Bibiliya ya mbere y’Igiporutugali: inkuru igaragaza ukwihangana

“UWIHANGANA azatsinda.” Ayo magambo aboneka ku ipaji iriho umutwe w’agatabo kavuga iby’idini kanditswe na João Ferreira de Almeida, mu kinyejana cya 17. Ntibyoroshye kubona andi magambo akwiriye kurushaho yakoreshwa mu gusobanura iby’uwo mugabo witangiye guhindura no gusohora Bibiliya mu Giporutugali.

Almeida yavukiye i Torre de Tavares, umudugudu uri mu majyaruguru ya Porutugali, mu mwaka wa 1628. Yabaye imfubyi akiri umwana muto, arerwa na se wabo wari umwe mu bihaye Imana, wabaga mu murwa mukuru wa Porutugali ari wo Lisbonne. Nk’uko byari bisanzwe, kugira ngo Almeida ategurirwe kuzaba padiri, yahawe inyigisho zo mu rwego rwo hejuru. Ibyo bikaba byaratumye agira ubuhanga budasanzwe mu by’indimi akiri umwana muto.

Icyakora, birashoboka ko Almeida atakoresheje ubwo buhanga bwe mu murimo wo guhindura Bibiliya akiri muri Porutugali. Igihe mu Burayi bw’amajyaruguru no mu Burayi bwo hagati hari inkubiri y’Ivugurura, icyo gihe hakaba harakoreshwaga Bibiliya zo mu ndimi kavukire, Porutugali yo yakomeje kugendera ku byasabwaga n’Urukiko rwa Kiliziya Gatolika rwaciraga imanza abataravugaga rumwe na yo. Byonyine, gutunga Bibiliya ihinduye mu rurimi rwakoreshwaga muri ako gace, byashoboraga gutuma umuntu ashyikirizwa urwo Rukiko. *

Kubera ko Almeida ashobora kuba yarashakaga kwigobotora ubwo butegetsi bw’igitugu, yahungiye mu Buholandi igihe yari afite imyaka igera hafi kuri 14. Nyuma yaho gato yujuje imyaka 14, yagiye muri Aziya anyuze mu mujyi wa Batavia (ubu witwa Jakarta) muri Indoneziya. Uwo mujyi wari icyicaro cy’ubuyobozi bw’Isosiyete y’Abaholandi yakoreraga mu Burasirazuba bw’u Buhindi, ahagana mu Majyepfo y’iburasirazuba bwa Aziya.

 Yabaye umuhinduzi akiri ingimbi

Mu rugendo rwa nyuma Almeida yakoze mbere y’uko agera muri Aziya, hari ihinduka rikomeye ryabaye mu buzima bwe. Igihe ubwato yarimo bwari bugeze hagati y’umujyi wa Batavia n’uwa Malacca (ubu witwa Melaka) uri mu burengerazuba bwa Maleziya, yabonye agatabo ko mu rurimi rw’Icyesipanyoli kanditswe n’Abaporotesitanti. Ako gatabo kari gafite umutwe uvuga ngo Diferencias de la Cristiandad (Amakimbirane mu madini ya gikristo). Uretse kuba ako gatabo karanengaga inyigisho z’ikinyoma za Kiliziya Gatolika, karimo n’amagambo yashishikaje by’umwihariko Almeida wari ukiri muto. Ayo magambo agira ati “nubwo waba usingiza Imana, iyo ukoresheje ururimi rutazwi mu kiliziya, nta cyo bimarira umuntu uteze amatwi ariko atarwumva.”—1 Abakorinto 14:9.

Umwanzuro wa Almeida warigaragazaga. Kugira ngo ibyo binyoma by’idini bishyirwe ahabona, hagombaga kuboneka Bibiliya yumvwa na bose. Almeida ageze mu mujyi wa Malacca, yagiye mu idini ryitwa Reformed Church, ahita atangira guhindura ibice bimwe by’Amavanjiri, abivana mu Cyesipanyoli abishyira mu Giporutugali. Yabikwirakwije mu “bantu bagaragaje ko bifuzaga koko kumenya ukuri.” *

Imyaka ibiri nyuma yaho, Almeida yari yiteguye gutangira undi mushinga ukomeye kurushaho, wo guhindura ibitabo byose bigize Ibyanditswe bya Gikristo bya Kigiriki, abivana muri Bibiliya y’Ikilatini yitwa Vulgate. Yabirangije mu gihe kitageze ku mwaka. Icyo kikaba ari ikintu kidasanzwe umwana w’imyaka 16 yagezeho! Yagize ubutwari, maze kopi imwe ayoherereza umutegetsi mukuru w’Umuholandi wayoboraga umujyi wa Batavia kugira ngo isohoke. Uko bigaragara, Reformed Church y’i Batavia yohereje iyo kopi yari yandikishije intoki mu mujyi wa Amsterdam. Ariko kubera ko umupadiri wari ugeze mu za bukuru bayihaye yaje gupfa, iyo Bibiliya Almeida yahinduye yarabuze.

Mu mwaka wa 1651 Reformed Church yo muri Ceylon (ubu yitwa Sri Lanka), yasabye Almeida gukora kopi ya Bibiliya yahinduye. Almeida yibutse ko Bibiliya y’umwimerere yaburiye ahabikwaga inyandiko z’idini. Ibyo ntibyamuciye intege. Yaje kubona kopi ashobora kuba yari yarahinduye ku ncuro ya mbere ariko idasubiwemo. Mu mwaka wakurikiyeho yari arangije gusubiramo amavanjiri yose n’igitabo cy’Ibyakozwe. Inteko y’abayobozi b’idini * mu mujyi wa Batavia, yamuhaye amafaranga 30 yakoreshwaga mu Buholandi. Umwe muri bagenzi ba Almeida yaranditse ati “ayo mafaranga yari make cyane ugereranyije n’umurimo ukomeye yakoze.”

Nubwo iyo nteko itamenye agaciro k’uwo murimo, Almeida yarawukomeje, hanyuma mu mwaka wa 1654 abashyikiriza umwandiko wuzuye w’Isezerano Rishya yari amaze gusubiramo. Bongeye gutekereza ibyo gucapa iyo Bibiliya, ariko ntihagira ikintu gifatika kigerwaho, uretse kopi nkeya z’iyo Bibiliya zandukuwe n’intoki kugira ngo zizakoreshwe muri kiliziya zimwe na zimwe.

Urukiko rwa Kiliziya Gatolika rumukatira

Mu myaka icumi yakurikiyeho, Almeida yari ahugiye mu murimo w’ubushumba n’ubumisiyonari mu idini rya Reformed Church. Yahawe ubupasiteri mu mwaka wa 1656, abanza gukorera muri Ceylon, aho yarokokeye ku ka burembe inzovu yari imukandagiye. Nyuma yaho, yoherejwe mu Buhindi, akaba ari umwe mu bamisiyonari ba mbere b’Abaporotesitanti basuye icyo gihugu.

Almeida yari yarahindukiriye idini ry’Abaporotesitanti, akaba yarakoreraga mu gihugu cy’amahanga. Bityo, abenshi mu bari batuye mu duce yasuye twakoreshaga Igiporutugali, bamufataga nk’umuhakanyi cyangwa umugambanyi. Kuba yaramaganye ku mugaragaro ko ubwiyandarike bwarangwaga mu bayobozi ba Kiliziya Gatolika, kandi agashyira  ahabona inyigisho z’ibinyoma z’iryo dini, na byo byatumaga buri gihe agirana amakimbirane n’abamisiyonari b’Abagatolika. Ayo makimbirane yageze ahakomeye mu mwaka wa 1661, igihe Urukiko rwa Kiliziya Gatolika rw’i Goa mu Buhindi rwakatiraga Almeida urwo gupfa ashinjwa ubuhakanyi. Kubera ko atari ahari, batwitse igihangano kigaragaza ishusho ye. Birashoboka ko guverineri mukuru wategekeraga u Buholandi yatewe ubwoba n’amahane ya Almeida, akamutumaho nyuma yaho gato ngo agaruke i Batavia.

