The Chinese Recorder and Missionary Journal/Volume 37/Number 12/Psalmody in Foochow

by Charles Seymour Champness

Psalmody in Foochow.

By Rev. C. S. Champness, M. E. Mission, Foochow.

The three Missions working in Foochow city and the northern part of Fukien province are happy in having possessed in the earlier part of their career a band of missionaries who performed most useful service in translating and writing hymns for the Chinese church. These Missions have always worked very harmoniously together, and much useful work has been done on union lines in the province.

I purpose giving here some of the hymns which are widely sung in all the three churches.

Fukien province was fortunate in having been the working ground for some years of the great evangelist and hymn-maker, William C. Burns, the mighty mission preacher of Kilsyth, Scotland, who at the call of God left all and came to China. He was the first translator of many of the hymns which are found in all Chinese hymnals, as used all over China. He evidently believed in Luther's principle of enfolding Christian doctrine in popular hymns. Besides the many excellent translations of English hymns that he produced, Burns also wrote several original hymns in Chinese for the special purpose of teaching Christian doctrine in a form which could easily be retained in the mind of the people. The first of the popular hymns of Foochow hymnals that I would mention is his well-known hymn

"Narrow is the Road."

1. 行至天堂永活所在
   者門者路窄窄阻碍
   入門行路者𠆧頂少
   或驚追逐或驚𠆧笑
   
2. 欲至天堂私慾着棄
   仅着細膩嘴目共耳
   件件所做着照法度
   約束七情哀樂喜怒
   
3. 莫貪錢財金書寶器
   莫害別𠆧自家得利
   伓通亂講毛實其話
   着學老實伓通奸詐
   
4. 驕傲其心着變謙卑
   着憑四字愛人如己
   着梨服事眞活上帝
   着認耶穌莫驚羞恥
   
5. 惟獨罪𠆧盡去軟弱
   行至半路常常欲歇
   懇求天父時刻施恩
   助我直頭行至天堂
   

This hymn is a good example of a colloquial hymn, using Chinese characters in a certain way to express colloquial words. Such a use of Chinese characters is of course strongly condemned by the literati, who object to characters being used to express purely colloquial words and sounds, but it is necessary if we are to produce Christian literature in a form that the people can understand. For the benefit of those of my readers living in Mandarin-speaking provinces I will endeavour to explain the use of certain of these colloquial characters.

者. This character is used with the meaning of "this" without a numerary adjunct being used. 𠆧 is the character used to express the colloquial word for "man," Nèng, the character used most commonly in Mandarin books being reserved for Wên-li use and pronounced "ing." 仅. This is a special form of 又 and bears the same meaning. It is pronounced "bô." 着 Diŏh is used in Foochow colloquial in several meanings. Here it is the sign of the imperative mood. 伓 is the commonest negative. It is pronounced "ng." In combination with 通 it forms the negative imperative.

Another fine hymn, probably by Burns, is that which is the number one of the Methodist collection. It is also the first in the American Board Hymnal. Alas! Foochow has not yet managed to accomplish what Hankow and other places have done and have most of the churches using the same hymnal. It is a pity to have two separate books in use where one would have done equally well. This hymn describes the work of God in creation and His providential care. It is marred, however, by the use of the term 功勞 in speaking of the creating work of God, which term, of course, applies more fitly to the atoning work of the Son. 仁愛 or 智慧 would have been more applicable in this connexion.

1. 天上主宰眞上帝
   造天造地件件⿰亻鞋
   功勞頂大眞正闊
   應該稱讚都毛煞
   日頭一出滿塊光
   日落驚暗務月帮
   不見上帝見天象
   自知有主大無量
   
2. 田務五穀園務花
   𣗬木菓子都作佳
   海裏魚鼈野⿰亻西類
   都是乞𠆧做乇配
   天頂禮飛其鳥隻
   毛耕毛種也務𠋡
   頭生野獸連蟲蟻
   天父照顧心毛離
   
3. 上帝保護通世間
   毛論中國共番邦
   賜奴日日務口糧
   也務厝葯共衣裳
   上帝恩惠第一深
   差遣耶穌救萬民
   大家齊梨讚美伊
   共伊漢謝唱新詩
   

It doubtless looks strange to see 我 as a rhyme to 宰, but in Foochow colloquial this word for the first personal pronoun is pronounced "nguai.⟨"⟩ 𠆧 is pronounced "dang," and means "at the present time." 他格 ta-gaik is a colloquial expression meaning "clean." This also is an example of the use of authorised characters in an unauthorised way, to which scholars object so strongly.

