Folia Theologica 9. (1998)
György Benyik: Hungarian Bible Translation
HUNGARIAN BIBLE TRANSLATIONS 219 Rotterdam, but the Vulgate as well,26 so the main motive for his translation was scientific and not denominational. GÁBOR PESTI27 studied Theology in Vienna and later became a follower of Erasmus. He is the first Hungarian translator of Aesops’ Fables. From 1542 he lived in the court of Queen Isabella. His version of the New Testament was translated from Erasmus’ work into the vernacular. It was not complete containing only the four Gospels28. The author remained a Humanist and never joined the Reformation. Only to a certain extant can the New Testament translation of JÁNOS SYLVESTER29 ERDŐSI be regarded as the first Protestant version, because he dedicated his first poems to Simon Erdődi,30 Catholic Archbishop of Eger. Sylvester had got aquainted with Erasmus’ ideas in Cracow, wich exercised a great influence on him, so he started to study the three sacred languages: Greek, Hebrew and Latin. Later he travelled to Wittenberg, attracted not as much by the Reformation as by the famous scholar Melanchton. After his return to Hungary he took up a position as a tutor with Tamás Nádasdy in 1434. His translation is quite complex not only because he used also the Munich Codex, but because he intended to produce a very exact version, a version which could not be misunderstood. The so-called Neonesos Printing Press was located at Sárvár and Sylvester’s version was printed there. Its introduction shows that metrical verse can be written in Hungarian too. „Próféták által szólt rígeti néked az Isten/ Az kit ígírt, ímé végre megadta fiát..." As literary language had not been formed yet he translated the text in a „I” (long i) dialect.31 The experience he gathered through this work later became the basis for his Grammar,32 which set 26 The author studied at the University of Vienna between 1527-29. Later as a tutor with Perényi family he went to Huszt and encouraged by his lady, started to translate the letters of St. Paul. cf. GERÉZDI, Rábán. Az erazmita. Budapest, 1944-46. 27 Also Viennese theologian in 1527-38 then worked for the Chancellery of Queen Isabella. Little is known about his life. cf. ILLÉS, János. Adatok Pesti Mizsér Gábor életéhez. ITK, 1895.; SZINYEI, József. Pesti Mizsér Gábor származása, in. Magyar Nyelv 1908. Pesti Mizsér, Gábor. Újtestamentum magyar nyelven. Vienna, 1536. 28 First edition, Vienna, 1536. facsimile edition, Szilárdy, Áron. Budapest, 1895. 29 Erdősi Sylvester, János. Új Testamentum magyar nyelven. Újsziget, 1541. 30 The text of the poem was lost, only the title, Rosarium survived. 31 This translation was finally printed by Benedek Abádi in 1541. 32 Grammatica Hungaro-Latina. Újsziget, 1939. later Kazincy, F. published it in Magyar régiségek és ritkaságok, in 1808.
