Re: may the wind....

[Scott Brickner <sjb@UNIVERSE.DIGEX.NET>]

David A Johnston writes:
>  Well, the question for me is whether there's a way to have a phrase be
>both figurative and literal.  For "May the wind...", I was targeting the
>phrase at kite flyers, so it's both a general and specific blessing.

And this is (IMHO) a key issue in this translation.  Lacking context,
we have to look at what the phrase generally represents.

I disagree, however, with those who argue that we should translate it
as if it were something less "figurative", like "may you always be
assisted in your endeavors" (ick).

The phrase is originally nautical -- but very old, as a wind at the
back isn't always the fastest, anymore.