The Lord’s Prayer (Gospel of Matthew)
The first Bible translations into the Teochew language were produced in the late 19th century by Christian missionaries. The first complete New Testament published in Teochew/Swatow using Chinese characters was published in 1898, whereas another version using romanization was published in 1905, although partial texts were already published starting from the 1870s. The choice of whether to use Chinese characters or romanized vernacular Teochew was largely split by denomination: Baptist missionaries published in characters, whereas Presbyterians used romanized text (Snow and Chen, 2015).
The Baptist 1898 Swatow New Testament in characters, largely translated by missionaries A. M. Fielde, W. Ashmore, and W. Ashmore Jr., was reissued in 2013 by the Kwun Tong Swatow Baptist Church in Hong Kong, in a parallel edition with the Mandarin Chinese Union Version (CUV) that is used by most Protestant churches. According to Wong (2015), the 1898 Swatow version is based on a previous classical Chinese version, so the language used is quite literary and old-fashioned. The Presbyterian version in romanized text was largely translated by W. Duffus and J.C. Gibson.
Four versions of the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) are presented below:
- Baptist 1898 Teochew version, originally printed in Chinese characters
- Revised Teochew version with more vernacular language (Wong, 2015)
- Presbyterian 1892 version, originally printed in romanized script
- Revised Chinese Union Version (2010), in Mandarin
The English translation is from the English Revised Version.
- Source for Versions 1 and 2: Simon Wong (2015). “Bible Translation of Non-Mandarin Han Fangyan (Dialects) in Mainland China: The case of Swatow.” The Bible Translator, 66 pp. 24-44.
- Source for Version 3: [no author listed] (1892). Kiù-Tsú Iâ-sou Ki-tok kâi Sin-ieh Tshuân-tsw : chiēn-kńg Má-thài kàu Sài-thû [Matthew to Acts: Swatow Dialect]. Su-kat-lân: Tái Eng-kok Lãi Gūa Siàn-tsw-hũe ìn [Glasgow: British and Foreign Bible Society]. Online
(The revised Swatow translation is reproduced by kind permission of Mr Simon Wong)
Baptist 1898 Teochew version, originally printed in Chinese characters
This version was originally published in Chinese characters, Peng’im phonetic transcription has been added (modern pronunciation).
9 … to¹¹ tĩ³³ uaŋ⁵³ kai¹¹ a³³ pe²⁵ ia³³ / ŋiaŋ¹¹ lɯ³⁵ kai¹¹ mĩã⁵⁵ tsuŋ³³ sĩã²¹³
9 … do6(7)tin1 uang2-gai5(7) A1Bê6 ia1, ngiang6(7) Le2(6) gai5(7) mian5 zung1 sian3.
9 ⋯⋯ 在天 阮個 阿父 呀， 願 汝個 名 尊 做 聖。
9 Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 lɯ²⁵ kai¹¹ kok² lai¹¹ tau²¹³ / lɯ²⁵ kai¹¹ tsi²⁵ i²¹³ tek2 seŋ⁵⁵ / to¹¹ ti²¹³ zu⁵⁵ to¹¹ tĩ³³ tsek² ĩẽ¹¹
10 Le2(6) gai5(7) gog4 lai5(7)dao3. Le2(6) gai5(7) zi3(2)i3 dêg8(4)sêng5, do6(7) di3 ru5 do6(7) tin1 zêg8(4)iên7.
10 汝個 國 來到。 汝個 旨意 得成、 在地 如 在天 一樣。
10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth.
11 zik² eŋ¹¹ kai¹¹ nĩẽ¹¹ tsiaʔ⁵ / kiŋ³³ zik5 se⁵² puŋ³³ uaŋ⁵³
11 Rig8(4)êng7-gai5(7) niên5(7)ziah8, ging1rig8 sê3(2)bung1 uang2.
11 日用個 糧食、 今日 賜分 阮。
11 Give us this day our daily bread,
12 sia²⁵ meŋ⁵² uaŋ⁵² kai¹¹ hu¹¹ kʰiam²¹³ / zu¹¹ uaŋ⁵² ia¹¹ u¹¹ sia²⁵ meŋ⁵³ hu¹¹ kʰiam²¹³ uaŋ⁵³ kai¹¹
12 Sia2(6)mêng2 uang2-gai5(7) hu6(7)kiam3, ru5(7) uang2 ia7 u6(7) sia2(6)mêng2 hu6(7)kiam3 uang2 gai5(7).
12 赦免 阮個 負欠、 如 阮 亦 有 赦免 負欠 阮個。
12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 mai⁵² di⁵² uaŋ⁵³ zip5 to¹¹ iu²⁵ hok⁵ / zui¹¹ si¹¹ kiu⁵² uaŋ⁵² tʰuk⁵ tsʰuk⁵ ak⁵ tsia⁵²
13 Mai3(2) di3(2) uang2 rib4(8)do6(7) iu2(6)hog8, rui5(7)si6(7) giu3(2) uang2 tug4(8)cug4(8) ag4(8)zia2.
13 勿 致 阮 入在 誘惑、 惟是 救 阮 脫出 惡者。
13 And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Revised Teochew version with more vernacular language (Wong, 2015)
9 … uaŋ⁵³ to¹¹ tĩ³³ kai¹¹ a³³ pe²⁵ / mo¹¹ ziŋ¹¹ ziŋ⁵⁵ tou³³ tsuŋ³³ lɯ²⁵ kai¹¹ mĩã⁵⁵ tso⁵³ sĩã²¹³
9 … uang2 do6(7)tin1-gai5(7) A1-Bê6: mo7 ring5(7)ring5 dou1 zung1 Le2(6) gai5(7) mian5 zo3(2) sian3.
9 ⋯⋯ 阮 在天 個 阿父： 望 人人 都 尊 汝個 名 做 聖。
10 mo¹¹ lɯ²⁵ kai¹¹ kok² lai⁵⁵ tau²¹³ / mo¹¹ lɯ²⁵ kai¹¹ tsi²⁵ tsi²⁵ i²¹³ tso⁵² sĩã¹¹ do¹¹ di¹¹ tsĩẽ¹¹ / zu¹¹ to¹¹ tĩ³³ tsĩẽ¹¹ tsek1 ĩẽ¹¹
10 Mo7 Le2(6) gai5 gog4 lai5 dao3. Mo7 Le2(6) gai5(7) zi2(6)i3 zo3(2)sian5(7) do6(7) di7ziên7, ru5(7) do6(7) tin1ziên7 zêg8(4)iên7.
10 望 汝個 國 來到。 望 汝個 旨意 做成 在 地上， 如 在 天上 一樣。
11 uaŋ⁵² zik2 tsʰiaŋ⁵⁵ kai¹¹ tsiaʔ² eŋ¹¹ / mo¹¹ lɯ⁵² kiŋ³³ zik5 se⁵² puŋ³³ uaŋ⁵²
11 Uang2 rig8(4)ciang5 gai5(7) ziah8(4)êng7, mo7 Le2 ging1rig8 sê3(2)bung1 uang2.
11 阮 日常個 食用， 望 汝 今日 賜分 阮。
12 meŋ²⁵ kʰɯ⁵² uaŋ⁵² kai¹¹ hu¹¹ kʰiam²¹³ / zu¹¹ uaŋ⁵² meŋ²⁵ kʰɯ⁵² uaŋ⁵² kai¹¹
12 Mêng2(6)ke3(2) uang2-gai5(7) hu6(7)kiam3, ru5(7) uang2 mêng2(6)ke3(2) uang2-gai5(7).
12 免去 阮個 負欠， 如 阮 免去 負欠 阮個。
13 mai⁵² sai⁵² uaŋ⁵² zip⁵ to¹¹ iu²⁵ hok⁵ / kiu⁵² uaŋ⁵² tʰuk⁵ li¹¹ hɯ²⁵ kai¹¹ ak⁵ naŋ⁵⁵ / iŋg³³ ui¹¹ kok² / kʰuaŋ¹¹ leŋ⁵⁵ / ioŋ¹¹ kɯŋ⁵⁵ / tou³³ si¹¹ lɯ²⁵ kai⁵⁵ / tsi⁵² kau⁵² si²⁵ si²¹³ / a³³ meŋ²⁵
13 Mai3(2) sai3(2) uang2 rib4(8)do6(7) iu2(6)hog8, giu3(2) uang2 tug4(8)li5(7) he2(6) gai5(7) ag4(8)nang5. Ing1ui5(7) gog4, kuang5(7)lêng5, iong5(7)geng5, dou1 si6(7) Le2(6) gai5. Zi3(2)gao3(2) si3(2)si3. A1-meng6!
13 勿 使 阮 入在 誘惑， 救 阮 脫離 許個 惡人。 因為 國、 權能、 榮光， 都是 汝個。 至到 世世。 亞孟！
Presbyterian 1892 version, originally printed in romanized script
This was originally published in romanized Teochew (the original romanization is reproduced in the first line of each verse). The Peng’im version (modern pronunciation) and Chinese characters have been added here.
9 … Ún-kâi Pẽ tõ thin, Nguãn lẃ-kâi-miân siàn.
9 … Ung2-gai5 Bê6 do6 tin1, nguêng6 le2-gai5 mian5 sian3.
9 ⋯⋯ 阮個 父 在 天，願 汝個名 聖。
10 Lẃ-kâi-kok kàu–lâi. Lẃ-kâi chí-ì tit-sêng tõ tī chhin-chhiẽn tõ thin.
10 Le2-gai5 gog4 gao3lai5. Le2-gai5 zi2i3 dêg4sêng5 do6 di7 cing1ciên6 do6 tin1.
10 汝個 國 到來。汝個 旨意 得成 在 地 親像 在 天。
11 Uń-kâi jit-chiàh kim-jìt sẁ-pun ún.
11 Ung2-gai5 rig8ziah8 gim1rig8 se3bung1 ung2.
11 阮個 日食 今日 賜分 阮。
12 Sià-mién ún-kâi hũ-khiàm, chhin-chhiẽn ún ũ sià-mién hũ-khiàm ún kâi nâng.
12 Sia3miêng2 ung2-gai5 hu6kiam3, cing1ciên6 ung2 u6 sia3miêng2 hu6kiam3 ung2 gai5 nang5.
12 赦免 阮個 負欠， 親像 阮 有 赦免 負欠 阮 個 儂。
13 Mài sái ún siũ-chhì, kiù ún thut-lī ak.
13 Mai3 sai3 ung2 siu6ci3, giu3 ung2 tug4li5 ag4.
13 勿 使 阮 受試，救 阮 脫離 惡。
Revised Chinese Union Version (2010), in Mandarin
9 … wǒmén zài tiānshàng de Fù: yuàn rén dōu zūn Nǐde míng wéi shèng.
9 ⋯⋯ 我們 在 天上 的 父： 願 人 都 尊 你的 名 為 聖。
10 Yuàn Nǐde guó jiànglín; yuàn Nǐde zhìyì xíngzài dìshàng, rú tóngxíng zài tiānshàng.
10 願 你的 國 降臨； 願 你的 旨意 行在 地上， 如 同行 在 天上。
11 Wǒmen rìyòng de yǐnshí, jīnrì cìgěi wǒmén.
11 我們 日用 的 飲食， 今日 賜給 我們。
12 Miǎn wǒmén de zhài, rútóng wǒmén miǎnle rén de zhài.
12 免 我們 的 債， 如同 我們 免了 人 的 債。
13 Bùjiào wǒmén xiànrù shìtàn; jìu wǒmén tuōlǐ nà èzhě. Yīnwèi guódù, quánbǐng, róngyào, quán shi Nǐde, zhídào yóngyuǎn. Āmén!
13 不叫 我們 陷入 試探； 救 我們 脫離 那 惡者。 因為 國度、 權柄、 榮耀， 全 是 你的， 直到 永遠。 阿們！