O Store Gud (How Great Thou Art)

By L.Keivom, Inpui.com Columnist

Whakaaria mai tou ripeka ki au,
Ti-ah ho mai ka roto i te po;
Hei kona au titiro atu ai,
Ora, mate hei au kway noho ai.

-Maori Version

Today’s Christian magazine (2001) hril dan chun khawvel pumpuia Kristien hla inlâr tak chu ‘Amazing Grace’ (Hmangaina Mak) a ni a, a dottu chu ‘How Great Thou Art’ (I Ropui Ie) a nih. BBC-haiin Inpakna Hla (Songs of Praise) laia United Kingdom-a chenghai hla dit taka an puong chu ‘How Great Thou Art’ hi a nih. Hieng hla pahnihai hung suok dan le a tira a phuoktuhai kutsuok le a hnunga a thluk le thu an hung siem danglam le belsa pei dan chu lekhabua ziek tham a nih. A hmasa hi maksanin, a nuhnung lem hi hang bi thuok inla.

Sawng khatna

Sweden ramah thuhriltu pakhat, kum 26 mi, a hming Carl Gustav Boberg (1859-1940) chun 1885 khan hla, thlûk nei lo, a sama insam chi, tu laia threnkhatin ‘hlahril’ (poem) an ti hi chang kuoa sei a phuok a, a thupuiah O Store Gud (O Mighty God) ti a hmang a. Kum iemani zat hnunga khaw pakhata chawibiek inkhawma a thrangnaah a hla phuok chu Swedish pi le pu hla thluk hmangin zaipawlin an hung sak a, a barakhai hle a.

Hi le inzom hin, a chanchin ei hril pei hmain, thil sŭt tlak a um a. Hi hla ropui hi huma a um theina dinga Pathien thilthaw chu kristien an ni hma daia an pi le pu kalchar, an hnam thu le hla zieranga inthuom a nih. Eini rawi lai ruok chu Kristien sakhuo an hung put lut kha khawthlang mingohai hmelhmang put dinga an kalchara an inthuom tah a ni leiin, a zatve sakhuo, a zatve dang an kalchar mi’n biektir an tum a. Hi thil hin kristien thra ni ding chun ei pi le pu thil hrim hrim hnawmhnawl vong dinga ngaina lungril indik lo ringtharhai lai a hring a, chu chun tu chen hin ei hlim angin a mi zui a nih. Hi ngirhmuna inthoka mi kei kirtu dingin Puma Zai kha a hung suok a, chu chun Tlanglam Zai chi hrang hrang a hring suok a, kalcharal rivaival a hung tlung a, ringthar tam tak an kir pha a, chanchin thra kalchawi khom a sukbahla nasa hle.

Hi thil hi kohran thruoituhai chun Setan thilthaw niin an ngai. Chik nawk zuola ei bi ruok chun, a ram mihai kalchar palzuta misawnarihaiin chanchin thra an hung hril kha a hrisel nawzie le ram dang, entirnan Japan rama dam a ram mihaiin an vuok let pha an kut thlak an indoi nawzie hretu Pathien chun mi ben harna dinga Puma Zai kha a hung hmang lem a hoi khop el. Kha hnung, abikin kum 1921 laia harna hung tlunga khan ei hnam zai le thluka Pathien inpak le chawimawi ding a nizie thlarau mita hmutu an hung um phak tah leiin hla thar, Lengkhawm Zai thluka phuok a hung suok a. Chutaka inthok chun ei zieranga inthuomin, ei sumphuk le taptebulah Bethlehem le Kalvari an hung trum a, kum sawt nawte sungin kristien-ah ei hung inpe fai tah duok el a nih. Chuonghai laia Pathienin nasa taka a hmang pakhat chu Pastor Thangngur kha a nih.