Nubwo Almeida yarangwaga n’ishyaka mu murimo w’ubumisiyonari, ntiyigeze yibagirwa ko Bibiliya y’Igiporutugali yari ikenewe. Mu by’ukuri, kuba abantu batarashoboraga gusoma Bibiliya mu rurimi bazi, baba abayobozi b’idini ndetse n’abayoboke basanzwe, byatumye arushaho gukomera ku cyemezo yari yarafashe. Mu ijambo ry’ibanze ry’agatabo kavuga iby’idini kanditswe na Almeida mu wa 1668, yabwiye abasomyi ati “niringiye ko . . . vuba aha ngiye kubahesha icyubahiro, mbagezaho Bibiliya yuzuye mu rurimi rwanyu kavukire, impano iruta izindi zose ikaba n’ubutunzi bufite agaciro kenshi kuruta ubundi bwose mutigeze muhabwa n’undi muntu uwo ari we wese.”

Almeida ahangana na Komite yari ishinzwe gusubiramo iyo Bibiliya

Mu mwaka wa 1676, Almeida yahaye inteko y’abayobozi b’idini bo mu mujyi wa Batavia kopi ya nyuma y’umwandiko idakosoye y’Isezerano Rishya, kugira ngo isubirwemo. Mu mizo ya mbere, Almeida n’abasubiragamo iyo Bibiliya ntibumvikanaga. Umwanditsi wandika ibyabaye mu mibereho y’abantu witwa J. L. Swellengrebel, yavuze ko bagenzi ba Almeida bavugaga Igiholandi, bashobora kuba bari bafite ikibazo ku birebana n’ibisobanuro by’amagambo amwe n’amwe ndetse n’imyandikire. Nanone ntibavugaga rumwe ku birebana n’ubwoko bw’Igiporutugali cyagombaga gukoreshwa muri iyo Bibiliya. Ese hagombaga gukoreshwa Igiporutugali cyavugwaga na rubanda, cyangwa ni Igiporutugali kinonosoye, cyashoboraga kugora benshi kucyumva? Amaherezo, ishyaka Almeida yari afite ryo kurangiza guhindura iyo Bibiliya ni ryo ryatumaga ahora agirana amakimbirane n’abayisubiragamo.

Umurimo wo gusubiramo iyo Bibiliya wagendaga buhoro cyane, wenda bikaba byaraterwaga n’uko Almeida atavugaga rumwe n’abari bashinzwe kuyisubiramo, cyangwa bakaba batari bashishikajwe na yo. Imyaka ine nyuma yaho, abari bashinzwe kuyisubiramo bari bakijya impaka ku bice bibanza by’igitabo cya Luka. Almeida yarakajwe n’uko iyo Bibiliya yatinze, yohereza kopi imwe yayo yandikishije intoki mu Buholandi kugira ngo icapirweyo, abari bashinzwe kuyisubiramo batabizi.

Nubwo inteko y’abayobozi b’idini yagerageje guhagarika iyo Bibiliya ngo idasohoka, Isezerano Rishya ryahinduwe na Almeida ryageze mu icapiro ryo mu mujyi wa Amsterdam mu mwaka wa 1681. Mu mwaka wakurikiyeho, kopi za mbere z’iyo Bibiliya zari zageze i Batavia. Tekereza ukuntu Almeida agomba kuba yaraciwe intege no gusanga muri Bibiliya yahinduye harimo amakosa yashyizwemo n’abantu bayisubiyemo bo mu Buholandi! Kubera ko batari bazi Igiporutugali, yasanze barashyizemo “amagambo atari umwimerere kandi bahindura ibinyuranye n’ibivugwa, bituma ibisobanuro byatanzwe n’Umwuka Wera bitumvikana neza.”

