Guhindura Bibiliya ya mbere mu giporotigali, cabaye igikorwa c’ukwumira kw’ibanga

“UWUMIRA kw’ibanga ni we azororanirwa”. Ico civugo kiboneka ku rupapuro rw’intango rw’agatabu k’ivy’idini kanditswe mu kinjana ca 17 n’uwitwa João Ferreira de Almeida. Nta bundi buryo bubereye kuruta ubwo umuntu yoshobora kudondoramwo umugabo yahebeye ubuzima bwiwe igikorwa c’uguhindura no gusohora Bibiliya mu giporotigali.

Almeida yavukiye i Torre de Tavares mu 1628, ako kakaba ari agasagara kari mu Buraruko bwa Porotigali. Kubera ko yabaye impfuvyi akiri umwana, yaciye arerwa na sewabo w’umumonaki yaba i Lisbonne, umurwa mukuru wa Porotigali. Nk’uko vyasabwa n’umugenzo, kugira Almeida yitegurire uvy’ubupatiri, yararonse inyigisho nziza kuruta izindi, iyamufashije kugira ububangukirwe budasanzwe mu bijanye n’indimi kuva akiri muto.

Ariko rero, birashoboka ko Almeida atari gukoresha ubwo bubangukirwe mu gikorwa co guhindura Bibiliya iyo aguma muri Porotigali. Mu gihe ugutunganya ivy’idini bushasha vyariko birakwiragira mu Buraya bwo mu Buraruko no mu Buraya bwo Hagati hakoreshejwe Bibiliya ziri mu ndimi zivugwa n’abanyagihugu benshi, igihugu ca Porotigali coco cagumye bimwe bikomeye munsi y’ubuyobozi bwa Sentare ya gatolika. Ugutunga Bibiliya iri mu rurimi ruvugwa n’abanyagihugu benshi vyonyene vyarashobora gutuma umuntu arengutswa imbere y’iyo Sentare ya gatolikaa.

Kumbure abitumwe n’icipfuzo co guhunga ako gacinyizo kari kiganje, Almeida uwari akiri umuyabaga, yaciye aja kuba mu Buholande. Gatoya inyuma y’aho, igihe yari afise imyaka 14 gusa, yarafashe urugendo aja muri Aziya aciye i Batavia (ubu hakaba hitwa Djakarta) muri Indoneziya, kikaba cari ikibanza nyamukuru mu vy’intwaro ishirahamwe rimwe (Compagnie hollandaise des Indes orientales) ryari mu Bumanuko bushira Ubuseruko bwa Aziya, ryakoreramwo.

Umuhinduzi akiri umuyabaga

Almeida ari mu gushika aho yari agiye muri Aziya, hari ikintu cagize ico gikoze bimwe bidasanzwe ku buzima bwiwe. Igihe yari mu bwato ava i Batavia aja i Malacca (ubu hakaba hitwa Melaka) mu Burengero bwa Maleziya, yubutse ku gatabu k’abaporotisanti kari mu gisupanyoli gafise umutwe uvuga ngo Diferencias de la Cristiandad (Ukudahuza mu madini y’abiyita abakirisu). Uretse ko ako gatabu kanegura inyigisho z’ikinyoma z’amadini, karimwo n’amajambo yakwegereye bimwe bidasanzwe Almeida uwari akiri muto, ayagira ati: “Gukoresha ururimi rutazwi mu rusengero, naho vyogirwa ku bw’ugushemeza Imana, nta co bimarira uwutarutahura aba ariko arumviriza”.​—1 Ab’i Korinto 14:9.

Iciyumviro Almeida yakuyemwo cari gitomoye. Na co kikaba ari iki: Ikintu nyamukuru cari gufasha umuntu gushira ahabona amakosa y’idini kwari ugutuma Bibiliya iba iyitahurika kuri bose. Ashitse i Malacca, yaciye aja mw’Idini ryatunganijwe bushasha ry’Abanyaholande, bidatevye aca atangura guhindura ibice vy’Injili abikura mu gisupanyoli abishira mu giporotigali, agaheza akabikwiragiza mu “bantu baba bagaragaje icipfuzo kivuye ku mutima co kumenya ukuri”b.

Haciye imyaka ibiri, Almeida yari yiteguriye igikorwa amahanga co guhindura Ivyanditswe vy’ikigiriki vya gikirisu vyose abikuye muri Bibiliya y’ikilatini yitwa Vulgate. Yabisozereye mu kiringo kiri munsi y’umwaka, ico kikaba ari igikorwa kidasanzwe ku mwana w’imyaka 16! Abigiranye umutima rugabo, yararungikiye buramatari mukuru w’Umuholande yari i Batavia ikopi ya Bibiliya yari yahinduye kugira ngo isohorwe. Biboneka yuko Idini ryatunganijwe bushasha ry’i Batavia ryarungitse i Amsterdam ivyo yari yandikishije iminwe, ariko umupasitori ageze mu zabukuru bari babijeje yarapfuye, gutyo iyo kopi ya Almeida iba irazimanganye.

