UCyril NoMethodius Abaguquleli BeBhayibhile Abayila Oonobumba

“Uhlanga lwethu luyabhaptizwa ukanti asinamntu wokusifundisa. Asisazi isiGrike okanye isiLatini. . . . Asibaqondi oonobumba ababhaliweyo okanye intsingiselo yabo; ngoko ke sithumeleleni abantu bokusifundisa amagama aseZibhalweni nentsingiselo yawo.”—URostislav, inkosana yaseMoravia, ngowama-862 C.E.

NAMHLANJE, abantu abangaphezu kwezigidi ezingama-435 abathetha iilwimi zeSlavic bafunda inguqulelo yeBhayibhile ngolwimi lwabo lomthonyama.a Abazizigidi ezingama-360 kubo, basebenzisa oonobumba beCyrillic. Ukanti, kwiinkulungwane ezili-12 ezadlulayo kwakungekho lulwimi lubhalwayo okanye oonobumba kwiilwimi ezazisetyenziswa ngookhokho babo. Amadoda awaba luncedo ekulungiseni le meko nguCyril noMethodius, ababezalwa ngumntu omnye. Abantu abathanda iLizwi likaThixo baya kufumanisa ukuba imigudu yenkalipho eyaqaliswa ngala madoda mabini azizalamane yabangel’ umdla kwimbali yokulondolozwa neyokwenza iBhayibhile yaziwe ngokubanzi. Ayengoobani la madoda, yaye yiyiphi imiqobo awajamelana nayo?

“Isithandi Sobulumko” Nerhuluneli

UCyril (ngowama-827-869 C.E., owayebizwa ngokuba nguConstantine ngaphambili) noMethodius (ngowama-825-885 C.E.) babezalwa yintsapho yasebukhosini eTesalonika, eGrisi. Ngelo xesha kwisixeko saseTesalonika kwakuthethwa iilwimi ezimbini; abemi balapho babethetha isiGrike nohlobo oluthile lweSlavic. Ubukho babantu abaninzi ababengamaSlav nokunxulumana nabemi balapho nabantu ababebangqongile ababengamaSlav kusenokwenzeka ukuba kwavulela uCyril noMethodius ithuba lokufumana ulwazi olunzulu ngolwimi lweSlavic sasemzantsi. Yaye omnye owabhala ngobomi bukaMethodius ukhankanya nokuba unina wayengumSlav.

Emva kokufa kukayise, uCyril wafudukela eConstantinople, ikomkhulu loBukhosi baseByzantine. Apho wafunda kwiyunivesithi yasebukhosini waza wanxulumana nabahlohli ababebalasele. Waba ngumphathi womzi wogcino-zincwadi eHagia Sophia, esona sakhiwo secawa sidumileyo eMpuma, yaye kamva waba ngunjingalwazi wentanda-bulumko. Eneneni, ngenxa yemfundo eninzi awayenayo, uCyril wanikwa igama elithi The Philosopher (Isithandi Sobulumko).

UMethodius ngelo xesha wayenosukelo lokwenza umsebenzi owawusenziwa nguyise—umlawuli wezobupolitika. Wafikelela kwisikhundla sokuba ngumantyi omkhulu (irhuluneli) kwisithili saseByzantine esasisemdeni ekwakuhlala kuwo amaSlav amaninzi. Sekunjalo, wemka waya kuhlala kumzi woonongendi eBhithiniya, eAsia Minor. Kamva uCyril waya kuhlala apho naye ngowama-855 C.E.

Ngowama-860 C.E., ubhishopu omkhulu waseConstantinople wathuma la madoda mabini azizalamane kwilizwe lasemzini. Athunyelwa kumaKhazar, abantu ababehlala kumntla-mpuma woLwandle Olumnyama ababengaqinisekanga enoba bamkele ubuSilamsi, ubuYuda okanye ubuKristu. Xa wayesendleleni eya apho, uCyril wahlala eChersonese, eCrimea okwexeshana. Abanye abaphengululi bakholelwa ukuba wasifunda apho isiHebhere nolwimi lwaseSamariya nokuba waguqulela igrama yesiHebhere kulwimi lwamaKhazar.

