Hla Lehlin

Three types of Translation:
metaphrase = word for word, line or line;
paraphrase = words not so strictly followed as the sense,
which may be amplified but not altered; and
imitation which may not be translation at all." 
(John Dryden)

Sahitya Akademi chhut ‘Mizo Songs and Folk Tales’ tih lehkhabu, Dr. Laltluangliana Khiangte tuaihnùm (edited) kawpi chu June thlaa Delhi tlanga a lo zinin ka fapa David Keivom, Serampore College atranga Bachelor of Divinity (BD) zir chhuak hlim chu a rochun a. He lehkhabu hi 2002 a chhuah tawh, 2009-a an chhut nawn (reprint) a ni. Buk hnih, Folk Songs and Contemporary Poems (1-76) leh Folk Tales (77-170) a thren a ni a, Mizo trawnga thu leh hla Saptrawnga lehlin a ni. Hemi ka artikul hi ka lehkhabu tar lan riviuna a ni lo. Ka zuk chhiar thuak thuak atranga ka rilrua thil lo lang, thu leh hla lehlin chungchanga ka lo tawnhriat ve a thren a zar chauh a trangkaipui an awm takah tiin rawn lehhlan (share) ka tum a ni.

Thu leh hla lehlin hautakzia leh chona hram tak a nihzia chu a huanga lut a, inbichilhpui apiangin an hre chiang mai ang. Trawng dang atranga thu leh hla lehlin hi a nih ang chiahin a chhuak thei lo. A thra zawk emaw thra lo zawk emawin a chhuak ngei ngei. Miin i thu lehlin an chhiar a, lehlin a ni tih an hriat miah loh chuan zaa za i hlawhtling tihna a ni a, lehlin a ni tih an hriat chuan i hlawhtlin dan chu a awmzia an hriat fiah leh fiah loh chin chu a tehna fung thra ber a ni. Zaa sawmsari an hriat thiam chuan 30% plus i hlawhchham tihna a ni. ‘Plus’ ka tihna chhan chu a awmzia bakah a mawina leh rilna a hloh zat belh khawm a ni. Chu chu tun laia Father of Modern Bible Translation an tih duh hial Eugene Albert Nida (1914-2011), theory of dynamic equivalence rawn sawi lartu ngaihdan pawh a ni. Chu chu a tawi zawngin, a ngialngana lehlin (literal translation) aia a awmzia phur chhuak tura lehlin a thrat zawkzia sawina a ni.

Kum 2002-2007 chhung khan ni tin darkar 12-16 inkar Baibul lehlin hnaah ka bung a. Ka thiltih tawh zawng zawngah a la hautak ber a, a hlimawm ber bawk. Chang tin, thu mal tin leh comma tin buan hmaih phal a ni lo. A thu a chian lohna (corrupt text) tam tak a awm a, chungte chu lehlin hna ti harsatu ber a ni. Chungte chu mahni duh dan ang anga namnul mai theih a ni lo. Letlingtu apiangin dika an hriat dan berin an letling a, an tehna fung chu an kalchar hlam leh sum ni berin a lang. Kalchar pakhat kalchar danga vuah rem hna a ni a, an ziah laia an trawngkam hman leh tun laia kan trawngkam hman emaw, kan ni tin khawsaknaa kan hmasawn dan mel za tamin a lo inhlat tawh si avangin, thu leh hla hlui lehlin hna hi hna hautak a ni lo theih loh.

Entirna pakhat chauh hmangin sawi fiah tum ila. Kan hla thua ‘rihsang, rihtlang kai, rihsang/rihtlang mual liam’ te hi Rih Dil theulawzi hriat loh chuan Saptrawnga lehlin theih a ni lo. Mahse, a awmzia hriat chuan ‘thi’ tihna emaw, mithi khaw pana kalte sawina mai a ni. Trawng hi kalchar hlimthla emaw thlalak a ni a, ril taka thiam dawn chuan a zungpui atranga phawrh a ngai. Hla lar pakhat, ‘Immanuel a thi zâman’ tih hlaa chang lina,

