought before the governor, Pontius Pilate, who affirmed the judgment. EDITING NOTE: Hanne and Chris use the full "Pontius Pilate", with "Pontius" presumably meaning his title. Kai uses only Pilate, as in the Danish original, but identifies him as the "governor."Inger/Poul identify him as the "chief" of the country. The current dictionary definition of Pilate's title is "procurator:, which in ancient Chapter 27, par 2 INGER/POUL: "And he was brought by the guard to the place, which was called KAI: “And the guards led him to the place called Golgotha, where the condemned were crucified.” HANNE/CHRIS: “And he was led by the guards unto the place which was called Calvary, where the condemned were crucified.” HARRY: “And he was led by the guards to that place called Golgotha, where the condemned were crucified.” DANISH TEXT: “Og han fortres af Vagten til det Sted, der kaldtes Golgotha, vor de domte korsfaestedes.” EDITING NOTE: “Calvary” means the same as “Golgotha”. Why did Hanne and Chris use “Calvary” instead? Possibly they reasoned that “Calvary” was more familiar to the English ear. In this case, however, I feel that “Golgotha” should have been retained, because it is just about as well known as “Calvary”. Chapter 27, par 4
HANNE/CHRIS: “. . .and they bound him unto the cross, placing a piece of wood beneath his feet; this they did so as to prolong his sufferings.” Editor: all three translations say the same. Just curious. How does a piece of wood beneath the feet prolong suffering? Wouldn’t the victim suffer more if hanging without any support? Or maybe it took longer to die while standing on a piece of wood? Chapter 29, par 12 INGER/POUL: ". . .yes, he was seen at the Genezareth lake and many had heard him talk." KAI: “. . .and he was seen at the HANNE/CHRIS: “. . .he was even seen by the HARRY: “. . .and yes, he was even seen at the DANISH TEXT: “. . .ja han var endog set ved Genezareth So, og mange havde hort ham tale,” EDITING NOTE:For some reason, neither Hanne and Chris or Kai chose to use Genezareth, while Inger and Poul did. Well, they are all correct as far as meaning is concerned. The Lake of Genezareth happens also to be known as the Sea of Chimnerath, the Sea of Galilee AND the Sea of Tiberius. Take your pick! Obviously Kai and Hanne and Chris liked the other names better than the one used in the Danish text. Chapter 29, par 16 INGER/POUL: "But Joseph did not dare to reveal his evil deed; for he feared to lose his dignity, feared to lose his reputation. KAI: “But Joseph dared not disclose his evil deed; for he feared losing his reputation, feared losing his prestige.” HANNE/CHRIS: “But Joseph dared not reveal his evil deed, for he feared to lose his dignity, feared to lose his esteem.” HARRY: But Joseph dared not reveal his evil deed, for he feared losing esteem. EDITING NOTE: Keep it simple! Chapter 30, heading INGER/POUL: How Shall We Understand the Whitsuntide Wonder? KAI: What does the “Wonder of Pentecost” actually mean? HANNE/CHRIS: “How should we Interpret the ‘Miracle of Pentecost’?” HARRY: What does the “Wonder of Pentecost” actually mean? DANISH TEXT Hvorledes skal vi forstaa Pinsunderet? KAI’S comment on Hanne's and Chris's version: “. . .Miracle of Pentecost? Danish original is Pinseunderor Pentecost wonder. True, miracle and wonder can be used synonymously, but why not use wonder, as in the Danish? We are referring not to a literal miracle (the chapter explains that it is not a miracle) but only to something wondrous, or miracle-like.” EDITING NOTE: Okay. Now where did Inger and Poul dig up "Whitsuntide"? This is the name of the week that begins with Whitsunday, especially the first three days of this week. Whitsunday itself is the Christian festival of Pentecost. Why Inger and Poul did not stick to "Pinsunderet" we may never know. Chapter 30, par 3
INGER/POUL: ". . .that a glaring lightning tore across the sky, and in a short moment the twelve were brightly illuminated of a flamingglare — for they were standing in front of a high-sitting window — and a great rumblewas heard." KAI: “. . .for an instant by a flashing glare — for they were standing under a tall window — and a deafening crash rent the air.” HANNE/CHRIS: “. . .and for a short instant the twelve were brightly illuminated by a flaming glare — for they stood in front of the high window — and a great rumbling was heard.” HARRY: “. . .and for an instant the twelve were illuminated in its glare — for they stood before a high window — and a great rumbling was heard. EDITNG NOTE: Another sneaky redundancy! Hanne’s and Chris’s "short instant" should be only "instant". No instant is ever long. As for Inger's and Poul's "short moment", this is tricky. A moment is usually also an instant, and a "short moment" here is redundant. Ah, but wait. A moment could also be a definite period or stage, such as "At that moment in history Rome was a republic." Now let's look at what lightning does. It "flashes", it does not "flame". Also, there is a difference between a rumbling sound and a deafening crash. But both serve perfectly well to describe a thunderstorm. Thunder does rumble. Thunder does also make a sudden loud noise. Chapter 30, par 6
