UCyril NoMethodius—Abahumushi BeBhayibheli Abasungula Izinhlamvu Zamagama

“Isizwe sethu sibhapathiziwe, kodwa asinamfundisi. Asisiqondi isiGreki noma isiLatini. . . . Asiziqondi izinhlamvu ezibhaliwe nokuthi zisho ukuthini; ngakho-ke sithumelele abafundisi abangenza aziwe amazwi emiBhalo nomqondo wawo.”—uRostislav, inkosana yaseMoravia, ngo-862 C.E.

NAMUHLA, abantu abangaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-435 abakhuluma izilimi zesiSlavic banenguqulo yeBhayibheli ngolimi lwabo lwendabuko. * Kubo, abayizigidi ezingu-360 basebenzisa izinhlamvu zamagama zesiCyrillic. Nokho, emakhulwini eminyaka angu-12 adlule kwakungekho lulimi olubhalwayo nazinhlamvu zamagama ezilimini zokhokho babo. Amadoda asiza ekulungiseni leso simo aqanjwa ngokuthi uCyril noMethodius, izelamani. Abantu abalithandayo iZwi likaNkulunkulu bayothola ukuthi imizamo yalezi zelamani eyenziwa ngesibindi neyaveza into entsha iyindaba ethakazelisayo emlandweni wokulondolozwa nokuthuthukiswa kweBhayibheli. Ayengobani la madoda, futhi yiziphi izithiyo abhekana nazo?

“Isazi Sefilosofi” Nombusi

UCyril (wango-827 kuya ku-869 C.E., nowayenguConstantine ekuqaleni) noMethodius (wango-825 kuya ku-885 C.E.) bazalelwa emkhayeni ophakeme eThesalonika, eGrisi. Ngaleso sikhathi eThesalonika kwakukhulunywa izilimi ezimbili; isiGreki nohlobo oluthile lwesiSlavic. Kungenzeka ukuthi ukuba khona kwamaSlav amaningi nokuxubana kwezakhamuzi zakhona nemiphakathi yamaSlav eyayizungezile kwanika uCyril noMethodius ithuba lokulwazi kahle kakhulu ulimi lwamaSlav aseningizimu. Futhi omunye umlobi wendaba yokuphila kukaMethodius uphawula ukuthi nonina wayengumSlavic.

Ngemva kokushona kukayise, uCyril wathuthela eConstantinople, inhloko-dolobha yoMbuso WaseByzantium. Lapho, wafunda eyunivesithi yasebukhosini futhi wazihlanganisa nabafundisi abaqavile. Waba ngumphathi womtapo wolwazi eHagia Sophia, isakhiwo sesonto esivelele kunazo zonke eMpumalanga, futhi kamuva waba nguprofesa wefilosofi. Eqinisweni, ngenxa yemfundo yakhe, uCyril wathola isidlaliso esithi iSazi Sefilosofi.

Phakathi naleso sikhathi, uMethodius wayephishekela umsebenzi ofana nokayise—ukuphatha kwezombangazwe. Wafinyelela isikhundla se-archon (umbusi) endaweni yaseByzantium esemngceleni lapho kwakuhlala khona amaSlav amaningi. Nokho, wahamba wayohlala emzini wezindela  eBithynia, e-Asia Minor. UCyril naye waya lapho ngo-855 C.E.

Ngo-860 C.E., impunga ehlonishwayo yaseConstantinople yathumela lezi zelamani ezimbili emsebenzini wakwelinye izwe. Zathunyelwa kumaKhazar, isizwe esasihlala enyakatho-mpumalanga yeBlack Sea, esasisemanqikanqika ukukhetha phakathi kweNkolo YamaSulumane, eyobuJuda noma eyobuKristu. Lapho esendleleni eya lapho, uCyril wahlala isikhashana eChersonese, eCrimea. Ezinye izazi zikholelwa ukuthi wasifunda lapho isiHeberu nesiSamariya futhi wahumushela imithetho yolimi lwesiHeberu olimini lwamaKhazar.