Ubizo Oluvela EMoravia

Ngowama-862 C.E., uRostislav, inkosana yaseMoravia (impuma yeCzechia, intshona yeSlovakia, nentshona yeHungary yanamhlanje), wathumela kuMlawuli waseByzantine uMichael III isicelo esikwisiqendu sokuqala—ukuba athumele abantu bokubafundisa iZibhalo. Abantu ababehlala eMoravia ababethetha iSlavic babesele bezifundisiwe iimfundiso zecawa ngabavangeli ababesuka kubukumkani bamaFrank aseMpuma (ngoku obuyiJamani neOstriya). Noko ke, uRostislav wayexhalabele impembelelo yezobupolitika neyonqulo yeentlanga zaseJamani. Wayenethemba lokuba amaqhina onqulo neConstantinople ayeya kwenza ukuba uhlanga lwakhe luhlale luzimele geqe.

Umlawuli wagqiba kwelokuba athumele uMethodius noCyril eMoravia. Ngenxa yemfundo noqeqesho awayelufumene nolwazi awayenalo ngeelwimi, la madoda mabini ayezizalamane ayekufanelekela ukuphumeza olo thumo. Umbhali ngobomi babantu wenkulungwane yesithoba usixelela ukuba umlawuli, xa wayewabongoza ukuba aye eMoravia, waqiqa nawo wathi: “Nobabini ningabemi bomthonyama baseTesalonika, yaye bonke abantu baseTesalonika bathetha ulwimi lweSlav olusulungekileyo.”

Ukuyilwa Koonobumba Nenguqulelo YeBhayibhile

Kwiinyanga ezingaphambi kokuba bahambe, uCyril walungiselela olo thumo ngokubhala umbhalo othile ngolwimi lweSlav. Kuthiwa wayenendlebe ebukhali yokuphulaphula iifonetiki. Ngaloo ndlela, esebenzisa oonobumba besiGrike nabesiHebhere, wazama ukuyila oonobumba ngemvakalo-zwi nganye yolwimi lweSlavonic.b Abanye abaphengululi bakholelwa ukuba wayesele echithe iminyaka elungiselela ukuyila abo nobumba. Yaye kusekho ukungaqiniseki ngolona hlobo loonobumba abayilwa nguCyril.—Bona ibhokisi ethi “Ngaba Ngoonobumba BakaCyril Okanye NgabeGlagolitic?”

Kwangaxeshanye, uCyril wasungula inkqubo ekhawulezayo yokuguqulela iBhayibhile. Kuthiwa waqalisa ukuguqulela ngokusuka kwisiGrike ukusa kwiSlavonic ibinzana lokuqala leVangeli kaYohane, esebenzisa oonobumba awayesandul’ ukubayila: “Ekuqaleni wayekho uLizwi . . . ” waqhubeka uCyril waguqulela iincwadi ezine zeVangeli, iincwadi zikaPawulos, nencwadi yeeNdumiso.

Ngaba wayesebenza yedwa? Mhlawumbi uMethodius wamncedisa kulo msebenzi. Ngapha koko, incwadi ethi The Cambridge Medieval History ithi: “Kusenokwenzeka ukuba [uCyril] wayencediswa ngabanye, ababengamaSlav okuqala awafunda isiGrike. Ukuba sihlolisisa ezona nguqulelo zindala, . . . sifumana olona lwimi lweSlavonic olusemgangathweni, olumele ukuba lwayilwa ngabo wayesebenza nabo ababekwangamaSlav.” Inxalenye yokugqibela yeBhayibhile yagqityezelwa nguMethodius kamva, njengoko siza kubona.

“Njengoonomyayi Behlasela Ukhetshe”

Ngowama-863 C.E., uCyril noMethodius baqalisa uthumo lwabo eMoravia, apho bamkelwa ngezandla ezishushu. Umsebenzi wabo wawuquka ukufundisa iqela labantu basekuhlaleni umbhalo osandul’ ukwenziwa weSlavonic, ngaphandle kokuguqulela imibhalo yeBhayibhile.

Noko ke, konke oku kwakungelula. Abefundisi abangamaFrank baseMoravia babekuchase ngokukrakra ukusetyenziswa kweSlavonic. Babambelela kwingcamango yokusebenzisa iilwimi ezintathu, besithi sisiLatini, isiGrike nesiHebhere kuphela ezamkelekileyo ukuba zisetyenziswe elunqulweni. Enethemba lokufumana inkxaso kapopu ngolwimi olubhaliweyo awayesandul’ ukuluyila, la madoda azizalamane enjenjeya ukusinga eRoma ngowama-867 C.E.

