UMichael Agricola—“INdoda Eyaletha Ukukhanya”
NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! EFINLAND
“Ayikho enye incwadi ebé nethonya elijulile nelibanzi kangaka njengeBhayibheli empucukweni, ezindinganisweni nasendleleni yokucabanga yabantu baseFinland.”—I-“Biblia 350—The Finnish Bible and Culture.”
INGABE unalo iBhayibheli ngolimi lwakho lomdabu? Kungenzeka impela ukuthi unalo. Phela, iBhayibheli—liphelele noma izingxenye zalo—litholakala ngezilimi ezingaphezu kuka-2 000. Futhi lokhu akwenzekanga ngengozi. Kuwo wonke umlando, amadoda nabesifazane abaningi baye bazikhandla ngamandla behumusha iBhayibheli ngezilimi zabo zomdabu, ngisho nalapho bebhekene nezingqinamba ezinkulu. UMichael Agricola wayengomunye wabo.
U-Agricola yisazi esahumusha iBhayibheli ngesiFinnish. Ingqikithi yezincwadi zakhe azibhala yaba negalelo elikhulu ekusungulweni kwendlela yokubhala ulimi lwesiFinnish esikhulunywa namuhla. Kungakho-ke nje kuthiwa uyiNdoda Eyaletha Ukukhanya!
U-Agricola wazalwa cishe ngo-1510 edolobhaneni laseTorsby eningizimu yeFinland. Uyise wayenepulazi, okwenza siqonde umsuka wesibongo esithi Agricola, okuyigama elisuselwa olimini lwesiLatini elisho “umlimi.” Njengoba ayekhulela endaweni ekhuluma izilimi ezimbili, kungenzeka ukuthi u-Agricola wayekhuluma kokubili isiSwidi nesiFinnish. Wathuthukisa ulwazi ayenalo ngezilimi lapho efunda esikoleni sesiLatini edolobheni laseVyborg. Kamuva wathuthela eTurku, eyayiyisikhungo sikahulumeni waseFinland ngaleso sikhathi, lapho ayengunobhala khona kaMartti Skytte, umbhishobhi wamaKatolika aseFinland.
Inkolo Nezombangazwe Ngesikhathi Sika-Agricola
Phakathi nale nkathi yokuphila kuka-Agricola, izwe laseScandinavia lalinesiyaluyalu. Izwe laseSweden lalizabalazela ukukhululeka kuyiKalmar Union, eyayihlanganisa namazwe aseScandinavia. Ngo-1523, uGustav I wabekwa njengenkosi yaseSweden. Lokhu kwaba nethonya elikhulu eFinland, ngaleso sikhathi eyayiyisifunda esingaphansi kweSweden.
Le nkosi esanda kubekwa yayizimisele ngokuqinisa umbuso wayo. Ukuze ifinyelele imigomo yayo, yasekela iNkathi Yenguquko, eyaya iba nethonya elikhulu kulo lonke elasenyakatho Yurophu. Ngokwenza inkolo yamaLuthela ukuba ibe yiyona nkolo yombuso esikhundleni sobuKatolika, le nkosi yagqabula izibopho eyayinazo neVatican, yalishaya indiva igunya lababhishobhi bamaKatolika, futhi yayishaqa yonke ingcebo yesonto. Kuze kube manje abantu abaningi baseSweden naseFinland bangamaLuthela.
Umgomo oyinhloko wenkolo yamaProthestani wawuwukuba kuqhutshwe izinkonzo zesonto ngezilimi ezivamile kunesiLatini. Ngakho, ngo-1526 kwanyatheliswa imiBhalo YamaKristu YesiGreki, noma “ITestamente Elisha,” ngesiSwidi. Nokho, umoya wamaProthestani wokugqugquzela izinguquko wawungenamandla kangako eFinland. Ngaleso sikhathi, akekho owayeshisekela ukuhumusha iBhayibheli ngesiFinnish. Kungani?