INGER/POUL: "But unseen of all, the Eldest One, the Servant of Darkness, was among them." KAI: “But the Elder, the Servant of Darkness, walked invisibly among them.” HANNE/CHRIS: “But the Eldest, the Servant of Darkness, stood unseenamong them.” HARRY: But unseen, the Elder, the Servant of the Darkness, stood among them.” EDITING NOTE: Here is a minor grammatical problem again. Although Kai used the term "Oldest" throughout his translation, Hanne/Chris used "Eldest." Both seem okay, except that when reference is made to Ardor alone, separately from the other Eldest (ones), and he is also called the Eldest, it can confuse. If eldest means a group, the same word is not usually used to mean ONE of the group. Hence Kai refers to Ardor as the Elder (of the Oldest). I may be wrong. Perhaps Ardor can also be the “eldest of the eldest”. But that would make him OLDER than the others, and that he is not. He stands out because of his LEADERSHIP of the others, not because he is older. Confusing, isn’t it? Inger and Poul sort of get around the confusion by calling Ardor the "Eldest One." Before this gets too confusing, I suddenly see what is wrong with the Hanne/Chris version. It should have said the Eldest One OR the Elder, other than the Eldestalone. “Unseen” and “invisibly” have different meanings. I could be visible but walk through a crowd unseen because no one notices me. Or I could walk through a crowd with everyone looking for me but not seeing me because I was invisible. As usual, what is the original Danish word? Chapter 30, par 8
INGER/POUL: "And one of the disciples cried to the twelve: "See, the Lord has certainly blown his holy, his flaming spiritover you, as the Nazarene promised you." KAI: “And one of the disciples called out to the twelve: “See! the Lord has truly broughtHis holy, flaming spirit over you as promised by the Nazarene.” HANNE/CHRIS: “And one of the disciples called out unto the twelve: “Behold, surely the Lord has brought His holy, flaming Breathupon you, in the manner promised you by the Nazarene!” HARRY: “And one of the disciples cried to the twelve: "See, surely the Lord has brought his holy, flaming Breath upon you as promised by the Nazarene!" EDTING NOTE: "Breath" or "spirit" both work, but again what exactly does the Danish text say? (By the way, it is instructive to note here that if "breath" was the original word used we have an implication that the later, much-debated "Trinity" doctrine was NOT known to Jesus and the apostles. That doctrine specifically identifies the Holy Spirit as an actual person — one of three persons of the Godhead. For long, this "person" was identified as the "Holy Ghost." One seldom hears that term anymore. It has been "watered down" to Holy Spirit, which sort of de-emphasizes the "personage" aspect. If a Christian minister today exhorts you to allow the Holy Spirit to come over you, what actually comes over you? Obviously, not a person, but a FEELING! Although I have said I am not citing Inger's and Poul's errors of grammar, I cannot help but note that their use of the word "blown" is an amusing example of what can happen when you are not born to the language. Better said would be, "brought his holy, his flaming spiritupon you." Chapter 30, par 20
INGER/POUL: "But Simon Peter never doubted that his words were true; for some of the disciples had informed him that foreign people were present at the meeting. . ." KAI: “But Simon Peter never doubted the truth of his words, for some of the disciples had told him that foreigners had also been at the meeting. . .” HANNE/CHRIS: “But Simon Peter never doubted that his words were true; for some of the disciples had told him that strangers had been present at the meeting. . . HARRY:”But Simon Peter never doubted that his words were true; for some of the disciples had told him that foreigners were present at the gathering” EDITING NOTE: A stranger could be a foreigner and a foreigner could be a stranger, but the words do not have identical meaning. What does the Danish text say? Chapter 30, par 24
INGER/POUL: "Thus the gift of tongues arose, born of the fear and confusion of Whitsunday." KAI: “. . .And, thus, born of fear and confusion, the “speaking in tongues” (glossolalia) had its beginning on the Day of Pentecost.” HANNE/CHRIS: “. . .In this way the speaking in tongues came into being, born of the fear and confusion of the day of Pentecost” HARRY:: “Thus, born of the fear and confusion of the Day of Pentecost, came about the practice of “speaking in tongues". EDITING NOTE: Kai adds “glossolalia”, which means “incomprehensible speech”. Did the word appear in the Danish text? Inger/Poul revert to their favorite "Whitsunday" instead of Day of Pentecost. Fortunately, none of them has altered the meaning. Chapter 32, par 18
