Nearer My God To Thee

By L.Keivom, Inpui.com Columnist

Nearer my God to Thee,

Nearer to Thee.

-Sarah Flower Adams (1805-1848)

Ka tupa Dr. Lal Dena’n February 5, 2014 khan hieng hin mail a mi hung thon a: “Tulai mourning period-a ka hla dittak chu Nearer my God hi a ni a. Sap tronga mi le Hmar tronga mi hi an pelsol nasa bek a. Hieng ang hin ka zuk inlet a, a pansak bek a hraw dim! Buoi hle la khom, mi hung siemthrapek ta la. I tupa-LD” tiin. A hmangai em em, a nuhmei Vanlalhlu-in December 24, 2013 khan muol a liemsan a, tlămpui phur anga rika a nuhmei pûr a do lai a nih.

‘Pûr’ hril taka chun, ei thupuia ei lut hmain hang hril fie met ngaiin ka hriet. ‘Pûr’ hi a lam rik dan inang chie, sienkhom umzie hran daih pahnih a um a. Pakhat chu mithi sûn hi ‘pûr do’ a nih. Pahnina, trăm tlâk changa khaw danga bu phura fe hi ‘pûr phur’ ti a nih. Lusei tronga hin ‘pûr do’ an nei ve naw a, mithi amanih a dam lai ngai hi ‘zŭn phur, zŭn ngai, zŭn tuor’ an ti thung. Hmar tronga ruok chun mithi ngai hi ‘pûr do’ a ni a, a dam lai, chu khom chu ngaizawng ngai hi ‘zŭn ngai’ a ni a, ngaizawng ni lo ngaina thu hrilnan hmang a ni ngai nawh. Amiruokchu, ‘dam lai pûr do, hring pûr do’’ ti ei nei a, la dam zing sien khom mithi amanih thi hmang tah anga ngai, a lakah beiseina hrim nei ta naw ngirhmuna um hrilna a nih.

Pêt hla loin ei thuah kir nawk inla. Kei chun hieng hin ka hang don a: “I hla dit hi kei khoma ka hla dit tawp lo, tu chena perkhuong leh a'n khat tawka ka la sak hlak a nih. I ti ang hin an inlet hi a Saptronga mi leh a'n pelsol khop el a, a san khom a um ka ring. Hi hla hi Edwin Rowlands-a hlapui, inlet hmasatu tak a ni a, a tonhriet (Zoram Khawvel 5 p.94-97) le inzoma inlet-phuok a thaw khom a ni el thei. Khang lai huna an hla inlet, tu chena ei sak lai khom hin chuong ang chu a tam.

“Mizo tronga an inlet, ‘I lamah min hîp rawh aw ka Pathian’ ti le "Lalpa ka hung hnai ie, nang bel dingin" ti hi thuhmuna ei ngai si, theology dang daih a ni a, a ieng lem hi'm pom ding ti ngaituo fêt a ngai. Ei inchuktir dana, einin zong loa Pathienin a mi zong lem thu leh ei hril kop ding chun, Edwin Rowlands inlet dan hi a fuk lem el thei. Pathien kuoma um a nuom thu a hrilnaa ei lak chun ei inlet dan her danglam ve ve a ngai el thei bok. Kan hman hun hmasa takah, a thei chun chi hniin hung inlet tum ka tih” tiin.

February 17 khan hieng ang hin mail ka hang thon nawk a: “Ei titi kha ka buoi taluo leiin ka la hung sunzom el hman naw a. Tu hin a Saptronga mi, a hmatiema ka zuk inlet thlak chu ka hung thon. Kha hmaa Lusei trong le Hmar tronga an inlet laia thra ei ti po la khawm inla, a fûk tak el thei” tiin. Chu chu a hnuoia mi hi a nih.

Nearer my God to Thee

(Textual translation in Hmar)

Lalpa nangma hnai din ka hung pan che,
Mi bûk kăngtu kros rik put khom ni lang;
Ka hung hnai che ti bâk thu-hla dang nei naw ning,
Lalpa nangma hnai din ka hung pan che.