Chu chu a ni lai zingin, sakhuona le kalchar inlaichinna hre hrang lo, thlaraua mitvarna neia inngai, sienkhom chongkor mit put, a thlûka buoi, pi le pu thil le an thu le hla hrim hrim chu ringnawtu thuomhnawa ngai pawl, ei la tam el bakah kum za kristien nia ei insăl hnung khoma ‘kohran’ umzie hril fie hi sinpuia nei pawl dam ei la kat nok leiin ei sangsiet dan le innawi dan hi a namei nawh ti ei hriet. Boberg-a hla, an pi le pu hla thluka an sak ang hin ei hla khukpui threnkhat hi hung sak ve hai sien chu, Pathien hla sukporche-ah ngaiin ei intrĕk nasa hle ring a um. Ei kalchar thleka Pathien biek le chawimawi hi hlim suolhai thaw danah ei ngai tawng. Ei tarmit bun indik naw lei a ni le ni naw insût letna chang ruok chu ei hriet naw tlangpui a hoi.

A phuokna san

Sweden-a khaw pakhat Kronoback bula chawibiek inkhawma fe Boberg chu a ruolhai leh an khuo Monsteras panin zantieng ni nemah an hung kir a. Khuo inthiengin a mawi a, nghatna tieng tieng khawvel a par a. Thing tin buk karah vate an so nak nak a. Biek-in dar ri insaikal nak nak chun lung an sukleng a.

Kawlrawnah arpui tiet hi sûm dum a hung inlang a, sawt naw teah kawl a hung inlep zok zok a, van a hung inrŭm a, van nghor thler khopin trek a tla dur dur a. Thli hrat takin a hung zui a, hlo hna hring dup hmun le bu zîng dur elhai chu a mût kŭr duol duol a. Ruopui vanawn a hung inbaw thla huk huk a. Sawt naw te hnungah a chăt a, sûm a hung inkieng a, van inthienga chun ni tlak tawm zung mawi tak chu rong chi hrang hranga inlârin a tle sung a, ni tlak ruolin an ropuina êng chu a hung chuoi tiel tiel a, thimin a hung nang a, arasi tlêp tuorin an hung inlang a. Chuonghai po po chu ieng lai khoma Siemtu Pathien ropuizie puongtu an nih.

In a tlung chun a tukver a hong a, Monteras tengsawla tuipui hung inkhaw lut chu darthlalang pha ang elin a tle sur el a. Ral khing tieng thing rihnim buk kara an riebuk bel dinga hung pan khawm vachedek hon inhram chier niei chu ni dang nekin an hlim lemin a hriet a. Zantieng rè dup lai chun mithi dar a hung inri riei riei a, “When eternity’s clock calling my saved soul to its Sabbath’s rest” (Chatuon sana darin chawl song dinga ka thlarau a ko pha chun) ti hla thlukin dar chu an hung rem zui a. Hieng a thil hmu, a hmaa khawvel mawina puon anga inzâr le rimawi a hriethai chun ei hla thlir lai hi an mor suok a nih.

Sam 8 besana a phuok a ni thu a tu sawng Bud Boberg chun a hril el bakah Baptist le Mission Friends pawlin hnawchepna an tuok laia arûka an inkhawmnaa an thu insam hlak laia pakhat niin a hril bok. Tlang hrieta hi hla hi a suok hmasakna tak chu March 13, 1886 suok Monsteras Tidningen (Monsteras Chanchinbu) ah a nih. Swedish hla hlui thluk hmanga biek-ina an sakna hmasa tak chu kum 1888, Varmland Biel-ah a na, kum 1890 khan Sions Harpan chun a thluk leh an insuo a, chu taka chun chang 8 chauh a thrang. Kum 1890-a a phuoktu hi chanchinbu Sanningsvittnet (Witness for the Truth) editor a hung ni hnungin a thu leh thluk le a solfa hmanga a rimawi rempui dan ding (piano & guitar) leh a hung suok a. A kum nawk 1891 chun Mission Covenant Church of Sweden (Svenska Missionsfurbundet) haiin hi hla chunga thuneina (rights) an inchawk a, tuta ei hmang lai ang hin tlar 4/4-in an hung sie tah a nih.