Thil dang aiin i hla mawi ber,
He khawvel thlân hmunah;
Nangmah fakin ka zai zel ang,
Nangin min chhandam a

tihte hi a phuahtu dinhmun (background) kan hriat loh avanga hetiang khawpa pelhe leh buru-a kan lehlinsak pawh a ni mahna. Hemi chang hi kei chuan ka sa ve ngai lo; ka zak tlat. Vawi eng zat nge Kristian Hla Bu hi ennawna kan chhut nawn tawh? Eng vangin kan siam thrat loh? Hemi chang kan sak avanga kan dawt sawi zawng zawng hi rorelna nia min hektu tur ni se, hremhmuna liam tur deuh vek kan ni ang. Hei hi lehlin a har vang ni loin, a letlingtu hian a phuahtu dinhmun leh a sawi tak a hriat chian loh vang leh ngaihtuahna hmang loa kan hla bua a inziak ang ang leh min zirtir dan ang anga mi dang pawhin kan vaki khuanpui vang a ni. Italian thufinga “Translator, traitor” (Letlingtu chu phansantu) an lo tih hi hetiang vang pawh hi a lo ni mahna.

Lehlin hna hi a hautak ang bawkin, chona nasa tak a ni a, malsawmna dawng tur chuan Jakoba anga teirei peihna rilru nena thlah duh reng reng loha buan a ngai. Sam nambar tin hi a tlar hmasa ber thu mal (silebul) zat ang vekin tlar dang pawh ka dah a, a hautak hle. Mahse, thil theih a ni a, tih thran hnu phei chuan a lo harsa vak lo. Hetianga Hmar trawnga Sam kan lehlin hi khawvela Baibul lehlin awm chhun a ni mai thei.

Baibul lehlin ka zawh hnu kum thum chhung vel khan hmun hrang hranga BD, M.Div leh M.Th zirho min ngenna avangin, an assignment leh thesis-a hman atan kan tualtro hla sawmli chuang Saptrawngin ka letling tawh a. Ka hla lehlin reng reng chu sak theih vek tura ka lehlin a ni. Hla threnkhat awlsam tak anga lang, a thu inzat tura dah erawh harsa deuh mai a awm thrin a. Entirna pakhat chu Lalruotmawii sak lar, “Ni tla ngai lo, Zion khawpui” tih hi a ni. A tlar hmasa ber hi lam riat a ni a, a ngialngana lehlin dawn chuan ‘Sun never sets Zion city’ tih a ni ang a, mahse chu chu Saptrawng kalhmang dik a ni si lo. A letling pawhin dah ila, a fuh chuang lo. Chutiang harsatna tawh hunah chuan, Sapho phuah ni se, engtin nge an sawi ang? tih mahni inzawh a ngai. Anni chuan phuah se, ‘Celestial city of Zion’ an tih ka rin avangin hetiang hian ka dah a, ‘ni tla ngai lo’ erawh a tel tawh lo.

Celestial city of Zion,
I pine for you daily with sobs and tears;
Therein live the saved ones in royal attire,
There is a place for me in that city.

Saptrawng leh kan trawng kalhmang a inan loh avangin, a chang chuan Saprawnga tlar hmasa ber hi kan trawnga kan lehlin hunah a tawp bera dah a ngai a. Tin, hla threnkhat chu an thu rem dan hmang leh kan thu rem dan a inang loh avangin a chhung thu la khawm vek a, kan trawnga rem thrat a ngai a. Kum 1969-a hla phuah thiam Ira Foster Stanphill hla ‘I know who holds tomorrow’ tih ka lehlin trum chuan a chang hnihna chu dangdai deuh, mahse kim ve biai bawk siin, a thu engmah paih si loin, Zotrawnga phuah angin hetiang hian ka remsak a:

Ev’ry step is getting brighter,
Thangvan lamtluang ka zawh laiin,

As the golden stairs I climb;
Ka ritphur zâng tial tial e;

Ev’ry burden’s getting lighter;
Malsawmna ni êng sen siarin,

Ev’ry cloud is silver lined.
Ka kalchawi a tizàng a;

There the sun is always shining,
Chhimbâl a zàm tawpna kawlrawn,

There no tear will dim the eyes,
Kawlvalenchham ramah chuan,

At the ending of the rainbow,
Chungturni rêng a tla ngai lo,

Where the mountains touch the sky.
Luaiithli nùl puan ang an bâng.