INGER/POUL: "But when Saul's spirit saw and recognized its brother, he bcame terrified at the evil he had done." KAI: “When Saul’s Spirit saw and recognized his brother, he was struck with terrorat the evil he had done.” HANNE/CHRIS: “But when Saul’s spirit saw his brother and knew him, he was dismayed at the evil that he had done.” HARRY: “When Saul’s spirit saw his brother and knew him, he was struck with horror over the evil he had done EDITING NOTE:Different meanings again. “Dismay” is to break down courage, to disillusion, alarm, etc. One is not necessarily struck with terror in a state of dismay. What does the Danish say? Chapter 33, par 9 INGER/POUL: "When Saul, after having stayed some years abroad, returned to KAI: “Having remained in foreign parts for some years, Saul returned to Damascus and began proclaiming his teaching about Jesus. He proclaimed it to many, to the Jews and to the so-called pagans.” HANNE/CHRIS: “When Saul returned unto Damascus, having lived in foreign parts for some years, he began to proclaim his teaching of Jesus there; and he preached it unto many — to the Jews and to the so-called gentiles.” HARRY: When Saul, after remaining some years abroad, returned to Damascus, he began to proclaim his teaching about Jesus there; and he proclaimed it to many — to Jews and to the so-called heathen. DANISH TEXT: “Da Saul, efter at have opholdt sig nogleAar i det fremmede, vendte tilbage til Damaskusm begyndte han der at forkynde dim Laere om Jesus; og han forkyndte den for mange — for Joder og for de saakaldte Hedninge.” EDITING NOTE: Even though I cannot read Danish, I’ll guess Hedninge means heathen. So why did Kai not use it, and why did Hanne/Chris not use it? Inger and Poul did. It really matters not, because all three mean the same. I bring this up only as another example of “translator’s license”. Apparently Hanne and Chris felt Gentiles would be more familiar to the English ear, while Kai preferred pagans. I myself am perfectly comfortable with heathen, which is widely used in English. Chapter 33, par 12
INGER/POUL: "And he explained this action like this: that Jesus, when he dealt out the bread to his companions, by this manifested to them, that as he now satisfied them with this bread, in order that they should not hunger and die, thus he would also give his body for them and by his death satiate them with the eternal life. . ." KAI: “This is how he interpreted the act: When Jesus offered the bread to his companions, it meant: as he now sated them with his bread that they should not go hungry and die, so he offered them his body that they, through his death, would besated with eternal life. . .” HANNE/CHRIS: “And he interpreted the act in this way: when Jesus meted out the bread to his disciples, he thereby made known unto them that as now he satisfied them with his bread, that they should not hunger and die, so would he give up his body for their sake also, that through his death he would fill them with eternal life. . .” HARRY: “And he interpreted the act that when Jesus offered the bread to his companions, by this he manifested to them that as he now satisfied them with his bread that they should not hunger and die, thus would he also give his body for them and by his death fill them with eternal life.” EDITING NOTE: “Mete” means to distribute or apportion by measure. Why didn’t Hanne/Chris simply say “distribute”? As well-read as I am, I had to consult the dictionary to learn exactly what mete meant. Kai's "sate" and Inger/Poul's "satiate" won't do at all. Well, "sate" might be okay with its first meaning, to satisfy an appetite or desire fully, but its second meaning is to fill to excess, surfeit, glut. "Satiate" is to supply something to excess, so as to disgust or weary; surfeit. Chapter 33, par 18 INGER/POUL: "But none of Jesus' heirs — not his companions, neither Saul — were able to gather all the people to one congregation who in profound humility and childlike love together bowed to their heavenly Father, a congregation who with heartfelt confidence commended themselves to God's guidance, a congregation, where charity conquered the mortal self's selfishness, lust for power, and sin. KAI: “But none of the heirs or companions of Jesus, nor Saul, was able to unite the people into one congregation, which, in deep humility and with child-like love, could bow together before the Heavenly Father; a congregation of deep faith, submissive to God’s guidance; a congregation whose neighbourly love would rise above human selfishness, lust for power and sinfulness.” HANNE/CHRIS: “But none of the spiritual heirs of Jesus — neither his followers nor Saul — were able to gather all the people into one congregation, which in deep