Umsebenzi ‘Onzima Futhi Oyisicefe’
Isizathu esiyinhloko ukuthi yayingekho incwadi eyake yanyatheliswa ngesiFinnish. Ngaphambi kweminyaka emaphakathi nawo-1500, kwakunemithandazo embalwa nje yamaKatolika eyayibhalwe ngalolu limi. Ngakho ukuze kuhunyushwe imiBhalo Engcwele ngesiFinnish kwakuyodingeka kusungulwe indlela yokubhala amagama amaningi ayesekhona kakade futhi kusungulwe amanye amagama namabinzana amasha ngokuphelele. Futhi lokhu kwakuzomelwe kwenziwe ngaphandle kosizo lwezincwadi zolimi. Noma kunjalo, u-Agricola wawuqala lo msebenzi wokuhumusha iBhayibheli!
Ngo-1536, uSkytte, umbhishobhi wamaKatolika aseFinland, wathumela u-Agricola eWittenberg, eJalimane, ukuze ayoqhubekisela phambili izifundo zakhe zemfundiso yenkolo nezolimi. Okunye ukulandisa kuthi kwakukuleli dolobha lapho uLuther abethela khona iziphakamiso zakhe ezidumile ezingu-95 esicabheni sesonto elisenqabeni, eminyakeni engu-20 edlule.
Ngesikhathi eseseWittenberg, u-Agricola wenza okungaphezu kwalokho ayekuthunyiwe. Waqala umsebenzi obaluleke kakhulu wokuhumusha iBhayibheli ngesiFinnish. Ngo-1537, encwadini yakhe ayibhalela inkosi yaseSweden, wathi: “Uma nje uNkulunkulu esangiqondisa ezifundweni zami, ngizokwenza umzamo omkhulu wokuqhubeka nomsebenzi engake ngawuqala ngaphambili wokuhumusha iTestamente Elisha ngolimi lwabantu baseFinland.” Lapho ebuyela emuva eFinland, waqhubeka nawo lo msebenzi wakhe wokuhumusha, futhi ngesikhathi esifanayo wayesebenza njengothisha-nhloko esikoleni esithile.
Njengabanye abahumushi beBhayibheli bakuqala, u-Agricola wawuthola unzima kakhulu lo msebenzi wokuhumusha iBhayibheli. Ngisho noLuther imbala wathi: “Yeka ukuthi kunzima futhi kuyisicefe kanjani ukuphoqa ababhali besiHebheru ukuba bakhulume isiJalimane”! Kuyiqiniso ukuthi u-Agricola wayengase athole usizo kwezinye izinguqulo, kodwa inselele enkulu okwakumelwe abhekane nayo kwakuwulimi lwesiFinnish. Empeleni, lwalungakaze lubhalwe phansi!
Ngakho, kwakunjengokungathi u-Agricola wayakha indlu ngaphandle kwepulani lokwakha, esebenzisa izinto zokwakha eziyingcosana futhi ezitholakala le nale. Wakwenza kanjani lokhu? Waqala ngokukhetha amagama athile ezilimini ezihlukahlukene zezigodi zaseFinland wabe esewabhala phansi ngokwendlela aphinyiselwa ngayo. Cishe ngu-Agricola owasungula amagama esiFinnish asho “uhulumeni,” “umzenzisi,” “umbhalo wesandla,” “ibutho lezempi,” “isibonelo” nelithi “umbhali.” Wasungula amabizo-mbaxa, amagama asuselwa kwamanye nemifakela, ethathwe ikakhulu olimini lwaseSweden. Phakathi kwala magama kukhona anjengelithi enkeli (angel [ingelosi]), historia (history [umlando]), lamppu (lamp [ilambu]), marttyyri (martyr [umfel’ ukholo]) kanye nelithi palmu (palm tree [isihlahla sesundu]).
Ukunyathelisela Abantu Bomdabu IZwi LikaNkulunkulu
Ekugcineni, ngo-1548, kwanyatheliswa ingxenye yokuqala yenguqulo ka-Agricola, okungukuthi i-Wsi Testamenti (ITestamente Elisha). Abanye abantu bacabanga ukuthi kwase kuphele iminyaka emihlanu le nguqulo yaqedwa kodwa yabanjwa ukuntuleka kwezimali ukuba inganyatheliswa. Kungenzeka ukuthi imali eningi yokuyinyathelisa yayiphuma kuye u-Agricola.
Eminyakeni emithathu kamuva kwanyatheliswa i-Dauidin Psaltari (AmaHubo), okungenzeka ukuthi u-Agricola wayihumusha esizwa ozakwabo. Wabuye wahola nasemsebenzini wokuhumusha ezinye izincwadi zikaMose nezabaprofethi.