Kum 1979-80 laia Dr. Rochunga Pudaite chanchin behchhana hmanga ‘Beyond the next mountain’ tih film an siam lai khan, a film-a hla an telhtir duh pahnih Saptrawnga rawn lehlinsak turin mi rawn ngen a. Chumi zinga pakhat chu R.L. Kamlala hla phuah, ‘Aw ropui ber Haleluiah’ tih hi a ni a. Nairobi-a ka awm lai, February 15, 1979 khan hetiang hian ka letling a:

We praise Thee with hallelujah,
Aw ropui ber Haleluiah.

Thou art our Lord Immanuel;
Kan fak a che, Immanuel;

All praises and realms of glory,
Chawimawina leh lalna zawng zawng,

To Thee, forever and ever.
Chatuanin i ta an lo ni.

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Amen (2)
Haleluiah, Haleluiah, Amen (2)

Earthly beings of myriad races,
Khawvel hringmi hnam ze tinreng,

And angels of heaven above,
Angel var nen lung kan rual e;

Share together the New Salem
I tlanna thisen azârah,

Because of Thy redeeming blood.
Salem thar tualah kan lêng za.

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Amen (2)
Haleluiah, Haleluiah, Amen (2)

Thy unfathomed love and wisdom,
Aw a thûkin a va sâng êm,

Boundless and inexplicable;
I finna leh i hmangaihna;

Even heavenly tongues and music
Thlarau khawvela rimawite

Can never express Thy fullness.
Leh van trawngten an puang seng lo.

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Amen (2)
Haleluiah, Haleluiah, Amen (2)

O tell me the Amazing Deep,
Aw, min hrilh rawh, Thukna Ropui,

Of the cradle and the cursed cross
Ranthleng leh thing anchhedawng leh,

That binds together heavenly crown,
Vana Lalukhum a inzawm,

Earthly Eden and New Salem.
Lei Eden leh Salem thar nen.

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Amen (2)
Haleluiah, Haleluiah, Amen (2)

A chang linaa tlar hmasa bera ‘Thukna Ropui’ tih hawrawp sina an ziah hi ka lehlinah chuan Pathian hmangaina thukzia hriltu a nih avangin Pathian hming aiah dahin, hawrawp lianin kan ziak a, chu chu Saptrawnga kan lehlinin ‘Amazing Deep’ tiin dah a ni a. Manipura Gospel Centenary kan lawm kum 2010 khan Delhi tlangah lehkhabu thra tak kan buatsaih a, a hmingah THUKNA ROPUI kan vuah a. Hemi hming hi Mizoram Gospel Centenary khan lehkhabu thra tak chhuah ka rilruk a, chum hming atana ka vauchher a ni a. Kan pamtrul tak avangin 2010-ah kan hmang ta hlauh zawk a ni.

Heta ‘thukna’ lehlin nana ‘deep’ kan hman hi adjective a ni a, noun-a hman dawn chuan ‘depth’ tih tur a ni zawk tiin thurawn min pe a. Kei chuan, “Ngawi teh u, hei hi grammar thil a ni lo. Pathian hmangaihna thukzia sawina hminga kan hla phuahtuten an lo hman tawh a ni a. Edwin Rowlands hla lehlin ‘Tuifinriat ang khawngaihna hi’ ah chuan Kalvari tlangah, ‘Thûkna puite a keh chhia’ tiin a lo dah tawh a. Chutiang chuan Kamlala pawhin ‘thûkna ropui’ a rawn ti ve a. Chumi ke chheh chu zui zelin Rev. Chhawna chuan, ‘Thûkna, thûkna ka sawi thei lo, Min hmangaih a va mak em!’ a lo ti bawk a. Sam 42:7 kan en chuan, ‘Deep calls to deep’ (NIV, ESV, NRSV, NKJV) an ti vek a. Chuvangin, thûkna ropui lehlin nana ‘Amazing Deep’ ka hman hi ka hmanna ki atrang chuan a dik a ni” tiin ka hman chhan ka hrilh fiah hlawm a, an hre thiam vekin ka ring. Lehlin hna hian zalenna a mamaw a, mahse chu chu hman fimkhur leh thiam a ngai.

Hemi hla hi kan lehkhabu sawiah hian Rev. L.N.Ralte lehlin an dah a (p22-23), hetiang hian paraphrase anga lehlin a ni:

O most glorious, Halelujah!
We praise you, Immanuel,
All adorations and all sovereignty
Belong to you eternally
Halelujah, Hallelujah Amen.