Zinkhuol ang chang vein, turni liemin,
Thimin a mi nang vel, suonglung khamin;
Tonmanga khom nangma hnai zing che ka nuom ie,
Lalpa nangma hnai din ka hung pan che.

Thangvan kaina kailawn hung a indaw,
I tir phot zangaina-thlawnpek a nih;
Nangma hung hnai dingin, angelhan an mi hùi,
Lalpa nangma hnai din ka hung pan che.

Hai ang thrangin nangma inpak ka che,
Ka khamlu chang tak hin Bethel ka’n din;
I bula chèng châkin Lalpa ka hung pan che,
Lalpa nangma hnai din ka hung pan che.

Hlimna thlaa vuongin, van nêr thlengin,
Ni, thla, si-ar pelin, vuong tung lang khom,
Ka zai hla sak ding chu, i kuom hnai ning a tih,
Lalpa nangma hnai din ka hung pan che.

Hla trobul

            Hi hla hi kum 1841 a Sarah Flower Adams-in Genesis 28:11-19 besana a phuok a nih. Ama hi journalist/editor Benjamin naunu pahnihai laia a naupang lem, August 21 1848-a kum 43 mi a ni chauha TB-a thi a nih. Unitarian kohran pawl mi a ni a, hla iemani zat a phuok laia sei tak chu kristien hmasahai nun dan thlirna, lemchang hla (dramatic poem) Vivia Perpetua a ni a, a hla phuok laia inlâr tak chu ei hla thlir lai ‘Nearer my God to Thee’ ti hi a nih. Threnkhat lem chun hi hla hi khawvela nuhmei hla phuok tah po po laia inlâr tak le ropui tak niin an hril hiel a nih (Popular Hymns.com).

          

  Ni khat chu Finsbury Unitarian Chapel-a an pastor William Johnson Fox a hung leng a, Pathienni hung tlung dingah lengtrûl[1] Jakob khuolzin, lung lukhama hmanga Bethel-a a riek zana mang anga a thil hmu thu Genesis 28:11-19 a inziek chu sermon a tum thu le chu le inhmè ding hla hung phuok dingin Sarah Flower chu a ngen a, ‘Nearer my God to Thee’ hi a pieng pha tah a nih. Sarah unu Eliza Flower chu composer a ni a, a thluk hi a siempek niin an hril. Hi hla hin thluk hrang hrang pathum dang, Lowell Mason siem ‘Bethany’ ti dam, Arthur Sullivan siem ‘Propior Deo’ ti dam le John Bacchus Dykes siem ‘Horbury’ ti dam a nei a, eini rawiin a thluk ei hmang chu ‘Bethany’ ti hi a nih. April 14/15, 1912-a Atlantic Tuipui-a long lien RMS Titanic a pil trum khan hi hla hi rimawi remtu Band-in an rem niin a dam khawsuokhai chun an hril a. Kum 1997-a Titanic film thar a hung suok a, long a pil ruoi ruoi laia ‘Bethany’ thluka hi hla Band-in an rem ei hang ngaithlak zet khan chuh, lung a zop naw thei naw a, thawk le khatah khawvel kil le kap a deng suok nghal hrim a nih. USA President thi tah tam takin an vui nia inthlăna hla hung sak dinga an thlang hlak chu hi hla hi a nih.

Cardinal Newman vs. Sarah Flower Adams

            Saptronga kristien sakhaw hla an phuok laia sekiular khawvela khom hmun lien tak hluotu nia hril chu Cardinal Newman hla phuok ‘Lead Kindly Light’ (Enna nunnem) le ei hla thlir lai ‘Nearer my God to Thee’ hai hi an nih. Pawlsawm kan inchuk laia kan poetry section-ah a hmasa hi a thrang a, tu chen khom hin ka tupa Dr. Lal Dena leh hi hla hi Lal Trongtraina kan hriet innăl tlukin kan kan la’n sam thei a nih.