Igihe Almeida bamusaba kwandikira ikopi y’ivyo yahinduye Ishengero ryatunganijwe bushasha ry’i Ceylon (ubu hakaba hitwa Sri Lanka) mu 1651, yasanze ikopi yanditse mu ntango yarazimanganiye mu bushinguro bw’ivyandikano vy’idini. Kubera ko atarambiwe no kurondera, yarashoboye gutora ikopi imwe, kumbure ikaba ari iyo yari yarateguriyeko igihe yariko arahindura, maze mu mwaka ukurikira arangiza impinduro iryohowe y’Injili be n’igitabu c’Ivyakozwe n’intumwa. Abakuru b’idinic bari i Batavia bamuhaye agashimwe k’amahera 30 y’amaholande. Umwe mu bakorana na Almeida yanditse ati: “Twari udufaranga tw’intica ntikize uravye igikorwa amahanga yari yarakoze”.

Naho batakengurutse, Almeida yarabandanije igikorwa ciwe, maze mu 1654 ashikiriza impinduro isubiwemwo y’Isezerano Risha rikwiye. Akaryo ko gusohora iyo mpinduro kari gasubiye kuboneka, ariko nta kintu kiboneka cakozwe uretse gusa gutegura amakopi makeyi yanditswe n’iminwe yo gukoresha mu mashengero amwamwe.

Sentare ya gatolika imucira urwo gupfa

Mu myaka cumi yakurikiye, Almeida yari afise vyinshi akora mu gikorwa c’ubupasitori n’ubumisiyonari mw’Idini ryatunganijwe bushasha. Yatiwe mu 1656 aca abanza gukorera i Ceylon, aho yahatswe guhonyangwa n’inzovu, mu nyuma akorera mu Buhindi ari umwe mu bamisiyonari ba mbere b’abaporotisanti bagendeye ico gihugu.

Almeida yari umuporotisanti yihebeye cane ibijanye no gukorera mu bindi bihugu. Ku bw’ivyo, imigwi y’abantu bavuga igiporotigali yagendeye bamubona nk’umuhuni canke umuhemu. Kuba yararwanya bimwe vyeruye ukwononekara mu vy’inyifato runtu kwari mu bakuru b’idini be no kuba yarashira ku kabarore inyigisho z’idini, na vyo nyene vyatumye yama afitaniye amatati n’abamisiyonari b’abagatolika. Ayo matati yashitse ku gihe cayo c’agaheta mu 1661 igihe Sentare ya gatolika y’i Goa mu Buhindi yacira Almeida urwo gupfa imwagiriza ko yigisha inyigisho z’ivyaduka. Bahengereye atari ho ari baca baturira ifoto yiwe. Kumbure kubera ko yatewe ubwoba n’ukuntu Almeida yashikiriza ivyiyumviro, umwe buramatari mukuru w’Umuholande yaciye amutegeka gusubira i Batavia hataraca igihe kinini.

Almeida yari umumisiyonari w’umunyamwete mugabo ntiyigeze yibagira ko Bibiliya yo mu giporotigali ikenewe. Nkako, kuba abantu batari bamenyereye Bibiliya, ivyo na vyo bikaba vyaribonekeza cane mu bakuru b’idini be no mu bayobokamana, vyonyene vyaratuma umwiyemezo yari afise ukomera. Mu ntangamarara y’agapapuro kamwe k’ivy’idini ko mu 1668, Almeida yabwiye abasomyi ati: “Nizigiye . . . vuba kubatera iteka mu kubaronsa Bibiliya ikwiye mu rurimi rwanyu, iyo ikaba ari ingabirano ihambaye kuruta izindi zose be n’ubutunzi bw’agaciro kuruta ubundi bwose mumaze kuronka”.

Almeida ahangana na Komite ijejwe gusubiramwo ibisomwa

Mu 1676, Almeida yarashikirije umugwi w’abayobozi b’Idini ryatunganijwe bushasha bari i Batavia urwandiko yari yahejeje gutunganya rw’Isezerano Risha kugira ngo barusubiremwo. Kuva mu ntango, imigenderanire hagati y’uwo muhinduzi be n’abasubiramwo ibisomwa ntiyari yifashe neza. Umwanditsi umwe w’inkuru z’ubuzima yitwa J. L. Swellengrebel, asigura ko abantu bavuga igiholande bakorana na Almeida bashobora kuba batorohewe no gutahura ukuntu amajambo amwamwe asobanurwa be n’uburyo bwo kwandika bwakoreshejwe. Hariho kandi ukudahuza ku bijanye n’ururimi rwokoreshwa. Bibiliya, yoba yari kwandikwa mu giporotigali cavugwa n’abanyagihugu canke yari kwandikwa mu giporotigali gihanitse, ikitari kworohera benshi gutahura? Ubwa nyuma, ukuntu Almeida yari ashashaye kubona igikorwa ciwe kirangira vyatumye hama hari ukutumvikana.

