Welsh Bible
Encyclopedia
Bible translations into Welsh have existed since at least the 15th century, but the most widely used translation of the Bible
into Welsh
for several centuries was the 1588 translation by William Morgan
, as revised in 1620. A new translation was published in 1988 and revised in 2004.
Vulgate
.
, translations were made from the Greek
versions. The New Testament
translation of William Salesbury
was printed in 1567 by Humphrey Toy
.
translation of the whole Bible in 1588. Morgan soon began work on a revision (or a new translation) of his 1588 Bible, which contained a number of printing errors. After Morgan's death, Bishop Richard Parry
and Dr John Davies
continued the work with the aim of polishing the literary language, replacing forms considered too colloquial, and to bring the text into greater conformity with the Authorised Version of the English Bible of 1611. The revised version of the Bible was published in 1620. This edition is still known as William Morgan's translation, and it is this rather than the previous edition which became the standard Welsh Bible until the 20th century and continues to be used to this day. This occupies a similar place in the Welsh language to that of the venerated King James Version in English. The early Bible editions were large volumes intended for use in churches; in 1630 a smaller edition was published intended for use in the home, thus bringing scripture in Welsh into the hands of the laity.
An original copy of the Welsh Bible is displayed in St Asaph Cathedral
, in St Asaph
, North Wales
. It was used at the investiture
of Prince Charles
as Prince of Wales
in 1969.
The translation of the Bible into Welsh was important to the survival of the Welsh language. It had the effect, along with the Welsh translation of the Book of Common Prayer
, of conferring status on Welsh as a liturgical language and vehicle for worship. This in turn led to its continued use as a means of everyday communication down to the present day, despite the pressure of English.
was a Member of the New Testament
Panel.
Welsh and a translation in a more colloquial register is being made by Arfon Jones as part of the beibl.net project.
Other articles:
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
into Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
for several centuries was the 1588 translation by William Morgan
William Morgan (Bible translator)
William Morgan was Bishop of Llandaff and of St Asaph, and the translator of the first version of the whole Bible into Welsh from Greek and Hebrew.-Life:...
, as revised in 1620. A new translation was published in 1988 and revised in 2004.
15th century version
Several 19th century sources record that parts of the Bible were translated into Welsh before the 15th century, but the first complete translation was "the manuscript of Celydd Sfan," and while no exact date for its composition is known, it was in existence by 1470. This was a translation from the LatinLatin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
Vulgate
Vulgate
The Vulgate is a late 4th-century Latin translation of the Bible. It was largely the work of St. Jerome, who was commissioned by Pope Damasus I in 382 to make a revision of the old Latin translations...
.
William Salesbury, 1567
Following the English ReformationEnglish Reformation
The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th-century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church....
, translations were made from the Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
versions. The New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
translation of William Salesbury
William Salesbury
William Salesbury also Salusbury was the leading Welsh scholar of the Renaissance and the principal translator of the 1567 Welsh New Testament.Salesbury was born in about 1520 in the parish of Llansannan, Conwy...
was printed in 1567 by Humphrey Toy
Humphrey Toy
Humphrey Toy was a British bookseller and publisher, and the son of bookseller Robert Toy. In 1567, he published the first translation of New Testament in Welsh from the original Greek, translated by his close friend William Salesbury...
.
Willam Morgan, 1588
This was closely followed by William Morgan'sWilliam Morgan (Bible translator)
William Morgan was Bishop of Llandaff and of St Asaph, and the translator of the first version of the whole Bible into Welsh from Greek and Hebrew.-Life:...
translation of the whole Bible in 1588. Morgan soon began work on a revision (or a new translation) of his 1588 Bible, which contained a number of printing errors. After Morgan's death, Bishop Richard Parry
Richard Parry
Richard Parry may refer to:*Richard Parry , Bishop of St. Asaph*Richard Parry , member of indie band Arcade Fire*Richard Lloyd Parry, British foreign correspondent...
and Dr John Davies
John Davies (Mallwyd)
Dr John Davies, Mallwyd was one of Wales's leading scholars of the late Renaissance. He wrote a Welsh grammar and dictionary. He was also a translator and editor and an ordained minister of the Church of England....
continued the work with the aim of polishing the literary language, replacing forms considered too colloquial, and to bring the text into greater conformity with the Authorised Version of the English Bible of 1611. The revised version of the Bible was published in 1620. This edition is still known as William Morgan's translation, and it is this rather than the previous edition which became the standard Welsh Bible until the 20th century and continues to be used to this day. This occupies a similar place in the Welsh language to that of the venerated King James Version in English. The early Bible editions were large volumes intended for use in churches; in 1630 a smaller edition was published intended for use in the home, thus bringing scripture in Welsh into the hands of the laity.