Hi hla hi 1907 khan Baltic Tuipui hnai Estonia-a um Swedish mi hausa Manfred von Glehn-in German trongin a’n let a, a hung inlar nghal a. German tronga inlet chu Russia ramah an phur lut a, kum 1912 khan ‘Martin Luther of Russia’ an ti hiel, Ivan S. Prokhanov (1869-1935) chun Russian trongin a’n let a, a thupuiah ‘Velikiy Bog’ a hmang a. English-a inlettu hmasa tak (1925) chu North Park College, Illinois-a Professor E.Gustav Johnson (1893-1974) a nih. A hnungah English-a inlettu le chang hni zet beltu Suart K.Hine (1899-1989) kutsuok chun a hung hlan a, chu thu chu ei la hung hril zom pei ding a nih.

Sawng hnina

Kum 1920 bawr tung lai khan English misawnari Stuart K. Hine le a nuhmei chu Poland le Czechoslovakia-ah rongbawlin an um a. Hi taka an um lai, Poland ramri bul, Ukraine-a Carpathian Tlangpui hruta kum 1931-a an inzin trumin German tronga inthoka Russian tronga an inlet hi an sak an ngaithlak a, an ngaizawng nghal a. Hine-in an inzinnaa an tonhriet besana Pathien le a thilsiem inpakna hla phuok a lo tum le Boberg-a hla chu pawi kawm thin ang an ni leia a lungril a tawk bek bek khom a ni el thei.

Hine hril dan chun, Carpathian Tlangpuia khuo pakhat an hang lawn kai chun kotthler-ah a’n thrung a, hla a sak a, Chanchinthra Johan 3 inring deuin a tiem a. A ngaithlatuhai laia pakhat chu chu khuoa sikul zirtirtu a nih. Thlipui a hung inthok a, inzin pei ngaina a um naw leiin zirtirtu ina chun an riek a. Thlipui hrang zo le van inrum le kawphe zuk zuk a hung inkieng chun vanah arasi tlep tuorin an hung inlang a. Hi tonhriet hin hla chang hmasa tak hi a hring niin a hril:

O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder

Consider all the worlds thy hands have made;

I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,

Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Lalpa Pathien, i kutsuok ka dawn changin,

Maktinain ka lungril a sip hlak;

Si-ar ka thlir, vaninrum dur dur ka hriet,

I thilthawtheizie vanvêlah an puong.

Stuart Hine chun Carpathian Tlangpui chu zuon khûmin Romania-ah a lut a, Burkovina chen a fe a. Ama zuitu tlangval ruol leh chun rampui hring dup le thel hun el, sakhi lungleng an inphawt det detna, vadungte an luong ri hok hokna, vate chi tinrengin hlim taka ra tlăn a, vapuol honin zalen taka vuong hlŭp hlûpa tlang lawi a, thlokherin sunrawl ding thing nge zonga thing a tuk ker kerna le thlifim inthieng a hrang del delna hmun dam chu an hraw a. Hi tonhriet hin a chang hnina hi a hring niin a hril bok:

When through the woods and forest glades I wander

And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;

When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur,

And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze.

Ramngaw le lentupui zing hmunhai fangin,

Sang thinglera sirva zai rem ka hriet;

Tlang sang ropui a’nthok singmit inlenin,

Tui luong ri hrie’n, semdam thli’n a mi thawi.

A chang khat, thunon le chang hnina chen phuok dinga an lungril mortu le an phuok dan an hril hi a la’n khuongruol khop el. Sienkhom chang thumna le lina ruok hi chu Saptronga inlettu Stuart Hine-in a hnunga ama tonhriet le inzoma a siem thar a nih. Chang thumna a phuok dan nia an hril chu, Ukraine-a an inzinna khaw pakhatah kristien sungkuo pakhat chauh, Dmitri le a nuhmei Lyudmila an um a. Russian sipai pakhatin Baibul a maksana inthokin Dmitri nuhmei chun ziek le tiem a’n chŭk a. Khuo an tlung chun in pakhatah suol intlanna dinga Krista an hemdena thu Johan ziek chu Dmitri nuhmei chun a lo tiem a. Rawl tawp insuoa suol an sim thu, sandamtu dinga Krista an pom thu le chatuon hringna an nei tah leia an lawmna luong liem khekpui chu hieng lai hmuna an thaw dan hrim a ni leiin an ri a se hle a. Lut loin tuolah a lo ngaithlak a,

And when I think that God, His Son not sparing,

Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;

That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,

He bled and died to take away my sin.

