Translation, a process of generating a peptide from the codons present in messenger RNA, can be a site of independent regulation of protein synthesis; it has not been well studied in the kidney. Translation occurs in three stages: initiation, elongation and termination, each with its own set of regulatory factors. Mechanisms controlling translation include small inhibitory RNAs such as microRNAs, binding proteins and signaling reactions. Role of translation in renal injury in diabetes, endoplasmic reticulum stress, acute kidney injury, and, in physiologic adaptation to loss of nephrons is reviewed here. Contribution of mRNA translation to physiology and disease is not well understood. Because it is involved in such diverse areas as development and cancer, it should prove a fertile field for investigation in renal science.