Ubizo Oluvela EMoravia

Ngo-862 C.E., uRostislav, inkosana yaseMoravia (namuhla okuyimpumalanga yeCzechia, intshonalanga yeSlovakia neyeHungary), yathumela isicelo esisesigabeni sokuqala kuMbusi uMichael III waseByzantium—sokuba athumele abafundisi bemiBhalo. Izakhamuzi zaseMoravia ezikhuluma isiSlavic zase zike zazizwa izimfundiso zesonto ezithunyweni zevangeli ezivela embusweni wamaFrank Wasempumalanga (manje okuyiJalimane ne-Austria). Nokho, uRostislav wayekhathazeke ngethonya lezombangazwe nelesonto ezizweni zamaJalimane. Wayenethemba lokuthi izibopho ezingokwenkolo ayenazo neConstantinople zaziyosiza ekugcineni isizwe sakhe sinozibuse ngokwezombangazwe nangokwenkolo.

Umbusi wanquma ukuthumela uMethodius noCyril eMoravia. Ngokwemfundo nangokolwazi lwezilimi, lezi zelamani ezimbili zazikuhlomele kahle kakhulu ukuhola emsebenzini onjalo. Umlobi wezindaba zokuphila wekhulu lesishiyagalombili usitshela ukuthi lapho umbusi ezinxusa ukuba ziye eMoravia, wathi: “Nobabili ningabokuzalwa eThesalonika, futhi bonke abantu baseThesalonika bakhuluma isiSlav esiyisonasona.”

Ukuvela Kwezinhlamvu Zamagama Nenguqulo YeBhayibheli

Ezinyangeni ezandulela ukuhamba kwabo, uCyril walungiselela umsebenzi ngokwakhela amaSlav izinhlamvu zamagama ezibhalwayo. Kuthiwa wayenendlebe ebukhali mayelana nemisindo yamagama. Ngakho, esebenzisa izinhlamvu zesiGreki nezesiHeberu, wazama ukwakha uhlamvu lomsindo wenkulumo ngayinye ngesiSlavonic. * Abanye abacwaningi bakholelwa ukuthi kakade wayesesebenze iminyaka elungiselela lezo zinhlamvu zamagama. Namanje akukaqinisekwa ukuthi yiluphi ngempela uhlobo lwezinhlamvu zamagama uCyril alusungula.—Bheka ibhokisi elithi “YisiCyrillic Noma YisiGlagolitic?”

 Ngesikhathi esifanayo, uCyril waqala isimiso esisheshayo sokuhumusha iBhayibheli. Ngokokulandisa, waqala ngokuhumushela kusiSlavonic amazwi okuqala eVangeli likaJohane esusela esiGrekini, esebenzisa izinhlamvu zamagama ayesanda kuzakha: “Ekuqaleni uLizwi wayekhona . . . ” UCyril wabe esehumusha amaVangeli womane, izincwadi zikaPawulu nencwadi yamaHubo.

Ingabe wayesebenza yedwa? Kungenzeka kakhulu ukuthi uMethodius wayesiza kulo msebenzi. Ngaphezu kwalokho, incwadi ethi The Cambridge Medieval History ithi: “Cishe [uCyril] wayenabanye ababemsiza, okumelwe ukuba okokuqala nje babengabantu abangamaSlav ngokuzalwa futhi benemfundo yesiGreki. Uma sihlola izindima ezindala kunazo zonke ezihunyushiwe, . . . sithola ubufakazi obubudlula bonke bokuqondwa okuthuthuke kakhulu kolimi lwesiSlavonic, okumelwe ukuba kwakungokwabantu ababambisene ababengamaSlav kwabona.” Ingxenye esele yeBhayibheli yaqedelwa nguMethodius, njengoba sizobona.

“Njengamagwababa Ehlasela Ukhozi”

Ngo-863 C.E., uCyril noMethodius baqala umsebenzi wabo eMoravia, lapho bamukelwa khona ngokufudumele. Umsebenzi wabo wawuhlanganisa nokufundisa iqembu labantu bendawo izinhlamvu zamagama zesiSlavonic ababesanda kuzisungula, ngaphezu kokuhumusha imibhalo yeBhayibheli neyemidanti yesonto.