An original copy of the Welsh Bible is displayed in St Asaph Cathedral
St Asaph Cathedral
St Asaph Cathedral is the Anglican cathedral in St Asaph, Denbighshire, north Wales. It is sometimes claimed to be the smallest Anglican cathedral in Britain.- History :...
, in St Asaph
St Asaph
St Asaph is a town and community on the River Elwy in Denbighshire, Wales. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 3,491.The town of St Asaph is surrounded by countryside and views of the Vale of Clwyd. It is situated close to a number of busy coastal towns such as Rhyl, Prestatyn, Abergele,...
, North Wales
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
. It was used at the investiture
Investiture
Investiture, from the Latin is a rather general term for the formal installation of an incumbent...
of Prince Charles
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
as Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
in 1969.
The translation of the Bible into Welsh was important to the survival of the Welsh language. It had the effect, along with the Welsh translation of the Book of Common Prayer
Book of Common Prayer
The Book of Common Prayer is the short title of a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion, as well as by the Continuing Anglican, "Anglican realignment" and other Anglican churches. The original book, published in 1549 , in the reign of Edward VI, was a product of the English...
, of conferring status on Welsh as a liturgical language and vehicle for worship. This in turn led to its continued use as a means of everyday communication down to the present day, despite the pressure of English.
New Welsh Bible, 1988
A new translation, y Beibl Cymraeg Newydd, was published in 1988 and has largely replaced the William Morgan translation, although there is some disagreement as to the accuracy of the translation. A revision of y Beibl Cymraeg Newydd (the Revised New Welsh Bible) was released in March 2004. Professor John Tudno WilliamsJohn Tudno Williams
Rev. Professor Dr. John Tudno Williams was the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Wales 2006–7.-Early career:John Tudno Williams was born in 1938 in Flint and educated in Liverpool and London. Williams studied Theology at Jesus College, Oxford, graduating in 1960...
was a Member of the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
Panel.
Language
Both versions are in very literaryLiterary language
A literary language is a register of a language that is used in literary writing. This may also include liturgical writing. The difference between literary and non-literary forms is more marked in some languages than in others...
Welsh and a translation in a more colloquial register is being made by Arfon Jones as part of the beibl.net project.
| Translation | Ioan 3:16 |
|---|---|
| Beibl William Morgan, 1588 | Canys felly y cârodd Duw y bŷd, fel y rhoddodd efe ei uni-genedic fab, fel na choller nêb a'r y fydd yn crêdu ynddo ef, eithꝛ caffael o honaw ef fywyd tragywyddol. |
| Beibl William Morgan, 1620 | Canys felly y carodd Duw y byd fel y rhoddodd efe ei unig-anedig Fab, fel na choller pwy bynnag a gredo ynddo ef, ond caffael ohono fywyd tragwyddol. |
| Y Beibl Cymraeg Newydd, 1988 | Do, carodd Duw y byd gymaint nes iddo roi ei unig Fab, er mwyn i bob un sy'n credu ynddo ef beidio â mynd i ddistryw ond cael bywyd tragwyddol. |
| beibl.net by Arfon Jones, 2008 | Ydy, mae Duw wedi caru’r byd cymaint nes iddo roi ei unig Fab, er mwyn i bwy bynnag sy'n credu ynddo beidio mynd i ddistryw ond cael bywyd tragwyddol. |
Digitisation
- The text of y Beibl Cymraeg Newydd is available as a module for the e-SwordE-Sworde-Sword is a Bible study computer software package created by Rick Meyers and developed for Microsoft Windows and Pocket PC. Development started in January 2000. Since that time, it has continually grown in popularity, reaching 15,000,000 downloads in January 2011. The user interface is available...
program. - Digitisation of the 1620 William Morgan translation is in progress at the Wales-Catalonia Website.
See also
- Mary Jones (Bible)Mary Jones (Bible)The story of Mary Jones and her Bible inspired the founding of the British and Foreign Bible Society. Mary Jones was a Welsh Protestant Christian girl who, at age fifteen, walked twenty-five miles across the countryside to buy a copy of the Welsh Bible from Thomas Charles because she did not have...
- Richardson, Ruth Elizabeth, 2007, Mistress Blanche Queen Elizabeth I's Confidante.
- Richardson, Ruth Elizabeth, Blanche Parry & Queen Elizabeth I 2012 calendar has frontispiece of Welsh Bible 1588, see website: www.blancheparry.com
External links
The Bible in Welsh/Beibl Cymraeg:- Beibl Cymraeg Newydd (2004)
- Welsh language Bible of 1588 View digital images of the entire Bible online (digital images of the actual book printed in 1588).
- beibl.net: a translation of the New Testament into colloquial Welsh by Arfon Jones
- Cymdeithas Darllen Pethau Da - Listen to the original William Morgan Bible in MP3 format.
Other articles: