An Open Letter on Translating.docx
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An Open Letter on Translating.docx
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AnOpenLetteronTranslating
AnOpenLetteronTranslatingByDr.MartinLuther,1483-1546
Translatedfrom:
"SendbriefvonDolmetschen"
in_Dr.MartinLuthersWerke_,(Weimar:
HermannBoehlausNachfolger,1909),Band30,TeilII,pp.632-646
byGaryMann,Ph.D.
AssistantProfessorofReligion/TheologyAugustanaCollegeRockIsland,IllinoisPrefaceWenceslasLinktoallbelieversinChrist:
ThewiseSolomonsaysinProverbs11:
"Thepeoplewhowithholdgraincursehim.Butthereisablessingonthosewhosellit."
Thisversespeakstrulyconcerningallthatcanservethecommongoodorthewell-beingofChristendom.Thisisthereasonthemasterinthegospelreprimandstheunfaithfulservantlikealazyscoundrelforhavinghiddenandburiedhismoneyintheground.
SothatthiscurseoftheLordandtheentireChurchmightbeavoided,Imustpublishthisletterwhichcameintomypossessionthroughagoodfriend.Icouldnotwithholdit,astherehasbeenmuchdiscussionaboutthetranslatingoftheOldandNewTestaments.Ithasbeenchargedbythedespisersoftruththatthetexthasbeenmodifiedandevenfalsifiedinmanyplaces,whichhasshockedandstartledmanysimpleChristians,evenamongtheeducatedwhodonotknowanyHebreworGreek.Itisdevoutlyhopedthatwiththispublicationtheslanderofthegodlesswillbestoppedandthescruplesofthedevoutremoved,atleastinpart.Itmayevengiverisetomorewritingonsuchmattersandquestionssuchasthese.SoIaskallfriendsoftheTruthtoseriouslytakethisworktoheartandfaithfullypraytoGodforaproperunderstandingofthedivineScripturestowardstheimprovementandincreaseofourcommonChristendom.Amen.
NurembergSept.15,1530.
TotheHonorableandWorthyN.,myfavoritelordandfriend.
GraceandpeaceinChrist,honorable,worthyanddearLordandfriend.Ireceivedyourwritingwiththetwoquestionsorqueriesrequestingmyresponse.Inthefirstplace,youaskwhyI,inthe3rdchapterofRomans,translatedthewordsofSt.Paul:
"Arbitramurhominemiustificariexfideabsqueoperibus"as"Weholdthatthehumanwillbejustifiedwithouttheworksofthelawbutonlybyfaith."YoualsotellmethatthePapistsarecausingagreatfussbecauseSt.Paul'stextdoesnotcontainthewordsola(alone),andthatmychangingofthewordsofGodisnottobetolerated.Secondly,youaskifthedepartedsaintsintercedeforus.Regardingthefirstquestion,youcangivethepapiststhisanswerfromme-ifyousodesire.
Onthefirsthand,ifI,Dr.Luther,hadthoughtthatallthePapiststogetherwerecapableoftranslatingevenonepassageofScripturecorrectlyandwell,IwouldhavegatheredupenoughhumilitytoaskfortheiraidandassistanceintranslatingtheNewTestamentintoGerman.However,Isparedthemandmyselfthetrouble,asIknewandstillseewithmyowneyesthatnotoneofthemknowshowtospeakortranslateGerman.Itisobvious,however,thattheyarelearningtospeakandwriteGermanfrommytranslations.Thus,theyarestealingmylanguagefromme-alanguagetheyhadlittleknowledgeofbeforethis.However,theydonotthankmeforthisbutinsteaduseitagainstme.YetI
readilygrantthemthisasitticklesmetoknowthatIhavetaughtmyungratefulstudents,evenmyenemies,tospeak.
Secondly,youmightsaythatIhaveconscientiouslytranslatedtheNewTestamentintoGermantothebestofmyability,andthatI
havenotforcedanyonetoreadit.RatherIhaveleftitopen,onlydoingthetranslationasaservicetothosewhocouldnotdoitaswell.Nooneisforbiddentodoitbetter.Ifsomeonedoesnotwishtoreadit,hecanletitlie,forIdonotaskanyonetoreaditorpraiseanyonewhodoes!
ItismyTestamentandmytranslation-anditshallremainmine.IfIhavemadeerrorswithinit(althoughIamnotawareofanyandwouldmostcertainlybeunwillingtointentionallymistranslateasingleletter)Iwillnotallowthepapiststojudgefortheirearscontinuetobetoolongandtheirhee-hawstooweakforthemtobecriticalofmytranslating.Iknowquitewellhowmuchskill,hardwork,understandingandintelligenceisneededforagoodtranslation.
Theyknowitlessthaneventhemiller'sdonkeyfortheyhavenevertriedit.
Itissaid,"Theonewhobuildsalongthepathwayhasmanymasters."Itislikethiswithme.Thosewhohavenoteverbeenabletospeakcorrectly(tosaynothingoftranslating)haveallatoncebecomemymastersandItheirpupil.IfIweretohaveaskedthemhowtotranslatethefirsttwowordsofMatthew"LiberGenerationis"intoGerman,notoneofthemwouldhavebeenabletosay"Quack!
"Andtheyjudgeallmyworks!
Finefellows!
ItwasalsolikethisforSt.JeromewhenhetranslatedtheBible.