Eqaphela ngokuzithoba ukulinganiselwa kwamandla akhe, u-Agricola wabhala la mazwi ngokungagunci: “Kwangathi kungebe khona mKristu, umuntu owesaba uNkulunkulu ngisho nanoma yimuphi umfundi wale Ncwadi Engcwele ocasukayo lapho ethola amaphutha namazwi athile anganembile, noma ethola inkulumo engasheleli noma ezwakala iyintsha lapho efunda le nguqulo yemfundamakhwela.” Naphezu kwamaphutha angase atholakale kulezi zinguqulo zika-Agricola, umzamo wakhe wentshiseko wokuba iBhayibheli litholakale kubantu abavamile uyancomeka kakhulu.
Ifa Elashiywa U-Agricola
Ekuqaleni kuka-1557, u-Agricola—ngaleso sikhathi owayengumLuthela futhi engumbhishobhi waseTurku—wakhethwa njengomunye weqembu lamanxusa athunyelwa eMoscow ukuba ayoxazulula inkinga yemingcele eyayiphakathi kwezwe laseSweden nelaseRussia. Lo mkhankaso waphumelela. Kodwa kusobala ukuthi u-Agricola wabhekana nobunzima obuthile lapho esebuya kulolu hambo obabangela ukuba ahlatshwe ukugula kungazelelwe. Washonela endleleni esebuyela ekhaya, eneminyaka engaba ngu-47.
Phakathi nesikhathi sakhe sokuphila esifushane, u-Agricola wakhiqiza izincwadi ezingaba yishumi kuphela ngesiFinnish, ezinamakhasi angu-2 400 sezizonke. Noma kunjalo, abaningi bacabanga ukuthi le ‘Ndoda Eyaletha Ukukhanya’ yathuthukisa impucuko yabantu baseFinland. Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi isiFinnish siye sathuthuka kakhulu nabantu abasikhulumayo baye benza intuthuthuko enkulu emkhakheni wezobuciko nesayensi.
Okubaluleke nakakhulu, uMichael Agricola waba nesandla ekuletheni olunye uhlobo lokukhanya, njengoba ayesiza ekwenzeni ukukhanya kweZwi likaNkulunkulu kukhanye nakakhulu kubantu abakhuluma isiFinnish. La mazwi alandelayo afingqa inkondlo yesikhumbuzo sakhe ayibhalelwa ngesiLatini ngemva kokushona kwakhe: “Lapho eshona, akazange ashiye ifa elivamile. Esikhundleni salokho, washiya izincwadi—wahumusha izincwadi ezingcwele ngesiFinnish—futhi lowo msebenzi awenza uyancomeka kakhulu.”
[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 23]
IBhayibheli LesiFinnish
IBhayibheli lesiFinnish lokuqala ngqá eliphelele, ngokuyinhloko elalisekelwe enguqulweni kaMichael Agricola, lanyatheliswa ngo-1642. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, laba yiBhayibheli elingokomthetho leSonto LamaLuthela aseFinland. Njengoba iminyaka yayiqhubeka, le nguqulo yabukezwa kaningana lapha nalaphaya kodwa yahlala ingashintshiwe kwaze kwaba ngo-1938. Inguqulo ebukeziwe yamuva yakhishwa ngo-1992.
Okuwukuphela kwelinye iBhayibheli eliphelele lesiFinnish yi-Nguqulo Yezwe Elisha YemiBhalo Engcwele, elinyatheliswa oFakazi BakaJehova. Lakhishwa ngo-1995. Eminyakeni engu-20 ngaphambili, ngo-1975, oFakazi base benayo kakade inguqulo enyathelisiwe yemiBhalo YamaKristu YesiGreki. INguqulo Yezwe Elisha YemiBhalo Engcwele inamathele ngangokunokwenzeka emibhalweni yakuqala. Kuze kube manje sesinyathelise amakhophi angu-130 000 000.
[Isithombe ekhasini 22]
UMikael Agricola neBhayibheli lokuqala lesiFinnish. Iposikhadi elanyatheliswa kusukela ngo-1910
[Umthombo]
National Board of Antiquities/Ritva Bäckman
[Isithombe ekhasini 23]
“ITestamente Elisha” lika-Agricola
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 21]
National Board of Antiquities