English essayist le critic hmingthang John Dryden phuok, lemchang hla Alexander’s Feast (1697-line 169) chang tawpna taka

He raised a mortal to the skies;
She drew an angel down

ti kha Sarah Flower Adams chanchin ziektu Richard Garnett chun tekhinaa hmangin, “One is reminded of Dryden’s famous lines; but the feats of the male and the female minstrel were in this instance reversed; for it is Mrs. Adams who ‘raises the mortal to the skies’ and Cardinal Newman who ‘draws the angel down’”[2] a lo ti hiel a. Chu chun literechar vanzawla ei hla thlir lai phuoktu ngirhmun hluo hi a hril chieng hle-in ka hriet. Literechar tukvera inthoka thlir chun, olsam ronga Pastor Thangngur-in “Van a tieve’n an khoi a” a lo ti khah a nih. Kei ruok chun Dryden hlaa chawimawina tonlairang par bung el pahni hi arêngin hieng hin Sarah Flower inkhumtir vong inla khom a phu hlie hlie-in ka hriet:

            Thangvanah hringmi inkairtirin,

            Pielleiah van angelhai a’n trumtir.

Thlûk thuhmun, thu danglam

A hma khan Saptronga hi hla phuoktu hla phuok le Zo trong hrang hranga inlet dan inang naw thu ei tar lang bakah Lusei tronga inlettu hmasa tak chu Edwin Rowlands (Zosapthara) a ni thu ei hril ta a. Kristian Hla Bu-ah hieng hin chang liin a hla inlet chu kum zakhat hnunga khom a pangngaiin sie a la ni zing:

            I lamah min hîp rawh, aw ka Pathian,

            Kraws hrehawm pu pawhin ka lo hnai ang;

            Ka hla sak zawngah hian, I lam hnaih ka dîl ang,

            I lamah min hîp rawh, Lalpa Pathian.

            Vakvai ang ni ila, ni tlâk tawhin,

            Thimin mi nang vel a, lung lukhamin;

            Ka mumang lamah chuan, I lam hnaih ka duh ang,

            I lamah min hîp rawh, Lalpa Pathian.

            Damlo ni ilangin, hnathawk peih lo,

            Mu reng thei chau takin, rilru pawl rawh;

            Ka chhungte thren laiin, I lam hnaih ka duh ang,

I lamah min hîp rawh, Lalpa Pathian.

Dam chhung mi hmuak apiang, I tirh ni se,

A nuam nge a hrehawm, engpawh ni se;

Hei ngawt hi ka dil ang, I lam lo hnaih zêl hi,

I lamah min hîp rawh, Lalpa Pathian.

Hmar tronga inlettu hin Lusei tronga mi hi inlet tho siin a nuom nuomin a kei sawi ve a. ‘I lamah min hip rawh, aw ka Pathian’ ti hih ‘Lalpa ka hung hnai ie, nang bel dingin’ tiin a sie thung a; theulawzi chi hnih a suok der a nih. A ieng khom chu ni sien, nuhmei dang, hla phuok thiem le phuok rawna hmingthang Fanny Crosby hla, ‘Draw me nearer’ (Mi hîp hnai rawh) ti le nuhmei dang, Annie S.Hawks hla ‘I need Thee every hour’ (Ni tin ka ngai che) tihai hi ei bi chieng chun huong khata tla khawm vong an ni a, nuhmei hin Pathien an ngai lem am a ni ding aw! ti dingin a um. Martha zuorpui Mari ang khan Isu bula cheng hi pasal tieng nek hmanin an thlakthla bik lem khom a hoi. Hienghai hla phuok dan le Edwin Rowlands inlet dan hi Johan 6:44-a “Mi tirtu Pa-in ka kuom tieng a hǐp naw chu tu khom ka kuomah an hung thei nawh” ti Isu thu hril leh an inzawl hle-in a’n lang.

