Arfon Jones Dechrau Canu Dechrau Canmol

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-A Bible for all the world's people,

-as the saying goes.

-A new Welsh-language Bible

-has just been published.

-Today, I'm joined by the man

-who translated this volume of work.

-Welcome to

-Dechrau Canu Dechrau Canmol.

-# Soli Deo gloria

-# Soli Deo gloria

-# Soli Deo gloria #

-Today, I'm in the company

-of Arfon Jones...

-..a long-time proponent

-of the Welsh language.

-He's completed an incredible feat...

-..by translating the entire Bible

-to everyday Welsh.

-The Bible has been translated

-into Welsh three times.

-William Morgan's important

-masterpiece in 1588...

-..Y Beibl Cymraeg Newydd in 1988...

-..and now, Arfon Jones' work,

-beibl.net, has been published.

-The vast undertaking of translating

-the Bible is now complete.

-What was the original inspiration

-for you?

-I'd felt for a long time...

-..that we needed

-a simple, dynamic translation...

-..of the New Testament, initially,

-then the entire Bible.

-For years, I was a youth officer

-with the Independents, in the 1980s.

-Youngsters remarked that they found

-the Bible difficult to understand.

-That was the original inspiration.

-I married a girl from east London

-and she learnt Welsh.

-She learnt Wlpan Welsh,

-the everyday language.

-There's a bridge to cross

-between everyday Welsh...

-..and the literary language

-of the Bible.

-I could see two target audiences...

-..young people and learners.

-I was eager to write something...

-..that people without a chapel

-background could understand.

-A lot of jargon is used

-in chapels...

-..and quite often,

-people listening to that jargon...

-..don't understand it, let alone

-people who don't attend chapels.

-That was my main intention.

-Were you worried about

-offending the tradition?

-Some consider the Bible...

-..with the finery of its language

-and its status, as sacrosanct.

-I feel as I've offended traditions

-for many years!

-I can't say I was worried

-about doing that.

-It was an important part

-of the process.

-When you read New Testament Greek...

-..it's the language of the market,

-not classical Greek.

-To some extent, translating

-to the language of the market...

-..is a more faithful interpretation

-than a formal translation.

-Now that the work is over,

-how do you feel?

-I feel quite surprised to be honest.

-Over the years, I thought young

-people would want to read it...

-..on a computer or a tablet,

-not a book...

-..but the demand for the book

-has been astonishing.

-I had to accept that misjudgement

-and accept I'd made a mistake.

-Arfon, this is your cage.

-How many hours did you spend

-in here translating the Bible?

-Most of my life over the past year.

-I'd get up at 6.00am or 7.00am...

-..and work through until midnight

-and beyond sometimes...

-..from February until July...

-..to prepare the text

-for publication.

-It was a lot of work...

-..but the lion's share of the work

-had been done in previous years.

-Was it a lonely existence for you?

-At times, yes, but I was in touch

-with people across the world...

-..discussing how to translate

-the Bible correctly.

-I also asked a lot of people

-to proofread the text.

-You mentioned the importance

-of using everyday language.

-In Wales, we have different dialects

-across the country.

-How did you overcome that problem?

-That was a major problem.

-As you say, the dialect

-changes from place to place.

-In the end, it was a compromise

-between North Wales and South Wales.

-Northwalians complained about the

-Southwalian words and vice versa.

-When I completed the original

-translation for the Internet...

-..I was hoping people would download

-it and change words...

-..to suit their local dialect.

-People haven't done that -

-they've read it as it is.

-Let's have a closer look

-at the website.

-I've noticed all the verses and

-the different parts of the Bible.

-You can also search for text

-very easily.

-Yes, you can.

-The website is excellent.

-I've had a lot of help

-from technically-minded people...

-..who understand these things.

-I wanted a library, a bookshelf.

-The Bible is a collection

-of documents.

-It's a volume of work

-written over thousands of years.