humility and childlike love would in unison bow down before their Heavenly Father; a congregation WORDS MISSING in which love of one’sneighbour would defeat sinfulness, the lust for power and human selfishness.” HARRY: “But none of the spiritual heirs of Jesus, nor Saul, were able to gather all the people into one congregation which in humble and trusting love as of a child could kneel together before their Heavenly Father; a congregation of deep faith, commending itself to God's guidance; a congregation whose neighborly love would rise above sinfulness, the lust for power, and human selfishness.” EDITING NOTE: It appears that Hanne and Chris omitted a few words. Or they were missed by the typesetter and their absence not noticed by the proofreaders? A special note must be made of this so that it will be certain to be restored in future printings. Chapter 33, final graph INGER/POUL: "Thus Jesus' simple and beautiful doctrine of love was neglected and ill-treated.” KAI: “And, thus, Jesus’s simple and beautiful teaching of love was neglected and distorted.” HANNE/CHRIS: Thus was Jesus’ simple and beautiful teaching of love neglected, and thusit failed to thrive.” HARRY: “So became the simple and beautiful teaching of Jesus about love neglected, and thus it failed to thrive.” EDITOR: Exactly what is it in the Danish text? Chapter 34, par 1 INGER/POUL: "Guided by the Light in their hearts, guided by their profound repentance, sought and gained these few forgiveness for their evil sins and deeds." KAI: “Guided by an inner Light and deep feeling of remorse, those few sought, and found, forgiveness for their sins and evil deeds.” HANNE/CHRIS: “. . .guided by their profound repentance, these few sought and obtained forgiveness for their sins and for their evil deeds.” HARRY: “. . .guided by their profound repentance, these few sought and found forgiveness for their sinful deeds.” EDITOR: Often, Hanne and Chris use “repentance” where Kai uses “remorse”. Either word fits well, though interestingly neither is given as a synonym for the other. First meaning of “remorse”in Webster: “Deep and painful regret for wrongdoing.” And Webster on “repentance”: “Deep sorrow, compunction, or contrition for a past sin, wrongdoing, or error.” Chapter 34, par 2
INGER/POUL: "But many continued to wander in the darkness of the sin." KAI: “But many continued to live in the darkness of sin.” HANNE/CHRIS: “But many continued to walk in the Darkness of sin.” HARRY: “But many continued to live in sin in the Darkness.” EDITING NOTE: Why do Hanne and Chris capitalize the first letter, Darkness? Because it is capitalized in the Danish original. Then why do Kai and Inger/Poul use a lower-case “d”? I will guess that the arrangement of the sentence sounded awkward to Kai. “Darkness of sin” just does not sound right if you mean the power called Darkness. So he decided on “darkness”, not meaning necessarily the power of Darkness. But that does not sound quite right either. Chapter 34, par 4
INGER/POUL: "But the Darkness and the Eldest One impeded the progress of the Light; for the Eldest One, the servant of the Darkness, sowed the evil seed of anger, sowed the evil seed of hate in the hearts of the human beings." KAI: “But Darkness and the Elder, the Servant of Darkness, sowed the evil seed of anger and hatred in the hearts of men. HANNE/CHRIS: “But Darkness and the Eldesthindered the progress of the Light; for the Elder, the Servant of Darkness, sowed the evil seed of wrath, the evil seed of hatred in the hearts of mankind.” HARRY: “But Darkness and the Eldest hindered the progress of the Light; for the Elder, the Servant of the Darkness, sowed the evil seed of anger, the evil seed of hatred in the hearts of men. EDITING NOTE:Hanne and Chris refer BOTH to the Eldest (ones) and to the Elder, while Kai and Inger/Poul refer to the Elder alone. Implicitly, we understand that the Elder was not doing all this alone but in company with his fellow fallen angels. It also appears that Kai (or the typesetter) left a few words out, as follows: KAI: “But Darkness and the Elder, the Servant of Darkness, MISSING sowed the evil seed of anger and hatred in the hearts of men.” Chapter 34, par 5
INGER/POUL: "Hard times came to the Christians in the mighty Roman empire. . ." HANNE/CHRIS: “Troubled times arose for the Christians in themighty Roman Empire. . .” KAI: “And dreadful times came to the Christians in the mighty Roman Empire.” HARRY: “And troubled times arose for the Christians in the mighty Roman Empire. . .” EDITING NOTE: Take your pick of synonyms. I like Hanne’s and Chris’s "troubled." Chapter 34, par 9