Besendleleni eya apho, uCyril noMethodius baphinda badibana neqela labefundisi abathetha isiLatini eVenice, nababekholelwa ukuba kufanele kusetyenziswe iilwimi ezintathu kuphela. Umbhali ngobomi bukaCyril owayephila ngamaxesha aphakathi usixelela ukuba oobhishopu, abefundisi nonoongendi basekuhlaleni bamhlasela kabukhali “njengoonomyayi behlasela ukhetshe.” Ngokwale ngxelo, uCyril waphendula ngokucaphula eyoku-1 kwabaseKorinte 14:8, 9: “Kuba eneneni, ukuba ixilongo livakalisa ubizo olungaqondakaliyo, ngubani na oya kulungela idabi? Kwangendlela efanayo, ngaphandle kokuba nithetha ngolwimi intetho eqondakala ngokulula, kuya kwaziwa njani na oko kuthethwayo? Niya kuba, enyanisweni, nithethela emoyeni.”

Athi la madoda azizalamane akufika eRoma ekugqibeleni, uPope Adrian II wawanika imvume yokusebenzisa iSlavonic. Emva kweenyanga ezithile, ngoxa wayeseseRoma, uCyril wagula kakhulu. Kwisithuba esingaphantsi kweenyanga ezimbini kamva, wafa eneminyaka engama-42 ubudala.

UPope Adrian II wakhuthaza uMethodius ukuba abuyele eMoravia aye kusebenza apho nakwiindawo ezijikeleze idolophu yaseNitra, kwiSlovakia yanamhlanje. Efuna ukwandisa impembelelo yakhe kuloo mmandla, upopu wanika uMethodius iileta ezazincomela ukusetyenziswa kweSlavonic waza wammisela njengobhishophu omkhulu. Noko ke, ngowama-870 C.E., uMethodius wabanjwa ngubhishophu ongumFrank uHermanrich, encediswa nguPrince Svatopluk waseNitra. Wavalelwa kumzi woonongendi kumzantsi-mpuma Jamani kangangeminyaka emibini enesiqingatha. Ekugqibeleni, ilandela lika-Adrian II uPope John VIII, wayalela ukuba uMethodius akhululwe, waza wammisela kwakhona kwibhunga lakhe lenqila, yaye waqinisekisa ngenkxaso kapopu ekusetyenzisweni kweSlavonic elunqulweni.

Kodwa inkcaso yabefundisi abangamaFrank yaqhubeka. UMethodius wazithethelela ngempumelelo kwizityholo zowexuko, yaye ekugqibeleni wafumana umthetho ovela kuPope John VIII owawugunyazisa ukusetyenziswa kweSlavonic ecaweni. Njengoko upopu uJohn Paul II wanamhlanje eye wavuma, uMethodius wachitha ubomi bakhe “ekuhambeni, ekusweleni, kwiimbandezelo, ekuphathweni kakubi nakwinkcaso, nasekuvalelweni entolongweni ngenkohlakalo.” Into ehlekisayo ke kukuba, oku kwakusenziwa ngoobhishophu neenkosana ezazithandwa eRoma.

Ukuguqulelwa KweBhayibhile Epheleleyo

Nangona wayejamelene naloo nkcaso ingathethekiyo, uMethodius, encediswa ngababhali abaliqela ababesebenzisa uhlobo lokubhala ngokushunqulela (shorthand), wagqibezela ukuguqulela inxalenye eyayisele yeBhayibhile kwiSlavonic. Kuthiwa lo msebenzi mkhulu wawugqiba ngeenyanga nje ezisibhozo. Noko ke, akazange aziguqulele iincwadi ezingaphefumlelwanga zeeMaccabees.

Namhlanje, akulula ukuhlolisisa ngokuchanileyo inguqulelo eyenziwa nguCyril noMethodius. Imbalwa kakhulu imibhalo-ngqangi esafumanekayo eyabhalwa ngexesha lokuqalisa kwabo ukuguqulela. Ngokuhlolisisa loo mizekelo yemibhalo-ngqangi yamandulo inqabileyo, iingcali zeelwimi zithi loo nguqulelo yayichanile yaye idlulisela ingcamango echanileyo. Incwadi ethi Our Slavic Bible ithi la madoda mabini azizalamane “kwafuneka ayile amagama namabinzana amaninzi amatsha . . . Yaye konke oku akwenza ngendlela echane ngokungummangaliso [yaye] aqalisa ulwimi lweSlavic olwalunesigama esityebe ngolona hlobo.”

Ilifa Elihlala Lihleli

Emva kokufa kukaMethodius ngowama-885 C.E., abafundi bakhe bagxothwa eMoravia ngamaFrank awayebachasile. Basabela eBohemia, kumazantsi ePoland, naseBulgaria. Ngaloo ndlela umsebenzi kaCyril noMethodius waqhubeka usenziwa yaye eneneni wahanjiselwa phambili. Ulwimi lweSlavonic, olwabhalwa ngendlela enye okokuqala ngala madoda mabini azizalamane, lwanda, lwaphucuka lwaza kamva lwaguquguqulwa. Namhlanje, iSlavic siquka iilwimi ezili-13 ezahlukahlukeneyo nezinye iilwimi ezininzi ezithethwa zizizwana zalapho.

Ngapha koko, imigudu yenkalipho kaCyril noMethodius yokuguqulela iBhayibhile yaba luncedo kwiinguqulelo ezahlukahlukeneyo zeZibhalo zeSlavic ezikhoyo namhlanje. Izigidi zabantu abathetha ezi lwimi ziyangenelwa ngokuba neLizwi likaThixo ngolwimi lwazo. Nangona kwakukho inkcaso ekrakra, hayi indlela ayinyaniso ngayo la mazwi athi: “Ilizwi loThixo wethu, liya kuhlala ukusa kwixesha elingenammiselo”!—Isaya 40:8.

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]

[Ibhokisi ekwiphepha 29]

Ngaba Ngoonobumba BakaCyril Okanye NgabeGlagolitic?

Iindlela ababemi ngayo oonobumba abayilwa nguCyril iye yabangela impikiswano enkulu, ekubeni iingcali zeelwimi zingaqinisekanga ukuba babenjani na. Oonobumba ababizwa ngokuba ngabakaCyril basondele kakhulu koonobumba besiGrike, nabanye oonobumba abamalunga neshumi elinesibini abayilwayo ukuze bamele imvakalo-zwi yeSlavonic, abangekhoyo kwabesiGrike. Noko ke, eminye yemibhalo-ngqangi yeSlavonic yantlandlolo, isebenzisa umbhalo owahluke ngokupheleleyo, owaziwa ngokuba ngoweGlagolitic, yaye abaphengululi abaninzi bakholelwa ukuba lo mbhalo wayilwa nguCyril. Oonobumba abambalwa beGlagolitic kubonakala ukuba bavela kwisiGrike nesiHebhere esibhalwe ngohlobo lokudibanisa. Abanye kusenokwenzeka ukuba bavela kwiimpawu ezibonisa izandi zoonobumba ezazisetyenziswa kumaxesha aphakathi, kodwa inkoliso yabo ngoonobumba bantlandlolo abantsonkothileyo. Kubonakala ukuba oonobumba beGlagolitic bakumgangatho ophezulu yaye bangabantlandlolo. Noko ke, imibhalo yanamhlanje yesiRashiya, isiUkraine, isiSerb, isiBulgaria neyesiMakedoni, iye yenziwa ngoonobumba bakaCyril, ngaphandle kwezinye iilwimi ezingama-22 ezongezelelekileyo, ezinye zazo ezingesiso iSlavonic.

[Umzobo—Oonobumba bakaCyrillic noGlagotic]

[Imaphu ekwiphepha 31]

(Ukuba ufuna inkcazelo ehlahlelwe kakuhle, yiya kwimpapasho)

Baltic Sea

(Poland)

Bohemia (Czechia)

Moravia (E. Czechia, W. Slovakia, W. Hungary)

Nitra

EAST FRANKISH KINGDOM (Germany & Austria)

ITALY

Venice

Rome

Mediterranean Sea

BULGARIA

GREECE

Thessalonica

(Crimea)

Black Sea

Bithynia

Constantinople (Istanbul)

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 31]

IBhayibhile yeSlavonic yombhalo weCyrillic ukususela ngowe-1581

[Inkcazelo]

Bible: Narodna in univerzitetna knjiz̆nica-Slovenija-Ljubljana