Everyonewashismaster.Healonewasentirelyincompetentaspeople,whowerenotgoodenoughtocleanhisboots,judgedhisworks.ThisiswhyittakesagreatdealofpatiencetodogoodthingsinpublicfortheworldbelievesitselftobetheMasterofKnowledge,alwaysputtingthebitunderthehorse'stail,andnotjudgingitselfforthatistheworld'snature.Itcandonothingelse.
IwouldgladlyseeapapistcomeforwardandtranslateintoGermananepistleofSt.Paul'soroneoftheprophetsand,indoingso,notmakeuseofLuther'sGermanortranslation.Thenonemightseeafine,beautifulandnoteworthytranslationintoGerman.
WehaveseenthatbunglerfromDresdenplaymastertomyNewTestament.(Iwillnotmentionhisnameinmybooksashehashisjudgeandisalreadywell-known).HedoesadmitthatmyGermanisgoodandsweetandthathecouldnotimproveit.Yet,anxioustodishonorit,hetookmyNewTestamentwordforwordasitwaswritten,andremovedmyprefacesandglosses,replacingthemwithhisown.ThenhepublishedmyNewTestamentunderhisname!
DearChildren,howitpainedmewhenhisprinceinadetestableprefacecondemnedmyworkandforbidallfromreadingLuther'sNewTestament,whileatthesametimecommendingtheBungler'sNewTestamenttoberead-eventhoughitwastheverysameoneLutherhadwritten!
SonoonethinksIamlying,putLuther'sandtheBungler'sNewTestamentssidebysideandcomparethem.Youwillseewhodidthetranslationforboth.Hehaspatcheditinplacesandreorderedit(andalthoughitdoesnotallpleaseme)Icanstillleaveitbeforitdoesmenoparticularharmasfarasthedocumentisconcerned.ThatiswhyIneverintendedtowriteinoppositiontoit.ButIdidhavealaughatthegreatwisdomthatsoterriblyslandered,condemnedandforbademyNewTestament,whenitwaspublishedundermyname,butrequireditsreadingwhenpublishedunderanother'sname!
Whattypeofvirtueisthisthatslandersandheapsshameonsomeoneelse'swork,andthenstealsit,andpublishesitunderone'sownname,therebyseekinggloryandesteemthroughtheslanderedworkofsomeoneelse!
Ileavethatforhisjudgetosay.Iamgladandsatisfiedthatmywork(asSt.Paulalsoboasts)isfurtheredbymyenemies,andthatLuther'swork,withoutLuther'snamebutthatofhisenemy,istoberead.Whatbettervengeance?
!
Returningtotheissueathand,ifyourPapistwishestomakeagreatfussabouttheword"alone"(sola),saythistohim:
"Dr.
MartinLutherwillhaveitsoandhesaysthatapapistandanassarethesamething."Sicvolo,siciubeo,sitprorationevoluntas.(Iwillit,Icommandit;mywillisreasonenough)Forwearenotgoingtobecomestudentsandfollowersofthepapists.
Ratherwewillbecometheirjudgeandmaster.We,too,aregoingtobeproudandbragwiththeseblockheads;andjustasSt.Paulbragsagainsthismadlyravingsaints,Iwillbragovertheseassesofmine!
Theyaredoctors?
Metoo.Theyarescholars?
I
amaswell.Theyarephilosophers?
AndI.Theyaredialecticians?
Iamtoo.Theyarelecturers?
SoamI.Theywritebooks?
SodoI.
Iwillgoevenfurtherwithmybragging:
Icanexegetethepsalmsandtheprophets,andtheycannot.Icantranslate,andtheycannot.IcanreadHolyScriptures,andtheycannot.Icanpray,theycannot.Comingdowntotheirlevel,Icandotheirdialecticsandphilosophybetterthanallofthemputtogether.
PlusIknowthatnotoneofthemunderstandsAristotle.If,infact,anyoneofthemcancorrectlyunderstandonepartorchapterofAristotle,Iwilleatmyhat!
No,IamnotoverdoingitforI
havebeeneducatedinandhavepracticedtheirsciencesincemychildhood.Irecognizehowbroadanddeepitis.They,too,knowthateverythingtheycando,Icando.Yettheyhandlemelikeastrangerintheirdiscipline,theseincurablefellows,asifIhadjustarrivedthismorningandhadneverseenorheardwhattheyknowandteach.Howtheydosobrilliantlyparadearoundwiththeirscience,teachingmewhatIgrewbeyondtwentyyearsago!
ToalltheirshoutingandscreamingIjointheharlotinsinging:
"Ihaveknownforsevenyearsthathorseshoenailsareiron."
Sothiscanbetheanswertoyourfirstquestion.Pleasedonotgivetheseassesanyotheranswertotheiruselessbrayingaboutthatword"sola"thansimply"Lutherwillhaveitso,andhesaysthatheisadoctoraboveallthepapaldoctors."Letitremainatthat.Iwill,fromnowon,holdthemincontempt,andhavealreadyheldthemincontempt,aslongastheyarethekindofpeoplethattheyare-asses,Ishouldsay.Andtherearebrazenidiotsamongthemwhohaveneverlearnedtheirownartofsophistry-likeDr.SchmidtandSnot-Nose,andsuchlikethem.
Theysetthemselvesagainstmeinthismatter,whichnotonlytranscendssophistry,butasSt.Paulwrites,allthewisdomandunderstandingintheworldaswell.Anasstrulydoesnothavetosingmuchasheisalreadyknownforhisears.
Foryou
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