INGER/POUL: "And he dripped his evil poison in the minds of the leading. . . KAI: “And he dripped his poison into the minds of the leaders. . . HANNE/CHRIS: “And he instilled his evil poison into the minds of the leaders. . .” HARRY: “And he dripped his venom into the minds of the leaders, into the minds of the learned. . .” DANISH TEXT: “Og han dryppede sin onde Gift i de ledendes. . .” EDITING NOTE: “Dripped” appears in the Danish original. Why change it to “instilled”? Yes, “instilled” will convey the meaning also, but not quite as dramatically. Also, Hanne and Chris and Inger and Poul use "evil" before "poison". Kai omits it. The use of poison always results in something bad. "Evil poison" implies that there is also "good poison", but there is not. We could argue this. Some poisons might bring good results, such as using bee venom to relieve the pain of arthritis. However you look at it, I favor either "evil poison" or "poison" alone. The meaning is not disturbed. Chapter 34, par 25 INGER/POUL: ". . .and when the moment came, when one of the Roman emperors kept his hand protecting over the Christians, Christianity grew to a power, to which the human beings had to bow." KAI: “. . .and the time came when one of the Roman emperors held a protecting hand over them and Christianity grew into a power before which men were to yield. HANNE/CHRIS: “. . .and when the time came that one of the Roman Emperors took the Christians into his protection, then Christianity grew into a power before which mankind was compelled to submit.” HARRY: “.. . .and when the time came that one of the Roman emperors held a protecting hand over the Christians, the faith grew into a power before which people had to yield. EDITNG NOTE: “Mankind” did NOT submit to Christianity. “Men” did. “Mankind”is ALL humanity. Christianity reached far, but it never reached all humanity. “Men” COULD refer to ALL men, but does not, unless you say “all men”. Inger and Poul are correct with "human beings" but I think Kai's use of "men" is also good. However, “people” will do just as well. Chapter 35, par 2
INGER/POUL: "Several of the Youngest let themselves for this purpose again be bound to human bodies. . ." KAI: “For this reason, many of the Youngest were again embodied on Earth and were born in various countries and at various places.” HANNE/CHRIS: “For this purpose several of the Youngest let themselves be bound anew to human bodies. . ..” HARRY: “A number of the Youngest let themselves be bound to human bodies again for this purpose, and to be born in various countries at various places. EDITOR: “Several” means more than two but fewer than many. Does the Danish text specify a few or many? There is a great difference! Chapter 35, par 21
INGER/POUL: "And he went with a huge band to the city of Mekka. . ." KAI: “And, with a mightyarmy, he returned to the City of Mecca. . .” HANNE/CHRIS: “And with a mighty troop he went unto the city of Mecca. . .” HARRY: “And he went with a large army to the city of Mecca. . .” Editor:A troop is not large, if that is what “mighty” is meant to convey. Militarily, it is a cavalry unit corresponding in size to a company of infantry. “And with many troops. . .”, would be better, but the Western mind does not picture Arab warriors as “troops”. We are more comfortable saying, “An Arab army attacked Jerusalem” than “Arab troops attacked Jerusalem”, even though technically the latter is accurate also. Chapter 35, par 26
INGER/POUL: "Thus also the Mohameddans holy Writ. . ." KAI: “Thus, the Holy Writ of the Mohammedans. . .” HANNE/CHRIS: “Thus became also the Holy Scriptures of theMohammedans. . .” Harry: Thus became also the Sacred Writ of the followers of Mohammed. . .’ HARRY: Yes, Mohammedans is what it says in the Danish, but its use in reference to Islam or its adherents is rejected by Muslims themselves as is Mohammedanism for Islam. Moslem, once the more widely used form, still has currency but has declined in favor of Muslim. How about:”Thus became also the Holy Scriptures of thefollowers of Mohammed. . .”? Chapter 35, par 30 INGER/POUL: "And when the information reached out among the Christians, that the Arabian people had made themselves masterover Jerusalem. . ." KAI: “Later, when the Christians learned from afar that a warlike Mohammedan people had ransackedJerusalem. . .” HANNE/CHRIS: “And yet later, when the tidings reached far across the lands that a warlike, Mohammedan people had conquered Jerusalem. . .’ HARRY:: “And still later, when the tidings reached Christians afar that a warlike Mohammedan people15 had by force taken EDITING NOTE: “Conquered” and “ransacked” have different meanings. Did the Muslims both conquer and ransack the city, or did they merely conquer it and leave the holy places intact? Note that in the previous paragraph it says “. . . they felt yet more anger, and they despaired when they came to the city to worship at the holy places.”This seems to imply that the Christians were allowed into the conquered city where the holy places still stood for their use. On the other hand, perhaps they stopped miles away, seeing the place in Muslim hands and daring come no closer. Inger and Poul simply use the word "master". I suspect Kai is wrong on this one. Chapter 35, par 33