Some years ago when making an index to all the Chinese hymnals I had in my possession I was much puzzled to find in the Presbyterian hymnal edited by Drs. Nevius and Mateer, used in North Shantung, a hymn which was the composition of Charles Wesley. While not begrudging our Presbyterian brethren the use of a good old shouting Methodist hymn, like this one, I wondered how such a ranting hymn had found its way into the staid Presbyterian book. On further search I found the same hymn in the American Board Peking Hymnal, the work of Drs. Blodget and Goodrich. Here again I was puzzled, and remained so until I came to Fukien province, when I found the hymn in question in both the Methodist and American Board collections. The hymn is a translation of Charles Wesley's "O how happy are they who the Saviour obey, And have laid up their treasure above." What has evidently happened is that this hymn was translated by one of the early Methodist missionaries to Foochow, adopted by the American Board Mission and then used in North China, first in the American Board Mission by some missionary who had seen the Foochow version of the same, from whence it was taken for use by the Presbyterians. As I have said before I do not begrudge the other churches the use of a Methodist hymn, but do wish that it had been inserted into some of the Methodist collections in North China. The old Negro song has the lines, "If there is one thing I like the best, It is the shouting Methodist," and then goes on to say: "I do believe, without one doubt, That a Christian has the right to shout." I by no means claim for the Methodists the sole right to shout if they feel good, and am glad to see that the Congregationalists and the Presbyterians have got so well worked up that they enjoy singing this fine old hymn. There is no doubt about the shouting of this hymn as we get it in our churches in Foochow. Our people always enjoy singing it. The hymn and the melody to which it is sung I give herewith. The melody is a fine Pentatonic one, but rather hard at times to sing, on account of the wide compass from D to F.

1. 主旨意要順憑
   積錢財在天庭
   日暝守我天父其命令
   得享主其寵愛
   共教會齊崇拜
   者𠆧歡喜歡喜講賣盡
   
2. 我信主其道理
   得不盡其歡喜
   倚藉主其寶血得平安
   當彼時心隻信
   蒙救主常照應
   甘願捨葉通世間
   
3. 得救主做模樣
   雖在地如天上
   衆天使也不過者福氣
   齊崇拜主耶穌
   蒙伊贖我罪辜
   滿塊揚傳揚傳主旨意
   
4. 我日日心歡喜
   着時常大讚美
   願世間萬萬國齊得聽
   主成全大功德
   替我罪流寶血
   永遠讚美讚美盡大聲
   
5. 實心藉主寶血
   天堂福總⿰亻鞋得
   我歡喜大感謝連崇拜
   常憑主其命令
   福氣眞講賣盡
   天父賜我賜我大仁愛
   

Here again a few more explanations of characters are necessary. ⿰亻鞋 is a word used to express the meaning of "can," "does." It is pronounced "â", or rather a better idea of its sound would be given by the combination of English letters "a-er" spoken in the Foochow seventh tone, which is a tone of an exceedingly curly nature. 毛 is used to express the same meaning as 無 "has not." 煞 means "end, finish." 務 is the most commonly used word meaning "to have." It is used in Foochow colloquial, where 有 is used in Mandarin. 厝 is the commonly used word for house. 葯 deu takes the place of the Mandarin 住. 伊 i is the third personal pronoun. 奴 is frequently used for the first personal pronoun, while 汝 is the second personal pronoun.

In a recent number of the Recorder Rev. J. E. Walker, of Shao-wu, printed the melody of a tune of his, which is one of the most popular hymns of the church in Fukien. This tune is a splendid example of what a Pentatonic tune should be. It is very fine to hear a big congregation singing this tune, even if they do now and then sing it in a way of their own. If I could succeed in making a tune that is so popular as this I should be proud. The hymn to which it is set I give here:—

1. 讚美讚美上帝
   活命福氣其主宰
   我是天父創造
   肉體靈魂伊賜我
   我蒙上帝保護
   自出世日至仱
   上帝日暝照顧
   身心都得平安
   