Kubera ko guverinoma y’u Buholandi na yo itabyishimiye, yategetse ko Bibiliya zose zari zarasohotse zitwikwa. Nubwo byagenze bityo ariko, Almeida yemeje abategetsi ko hagomba gusigara kopi nkeya, ariko zigasigara ari uko amakosa akomeye cyane akosowe hakoreshejwe intoki. Izo kopi zari kuzakoreshwa kugeza igihe iyo Bibiliya yari kuzaba irangije gusubirwamo.

Abari bashinzwe gusubiramo iyo Bibiliya bari i Batavia, bongeye guhura kugira ngo bakomereze umurimo wabo ku Byanditswe bya Kigiriki bya Gikristo, kandi batangire kwitegura kuzasubiramo ibitabo byo mu Byanditswe bya Giheburayo, igihe Almeida yari kuzaba arangije kubihindura. Abayobozi b’idini bagize ubwoba, batekereza ko Almeida atazabyihanganira maze bafata umwanzuro wo gushyira mu bubiko bwa kiliziya amapaji yarangiye ariho n’umukono. Nta gushidikanya, Almeida yanze uwo mwanzuro wabo.

Muri icyo gihe, imyaka ibarirwa muri za mirongo Almeida yamaze akora uwo murimo utoroshye ndetse n’ibibazo yahuye na byo ari muri ako gace gashyuha cyane, byazahaje ubuzima bwe. Mu mwaka wa 1689, Almeida yeguye ku mirimo y’idini kugira ngo yitangire guhindura Ibyanditswe bya Giheburayo. Ikibabaje ariko, ni uko yapfuye mu mwaka wa 1691, arimo ahindura igice cya nyuma cy’igitabo cya Ezekiyeli.

Isezerano Rishya ryacapwe ku ncuro ya kabiri ryarangiye mbere gato y’urupfu rwe, risohoka mu mwaka wa 1693. Ariko nanone, abantu barisubiyemo ntibari babishoboye. Ibyo byatumye bashyiramo amakosa menshi. G. L. Santos Ferreira yanditse  mu gitabo cye cyitwa A Biblia em Portugal (Bibiliya mu Giporutugali) ati “abayisubiyemo . . . bakosoye byinshi cyane mu gitabo cyiza cyane cyahinduwe na Almeida, bahindanya ubwiza bw’umwandiko w’umwimerere, bashyiramo amakosa abayisubiyemo bwa mbere batari barashyizemo.”

Uko Bibiliya y’Igiporutugali yarangiye

Kubera ko Almeida yari amaze gupfa, umurimo wakorerwaga i Batavia wo gusubiramo no gucapa Bibiliya y’Igiporutugali ntiwakomeje kugenda neza. Isosiyete Igamije Guteza Imbere Inyigisho za Gikristo y’i Londres, ni yo yatanze inkunga kugira ngo Bibiliya y’Isezerano Rishya ya Almeida icapwe ku ncuro ya gatatu mu mwaka wa 1711, bisabwe n’abamisiyonari bo muri Danemark bakoreraga i Tranquebar mu majyepfo y’u Buhindi.

Iyo sosiyete yafashe umwanzuro wo gushinga icapiro mu mujyi wa Tranquebar. Icyakora, igihe ubwato bwari butwaye ibikoresho bikoreshwa mu icapiro hamwe na Bibiliya z’Igiporutugali bwari mu nzira bwerekeza mu Buhindi, bwaguye mu maboko y’abambuzi b’Abafaransa, ariko baje kubusiga ku cyambu cya Rio de Janeiro muri Brezili. Santos Ferreira yaranditse ati “kubera impamvu runaka itarasobanuwe ndetse n’imimerere abantu benshi babona ko ari nk’igitangaza, ibisanduku byarimo ibikoresho bikenerwa mu gucapa, byabonetse munsi y’aho bashyira imizigo mu bwato, kandi ibyo bisanduku ntibyigeze byangirika. Ubwato bwarimo ibyo bikoresho bwakomeje urugendo, buza kubigeza i Tranquebar.” Abamisiyonari bakomoka muri Danemark basubiyemo bitonze kandi basohora ibitabo byari bisigaye by’iyo Bibiliya ya Almeida. Umubumbe wa nyuma wa Bibiliya y’Igiporutugali wasohotse mu mwaka wa 1751, hashize imyaka igera hafi ku 110 Almeida atangiye guhindura Bibiliya.

