Umugabo utaragiraga ubwoba “wagendaga akwirakwiza Ivanjiri”

BAVUGA ko igihe yari afite imyaka 18, George Borrow yari azi indimi 12. Imyaka ibiri nyuma yaho yashoboraga guhindura “neza cyane kandi bitamugoye” indimi 20.

Mu mwaka wa 1833, uwo mugabo wari ufite impano idasanzwe yatumiwe i Londres n’Umuryango wa Bibiliya wo mu Bwongereza (British and Foreign Bible Society). N’ubwo atari ashoboye kwirihira urugendo ariko akaba yari yiyemeje kudacikanwa n’ubwo buryo bwiza yari abonye, Borrow wari ufite imyaka 30 yakoze urugendo rw’ibirometero 180 n’amaguru avuye iwabo i Norwich, abigenda mu masaha 28 gusa.

Uwo Muryango wa Bibiliya wamuhaye akazi katoroshye. Mu mezi atandatu yagombaga kuba arangije kwiga ururimi rw’Ikimanshu rukoreshwa mu turere tumwe na tumwe two mu Bushinwa. Yasabye ko bamuha igitabo cy’ikibonezamvugo, ariko icyo bashoboye kumubonera gusa ni kopi y’Ivanjiri ya Matayo mu Kimanshu hamwe n’inkoranyamagambo y’Igifaransa n’Ikimanshu. Nyamara nyuma y’ibyumweru 19 yandikiye i Londres ababwira ati “namenye neza Ikimanshu,” avuga kandi ko “yabifashijwemo n’Imana.” Ibyo yari yaragezeho byarushijeho gutangaza kubera ko nanone muri icyo gihe yavuze ko yari arimo akosora Ivanjiri ya Luka mu Kinahuwatili, rukaba ari ururimi rw’abasangwabutaka bo muri Megizike.

Bibiliya mu rurimi rw’Ikimanshu

Mu kinyejana cya 17, Ikimanshu cyatangiye kwandikwa hakoreshejwe inyuguti zatiwe mu rurimi rwo muri Mongolie rwitwa Uighur, gihinduka ururimi rwakoreshwaga mu butegetsi mu Bushinwa. N’ubwo buhoro buhoro abantu bagiye bareka kurukoresha, abari bagize Umuryango wa Bibiliya wo mu Bwongereza bashakaga cyane gucapa no gukwirakwiza Bibiliya yanditse mu rurimi rw’Ikimanshu. Byageze mu wa 1822 bamaze gutanga amafaranga kugira ngo hacapwe kopi 550 z’Ivanjiri ya Matayo, yahinduwe na Stepan V. Lipoftsoff. Yari umukozi wa Minisiteri y’Ububanyi n’Amahanga y’u Burusiya, akaba yari yarabaye mu Bushinwa imyaka 20. Iyo Vanjiri yacapiwe i St. Petersburg, ariko bamaze gutanga kopi nkeya zayo gusa, haje umwuzure wangiza ibyari bisigaye byose.

Nyuma yaho gato hakurikiyeho guhindura Ibyanditswe bya Kigiriki bya Gikristo byose. Mu mwaka wa 1834 havumbuwe inyandiko y’intoki ya kera cyane y’Ibyanditswe bya Giheburayo hafi ya byose, bituma abantu barushaho gushishikarira Bibiliya. Ni nde washoboraga guhagararira imirimo yo kongera gusubiramo bakosora Bibiliya yo mu rurimi rw’Ikimanshu, kandi akarangiza guhindura ibitabo byari bisigaye bitahinduwe? Umuryango wa Bibiliya wo mu Bwongereza washinze George Borrow gusohoza iyo nshingano.