2. 讚美讚美上帝
   活命福氣其主宰
   天父獨生愛子
   捨去本身欲救我
   耶穌甘願流血
   替我獻祭贖罪
   我罪伊洗他格
   心裏無量安慰
   
3. 讚美讚美上帝
   活命福氣其主宰
   聖神卽保惠師
   天父應許賞賜我
   聖神由天降臨
   光照心裏黑暗
   創造我心重新
   應該大大稱讚
   
4. 讚美讚美上帝
   活命福氣其主宰
   天父救主聖神
   三位一體毛離我
   天下萬國萬民
   男女老幼大細
   該常協力同心
   讚美三一上帝
   

I have given samples of a few well-known hymns used in Foochow, and had I the space at my disposal I could give several other good hymns here.

One of the three hymnals in use suffers from bad editing. After my critical study of many hymnals I am sure that Foochow has not a monopoly of this trouble. Many hymnals have suffered in this way. In this particular book there are, for instance, three versions of Watts' hymn, "Alas! and did my Saviour bleed!" In one case this hymn is indexed as "We are worthless mortals!" There are two versions of "A charge to keep I have;" one of them being indexed as "My soul be on thy guard."

The indexing of this book leaves much to be desired. There is no proper Chinese index going by the number of strokes in the first character, and in the English index the first lines of some well known hymns have been printed in a misleading way. For instance "Lo! He comes with clouds descending," appears in the index as "See He cometh!" "O for heart to praise my God" appears as "Awake my soul to praise my God." "For ever here my rest shall be," is indexed as "The Saviour shed His precious blood." The editor could not have possessed a very profound acquaintance with English and American hymnology who allowed such mistakes as these to pass.

In many hymns printed in Foochow Hymnals there appears some sad mangling of accents and rhythms. For instance, in the book spoken of above in the hymn "There is a wideness in God's mercy," a hymn with trochaic rhythm, the possessive particle "gi" (其), answering to the Mandarin particle 的, comes on a strong accent 救主其恩廣闊無邊.

In a translation of a favorite hymn largely used in America, "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms," in the third stanza the two characters 平安 occur. They are actually allowed to be divided by the caesures in the middle of the line. One is reminded of the little girl who said it was wicked to cut off dogs' tails, because what God had joined no man should put asunder.

In a hymnal recently published in Foochow among several very excellent translations the following example of painful literalness appears. The original is the well-known hymn from Sacred Songs and Solos ("Lord, I care not for riches, Neither silver nor gold.") The translation runs 主奴毛看重錢財, which equals the historic translation of the line "Go, bury thy sorrow" 去埋你的憂愁.

One is also reminded of the peroration of the great sermon of the minister of Pittendreigh, which closed with the words, "Am I a goat? Amen!"

It is possible to produce excellent idiomatic hymns in Foochow colloquial. This has been done in some cases. The Anglican Hymnal in Foochow possesses some excellent colloquial hymns, and in the Methodist Hymnals there is also some fine work. On the whole the hymns of earlier days are better translated and written than those of later date.

I conclude with a fine hymn found in the Methodist Hymnal. I wish that some other tune than Migdol had been set to this hymn, as the constantly changing accents of this tune are impossible for the Chinese to render correctly. The hymn resembles in form Miss Havergal's "Lord, speak to me that I may speak."

1. 願主開我蒙昧其心
   先救自己後救他人
   仔細思想主其恩情
   我也的着替主傳名
   
2. 願主時刻共我齊行
   助我傳道各鄕各城
   駛我嘴像號筒其聲
   ⿰亻鞋破魔鬼堅固其營
   
3. 願主助我信德更深
   置基磐上永遠安寗
   孽海滔滔何處立身
   衆將陷溺實在可憐
   
4. 願主由天大降聖神
   駛我務力講說聖經
   助我言語都⿰亻鞋分明
   有如箭矢直貫中心
   
5. 願主賜我意外平安
   駛我贏過許⿰亻西艱難
   所有亡羊離散滿山
   我着去討引伊歸欄
   
6. 願主賜我一片熱腸
   滿心流出活水如川
   殷勤請客梨就婚筵
   不顧身命跑走各鄕
   
7. 願主用我微賤其身
   自始至終善佈福音
   等至將來主再降臨
   歡欣鼓舞不盡顯榮