Umurage w’igihe kirekire

Kuva Almeida akiri ingimbi, yabonye ko Bibiliya y’Igiporutugali yari ikenewe kugira ngo rubanda bashobore kumenya ukuri mu rurimi rwabo. Nubwo Almeida yarwanyijwe na Kiliziya Gatolika n’abantu b’urungano rwe batagiraga icyo bitaho, kandi agahangana n’ibibazo byasaga n’ibidashira byaterwaga n’abari bashinzwe gusubiramo Bibiliya ye, ndetse n’ubuzima bwe bukaba bwaragendaga burushaho kuzahara, mu mibereho ye yose yaharaniye kugera kuri iyo ntego yari yariyemeje. Ukwihangana kwe kwaragororewe.

Amenshi mu matsinda y’abantu bavugaga Igiporutugali bari batuye mu duce Almeida yabwirijemo, asigaye agizwe n’abantu bake ndetse hari n’atakiriho. Ariko Bibiliya ya Almeida yo iracyariho. Mu kinyejana cya 19, isosiyete yo mu Bwongereza, iyo muri Amerika ndetse n’Isosiyete Ishinzwe Gukwirakwiza Bibiliya zo mu Ndimi z’Amahanga, zakwirakwije kopi zibarirwa mu bihumbi za Bibiliya ya Almeida muri Porutugali no mu mijyi iri mu nkengero za Brezili. Ingaruka zabaye iz’uko muri iki gihe, Bibiliya zahinduwe bahereye ku mwandiko w’umwimerere wa Almeida zamamaye hose, kandi zikaba zarakwirakwijwe cyane kurusha izindi mu bihugu bikoresha Igiporutugali.

Nta gushidikanya, abantu benshi bafite umwenda wo gushimira abahinduzi ba Bibiliya ba kera bameze nka Almeida. Ariko uwo twagombye gushimira cyane kurushaho ni Yehova, we Mana yemera gushyikirana natwe, ‘ishaka ko abantu bose bakizwa bakamenya ukuri’ (1 Timoteyo 2:3, 4). Icy’ingenzi kurushaho ni uko ari We warinze Ijambo rye, agatuma ritugeraho kugira ngo ritugirire akamaro. Nimucyo rero buri gihe tujye duha agaciro kandi dusuzume twitonze ubwo “butunzi bufite agaciro kuruta ubundi” twahawe na Data wo mu ijuru.

[Ibisobanuro ahagana hasi ku ipaji]

[Agasanduku/​Ifoto yo ku ipaji ya 21]

IZINA RY’IMANA

Ikintu cy’ingenzi kigaragaza ko Almeida yari umuhinduzi w’indahemuka, ni uko yakoresheje izina ry’Imana ahindura inyuguti enye z’Igiheburayo zigize izina ry’Imana.

[Aho ifoto yavuye]

Cortesia da Biblioteca da Igreja de Santa Catarina (Igreja dos Paulistas)

[Ikarita yo ku ipaji ya 18]

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

ATALANTIKA

PORUTUGALI

Lisbonne

Torre de Tavares

[Ifoto yo ku ipaji ya 18]

Batavia mu kinyejana cya 17

[Aho ifoto yavuye]

From Oud en Nieuw Oost-Indiën, Franciscus Valentijn, 1724

[Ifoto yo ku ipaji ya 18 n’iya 19]

Ipaji iriho umutwe w’Isezerano Rishya mu Giporutugali yasohotse bwa mbere mu mwaka wa 1681

[Aho ifoto yavuye]

Courtesy Biblioteca Nacional, Portugal