Ico gikorwa carikwega busiba, kumbure kubera ko mu basubiramwo ibisomwa hariho ukudahuza be n’ukutitwararika ibintu. Haciye imyaka ine, abo basubiramwo ibisomwa bari bagiharira ku bigabane bitangura vyo muri Luka. Kubera ko Almeida yari ababajwe cane n’ukwo gutevya ibintu, yaciye arungika mu Buholande ikopi yandikishije iminwe abasubiramwo ibisomwa batabizi kugira ngo isohorwe.

Naho wa mugwi w’abayobozi b’Idini ryatunganijwe bushasha waguma ugerageza kubuza isohorwa ry’iyo mpinduro, Isezerano Risha Almeida yahinduye ryaracapuriwe i Amsterdam mu 1681, maze amakopi ya mbere ashika i Batavia mu mwaka wakurikiye. Iyumvire ukuntu Almeida ategerezwa kuba yarababaye cane kubona abasubiramwo ibisomwa bo mu Buholande hari ibintu bahinduye muri iyo mpinduro yiwe! Kubera yuko abo basubiramwo ibisomwa batari bazi neza igiporotigali, Almeida yasanze binjije mu gisomwa ciwe “amajambo agoye kandi avuguruzanya, ivyo bikaba vyarapfukiranije insobanuro y’Impwemu Yera”.

Ubutegetsi bwo mu Buholande na bwo nyene ntibwashimishijwe n’iyo mpinduro, kandi bwaciye butegeka ko iyo nteguro yose izimanganywa. Naho vyari ukwo, Almeida yarashoboye gutuma abo bategetsi bemera kuzigama amakopi makeya, akaba yabanje kubemerera gukosora n’iminwe amakosa yose akomeye. Ayo makopi yokoreshejwe gushika impinduro isubiwemwo neza ibonetse.

Abasubiramwo ibisomwa i Batavia barasubiye gukoranira hamwe kugira ngo babandanye igikorwa kijanye n’Ivyanditswe vy’ikigiriki vya gikirisu, kandi Almeida amaze kurangiza ibitabu vyo mu Vyanditswe vy’igiheburayo baciye batangura kubitegura. Kubera ko wa mugwi w’abayobozi b’Idini ryatunganijwe bushasha watinya ko uwo muhinduzi adashobora kuguma yihanganye, bafashe ingingo yo kubika amakopi anonosowe ahantu ho mu rusengero habikwa ibintu vy’igiciro. Birumvikana ko Almeida yarwanije iyo ngingo.

Ico gihe, imyaka mirongo yamaze akora igikorwa kiruhisha be n’ubuzima bugoye yagize mu karere gashushe yabamwo, vyaragiriye nabi amagara yiwe. Mu 1689, kubera ko amagara yiwe yariko aratituka, Almeida yarahagaritse ibikorwa vy’idini kugira ngo yitwararike cane ivyo guhindura Ivyanditswe vy’igiheburayo. Ikibabaje, yapfuye mu 1691 igihe yari akiriko arahindura ikigabane ca nyuma c’igitabu ca Ezekiyeli.

Integuro igira kabiri y’Isezerano Risha, iyo yarangije guhindura gatoyi imbere y’uko apfa, yacapuwe mu 1693. No muri ico gihe nyene, biboneka ko impinduro yiwe yononywe n’abasubiramwo ibisomwa batari babishoboye. Mu gitabu ciwe A Biblia em Portugal (Bibiliya mu giporotigali), G. L. Santos Ferreira avuga ati: “Abasubiramwo ibisomwa . . . baragize ibintu bikomeye bahinduye ku gisomwa ciza ca Almeida, mu guhindura ukundi no mu kwonona ivyo vyose vyaciye mu ryahumye abasubiyemwo integuro ya mbere”.

Bibiliya yo mu giporotigali isozerwa

Almeida amaze gupfa, icarwanira isubirwamwo be n’isohorwa rya Bibiliya yo mu giporotigali i Batavia, cari kizimanganye. Ishirahamwe ryo guteza imbere ubumenyi bwa gikirisu rifise icicaro i Londres ni ryo ryatanze mu 1711 amahera yo gusohora integuro igira gatatu y’Isezerano Risha ryanditswe na Almeida, bisabwe n’abamisiyonari b’Abanyadanemarike bakorera i Tranquebar mu Bumanuko bw’Ubuhindi.

