Christian Hymn te’ tangthu: I Lungnuam Hi Zeisu Muang Leeng

‘Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus
(Ephesians 1:12,13)
Louisa M. R. Stead (c. 1850-1917)
Wiiliam J. Kirkpatrick (1838-1921)

“Thu um mi khat in a nuntakna a nop laitakin Pasain’ hawmsiamna a muan mahmah ding kisin leh a nuntakna ah haksatna hong tunga, uplah nading ze-etna hong pai ciangin Zeisu a muan ding sintawm kul lo-in a muang thei densa-in om ding hi” ci-a a gen ngei khat om a, hi mahmah hi. “Khuavak sungah na om lai-in Pasian na muan leh khuamial sungah zong na muang thei ding hi” ci-a gen ngei khat om leuleu a, hi mahmah hi.

“I Lungnuam Hi Zeisu Muang Leeng” cih la a phuaknu pen a nuntakzia a etteh huai mahmah numei khat ahi hi. Hih la a phuah laitakin a nuntakna ah khua a mial mahmah hun ahi hi – a pasal tuikia-a a sih hun laitak-a a phuah ahi hi.

Louisa Stead pen England gam Dover ah 1850 kum pawlin suak hi. A khangno lai mah-in missionary dinga Pasian’ sapna phawk hi. 1871 kumin America tunga, tawlkhat sung Cincinnati, Ohio ah om hi. 1875 kumin Mr. Stead tawh kiteng uh hi. Tanu khat nei uh a, Lily ci uh hi. Lily kum 4 a phak ciangin a innkuan un Long Island Sound, New York a tuipi gei ah nisa awi-a tawlnga dingin pai uh hi. Sun-an a nek laitakun huhna ngena kiko ngeiingaii mite’ aw za uh a, tuipi sungah naupang khat tuikia dinga kithawi mu uh hi. Mr. Stead zong tua naupang honkhia dingin tui sungah lut pah vingveng hi. Tuikiate a kihotkhiat cianga piang thei den mahbangin, tua naupang in amah honkhia dinga kithawipa tui sungah kawicipsuk zawsop hi. A zi leh a tanute’ muhna ngiat-ah a nih un tui sungah kiasuk uh a, si mawk uh hi. Pasian’ geelna tel zo lo a, “Bang hangin maw, Topa?” ci-a dot nop hun ding kiimlai-in Mrs. Stead lungtang panin hibang la ngaih khat hong phulkhia zawsop hi:

I lungnuam hi Zeisu muang leeng,
Ama’ hong gen bang um leeng;
Ama’ hong kamciamna muang leeng,
Topa’ hong cihna thei leeng.

A sawt lo-in Mrs. Stead leh a tanu South Africa zuanin pai vingveng uh a, Cape Colony ah kum 15 sung missionary-in om hi. Tua lai-ah South Africa gammi Robert Wodehouse tawh kiteng uh hi. 1895 kumin Louisa’ dam lohna hangin a innkuan un America gamah ciahkik uh a, Mr. Wadehouse in Methodist pawlpi khat ah pastor sem hi. 1900 kum ciangin Louisa zong hong damzaw a, Southern Rhodesia-a Umtali-a Methodist missionary station tungkik uh hi.

Kum 10 khit ciangin dam lohna hangin Louisa in a nasep zom thei nawn lo-a, a tawp loh hong phamawh hi. A tanu Lily zong Mr. D.A. Carson tawh kiteng uh-a South Rhodesia- a a nasep uh zom uh hi. Sawtpi a nat khit ciang, January 18, 1917 ni-in South Rhodesia a Umtali pan tai 50 khawng a gamla Mutambara gei Penkridge-a a inn ah hih la ngaih a phuaknu Mrs. Louisa Stead Wodehouse si ta hi. Ama’ nungah a lawmte missonary khat in “I Lungnuam Hi Zeisu Muang Leeng” la in na a sepzia hih bangin gen hi: “Amah a omnawn loh ciangin ka phawk mahmah uh hi, ahi zongin hih gam mite 5,000 in amau’ pau-in a phuahsa la a sak uh ciangin ama’ nungah ama’ nasepna bangzah in kizom veve cih kimu thei hi.”

Hih la a aw a phuak William J. Kirkpatrick pen 19th century laphuaksiam leh labu khen minthangpen khat ahi hi. A khantawn-in America gam Philadelphia kiimtengah tengin, Methidist pawlpi tam simsim ah music director sem-a, gospel la bu 100 val kaikhawmin khenkhia hi. Hih “I Lungnuam Hi Zeisu Muang Leeng” (‘Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus) banah, “Calvary-Ah Hong Zui Ning (Lead Me to Calvary) cih la-a kipan “Zeisu In Hong Hon” (Jesus Saves), “Keima’ Topa Zeisu Lamdang Honpa Hi” (He Hideth My Soul), “Redeemed,” “Stepping in the Light,” “We Have an Anchor,” “When Love Shines In,” “O to Be Like Thee” cih late zong a aw a phuah a hi hi. September 29, 1921 ni-in si hi.

Rev. Zam Khat Kham
Christian Hymn te’ tangthu 2005