-Let's hear an example of words

-that are familiar to us all...

-..such as The Lord Is My Shepherd.

-Read your version to us.

-Here it is.

-The Lord is my shepherd;

-I shall not want.

-He makes me

-to lie down in green pastures;

-He leads me beside the still waters.

-He restores my soul;

-He leads me in the paths of

-righteousness for His name's sake.

-Though I walk through the

-valley of the shadow of death

-I fear no evil;

-For You are with me;

-Your rod and Your staff,

-they comfort me.

-# The Lord is my shepherd;

-I shall not want

-# He makes me

-to lie down in green pastures

-# He leads me

-beside the still waters

-# The Lord is my shepherd

-# Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh

-# Ooh-ooh

-# He restores my soul

-# He leads me

-# In the paths of righteousness

-# For His name's sake

-# Yea, though I walk through

-the valley of the shadow of death

-# I will fear no evil

-# For You are with me

-# Your rod and Your staff

-# They comfort me

-# You prepare a table before me

-in the presence of my enemies

-# You anoint my head with oil;

-my cup runs over

-# Surely goodness and mercy

-# Shall follow me

-# All the days of my life

-# And I will dwell

-in the house of the Lord

-# Forever

-# The Lord is my shepherd;

-I shall not want

-# He makes me

-to lie down in green pastures

-# He leads me

-beside the still waters

-# The Lord is my shepherd

-# Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh

-# Ooh-ooh #

-One of your important contributions

-over the years...

-..is translating religious songs.

-I've been busy for many years

-translating songs.

-It embraces the same principle as

-the one that exists for beibl.net

-The desire to make the Gospel

-relevant to the modern day.

-I have a lot of respect

-for the traditional hymns.

-Who can't appreciate them?

-I feel we have to learn

-how to communicate the Gospel.

-We must discover ways of worshipping

-that are relevant today.

-We're about to hear one of your

-translations. Which hymn is it?

-Y Groes Uwch Y Cwbl Oll -

-The Cross Stands Above It All.

-It's a song about the essence

-of the Christian faith.

-It relates to the one thing

-that's fundamental to Christians...

-..the death of Jesus on the cross.

-If you don't understand

-the message of this song...

-..you don't truly understand

-Christianity.

-# Beyond this lifetime

-# Beyond this darkness there's light

-# Your cross is shining

-# So people open your eyes

-# The cross stands above it all

-# Burning bright in this life

-# The cross towers over it all

-# One hope, one deliverer

-# Saviour reigning high above it all

-# Above it all

-# The cross towers over it all

-# Burning bright in this life

-# The cross towers over it all

-# One hope, one deliverer

-# Saviour reigning high above it all

-# Above it all

-# Christ has overcome

-# It is finished, he has won

-# Christ has overcome

-# We're standing strong

-# Christ has overcome

-# It is finished, he was won

-# Christ has overcome

-# We're standing strong

-# The cross stands above it all

-# Burning bright in this life

-# The cross stands above it all

-# One hope, one deliverer

-# Saviour reigning high above it all

-# Above it all

-# The cross stands above it all

-# Burning bright in this life

-# The cross towers over it all

-# One hope, one deliverer

-# Saviour reigning high above it all

-# Above it all #

-After all the hard work

-translating the Bible...

-..what else

-do you hope to accomplish?

-There's plenty to do.

-I'm looking ahead to next year -

-Sharing the Living Word.

-The Bible Society, the Sunday School

-society, Gobaith i Gymru...

-..and all the denominations, I hope,

-will be part of a campaign...

-..to get Welsh speakers

-to read the Welsh Bible.

-It's been a pleasure to meet you

-and learn so much about your work.

-We end with the hymn...

-..O Arglwydd Gwna Ni'n Ffyddlon

-I'th Hetifeddiaeth Ddrud...

-..sung to the hymn tune Efailwen.

-From the two of us, cheerio.

-S4C Subtitles by Adnod Cyf.

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