Folia Theologica 9. (1998)

György Benyik: Hungarian Bible Translation

HUNGARIAN BIBLE TRANSLATIONS

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paraphrases known today, written by unknown masters43 and even more by the best lyricists of that time.

The most significant poets are: BÁLINT BALASSI (1554-1594)44 who paraphrased 6 psalms, MIKLÓS BOGÁTI FAZEKAS (1548-1598) who gave the first complete translation in verse45 and some paraphrases of the psalms, and also versified the Book of Esther (1577), the Song of Songs and The Book of Job and wrote a commentary on the Apocalypse (1589), GERGELY SZEGEDI (1537-1566) who paraphrased 10 psalms,46 and MIHÁLY SZTÁRAI (7-1575) who paraphrased 14.47 Besides these authors we know 33 poets whose paraphrases have been preserved in prayerbooks and song collections. The most widely known of them became a verse written by MIHÁLY KECSKEMÉTI VÉG (16th century).48 This is the poem that became famous with Zoltán Kodály’s music under the title Psalmus Hungaricus.

Catholic and Protestant Complete Bibles

GÁSPÁR KÁROLI RADICS49 studied in Brassó from 1549. In 1556 he was in Wittenberg and according to some witnesses he had also been to Switzerland and Strassburg and filled several ecclesiastic posts but he always remained the Calvinist preacher of Gönc. He published his version of the Bible in 1590 in Vizsoly using Bálint Mantskovits’ typescript. (Matskovits earlier had published a collection of Péter Bornemissza’s sermons in the castle of Detrekő, using the same typeface.) This became the official version for the reformed churches in Hungary. The biblical quotations which can be read in the study he wrote on the battle of Mohács, Two Books to All Countries, are taken from his earlier translation (1563). Károli began his work in 1586 and it took him four years to translate the first complete version.50 Much of the work was done by translators: MÁTYÁS THURY, JÁNOS CZEGLÉDY, IMRE

43 HORVATH, I. Repertoire de la poésie hongroise ancienne. Paris, 1992.

44 HORVÁTH, I. Balassi Bálint összes versei, a versek helyreállított sorrendjében. Növi Sad, 1976.

45 GILICZE, G.(ed). Psalteriium, Magyar zsoltár. Budapest, 1979.; majd VARJAS, B. (ed). Balassival és más költőkkel együtt. Budapest, 1979.

46 SZILÁRDY, Á. Régi magyar költők tára 16,6. Budapest, 1896.

47 SZILÁRDY, Á. Régi magyar költők tára 16,6. Budapest, 1930.

48 55th Psalm, written in 1561. Kodály/s edition was based on the so-called Boroszló manuscript. Kecskemét, 1923.

49 Nagykároly, 1530.; Gönc, 1591.

50 Facsimile editions by Szántó, Tibor. Budapest, 1981. and 1990.