When I Survey the Wondrous Cross (Galatians 6:14)
Isaac Watts (1674-1748)
From a Gregorian Chant
Arranged by Lowell Mason (1792-1872)
Theologian minthang mahmah Matthew Arnold in Isaac Watts’ phuah hih la pen Mangkam-a kiphuak la khempeuh lakah a thupipen hi, ci-in gen ngei hi. A pastor sepna pawlpi-ah neekkhawm a piakna-a sak dinga Isaac Watts in 1707 kuma a phuah ahi hi. Tua kum mah a a khetkhiat Hymns and Spiritual Songs kici labu sungah hel-a, “Cruscifixion to the World by the Cross of Christ” ci-in thulu guan hi.
Isaac Watts bel 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. Isaac Watts pen a pa a nonconformist upna hanga thong a kiat laitaka suak ahi hi. (“Nonconformist” i cih England gamah 1662 kuma kibawl “Act of Uniformity” zui nuam lo-a Church of England pana paikhiate ahi hi.
A masa lamin “dissenters” kici a, a nunung lam ciangin “nonconformist,” “Free churchmen” zong kici hi. Tu hun ciangin England gama nonconformist a kicite Methodist-te, Baptist-te, Congregationalists-te leh Presbyterian-te hi a, ahi zongin Scotland ah Church of Scotland pen Presbyterian hi zawsop bilbel-a, nonconformist-te pen Episcopal Church hizaw hi. ZKK).
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 sinin siam mahmah pahmawk hi. A kum tawm mahmah lai mah-in la tuamtuam phuaka hoih thei mahmah sawnsawn hi.
Isaac Watts pen “Mangkam-a hymn kiphuah 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 takin sa duaiduai uh hi. Tua lamalte zong khum het lo thei laimawk hi. Watts in nuamsa het lo a khatvei bang, “Pasian phatna lasakna pen biakpiakna ah vantung tawh a kinaipen hi napi-in, leitunga ei’ sak dan pen a suuksiapen 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 sa pah uh hi.
Khango laphuaksiampa Iassac Watts in zong la dang tampi phuah ding hong tum pah hi. Kum nih sung Watts in Nipi Ni sima mipi’sakding la thak phuak den hi. Nidanga a saksak uh Psalms-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 phuangthak ahih manin pawllkhatte bangin mihai bangin ngaihsun zawzen uh hi.
“Singlamteh Galkap Hi Lo Ka Hiam?” (Am I a Soldier of the Cross?), “Leitung Lungdam, Topa Hong Pai” (Joy to the World!)cih late zong ama’ phuah mah ahi hi.
Isaac Watts in Psalm late bek phuak pha lo-in ama’ lungsim bangin la phuak a, tua bang late lakah hih la, “Vanglian Kumpipa Hong Sihna” zong khat ahi hi. Ama’ hun lai-in buaina tampi piangsak hi. Mi pawlkhat in sang zo mahmah lo uh hi. Isaac Watts lah ta tuan mahmah lo hi. “The father of English hymnody” (Mangkam hymte’ pa) a kicih zawzenna zong tua hang mah ahi hi. Isaac Watts in a khan sungin la dawng 600 val phuak hi.
Hih la-aw pen “Hamburg” kici a, Lowell Mason’ phuah ahi hi. Mason in 1824 kuma tanglai pawlpi tangthu-a la masapente’ laka khat ahi Gregorian chant pana a lak ahihna gen ngei hi. Tua bang pawlpi “chant” tepawl pen Hebrew biakinnpi leh synagog pana kiluahsuk ahi hi. La aw ngaihpente lakah kihel ding hi. Pope Gregory pen Christian lasakna lamsang a kin masapen khat ahi hi.
Hih “chant”te kaikhawmin a hoih dingin puahpha ahih manin “Gregorian chant” kici pah hi. Tuni mahmah-a Roman Catholic pawlpi sunga kisasa late tampi hih “chant”te pana kila ahi hi. Hih “Hamburg” la-aw bel 1825 kuma kikhen Boston’s Handel and Haydn Society Collection of Church Music ah kihel a, a kikhet masaknapen ahi hi. Aw nga kilumlet denkeii hi a, ngaih mahmah nakhat nei hi.
Hih la-aw arrangment bawlpa Lowell Mason’ thu bel i gengensa hi a, “Father of American Church and Public School Music”a kici zawzen pa ahi hi. Amah January 8, 1792 ni-in America gam Medfield, Massachusetts ah suak hi. A khangno lai-in Savannah, Georgia ah tenga, 1827 kumin Boston ah kisuan-a, tua lai-ah a ten sungin Boston School of Music phuan hi. Boston a sangte ah music a kisin nadingin a phuangkhiapa ahi hi.
Tua khit ciangin Europe gam lamah zin-a laihilhzia sin hi. America a tunkik ciangin music kikhoppite vaikhawma mite in paakta-in mi zo mahmah hi. 1851 kumin New York City ah kituah a, tua lai-ah hymn leh la tampi kaikhawmin khenkhia hi. La-aw dawng 700 val phuak h,i ci-in kiciamteh a, tuate lakah hih la, “Vanglian Kumpipa Hong Sihna” (When I Survey the Wondrous Cross) banah, “Vuuk Paakna Gam Mual Panin” (From Greenland’s Icy Mountain), “Nang Tawh Naizaw Nuam Ing” (Nearer My God to Thee), cihte kihel hi.
“Leitung Lungdam Topa Hong Pai” (Joy To the World) la a gualpa (arranger) zong hi lai hi, a aw bel George F. Handel’ (1685-1759) phuah hi, kici hi. 1855 kumin New York University in Doctor of Music degree pia a, America gama sang khatpeuh in tua bang degree a piak masaknapen ahi hi.
Rev. Zam Khat Kham
Christian Hymn te’ tangthu 2005
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