INGER/POUL: "And while the times passed and the Christians saw that the holy sign of the cross, under which they fought, was unable to bring them the victory they expected, they became more and more depressed. . ." KAI: “However, as time passed and the Christians saw that the Sign of the Holy Cross under which they fought had not brought them the expected victory, their zeal began to wane. . .” HANNE/CHRIS: “But as time passed and the Christians saw that the Sign of the Holy Cross by which they fought did not bring them the expected victory, they became more and more disheartened. . .” HARRY: “But as time passed and the Christians saw that the Holy Sign of the Cross by which they fought brought them not the expected victory, their zeal began to wane. . .” EDITING NOTE: All three translations say in the main the same but in subtly different ways. "Dishearten" means to "depress the hope, courage, or spirits of; discourage." Inger and Poul say "depressed", but that does not quite fit as well as "dishearten." Kai bothers not to say the Christians lost hope but infers that their zeal wanes, which would be a natural consequence of losing hope, or becoming disheartened. Chapter 35, par 56 INGER/POUL: ". . .You shall open the eyes of the human beings for the clear lines, for the magnificence and variety of the colours. You shall teach them to listen to the beauty and thesonority of the tones. . ." KAI: “. . .Open their eyes to the simple beauty of Earthly forms, to the manifold splendours of colour; and teach them to listen to the resonant harmony of sound. . .” HANNE/CHRIS: “. . .You must open the eyes of human beings unto the pure lines of earthly forms, unto the splendour and diversity of colour. You must teach them to listen to the fulness and beauty of music. . .” HARRY: “. . .and you must open their eyes to the simple beauty of earthly forms, to the splendor and diversity of color, and to listen to the resonant harmony of sound.” EDITING NOTE: All three translations struggle to describe a certain form of sound. Hanne and Chris assume music, but that is only one form of sound. Kai and Inger/Poul mention not music but get closer to the full meaning, I feel. Chapter 35, par 57
INGER/POUL: "And when you have taught the human beings some of all this, then they themselves. . ." KAI: “Once you have taught the human beings some of this, they, with open eyes and clear thoughts . . .” HANNE/CHRIS: “And when you have taught mankind all this, then will they themselves. . .” HARRY: "And when you have taught the human beings some of all this, then will they themselves. . .” EDITING NOTE: Ah me, those subtle distinctions again. . . "All" and "some" mean not the same, yet both fit here. I kind of prefer Hanne and Chris in this instance. Chapter 35, par 85
INGER/POUL: "Luther and Zwingli won many followers by their clear publications and authoritative speeches, for they induced reflection upon the human being." KAI: “Luther and Zwingli won many followers by their lucid writngs and mature speech, which caused the people to think more deeply.” HANNE/CHRIS: “Luther and Zwingli won many followers by their lucid writings and by their masterful speeches, for they awakened human beings to reflection.” HARRY: “Luther and Zwingli won many followers by their clear writings and authoritative speech, for they roused people to reflection.” EDITING NOTE: “Masterful”and “mature” have different meanings, but in some sense either can be used. Inger and Poul do better with using "authoritative.” I almost like better the use of “stirring” for “authoritative”, but shall leave it with the latter. Chapter 35, par 122
INGER/POUL:: "While the centuries passed, the human beings were taught to form and improve roads and communications between the many kingdoms and countries of the earth; . . ." KAI: “And, as the centuries passed, people learned to create, and to improve upon, ways and means of communication between many of the countries on Earth. . .” HANNE/CHRIS: “As centuries receded, human beings learned to improve the routes and the highways between the many kingdoms and continents of the Earth. . .” HARRY: “As the centuries passed, people learned to build and to further develop routes and intercourse between the many kingdoms and lands of the Earth. . .” EDITING NOTE:Exactly how is it said in the Danish text? Chapter 36, par 2
INGER/POUL: "He continued the last moment in each passing century to let His voice sound KAI: “. . .He let His voice be heard at the end of each passing century, hoping to evoke remorse in their hearts.” HANNE/CHRIS: “. . .But from that time, at the last hour of each passing century, God let His voice be heard by them to awaken remorse in their hearts. . .” HARRY: “. . .at the last moment of each passing century, He let His voice sound to them in hope that this might awaken repentance in their hearts. EDITING NOTE: Exactly how is it said in the Danish text? Chapter 36, par 3