All people of the world, every nation and tribe,
With holy angels we are all of one mind
Through your blood of redemption.
We belong together to one another in the new Salem.
Halelujah, Halelujah, Amen.

O how deep and how high
Your wisdom and your love!
All the instrument of beautiful music of the spiritual world,
And all languages of heaven are inadequate to proclaim.
Halelujah, Halelujah, Amen.

O tell me, the great depth!
The manger and the cursed tree,
And the Crown in Heaven are linked together,
With the Eden of the earth and the new Salem.
Halelujah, Halelujah, Amen.

Kum 1999 khan ka tupa Dr. Lal Dena chuan a research nena inzawmin Watkin Roberts (Saptlangvala) leh a pu Dr. Peter Fraser sulhnu chhui turin Wales ramah a zuk zin a. Mizorama bawih chhuah nana Dr. Fraser-an hma a lak dan chanchin DR. PETER FRASER (1864-1919): THE LIBERATOR (A missionary from Caernarfon, North Wales to North East India) tih a ziak a, chu chu Journal of Presbyterian Church of Wales, Caernarfon, Wales chuan 1999 khan an chhuah hmasa ber a. Hemi artikulah hian Thanga hla phuah, Bawih chhuah lawmna hla chu telhtir a duh avangin Saptrawnga letlinsak turin mi rawn ngen a. Chumi truma ka lehlin chu hetiang hian a ni:

We praise Thee, indeed, O Lord in the highest,
Thou art a Living God and All-powerful Being,
A friend of despised, helpless slaves and sinners,
And Lord of the orphans (3), downtrodden and poor.

Thou being the Lord who answers all our prayers,
Thou providest the needs Thy people ask for;
Listen to thy children’s’ woeful moans and cries,
And reward truth seekers (3), all doers of good deeds.

Lord, proclaim this truth to the high and lowly,
Let people and even Thine enemies ask-
“What should we do now to be saved from our sin?”
Let them all say this yes (3), we beseech, Amen.

Let the nation rejoice at setting slaves free,
Give glory and honor to the Almighty;
Let peace descend on whom the good Lord is pleased,
Let them sing Hosanna (3), all sing Hosanna.

Let Thy name be honored amongst all nations,
Let Thy kingdom come to us in great glory;
Let on earth Thy will be done as in heaven,
And I will say Amen (3)- let Thy will be done.

Kan lehkhabu sawi phek 11-12 ah hian a chunga kan sawi tawh Upa Thanga hla phuah, Dr. Laltluangliana Khiangte lehlin chu a chuang a. Hei hi sak theiha lehlin a ni lo. Hemi lehlin bawk hi Lalkhama IAS autobiography ‘A Mizo Civil Servant’s RANDOM REFLECTIONS’ (2006 P.361-62) ah a chuang a, mahse tu lehlin nge a sawi lo. A in an lohna hret hret a awm a, chhut sual a ni mai thei. Tin, a hla chabi ber, bawih chhuah lawmawmzia thu, chang lina tlar hmasa ber chu an ban daih a, thu pelhé takin an thlak a, chang ngana a vaiin an băn fithla bawk a. An chhut hmasak bera an hmaih palh emaw tihsual emaw a nih chuan, kum sarih hnua an chhut leh khan siam thrat a phu hlein ka hria. He hla hi Zofa tung chhoa kal chuan kan hriat deuh vek ka rin avangin a Mizo text chu dah ngai loah ka ngai a. He tiang hi an lehlin dan chu a ni:

Oh, Lord most supreme, we praise and extol you!
You are our omnipotent and living God;
Friend of the oppressed, the poor, salves and sinners,
Lord, Father and God to orphans and the needy.

And you are God who responds to our prayers,
And often grant your people their supplications;
And hear the cry and the groan of your children,
You support those who choose the truth and do good.

Proclaim this both to the great and to the small
So that the people and those who have grimly
Opposed you may be constrained to cry out,
‘What shall we do now that we too may be saved?’

Let every tribe from darkness and slavery be freed,
Rejoice and sing, “Glory to God in the highest,
Peace on earth, goodwill towards men, Hosanna,
Hosanna, Hossana, Hossana, Amen.