A chunga ei tar lang, Edwin Rowlands hla inleta chang khatna le chang hnina chen hin a phuoktu phuok dan a la hnai hle a; a chang thumna le chang lina ruok hi chu Edwin Rowlands-in a testimawni a hrilna hla niin a’n lang. A chanchin ei sui chun, kum 1898 favang laia India ram pana a hung suok tukin a sangpa John Rowlands khom America tieng rongbawl dingin a suok ve a, Atlantic tuipuiah longsiet an tuok a, a boral a. Chu thu chu Arabian tuipuia longa a la thang mek laiin a nuin thirhruiin a hung hril a, hung kir nawk nghal dingin a’n châ bok a. Bombay a tlung chun a damsam mang naw bakah kir ding le fe pei ding le ding naw trongtraia inngaituo dingin ni sawm a cham a. Hi hla hi mitthli leh lungrila sakin Lalpa a ko a. Jakob khuolzin anga a tum ram pan pei dingin thu tlukna a siem tah a nih. Chuong lai ngirhmuna inthoka thlir chun, hi hla chang 3 & 4 hi mit le khit dè tluka chiengin hi hla a’n let trum hin ama testimawni a zep sa niin kei chun ka ngai.

Ka chhungte thren laiin, I lam hnaih ka duh ang,

I lamah min hip rawh, Lalpa Pathian.

Dam chhung mi hmuak apiang, I tirh ni se,

A nuam nge a hrehawm, eng pawh ni se…

Hmar tronga inleta hin inlettuin zalen takin a sop ziel ve a. Belh trûl a tinaah a lung tlûk zawngin a zep sa a, Pathienin a kuom tienga hip hnai dinga hni loin, ama thua bel dingin a pan hnai lem a nih. Hla phuokktuin ‘khuolzin’ thu chauh a hril laiin, “Jakob inzin anga kan vai laiin” tiin chieng kieuin a sie thung a. Sienkhom hi chang hnina tlar thumnaa, “Yet in my dreams I’d be, Nearer my God to Thee” ti hi ‘Ka mang tieng kawl kil le van chenah leng lang khom’ tiin a phuok danglam dai a, a mak ang reng khop el. ‘Kawlkil’ le ‘van’ hi khaw laia inthoka a mai khawm am an ta ding maw!

A chang tawpna tak tluka inhlanna hla châng ropui hi hla dang a tam naw khop el. Hi inhlanna thusam hi Sarah Flower Adams awm thusuok ni ta loin Lusei tronga hi hla inlettu Edwin Rowlands inhlanna hlado a nih. A ropui em em vei leh, Hmar tronga inlettu hin, a tawpna tak tlar hni,

Hei ngawt hi ka dil ang, I lam lo hnaih zêl hi,

I lamah min hîp rawh, Lalpa Pathian

ti hi “Ahi ka hung hni che, dam sung ka tuokhai chun, I tirko thra angin, nang min hnai sien” tiin an letpek daih a nih! Inlettu hin a thu phuok hi chieng vieuin a ngai el thei a, ei hang bi chieng ruok chun, ei Baibul (BSI sut) inlettuhai ang deuin thu thupa hril hi a chemkalna zawng a ni el thei a, ‘tina a nih’ ti zawnga hril fie ngiel lo chun buoi mapna tham a nih.

Hienga nuom dan zawng senga mi hla phuok kei kuoi hi ‘poetic license’ hnuoia zalenna peka um hin a huom sa am ti hi zawna indon ding laia thil poimaw a ni ka ring. A phuoktuin a hril tum ni loa kei kawi rak chu poetic license-in a huom sa lo thil a nih. ‘Poetic license’ hril taka chun mi tam takin ‘poetic justice’ leh an ngai pol hlak a, kei khomin inring hman loa ka khap suol chang a um. Hlaa chu thu sei tak khom tawitea kei tawi a trul chang a um a, chu pha chun trong hmang dan indik lo threta a umzie fie tawk tho sia hmang phal chu zaipuhai kuta zalenna ‘poetic license’ hnuoia a pek chu a nih. ‘Poetic justice’ ruok chu thil a ni dan ding ang taka hung inher le tlung, tu rà sîk, thil a ni dan ding taka hlei nei loa rel tina a nih. Hinduhai filawsawfi-a chu ‘karma’ ti hin a khai khawm vong a nih.