Ajya mu Burusiya

Akigera i St. Petersburg, Borrow yamaze igihe kinini anonosora Ikimanshu kugira ngo azabashe gukosora no kwandika umwandiko wa Bibiliya utarimo amakosa. N’ubwo byagenze bityo  ariko, ako kazi kasabaga gushyiraho imihati kandi yakoraga amasaha arenga 13 ku munsi afasha mu gupanga inyuguti bazakoresha bacapa Isezerano Rishya, amaherezo ryaje kuvugwaho ko ari “igitabo gicapye neza mu bitabo by’iburasirazuba.” Mu wa 1835 hacapwe kopi igihumbi. Ariko umugambi Borrow yari afite wo gufata izo Bibiliya akajya kuzitanga mu Bushinwa wakomwe imbere. Kubera ko abategetsi b’u Burusiya batinyaga ko ibyo byari kubonwa nk’umurimo w’ubumisiyonari washoboraga kuzana agatotsi mu mubano bari bafitanye n’abaturanyi babo, bangiye Borrow kwambuka umupaka wabo n’u Bushinwa igihe yari kuba ajyanye “Bibiliya n’ubwo yaba imwe yo mu rurimi rw’Ikimanshu.”

Hashize imyaka igera hafi ku icumi hatanzwe kopi nkeya zayo, kandi mu wa 1859 hasohoka ubuhinduzi bw’Ivanjiri ya Matayo n’iya Mariko, buri paji iriho inkingi zibangikanye z’Ikimanshu n’Igishinwa. Kuva icyo gihe ariko, abenshi mu bantu bashoboraga gusoma Ikimanshu bahitagamo kwisomera Igishinwa, bityo igitekerezo cyo guhindura Bibiliya yose mu Kimanshu gitangira kuyoyoka. Mu by’ukuri Ikimanshu rwari ururimi rwagendaga rucika ku buryo mu gihe gito rwasimbuwe n’Igishinwa. Byageze mu wa 1912, ubwo u Bushinwa bwabaga repubulika, Igishinwa cyarasimbuye neza neza Ikimanshu.

Umwigimbakirwa wa Ibérie

Amaze guterwa inkunga n’ibyo yari yagezeho, George Borrow yasubiye i Londres. Mu wa 1835 yoherejwe muri Porutugali no muri Hisipaniya, kandi nk’uko nyuma yaje kubyivugira, yari ajyanywe no “kumenya neza uko abaturage baho bari biteguye kwakira ukuri k’Ubukristo.” Icyo gihe ibikorwa by’Umuryango wa Bibiliya wo mu Bwongereza byari bitaragera muri ibyo bihugu byombi, bitewe n’umutekano muke ushingiye kuri politiki waharangwaga. Borrow yishimiye kuganira kuri Bibiliya n’abantu bo mu biturage byo muri Porutugali, ariko bidatinze, abanyamadini baho baramurwanyije abandi na bo banga kwitabira ibyo yababwiraga, bituma ahita yambuka ajya muri Hisipaniya.

Muri Hisipaniya, Borrow yahasanze ibibazo bitandukanye n’iby’ahandi, cyane cyane mu baturage b’Abatsigane yahise atangira kugirana na bo imishyikirano ya bugufi, kuko yavugaga ururimi rwabo. Nyuma gato y’aho ahagereye, yatangiye guhindura “Isezerano Rishya” mu Gitsigane cyo muri Hisipaniya, cyitwa Gitan. Muri ako kazi, yatumyeho abagore babiri b’Abatsigane baza kumufasha. Yabasomeraga inyandiko yo mu Gihisipaniya maze akabasaba kuyimuhindurira. Ibyo byatumaga ashobora kumenya neza uko inshoberamahanga zo mu rurimi rw’Igitsigane zikoreshwa neza. Imihati yashyizeho yatumye mu rugaryi rw’umwaka wa 1838 hasohoka Ivanjiri ya Luka, ku buryo hari musenyeri wiyamiriye ati “azahindura Abanyahisipaniya bose akoresheje ururimi rw’Igitsigane.”

George Borrow yahawe uburenganzira bwo gushaka “umuntu washoboraga guhindura Ibyanditswe mu rurimi rwo muri Basque.” Uwo murimo washinzwe Dr. Oteiza, wari umuganga “uzi neza urwo rurimi nanjye nari nzi ho gake,” nk’uko Borrow yabyanditse. Mu wa 1838, Ivanjiri ya Luka ni cyo gitabo cya mbere cyasohotse mu rurimi rw’Igihisipaniya rwo muri Basque.