INGER/POUL: ". . .for they gave the human beings many sinful desires, KAI: “. . . for they incited the human beings with many sinful desires” HANNE/CHRIS: “. . .for they inspired mankind to many sinful lusts, . .” HARRY:: for they incited the living to many sinful desires, many impure thoughts EDITING NOTE: Is it “lusts”, “desires”, or "impure thoughts" in the Danish text? “Lust” is a strong sexual desire, but “desires” is not necessarily sexual. (In a grammatical sense, Kai also needs correcting. He should have said, ". . .for they incited many sinful desires in human beings. . ."). I think Inger and Poul say it best." Chapter 36, par 9 INGER/POUL: ". . .who had toppled over the stones the Eldest one had thrown in their way. . ." KAI: “. . .who had stumbled over the obstacles placed in their path by the Elder. . .” HANNE/CHRIS: “. . .who had stumbled over the stones cast in their path by the Elder. . .” HARRY: “. . .who had stumbled over the stones cast in their path by the Elder. . .” EDTING NOTE: An "obstacle" could be many things, both physical and non-physical, including stones. I suspect the figurative "stones" is found in the Danish original and I am comfortable with it. Chapter 36, par 27 INGER/POUL: ". . .My son, speak to the human beings!" KAI: “My son, speak unto the human beings.” HANNE/CHRIS: “. . .My son, speak unto humanity.” HARRY: My son, speak to the human beings!" KAI’S COMMENT: In the Danish it is the human beings. That sounds better in English. “My son, speak unto the human beings.” Chapter 36, par 27
INGER/POUL: ". . .but they know nothing really about our world. . ." KAI: “. . . but they have no valid knowledge of our world. . .” HARRY:”. . .but they yet know nothing of our world, EDITING NOTE:I kind of like Inger and Poul on this one, although I rearrange the wording slightly. Chapter 36, par 32
INGER/POUL: "Then God looked affectionately at him." KAI: “God looked at him with love.” HANNE/CHRIS: “Then God looked upon him with favour.” HARRY: “Then God looked upon him with affection.’ EDITING NOTE: All three have different meanings, yet all seem to fit. Again, what does the Danish text say? Chapter 36, par 37
INGER/POUL: "But God took him in his arms and said: 'My blessing shall follow you in all your doings'." KAI: “God took him in His arms, and said: “My blessing shall be with you, wherever you go.” HANNE/CHRIS: “But God embraced him, and He said: “My blessing shall be upon you in all that you do.” HARRY: “And God took him in his embrace and said: "My blessing shall follow you in all that you do." EDITING NOTE: I favor the Hanne/Chris and Inger/Poul versions. Chapter 36, par 51
INGER/POUL: "And they wandered to the places, where human beings were gathered to receive messages from the spirits of the dead." KAI: “They went to places where people were gathered to receive messages from Spirits of the dead.” HANNE/CHRIS: “And they went unto those places where people gathered to receive messages from the spirits of the dead.” HARRY: “And they went to those places where people gathered to receive messages from the spirits of the dead.” EDITING NOTE: Hanne and Chris use those “unto’s” relentlessly, and just as relentlessly do I eliminate them. Kai apparently was annoyed by them also, leaving some intact, trashing others in an attempt to seek some sort of balance of archaic “tone”, I suppose. Not too much, not too little. Are there “unto’s” in the Danish text? Maybe not. Inger and Poul did not use an "unto" in this instance. Chapter 36, par 54
INGER/POUL: ". . .many became angry, many became scandalized; for in their foolishness these thought, that they had connection with evil spirits or devils. . ." KAI: “. . .Many grew resentful, and many, indignant; for, in their ignorance, they believed themselves to be in communication with evil Spirits and demons. . .” HANNE/CHRIS: “. . .Many were angered, many indignant; for in their unwisdom these thought they were in discourse with evil spirits or devils. . .” HARRY: ‘. . .many were angered and indignant, for in their foolishness these believed themselves to be in contact with demonic spirits.” EDITING NOTE: Unwisdom is “lack of wisdom; folly; rashness. Ignorance is “lack of knowledge or learning.” An unwise person is not necessarily ignorant, nor is an ignorant person necessarily unwise. Regarding Hanne/Chris’s and Inger/Poul's “evil spirits or devils”, as far as I know there is only one devil. Regarding Kai’s “evil spirits and demons”, both mean the same, thus one or the other will do, you don’t need both. Everyone is better off simply saying “evil spirits.” Chapter 36, par 57 INGER/POUL: "And in numerous places in the kingdomsand thecountries of the earth. . ." KAI: “. . .in places of the kingdoms and landsof the Earth. . .” HANNE/CHRIS: “. . .in places of the kingdoms and the continents of the Earth. . .” HARRY: And at numerous places in lands over the Earth, KAI’S comment (referring to Hanne/Chris): The Danish original is kingdomsand lands. A kingdom could be ona continent. The two are not necessarily separate things. But kingdoms and landscan both be oncontinents — a kingdom being a monarchy, while a land could be an unruled area, such as the land of the Lapps, or the land of the Eskimos. Properly, it should read: “. . .in places of the kingdoms and landsof. . .” Chapter 36, par 61
