OET interlinear ISA 21:11

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: writing-newevent

מַשָּׂ֖א דּוּמָ֑ה

oracle_of Dūmāh

Isaiah is using the phrase translated as The burden of Dumah to introduce a new oracle. Use a word, phrase, or other method in your language that is natural for introducing a new event.

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

מַשָּׂ֖א

oracle_of

See how you translated the phrase burden of in [13:1](../13/01.md). Alternate translation: [The message about]

Note 3 topic: translate-names

דּוּמָ֑ה

Dūmāh

Dumah, meaning “silence,” is a wordplay (anagram) for Edom, which is a nation; there was a different place, a desert oasis, that was actually called Dumah.

Note 4 topic: writing-pronouns

אֵלַ⁠י֙ קֹרֵ֣א

to=me calling

The word One refers to an unidentified person calling from the region of Seir. It may be helpful to clarify this for your readers. Alternate translation: [Someone calling to me]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

מַה מִ⁠לַּ֔יְלָה

what? [is]_from_[the],night

The caller is leaving out some of the words that in many languages a sentence would need in order to be complete. You can supply these words from the context if that would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: [How far along is the night] or [What is left of the night]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

שֹׁמֵר֙ מַה מִ⁠לַּ֔יְלָה

he/it_was_watching what? [is]_from_[the],night

The caller is using the question form to express his desperate plea to know how much longer the suffering will last. If a speaker of your language would not use the question form for that purpose, you could translate this as a statement or as an exclamation. Alternate translation: [Watchman, the night is so long!]

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / reduplication

שֹׁמֵר֙ מַה מִ⁠לַּ֔יְלָה שֹׁמֵ֖ר מַה מִ⁠לֵּֽיל

he/it_was_watching what? [is]_from_[the],night he/it_was_watching what? [is]_from_[the],night_of

The caller is repeating the question Watchman, what of the night? in order to intensify his expression of urgency. If your language can repeat words for intensification, it would be appropriate to do that here in your translation. If not, your language may have another way of expressing the intensification. Alternate translation: [Watchman, I beg you, how much longer will the night last?]