Gé Korsten popularised an Afrikaans translation of Frederic E. Weatherly’s “The Holy City” (1892). This is a song that, in its original, is filled from end to end with allusions to scripture. It is about the joy of Jerusalem of old, the darkness of the cross, and the glory of the new Jerusalem: it has measured repetition and understatement.
The Afrikaans translation drops a number of allusions to scripture, carelessly trampling on the fine poetic structure, and at the end, it heedlessly inserts blatantly incorrect concepts. A simple reading of just one chapter of the Bible would have prevented this (Revelation 21).
The song itself (in Afrikaans) is superficially appealing, but if you know the English, the Afrikaans is really jarring.
English
Here is the last verse, in English,with its many allusions to scripture.
1 And once again the scene was changed, New earth there seemed to be,
2 I saw the Holy City Beside the tideless sea;
3 The light of God was on its streets, The gates were open wide,
4 And all who would might enter, And no one was denied.
5 No need of moon or stars by night, Or sun to shine by day,
6 It was the new Jerusalem, That would not pass away,
It was the new Jerusalem, That would not pass away.7 Jerusalem! Jerusalem! Sing, for the night is o’er!
8 Hosanna in the highest, Hosanna for evermore!
Hosanna in the highest, Hosanna for evermore!
Here are the scripture references that come to mind:
1 Revelation 21:1 And I saw .. a new earth ..
2 Revelation 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem …
Revelation 21:1 .. there was no more sea. with Revelation 15:2 I saw as it were a sea of glass …
3 Revelation 22:5 … the Lord God giveth them light …
4 Revelation 22:14 Blessed are they that … may enter in through the gates into the city. with Revelation 22:17 .. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
5 Revelation 22:5 .. they need no .. light of the sun;
6 Revelation 22:5 …and they shall reign for ever and ever.
7 Revelation 21:25 .. there shall be no night there.
8 Mark 11:10 … Hosanna in the highest.
Afrikaans
Here is the Afrikaans. Most of the scripture references are obliterated, as if they were meaningless filler material:
1 En weer verander die toneel, ‘n helder glans verskyn.
2 Ek sien die heilige stad daar, die son begin weer te skyn,
3 die poorte word wyd oopgemaak, die duister het verdwyn.
4 En almal kan nou binnegaan, geeneen sal buite staan.
5 ‘n Nuwe dag het aangebreek, die kinders sing weer saam.
6 Die heil’ge stad Jerusalem sal nooit weer kan vergaan.
Die heil’ge stad Jerusalem sal nooit weer kan vergaan.
7 Jerusalem! Jerusalem, sing nou ‘n loflied saam.
8 Hosanna, in die hoogste. Hosanna, prys Sy naam.
Hosanna, in die hoogste. Hosanna, prys Sy naam.
Translation of the Afrikaans
Here’s my translation of that Afrikaans into English. You might complain that my words are not very prosaic. Indeed. The source material is pretty bland:
1 And once again the scene was changed, a bright shining appeared
2 I saw the holy city there, the sun shone again,
3 The gates were opened wide, the darkness had disappeared,
4 And all can enter now, none shall stand without
5 A new day had dawned, the children sing together again
6 The holy city of Jerusalem can never be destroyed again
The holy city of Jerusalem can never be destroyed again
7 Jerusalem! Jerusalem! Sing a song of praise together now
8 Hosanna in the highest, hosanna, praise his name
Hosanna in the highest, hosanna, praise his name
Afrikaans version contradicted by scripture
Not only are these not the words of scripture (If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God), but the Bible teaches the exact opposite of more than one of these statements:
2 No, it was not the sun that shone: it was the light of God. It had no need of the sun:
Revelation 21:11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
Revelation 21:23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
4 No, while the gates of the new Jerusalem are open wide, some are without, and can not enter: those in the lake of fire cannot enter: they do not have the right. While they could have done the commandment of God and have taken the water of life freely, they didn’t:
Revelation 22:15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
This problem does not exist in the English, because it says “all who would”, which is past tense – meaning that the opportunity was given to all. The Afrikaans changes it to present tense and ends up with some kind of universalism.
Poetry of the original, and its butchering by Afrikaans
The holy city is seen three times. Each time, there a scene set:
- “I stood in old Jerusalem” – Jerusalem with the temple, and the children playing – alluding to the time of Christ: Matthew 21:15 And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased
- “Hushed were the glad hosannas” – at the crucifixion praises were a little subdued – Mark 15:33 And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. Luke 23:48 And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned.
- “I saw the Holy City” – Revelation 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
The three hosanna’s vary along with the scene:
- “Lift up your gates and sing,” – a call to joy in the Lord
- “Hark! how the angels sing,” – a call to pay attention (they’re crucifying Christ)
- “Sing, for the night is o’er!” – a call to rejoice for the end of trouble, being glad for eternal salvation (“Hosanna for evermore!”)