INGER/POUL: "However, against all warnings, against all exhortations, many mediums followed the Eldest One's alluring thoughts and talk — and many fell.’” KAI:“. . .Still, despite all warnings and all admonitions, many of the mediums followed the tempting thoughts of the Elder, and many fell.” HANNE/CHRIS: “. . .But in spite of all warnings, against all admonitions, many mediums followed the Elder’s alluring thoughts and sayings — and many fell.” HARRY: “Still, against all warnings, against all exhortations, many mediums followed the Elder's seducing thoughts — and many fell.” EDITING NOTE: “Admonition” is a synonym for “warning”, and vice versa. You only need one or the other. "Exhortation" could encompass a warning, along with advice, etc., but is not a synonym for warning. Inger and Poul used the better word. Chapter 36, par 67
INGER/POUL: "But when Christ talked to these about the many delusions of Christianity and told them whom he was. . ." KAI: “. . .But, when Christ spoke to them of the numerous delusions of Christianity and told them who he was. . ." HANNE/CHRIS: “. . .But when Christ spoke to them of the many false teachings of the Christian faith and told them who he was. . ." HARRY: “But when Christ spoke to these of the many delusions of Christianity and told them who he was, EDITING NOTE: Does theDanish text say “false teachings” or does it say “delusions”? A delusion is not necessarily a teaching. A teaching is not necessarily a delusion. You can teach something false, knowing it to be false, or you can teach it under the delusion that it is true. Chapter 36, par 96
INGER/POUL: ". . .But Christ took him in his arms and said: "Brother, I have come to bring you rest. . ." KAI: “. . .But Christ reached out, and said: “Brother, I have come to give you rest. . .” HANNE/CHRIS: “. . .But Christ embraced him, and he said: “Brother, I am come to bring you rest. . .” HARRY: “But Christ reached out and said: 'Brother, I have come to bring you rest, to bring you peace." EDITING NOTE: What does the Danish text say? Chapter 36, par 121
INGER/POUL: "And there was much delight, and they all exulted. . ." KAI: “There was great happiness and all were elated. . .” HANNE/CHRIS: “And there was great joy and they all shouted in jubilation. . .” HARRY: “And there was much joy, and they all exulted.” EDITING NOTE: They'll all do, but one may wonder where Hanne and Chris got "shouted" when the other translators didn't. But the meaning of "exulted" includes "leap for joy", thus one can safely suppose that as they leaped they also shouted. Anyway, I’ll go with Inger and Poul. Chapter 36, par 124
INGER/POUL: "After that they went to the last of the spiritual worlds round the earth, for a short while to rest in the beautful residences they so long had missed. KAI: “. . .Then they returned to the outermost habitat around the Earth, where they, after their long absence, rested for a time in their glorious abodes. . .” HANNE/CHRIS: “. . .Then they went to the outermost sphere about the Earth so as to rest for a short while in the beautiful dwellings for which they had yearned so long.” Harry: “After that they went to the last of the spiritual worlds round the Earth to rest for a little time in their beautiful dwellings, from which they had so long been absent.” EDITING NOTE: Meaning remains unchanged, but interesting as usual to see how differently translators describe the same thing. Chapter 36, par 132
INGER/POUL: ". . .to human beings by whose help you can form your thoughts in earthly speech and in earthly signs." KAI: ". . .to people who will help you form and express your thoughts in Earthly speech. . .” HANNE/CHRIS: “. . .through whose help you may form your thoughts in earthly language and in earthly signs. . .” HARRY: “. . . through whom you may find the help to form your thoughts in earthly speech and in earthly signs." EDITING NOTE: In medicine, there are signs and symptoms, often confused as one. A sign is something you SEE (skin rash, broken leg). A symptom is invisible (headache, toothache). In communication, a human often uses both, vocalizing being the equivalent of a symptom (you can't see the voice), while shaking hands or waving is the equivalent of a sign. I don't remember now how I edited it, but upon reflection I think I must go with Hanne and Chris and Inger and Poul as more complete. END |