By Kate Giordan Flores
A Silliman University (SU) faculty member bagged first at the Emerging Scholars Forum for her research examining the challenges of translating hymns across linguistically-distinct languages at Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, last July 14.
Titled “Problems in Translating an English Hymn into Cebuano,” Dr. Jean Cuanan-Nalam from the SU Divinity School wrote the paper using the hymn “Come, thou Almighty King” translated into “Tabangi na kami” as its case study.
“Come, Thou Almighty King” is a four-verse hymn attributed to Charles Wesley that addresses the Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, and the Trinity.
Nalam’s study argued that linguistic differences significantly affect syllabification, rhythm, and theological integrity, highlighting the “complexity and importance of thoughtful adaptation” in hymn translation.
The paper used literal translation and Dorothée Behr’s back-translation method to identify the changes in meaning and structure between English’s monosyllabic [one syllable word] nature with Cebuano’s polysyllabic [more than one syllable word] structure.
According to Behr, the back-translation method is a ‘re-translation’ of a translated text back into the original language and the subsequent comparison of the original version and the back translation.
To evaluate rhythmic equivalence, Nalam employed English professor Annjo Greenall’s framework which addresses how meanings in songs shift when translated across different contexts, such as language translation.
Moreover, Nalam disclosed that the judges’ feedback on her paper included its presentation structure, argument and analysis, creative approach, academic rigor of research, and survey of sources.
“Other studies focus on other aspects but focusing on the compatibility of two languages in terms of their syllabic structure is, I would say, unique in my work,” she said.
When asked about the challenges faced, Nalam said that financial limitations led her to present her paper online rather than in the forum.
“I wrote a letter of appeal to the coordinator to allow me to submit a pre-recorded video given my circumstances. They said “yes.” After the presentation, I received an email from the coordinator asking me if I could attend the announcement of winners via online,” she said.
Nalam is the first Filipino with a doctoral degree in Church Music and Worship, and is the current Liturgy and Music department coordinator at the SU Divinity School and Director of UGKAT.
Other participants in the competition are hymn writers, worship leaders, composers, church musicians, and liturgists from the United States and Canada.
The Emerging Scholars Forum is a segment of the annual Hymn Conference that invites current graduates and graduates within the past three years to submit proposals on their original and unpublished research on congregational songs.
