Am I a Soldier of the Cross? (I Corinthians 16:13)
Isaac Watts (1674-1748)
Thomas A. Arne (1710-1778)
Isaac Watts’ khan lai-in state Church of England pana paikhia Dissenters-te nakpi-in kibawlsia hi. Tua banga paikhia pawlpite Free Churches kici hi. 17th century leh 18th century hun lai-a tua bang thu ummite tampi in a upna uh hangin thonga khumna thuak uh hi. Hih la phuakpa Isaac Watts’ pa mahmah zong a upna hangin Isaac Watts a suah laitak thonga a kikhum laitak ahi hi. Isaac Watts’ pa bel England gam Southampton-a dissenting Congregational church-a upa laithei pha mahmah khat ahi hi.
Isaac Watts-te banga a upna uh lau peuhmah lo-a pulaak ngam thuhilh mi tampi hong khangkhia hi. Hih lamalte mahmah i et ciangin tua banga upna kician mahmah a neihna kimu thei hi. Hih la bel 1724 kuma “Holy Fortitude or Remedies Against Fears” thulu tawh thu a hilh khit phet-a a phuah ahi hi. I Corinthians 16:13 bulphuh-a kiphuak ahi hi. “Note kikem un, upna ah kiptakin ding un; pasal hangte hi un, thahat un” (I Corinthians 16:13 ZIV).
Hih la a phuah khit ciangin Watts in hih la-aw mah tawh sak theih dingin taang khat phuahbeh lai hi:
I’m not ashamed to own my Lord,
Or to defend His cause;
Maintain the honour of His Word,
The glory of His cross.
“Singlamteh Galkap Hi Lo Ka Hiam?” la bel “Father of English Hymnody” kici Isaac Watts’ puah la dawng 600 valte laka khat ahi hi. Thuhilhsia leh laphuaksiam khat ahih banah Pasian’ thuthuk thugil theology leh philosophy a kin mahmah khat hi a, mipil taktak khat a hihna a laibu gelhte’ tungtawnin kithei thei hi. A laibu gelhte’ lakah Treatise on Logic, Elements of Geography and Astronomy, Philosophical Essays, leh Improvement of the Mind cih laibute minthang mahmah hi. A textbook gelh Logic bang bel Oxford University-a kipan America gama college minthang khempeuh phial-ah kizang hi.
Pilna sang mahmah nei-a, na tampi a semkhia pa ahih hangin ama’ nunga khangthakte’ adinga a nusiat hih la “Singlamteh Galkap Hi Lo Ka Hiam?” banga la ngaih tampi a phuahna hangin kitamtheihzaw hi. England gam Southampton ah July 17, 1674 ni-a suak ahi hi. Anglican pawlpi pana paikhia dissenting Congregational pawlpi sunga pilna sangpi a nei upa khat’ tapa hi a, unau 9 a phakna vuah a upen ahi hi. A neu tunga kipan mah-in lailam va pah a, kum 5 a phakin Latin, kum 9 a phakin Greek, kum 11 a phakin French (Piancik pau), kum 13 a phakin Hebrew sin-in siam mahmah mawk hi. A kum tawm mahmah lai mah-in la tuamtuam phuaka hoih thei mahmah sawnsawn hi.
Isaac Watts pen “Mangkama hymn kiphuahna leh kisakna a piankhiatna pa” ci-in kiciamteh hi. A neu lai-in Congregational pawlpite ah Psalms la bek kisa a, a kiseh upa khat in samkhol daudau-in tua nungah mipi-in tua late ol sak duaiduai uh hi. Tua lamalte zong khum het lo thei hi. Watts in nuamsa het lo hi. Khatvei bang, “Pasian phatna lasak pen biakpiakna ah vantung tawh a kinaipen hi napi-in, leitunga ei’ sak dan pen a suksiapen hi mawk hi” ci ngei hi. Nipi Ni zingsang khat tua bangmah a lasak nuam het lo kikhopna pan a ciah ciangun phun kha leuleu hi. A pa in, “Bang hang tu-a sanga hoihzaw khat hong pia pah lo na hia, tangvalpa?” ci giap hi. Tua ni nitum ma-in Isaac Watts in a la phuah masak pen zo khin pah a, mipite in zong lawptakin sang uh hi.
Khango laphuaksiampa Iassac Watts in zong la dang tampi phuah ding hong tum pah hi. Kum nih sung Wattsin Nipi Ni sima mipi’sakding la thak phuak den hi. Nidanga a saksak uh Pslams-te zong “Christian-suah” ding ci-in Thuciam Thak thute leh paizia tawh kituakin bawlpha-in phuaka tuate lakah “Jesus Shall Reign,” “O God, Our Help in Ages Past” cihte minthang deuh hi. Naupangte’ la “I sing the Migthy Power of God” zong ama’ phuah ahi hi. Tua banga Psalm lasakna pan pialkhia-a a thak a phuat manin pawllkhatte bangin mihai bangin ngaihsun zawzen uh hi.
1707 kumin ama’ phuahsa la dawng 210 a pha Hymns and Spiritual Songs kici labu khat khenkhia hi. Mangkama kikhen ngei Hymnal lakah a masapen ahi hi. Kum 12 khit ciangin Psalms of David kici Late la-a kiphuak labu khat khenkhia leuleu hi. Tua late a phuahna ah Thuciam Lui sunga Late Thuciam Thak thu tawh kituak dingin phuaka, Christian biakiaknate ah zang hi. November 25, 1748 ni-in si a, Anglican pawlpi pana paikhiate’ laka minthang mahmah The Pilgrim’s Progress laibu gelhpa John Bunyan-a kipan dissenting maikaipite’ kivuina han London-a Bunhill Fields Cemetery ah kivui hi. England gam mi khat’ tunga kipia thei pahtawina khempeuh laka sangpen a kipiakna in Westminster Abbey ah Isaacs Watts phawkna mualsuang khat kiphut hi.
Isaac Watts bel “Leitung Lungdam, Topa Hong Pai” (Joy to the World), “Vanglian Kumpipa’ Hong Sihna” (When I Survey the Wondrous Cross), “I Sing the Mighty Power of God” (Phat Un, Pasian’ Vang Lian Mahmah – Xtian La No.37), “Jesus Shall Reign” (Jesu Mang Ding – Xtian La No. 353), “O God, Our Help in Ages Past’ (Tangtuan Pana Hong Siam Pasian – Xtian La No. 409) cih la ngaihte a phuakpa ahi hi.
Hih la-aw “Arlington” pen Thomas A. Arne’ phuah Artexerxes pana kila ahi hi. Arne bel 18th century lai England gama la-aw phuaksiamte’ laka minthangpen khat ahi hi. Hih la-aw bel 1784 kuma kikhen Sacred Harmonies hymn la-aw bu sungah kihel masapen hi.
Rev. Zam Khat Kham
Christian Hymn te’ tangthu 2005
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