The Translators' First Phrase

Vahe H. Apelian

"To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding" (King James Version).

Tradition claims that the first phrase from the bible Mesrob Masdhots translated into Armenian, after having the divine vision for the Armenian alphabet, was the second verse of Proverb 1 that reads: "To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding" (King James Version).  It is claimed that King Solomon, son of King David, in his old age wrote the Proverbs and the Ecclesiastes. The latter is one of my most favorite passages in the Bible. 

The first phrase phrase, I quoted above, is almost always quoted in the classical Armenian Krapar language to remain true to the original. The phrase used to be printed on the cover of our notebooks when I attended Sourp (Saint) Nshan Armenian school in Beirut. Tradition claims that young monk Mesrob Mashdots, had a heavenly vision where the Armenian Alphabet was revealed to him, although the account of his disciple Koriun is altogether different. It tells of a long search Mesrob undertook to come with the  36 characters of the Armenian alphabet (http://vhapelian.blogspot.com/2021/10/the-discovery-of-armenian-alphabet.html.). Two other characters were added later on bringing it to the 38 characters we have now.

I have always remained impressed by the profound and eloquent message of the first biblical phrase Mesrob Mashdots translated. The Armenian Evangelical schools in Lebanon had the quote as their motto. They may very well still do. Whenever I came across the quote, it was presented without referring to the verse. It never occurred to me to check the verse in the Armenian bibles we have at home. But, when I found out that it is Proverb 1:2 and read it in vernacular Armenian, I felt disappointed. The very first Armenian translated phrase in Krapar (classical Armenian) is so beautiful, so eloquent that its message comes across much more profound than in its Armenian vernacular version. It could be that the vernacular Armenian does not lend itself to express thoughts with the linguistic eloquence the classical Armenian Armenian - Krapar - does. Nowadays, much like in English, there are different versions of the Bible in Armenian but the Classical Armenian (Krapar) translation of the Bible is pristine and has remained unchanged.

The Armenians translated the Bible in 405/406 AD,  right after they came out with their characters.  I can read Krapar but I cannot write in Krapar for it has its own grammatical rules and verb tenses and distinct usage of words. Linguists, both Armenian and none Armenian alike, claim that the original translation of the Bible in classical Armenia, the Armenian Apostolic Church uses to this day, is so beautifully done that it is called the "Queen of the Translations" (Թագուհի Թարգմանչաց). 

There is an Italian saying that claims  "Translator, (is) a traitor". But the Armenian Apostolic Church has canonized the early translators and to this day in the month of October observes The Feast of the Holy Translators (Սուրբ Թարգմանչաց տօն, Sourp Targmanchats don). I do not know if other cultures revere the early translators of the Bible and other relevant early Christian literature as Armenians do for they have them elevated to sainthood. Obviously, without translated works, we would be living in a cultural cocoon of our making.

Nowadays the overwhelming majority of us do not read and write in Armenian anymore, let alone in Krapar. Most of us read in the language of the larger society of the countries we reside be it in English, French, Russian, Arabic and others. There is a great need for modern-day translators. This time around to translate Armenian literary works into the other languages we speak. I can claim with reasonable certainty that our written culture is founded on translated literary works and will perpetuate through translation as well.

 The Armenian Church canonized the translators of the Bible and among them naturally the young monk Mesrob Mashdots who led the efforts in the discovery of the Armenian alphabet. Saint Mesrob Mashdots is buried in a chapel in Oshagan (Oshakan) in Armenia, some 17 miles northwest of Yerevan.