Iryo shirahamwe ryafashe ingingo yo gutanguza ibikorwa vyo gucapura ibitabu i Tranquebar. Ariko rero, ubwato bwariko bwerekeza mu Buhindi butwaye ibikoresho vyo gucapura be n’umukimba w’amabibiliya yo mu giporotigali bwarafashwe n’abambuzi bo mu mazi b’Abafaransa maze amaherezo abo bambuzi babuta ku kivuko ca Rio de Janeiro, muri Berezile. Santos Ferreira yandika ati: “Ku bw’imvo zinaka zigoye gusigura be n’ibintu abenshi babona ko ari nk’igitangaro, amasandugu yarimwo ibikoresho vyo gucapura ibitabu bayasanze munsi ahabikwa imizigo mu bwato akimeze neza kandi amaherezo yarashikanywe i Tranquebar ari muri ubwo bwato nyene”. Abamisiyonari b’Abanyadanemarike barasubiyemwo bitonze bongera barasohora impinduro ya Almeida y’ibitabu vya Bibiliya vyari bisigaye. Imbumbe inonosoye ya Bibiliya yo mu giporotigali yasohotse mu 1751, hakaba hari haheze nk’imyaka 110 Almeida atanguye igikorwa ciwe c’uguhindura Bibiliya.

Iragi ritazokwibagirana

Almeida kuva akiri muto, yaratahuye ko Bibiliya yo mu giporotigali ikenewe kugira ngo abantu basanzwe bashobore kumenya ukuri mu rurimi rwabo. Yarumiye kuri uwo mugambi mu buzima bwiwe bwose naho yari ahanganye n’ukurwanywa na Ekeleziya gatolika, ukudahuza n’abagenzi biwe, ingorane zasa n’izidahera mu bijanye n’ugusubiramwo igisomwa be n’amagara yiwe yatera atituka. Ukwumira kw’ibanga kwiwe kwaravuyemwo impera.

Imigwi y’abantu bavuga igiporotigali bo mu mihingo itari mike Almeida yavuzemwo ubutumwa yagiye iragabanuka amaherezo irazimangana, yamara Bibiliya yahinduye yoyo nta co yabaye. Mu kinjana ca 19, Ishirahamwe ry’ivya Bibiliya ry’Abongereza n’Abanyamahanga hamwe n’Ishirahamwe ry’ivya Bibiliya ry’Abanyamerika, yompi yarakwiragije muri Porotigali no mu bisagara vyo muri Berezile biri ku nkengera y’ibahari amabibiliya ibihumbi n’ibihumbi y’impinduro ya Almeida. Ico vyavuyemwo ni uko Bibiliya zahinduwe hisunzwe igisomwa ciwe co mu ntango ubu ari zo zikundwa cane kandi ari zo zikwiragizwa cane mu bantu bavuga igiporotigali.

Ata gukeka, benshi barakwiye gukengurukira abahinduzi ba Bibiliya ba kera nka Almeida. Ariko dukwiye gukengurukira cane Yehova we Mana imenyesha abantu amakuru, ikaba “igomba kw abantu bose bakizwa bagashika ku kumenya ivy’ukuri” (1 Timoteyo 2:3, 4, ni twe dushimitse.). N’ikiruta vyose, ni we yazigamye Ijambo ryiwe, yongera atuma rikwiragira ku bw’ineza yacu. Ese twokwama duha agaciro kandi tukigana ubwira ubwo “butunzi bw’agaciro kuruta ubundi bwose” twahawe n’Umuvyeyi wacu wo mw’ijuru!

[Utujambo tw’epfo]

[Uruzitiro/Ifoto ku rup. 21]

IZINA RY’IMANA

Ikintu cibonekeje cane mu bijanye n’ukutadohoka kwa Almeida bwa muhinduzi ni ukuba yarakoresheje izina ry’Imana mu guhindura za ndome zine z’igiheburayo.

[Abo dukesha ifoto]

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

[Ikarata ku rup. 18]

(Ushaka igisomwa cose, raba ico gitabu)

IBAHARI ATALANTIKE

POROTIGALI

Lisbonne

Torre de Tavares

[Ifoto ku rup. 18]

Batavia mu kinjana ca 17

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Vyakuwe mu gitabu Oud en Nieuw Oost-Indiën, Franciscus Valentijn, 1724

[Ifoto ku rup. 18, 19]

Urupapuro rw’intango rw’Isezerano Risha rya mbere mu giporotigali ryasohowe mu 1681

[Abo dukesha ifoto]

Tubikesha Biblioteca Nacional, Portugal