The first time the children sing for joy, and the angels join in. The 2nd time, the angels sing alone. The third time is a call to all to sing for joy.
And this is all butchered by the Afrikaans. Here’s the transcript, with errors noted:
Laasnag het in my drome,
‘n wonderbeeld verskyn.
Ek staan in ou Jerusalem
en ek sien die tempel daar. [Does not rhyme! ]
Ek hoor die sang van kinders,
net soos ‘n Englekoor. [It’s a dream: you can let the angels sing]
En saam sing hul ‘n loflied [ Just the children: all naturalistic ]
wat self die Heme’le hoor. [ The angels don’t answer]
En saam sing hul ‘n loflied
wat self die Heme’le hoor.
Jerusalem! Jerusalem,
sing nou ‘n loflied saam. [Lift up your gates is gone: Psalm 24:7 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. ]
Hosanna, in die hoogste.
Hosanna, prys Sy naam. [to your king is gone: John 12:15 Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass’s colt.]En daar verander toe my droom
en stilte daal daar neer.
Weg is die bly Hosannas,
geen kinderstemme meer.
Die son het toe verduister,
die oggend koud en kil.
En die skadu van ‘n kruis verrys,
verrys om ons ontwil.
En die skadu van ‘n kruis verrys,
verrys om ons ontwil. [ In their eagerness to throw in the atonement, they threw out the “lonely” ]
Jerusalem! Jerusalem,
sing nou ‘n loflied saam.
Hosanna, in die hoogste.
Hosanna, prys Sy naam. [ No: they didn’t praise: they crucified him. The point here is that he was despised, and nobody on earth was praising him! Hebrews 1:6 And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.]En weer verander die toneel,
‘n helder glans verskyn. [ new earth? don’t need that ]
Ek sien die heilige stad daar, [ gone is the glassy sea ]
die son begin weer te skyn, [ stupid doctrine, and doesn’t rhyme ]
die poorte word wyd oopgemaak, [ actually, they’ll never be closed ]
die duister het verdwyn. [ where is the light of God? ]
En almal kan nou binnegaan, [ no, at this point it’s too late ]
geeneen sal buite staan. [ many will stand without ]
‘n Nuwe dag het aangebreek, [ I think they just didn’t believe about the sun and the stars ]
die kinders sing weer saam. [ Everyone is old in heaven, also children, you know ]
Die heil’ge stad Jerusalem [ No, this is the new one: not Sodom and Egypt ]
sal nooit weer kan vergaan. [ It’s inability to pass away is not exciting ]
Die heil’ge stad Jerusalem [ It’s the new Jerusalem: not the old one that passed away! ]
sal nooit weer kan vergaan. [ Dumb: New Jerusalem never passed away before ]
Jerusalem! Jerusalem,
sing nou ‘n loflied saam. [ this is where we needed “sing, for the night is over!” ]
Hosanna, in die hoogste.
Hosanna, prys Sy naam.
Hosanna, in die hoogste.
Hosanna, prys Sy naam. [ evermore needed here! ]
In the original, it is a great song. Butchering it, and pretending that is the best praise you can give to God, is very sad every time.
So what?
So nothing. The song is broken. If you can fix it, go ahead.
Last night I lay a sleeping,
There came a dream so fair,
I stood in old Jerusalem
Beside the temple there.
I heard the children singing,
And ever as they sang,
Methought the voice of angels
From Heav’n in answer rang;
Methought the voice of angels
From Heav’n in answer rang:—Jerusalem! Jerusalem!
Lift up your gates and sing,
Hosanna in the highest
Hosanna to your king!And then methought my dream was changed,
The streets no longer rang,
Hushed were the glad hosannas
The little children sang.
The sun grew dark with mystery,
The morn was cold and chill,
As the shadow of a cross arose
Upon a lonely hill,
As the shadow of a cross arose
Upon a lonely hill.Jerusalem! Jerusalem!
Hark! how the angels sing,
Hosanna in the highest,
Hosanna to your king.And once again the scene was changed,
New earth there seemed to be,
I saw the Holy City
Beside the tideless sea;
The light of God was on its streets,
The gates were open wide,
And all who would might enter,
And no one was denied.
No need of moon or stars by night,
Or sun to shine by day,
It was the new Jerusalem,
That would not pass away,
It was the new Jerusalem,
That would not pass away.Jerusalem! Jerusalem!
Sing, for the night is o’er!
Hosanna in the highest,
Hosanna for evermore!
Hosanna in the highest,
Hosanna for evermore!