Mi hla thlûk hmanga a thu phuok danglam ruok chu phal a ni bakah thil um rop hlak a nih. Misawnari hmasa, abikin hla tienga sulsutu Edwin Rowlands hla inlet tam lem hi hang bi chieng inla, a hla thluk hmang a, a hmangtu dinghai kal rem zawnga a phuok-let a tam. Entirnan, Horatio G. Spafford hla phuok ‘It is well..with my soul’ ti inlettu chu Edwin Rowlands bok a na, sienkhom hla bua chuong le a Saptronga mi chu a danglam daih a,

            Khawvel hrut chhuak ila, Lal Isua ang hi,

            Thianghlim leh fel ka hmu lo va

ti a ni daih. A thunona ‘It is well” ti hih “A pawi lo” tiin a sie a, chu chu threnkhat chun ngaituo chik mang loin an nuizat hle. Ei hang ngaituo chîk ruok chun, “A thra ie…” tia ei inlet leh a danglamna a um naw bakah, rinum ieng khom tuor ding ni sien tuor a poiti naw thu a hrilna a ni leiin ‘A thra ie’ ti nêk hmanin “A poi nawh” ti chu a fûk lem hman a hoi khop el. Chun, Fanny J. Crosby phuok, ‘Blessed Assurance’ (Lal Isu ka ta ka hriet chieng tah) ti khom hi Edwin Rowlands inlet-phuok bok a na, ‘Leilung pian hmain Thu chu a awm’ tiin, Pathien thu bul inchuktirna thuin a thlak danglam daih a, a Saptronga mi leh inzawlna an nei nawh. Chu chu khang hun laia ringtharhai mamaw phuhruk theina khom a ni lem bok.

Ieng khom ni sien, hriet ding poimaw chu, khang hun laia hla an lo inlethai kha a thlûk hmanga a thu an phuok thar dam le an hang tiem a, a thu tlangpui hmangin, a ram mihai hriet thiem thei zawng le mamaw phuhruk thei zawnga an lo her danglam le phuok sa a nih ti a chieng. A awrizinal neka thra lem hmana an kei rem a tam. Chuong hlahai laia mi chu ei hla bi lai, ‘Nearer my God to Thee’ hi a nih. Jakob chun, “Pathien hnai ro, chuongchun ama khomin hnai a ti cheu” (4:8) a lo ti a.  Sam 73: 27-28 a khom Asaf-in,

Nangma hlattu bohmang an ta,

A’n phattu che sukbo i tih.

Ka ta di’n Pathien hnai a thra.

LALPA Pathien chu belbula

Hmang dingin ka lo thlang ta a,

A thilmak thawhai hril ka tih

tiin Pathien hnai thratzie hla-in a lo insam a ni khah.       

Damlai tuipuia hin ei damlai long, ei Titanic hin ieng lai khomin sietna a tuok thei zing a, minit tinin mi tam tak Titanic chu a pil ruoi ruoi zing a nih. Chu ngirhmuna Mihriem Naupa a um lai chun, “Eloi, Eloi lama sabakthani? Ka Pathien, ka Pathien, ieng dinga i mi maksan am?” (Mk 15:43) tiin a khêk suok ve tho a ni khah. Hi ngirhmun trium, thina tuipuia hringnun a pil ding lai khoma thlamuong taka um theina chu Lalpa hnai zing a nih.  (Delhi, February 20, 2014) 

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[1] April 4, 2008 khan ‘Lêngtrûl Tlansie’ ti thupuia hmangin a u Esau lungsenin a that inlaua a pu umna Padan Aram tienga Jakob a tlan thu ka ziek a. Tlangval Jakob a tlansiet hin kum 77-a upa a ni dĕr tah. LK

[2] Alfred H.Miles, ed. Women Poets of the Nineteenth Century, 1907