Pathienin A Nau nei sun a hung tir hi,

A ngaina hrim ka sui suok zo thei nawh;

Kros-ah ka suol lawm takin a hung phur a,

Thisen suokin, ka suol tlanin a fam

ti chang thumnaa a hmang hi a hung pŭt suok a nih.

Stuart Hine hin a tawpa thu lam rik ri inang, rhyming kengkaw a tum hram hram leiin sentence threnkhat a kei dan hi a tritro a, ama kalrem zawnga tiem naw lem chun a thu hi a kat truk a, a buoithlak khop el. Hla inzieksieknaah Romantic poets hai lai thrang sien, a endiktu ni inla, a vahrit nekin a chepa tieng a thrang ka ring. Chun, “I scarce can take it in” ti hi “a ngaina hrim ka sui suok zo thei nawh” tia inlet a fuk lem ka ring. A chang tawpna tlara, “ka thi aiin a thi” tia ei inlet hi a hla thuah a um naw bakah theulawzi indik lo, Aiaw Theulawzi (Substitute Theology) chen hring suoktu a nih. Isu Krista kha ei aia thi a ni naw a, ei ta dinga thi a ni lem. ‘Aia thi’ ti le ‘ta dinga thi’ ti hi sim le hmar anga inpersan a nih. Hi thua hin lekha ka ziek rawn tah leiin hril non ngai loah sie inla. Ei hriet dinga poimaw ruok chu, kha hmaa trongkam indik lo ei lo hmang inrim le innâl tah kha hmangin Diebolin a chângah mi thlung zing a tum a nih ti hih.

A chang lina hi Indopui Pahnina hnunga phuok a nih. Kum 1932-33 laia diktetor Joseph Stalin-in trăma Ukraine a hrĕk hnung le Indopui Pahnina intran khan Stuart Hine le a nuhmei chu England tieng an kir a, rongbawlna an nei zui pei a. Russia rama inthoka tlansie, Sussex (England) rifiuzi camp-a umhai chu kum 1948 David Griffiths leh an va kan a. Anni lai chun kristiena insâl pahni chauh an um a. Pakhat chun a chanchin a lo hril a. A nuhmei chu kristien a na, Indopui tawp tienga an inthre hnungin ama chu kristien a hung ni chauh a. A nuom tak chu a nuhmei zong suok a, ringna hmunkhat intrawma dam sunga kalchawi tlang a nih. Sienkhom, hi hnuoia hin a hmu nawk a ring ta naw thu le van rama chatuon hringna changa an leng hmun ding a nghakhlazie a hril mol mol a. Chu thu chun Hine-a lungril a tawk hle a, a hla chang lina hi a hring suok tah a nih.

When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation

And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!

Then I shall bow in humble adoration,

And there proclaim, my God, how great Thou art!

Ropui taka Krista a hung nawk pha chun,

Mi thruoi a ta, lawmnain sip ka tih;

Chawimawinan bokkhupin chibai buk ka ta,

‘Pathien, i ropui ie!’ ti’n puong ka tih.

Sawng thumna

Khawvel hrieta hi hla hung vor lartu chu Billy Graham Crusades-a an hla sak thiem George Beaverly Shea le Cliff Barrows hai an nih. Kum 1954 khan Harringay Crusade-a thrang dingin an fe a. Chu trum chun Hine-a hla iemani zat an inentir a. A tir chun barah an khon rak naw a, sienkhom a thratzie an hung hriet chun Crusade-a hmang dingin Hine leh inthlopin an buoipui mup mup a. 1955-a Toronto Campaign-ah chu a la’n lar hman naw a, 1957-a Madison Square Garden (New York) -a khan chu khawvel deng suok khopin a hung puok darh tah a nih.