Kubera ko yari afite ishyaka ryinshi ryo gusobanurira rubanda rwa giseseka, Borrow yajyaga  akora ingendo ndende cyane kandi zirimo akaga ajya gukwirakwiza ibitabo bya Bibiliya mu bakene bo mu biturage. Yatekerezaga ko ibyo byari kuzatuma bava mu bujiji n’imiziririzo bishingiye ku idini. Iyo yabaga yerekana ukuntu kugura indulugensiya nta cyo byari bimaze, yarabazaga ati “ese birashoboka ko Imana igira neza yakwemera ko abantu bagurisha ibyaha?” Ariko kubera ko Umuryango wa Bibiliya watinyaga ko uko gusenya imyizerere abantu basanganywe byashoboraga gutuma ibikorwa byabo bihagarikwa, bamutegetse kwibanda gusa ku murimo wo gukwirakwiza Ibyanditswe.

Borrow yahawe uruhushya mu magambo rwo gucapa El Nuevo Testamento, ni ukuvuga Isezerano Rishya mu Gihisipaniya, ariko agakuramo amagambo yari ahagana hasi ku mapaji yasobanuraga inyigisho za Kiliziya Gatolika y’i Roma. Yabonye ubwo burenganzira, n’ubwo Minisitiri w’Intebe yari yabanje kubyanga avuga ko ubwo buhinduzi bwashoboraga guteza akaga kandi ko cyari “igitabo kidakwiriye.” Ubwo Borrow yafunguye iduka i Madrid ryo kugurisha Isezerano Rishya mu Gihisipaniya, ibyo bikaba byaratumye agirana amakimbirane n’abayobozi b’amadini hamwe n’abategetsi. Yarafashwe afungwa iminsi 12. Borrow yaraburanye maze bamusaba ko yagenda mu ibanga. Kubera ko yari azi neza ko bamufunze mu buryo bunyuranyije n’amategeko, yabasubiriyemo urugero rw’intumwa Pawulo maze ahitamo kuguma muri gereza kugeza igihe bamuhanaguriyeho icyaha, agenda nta mugayo usigaye ku izina rye.—Ibyakozwe 16:37.

Igihe iyo ntumwa y’Umuryango wa Bibiliya yarangwaga n’ishyaka yavaga muri Hisipaniya mu wa 1840, uwo muryango waranditse uti “mu myaka itanu ishize, muri Hisipaniya hakwirakwijwe amakopi agera hafi ku 14.000 y’Ibyanditswe.” Borrow wabigizemo uruhare runini yavuze muri make ibyo yagezeho muri Hisipaniya avuga ko ari yo ‘myaka yamushimishije mu buzima bwe bwose.’

Igitabo cyitwa The Bible in Spain, cyasohotse bwa mbere mu mwaka wa 1842 kandi na n’ubu kikaba kigicapwa, kivuga inkuru zishishikaje cyane George Borrow ubwe yiyandikiye avuga iby’ingendo ze n’ibyamubayeho muri izo ngendo. Muri icyo gitabo cyahise gikundwa n’abantu benshi, ubwe yiyise “umuntu wagendaga akwirakwiza Ivanjiri.” Yaranditse ati “nateganyaga kujya mu turere twitaruye turi mu misozi y’ibihanamanga nkaganira n’abantu baho, nkababwira ibya Kristo uko mbizi.”

George Borrow wagize ishyaka mu guhindura no gukwirakwiza Ibyanditswe bene ako kageni, yashyiriyeho urufatiro abandi bari kuzagera ikirenge mu cye, ibyo bikaba ari igikundiro rwose.

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(Niba wifuza kureba uko bimeze, reba mu Munara w’Umurinzi)

Imihati George Borrow yashyizeho mu guhindura no gukwirakwiza ibitabo bya Bibiliya yatumye ava mu (1) Bwongereza ajya mu (2) Burusiya, (3) muri Porutugali no muri  (4) Hisipaniya

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Mountain High Maps® Copyright © 1997 Digital Wisdom, Inc.

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Amagambo atangira mu Ivanjiri ya Yohana mu rurimi rw’Ikimanshu, yacapwe mu wa 1835. Bagisoma bavana hejuru bagana hasi, bakagenda bava ibumoso bagana iburyo

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From the book The Bible of Every Land, 1860

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From the book The Life of George Borrow by Clement K. Shorter, 1919