Nokho, kwakungelula konke. Abefundisi abangamaFrank eMoravia bakuphikisa ngolaka ukusetshenziswa kwesiSlavonic. Babenamathele kuyinkolelo-mbono yezilimi ezintathu, begcizelela ukuthi yisiLatini, isiGreki nesiHeberu kuphela izilimi ezamukelekayo ezingasetshenziswa ekukhulekeleni. Zinethemba lokusekelwa ngupapa olimini lwazo olubhalwayo ezazisanda kulwakha, izelamani zaya eRoma ngo-867 C.E.

Endleleni, eVenice, uCyril noMethodius baphinda babhekana neqembu labefundisi besiLatini abakholelwa ezilimini ezintathu. Umlobi weNkathi Ephakathi wendaba yokuphila kukaCyril usitshela ukuthi ababhishobhi, abapristi nezindela zendawo bamhlasela “njengamagwababa ehlasela ukhozi.” Ngokwalokho kulandisa, uCyril waphendula ngokucaphuna eyoku-1 Korinte 14:8, 9: “Ngoba ngempela, uma icilongo likhipha umsindo ongaqondakali, ubani oyolungela ukulwa? Ngendlela efanayo futhi, ngaphandle kokuba nikhulume ngolimi inkulumo eqondakala kalula, kuyokwaziwa kanjani lokho okukhulunywayo? Eqinisweni, niyobe nikhuluma emoyeni.”

Lapho ekugcineni izelamani zifika eRoma, uPapa Adrian II wazinika imvume egcwele yokuba zisebenzise isiSlavonic. Ngemva kwezinyanga ezithile, ziseseRoma, uCyril wagula kakhulu. Zingakapheli izinyanga ezimbili, washona eneminyaka engu-42 ubudala.

UPapa Adrian II wakhuthaza uMethodius ukuba aphindele emsebenzini eMoravia nangasedolobhaneni laseNitra, kulokho okuyiSlovakia namuhla. Enesifiso sokuqinisa ithonya lakhe kuleyo ndawo, upapa wanika uMethodius izincwadi ezigunyaza ukusetshenziswa kwesiSlavonic wabe esembeka ukuba abe ngumbhishobhi omkhulu. Nokho, ngo-870 C.E., umbhishobhi ongumFrank uHermanrich wabopha uMethodius, esizwa yinkosana yaseNitra uSvatopluk. Wavalelwa iminyaka emibili nengxenye emzini wezindela eningizimu-mpumalanga yeJalimane. Ekugcineni, owalandela esikhundleni sika-Adrian II, uPapa John VIII, wayala ukuba uMethodius adedelwe, wambeka kabusha esifundeni sakhe njengombhishobhi, wayeseqinisekisa ukuthi opapa bayakusekela ukusetshenziswa kwesiSlavonic ekukhulekeleni.

Kodwa ukuphikisa kwabefundisi abangamaFrank kwaqhubeka. UMethodius wazivikela ngokuphumelelayo lapho emangalelwa ngokuvukela isonto, futhi ekugcineni wathola incwadi evela kuPapa John VIII ekugunyaza ngokucacile ukusetshenziswa kwesiSlavonic esontweni. Njengoba upapa wamanje, uJohn Paul II, eye wavuma, uMethodius wachitha ukuphila kwakhe “ohambweni, ekusweleni, ekuhluphekeni, ekuzondweni nasekushushisweni, . . . ngisho nokuboshwa ngesihluku isikhathi esithile.” Okuxakayo ukuthi lokhu kwakwenziwa ababhishobhi namakhosana ayezwana neRoma.

Ukuhunyushwa KweBhayibheli Lonke

Naphezu kokuphikiswa okunganqamuki, ngosizo lwababhali abaningana abanekhono lokufushanisa, uMethodius waqeda ukuhumushela kusiSlavonic  ingxenye eyayisele yeBhayibheli. Ngokokulandisa, lo msebenzi omkhulukazi wawuqeda ngezinyanga eziyisishiyagalombili kuphela. Nokho, akazihumushanga izincwadi zamaMaccabee ezingeyona ingxenye yohlu lwezincwadi eziphefumulelwe.

Namuhla, akulula ukuhlaziya ngokunembile izinga lenguqulo eyenziwa nguCyril noMethodius. Ambalwa amakhophi ombhalo wesandla asekhona asondele esikhathini senguqulo yabo yokuqala. Ngokuhlola lezo zingxenye zakudala eziyivelakancane, ochwepheshe bolimi baphawula ukuthi inguqulo yabo yayinembile futhi ingokwemvelo ngendlela eqabulayo. Incwadi ethi Our Slavic Bible ithi lezi zelamani ezimbili “kwadingeka zakhe amagama nezinkulumo eziningi ezintsha . . . Futhi konke lokhu zakwenza ngokunemba okumangalisayo [futhi] zathuthukisa ulimi lwesiSlavic lwaceba ngendlela olwalungakaze lucebe ngayo.”

Ifa Elihlalayo

Ngemva kokufa kukaMethodius ngo-885 C.E., abafundi bakhe baxoshwa abaphikisi babo abangamaFrank eMoravia. Baphephela eBohemia, eningizimu yePoland naseBulgaria. Ngakho, umsebenzi kaCyril noMethodius waqhutshekiselwa phambili futhi empeleni wanda. Namuhla, izilimi zesiSlavic zihlanganisa izilimi ezihlukene ezingu-13 neziningi eziyimixhantela.

Ngaphezu kwalokho, imizamo yesibindi kaCyril noMethodius yokuhumusha iBhayibheli yathela izithelo eziyizinguqulo ezihlukahlukene zemiBhalo yesiSlavic ezitholakalayo namuhla. Izigidi ezikhuluma lezi zilimi ziyazuza ngokuba neZwi likaNkulunkulu ngolimi lwazo lwendabuko. Naphezu kokuphikiswa okukhulu, yeka indlela ayiqiniso ngayo la mazwi: “Izwi likaNkulunkulu wethu limi kuze kube phakade”!—Isaya 40:8.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 29]

YisiCyrillic Noma YisiGlagolitic?

Ukuma kwezinhlamvu zamagama ezakhiwa nguCyril kuye kwabangela ukuphikisana okukhulu, njengoba ochwepheshe bezilimi bengaqiniseki ukuthi kwakuyiziphi izinhlamvu zamagama. Izinhlamvu zamagama ezibizwa ngokuthi yisiCyrillic zisekelwe ezinhlamvwini zamagama zesiGreki, bese kuba nezinhlamvu ezingaba ngu-12 ezengeziwe ezasungulwa ukuze zimelele imisindo yesiSlavonic engekho esiGrekini. Nokho, eminye yemibhalo yesiSlavonic emidala kunayo yonke isebenzisa izinhlamvu ezihluke kakhulu, ezaziwa ngokuthi yisiGlagolitic, futhi yilezi zinhlamvu izazi eziningi ezikholelwa ukuthi uCyril wazisungula. Izinhlamvu ezimbalwa zesiGlagolitic zibonakala sengathi zivela esiGrekini noma kusiHeberu esibhala ngokuhlanganisa. Ezinye kungenzeka zasuselwa ezinhlamvwini ezinezimpawana phezulu zangeNkathi Ephakathi, kodwa iningi lazo liyizinhlamvu ezingafani nalutho neziyinkimbinkimbi. IsiGlagolitic sibonakala siyinto ehluke kakhulu, engafani nalutho. Nokho, yisiCyrillic esiye sathuthuka saba yizinhlamvu zamagama zanamuhla zesiRashiya, isi-Ukrainian, isiSerbian, isiBulgarian, nesiMacedonian ngaphezu kwezilimi ezingu-22 ezengeziwe, ezinye zazo ezingezona ezesiSlavonic.

[Isithombe—Izinhlamvu zesiCyrillic nezesiGlagolitic]

[Ibalazwe ekhasini 31]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

IBaltic Sea

(IPoland)

IBohemia (ICzechia)

IMoravia (Impumalanga yeCzechia, Intshonalanga yeSlovakia, Intshonalanga yeHungary)

INitra

UMBUSO WAMAFRANK WASEMPUMALANGA (IGermany ne-Austria)

I-ITALY

IVenice

IRoma

IMediterranean Sea

IBULGARIA

IGRISI

IThesalonika

(ICrimea)

IBlack Sea

IBithynia

IConstantinople (I-Istanbul)

[Isithombe ekhasini 31]

IBhayibheli lesiSlavonic elibhalwe ngesiCyrillic lango-1581

[Umthombo]

Bible: Narodna in univerzitetna knjiz̆nica-Slovenija-Ljubljana