Hi hla chanchin le inzoma ngainuomum deu pakhat chu Naga Zaipawlhai an nih. Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, California-a thok Dr. J. Edwin Orr (1912-1987) chu Deolali (Maharashtra) inkhawmpuia a thrang trumin Naga Zaipawlin an sak a hriet a, a ziek a chawi thlak a, Forest Home (College-age conference) a a rongbawlnaah nasa takin a hmang a. Kum 1955-a indin Manna Music of Burbank, California chun Hine kuoma inthokin hi hla hi an inchawk a, a chang khatnaa ‘works’ ti chu ‘worlds’ tiin, a chang hninaa ‘mighty’ ti chu ‘lofty’ tiin an thlak bok a. Hi version hi Billy Graham Crusades-a an hmang tak a ni leiin khawvel hmun tinah ei hung hmang ve tah a nih.

Manna Music-hai rikawt dan chun kum 2009 chen khan voi 17,000 chuong tv le sinemaa hmang dingin hi hla hi an khum ta a, USA Presidents iemani zat hla dit a nih. New Zealand-a kan um lai (1983-85) a an Maori hla sak thiem Howard Morrison-in hla a sakna taphota a ser laia a mei anga a hmang a ni a, keini chen khomin khang lai khan Maori trongin kan sak thei a nih. Knighthood an pek pha bakah kum 2009-a a thi khan ama hriet zingna le ngaihruina dingin zaipawlin a ram pum an fang a, chu prokram hminga chun “Sir Howard Morrison: How Great Thou Art” an ti hiel a nih. Pathien chawimawina hla sak lârtuhai lawmman dong rop chu inlarna le hmingthangna a nih.

Ka ngaithlak rop, 1967-a suok Elvis Presley Gospel LP pahnina kha a hmingah ‘How Great Thou Art’ ti a ni ve top. Hi hla hin 1967 khan ‘Best Sacred Performance’ ti group-ah Grammy Award a dong a; kum 1974-a Memphis-a tuolpara mipui hmaa a sak an rikawt khan ‘Best Inspirational Performance (Non-Classical)’ ah Grammy Award a hmu bok a nih. Hla thuhmun saka Grammy Award pahni dong kop hi thil vâng tak a ni ka ring. Kum 2011-a Carrie Underwood-in a rikawt khan chawimawina a dong rawn hle a, February 2013 chen khan USA-ah ringot khom a digital copy 405,000 an zor hman tah a nih.

Tlangkawmna

Hi hla hin khawvel a fang suokna dingin kum 90 chuong hiel a lak a. Chu sung chun Sweden-a inthokin Russia ram le a se velah, Poland-ah, Ukraine-ah, Czechoslovakia ah a lut a, chu taka inthok chun England tieng an son thla a. A’n son hla po leh a tira Boberg phuok kha a ruongam put zingin an hung siem belsa pei a. A tawp tieng chu Stuart K. Hine hla phuokin a hung inchang tah a nih. Naga Zaipawl hmangin USA-ah a lut a, Billy Graham Crusades-a an hlapuia an hmanga inthokin khawvel a deng suok tah a nih. Khawvela hla inlar ei ti tam tak hi Saptronga an inlet hnunga hung puok dar chauh a nih. Ei hla thlir lai khom hi a phuok trantua inthoka hnam dang tronga inlet hmasahaiin a taitlil-a an hmang chu O STORE GUD (O MIGHTY GOD) ti a ni deu vong laiin Saptrong hmangna khawvela an haijek hnungin HOW GREAT THOU ART ti hming a hung put tah lem a nih. Chu chun trong hang poimawzie a hril chieng hle.

Mihriemin ei chengna khawvel ei suosam nasa talaw leia a kakhawkin indoi loa a mi vuok let tak tak pha, hi hla phuok dinga mortu khawvel mawina tinrengin mihriemhai an trinsan pha, an ngirhmun thar dungzuia an hung khek suok hunah, ei hla thlir lai hin ieng zierang am put tang a ta? HOW GREAT THOU ART la ti zing an ti’m? (October 11, 2014 Delhi)