K. Širvydas’s Polish preface to “Punktų sakymų”

K. Širvydas (apie 1580–1631) plačiai žinomas ne tik lenkų–lotynų–lietuvių kalbų žodynu („Dictionarium trium linguarum“), bet ir pamokslais, išleistais atskira knyga, pavadinta „Punktai sakymų“ („Punkty Kazań“)¹.

The sermons are presented in parallel in Lithuanian and Polish. K. Širvydas himself translated the sermons of the first part into Polish, while those of the second part were translated by his contemporary J. Jaknavičius.

Since K. Širvydas’s “Punktai sakymų” first appeared, it has been published three more times. For the first time, in 1845, L. Montvydas, the pastor of Seda, published it in a Samogitianized language for church use, without the Polish text². For scholarly use, the German linguist R. Garbe also reprinted the first part of “Punktų sakymų,” without the Polish text. In the introduction to the edition, R. Garbe discussed the spelling and linguistic features of “Punktų sakymų.”³

A photographic edition of both parts, with an extensive introduction reviewing K. Širvydas’s life and the linguistic features of the sermons, was prepared by the German linguist F. Specht⁴.

Excerpts from both parts of “Punktų sakymų” have been published in various anthologies, collections of texts, and textbooks⁵.

The first part of “Punktų sakymų” consists of a Latin dedication in verse and prose by K. Širvydas to the Bishop of Vilnius, Eustachijus Valavičius; a Latin approbation by Jonas Jamielkovskis, provincial of the Jesuits in Lithuania; K. Širvydas’s four-page Polish “Preface to the Reader” (“Przedmowa do czytelnika”); a Latin index of the Gospels and sermons⁶; and the texts of the Gospels and sermons in Lithuanian and Polish. In the margins of “Punktų sakymų” are the theses of the Lithuanian and Polish sermons; at the end of the book is an alphabetical Latin index of the main concepts in “Punktų sakymų”⁷.

¹ These are summaries of the sermons, the main ideas of the sermons, or “points.” Sermon Points from Advent to Lent, in the Lithuanian language with an explanation in Polish, by the Reverend Konstanty Szyrwid, theologian of the Society of Jesus, published with the permission of the superiors. In Vilnius, at the press of the Academy of the Society of Jesus, in the year 1629. Sermon Points for the Great Fast, written in the Lithuanian language by the Reverend Father Constantego Szyrwida, theologian of the Society of Jesus, and now translated into Polish and published in both languages. With the permission of the superiors. In Vilnius, at the press of the Academy of the Society of Jesus. In the year of Our Lord 1644.

² Sermon Points from Advent to Lent, prepared by the Reverend Konstanty Szyrwid long ago, and now reprinted anew in Vilnius through the labor and generosity of the Reverend Leonas Montvydas, Master of Theology, pastor of Seda. At the press of Józef Zawadzki. 1845. The publisher provided a short foreword in which he mentions K. Širvydas as a preacher. The reason for publishing the book: “As a remembrance of the language of our forefathers...”.

³ Lithuanian and Latvian prints of the 16th and 17th centuries, edited by Adalbert Bezzenberger. Part IV. Szyrwid’s Punkty Kazań (Punktai Sakimų), from the year 1629. Edited with a grammatical introduction by Richard Garbe. Göttingen, 1844.

⁴ Šyrwids Punktay sakimu (Pankty Kazań), Teil I: 1629, Teil II: 1644 litauisch und polnisch mit kurzer grammatischer Einleitung herausgegeben von Dr. Franz Specht, Göttingen, 1929.

⁵ Lietuvos TSR bibliografija. Knygos lietuvių kalba 1547–1861. – V., 1960, t. 1, p. 396.

⁶ Index of the Sundays and Points contained in this part of the work.

⁷ Index of the principal matters contained in these Points.

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The second part of “Punktai sakymų” consists of Gospels and sermons intended for Lent, a short Latin approbation written by Jonas Gruževskis, provincial of the Jesuits in Lithuania, a dedication of several words in Latin by Jonas Jaknavičius, and two indexes, as in the first part, both printed at the beginning of the book.

Here we are concerned with the Polish “Preface to the Reader” (“Przedmowa do czytelnika”) in the first part of “Punktai sakymų.” K. Sirvydas’s preface is highly significant. It helps us better understand the history of the writing of “Punktai sakymų,” its purpose and character, K. Sirvydas’s attitude toward his Polish translation, the need for Lithuanian text marked for accent, and the religious writings in Lithuanian of that time. The preface explains how to use the sermons, what readers’ needs had been, and provides information from K. Sirvydas’s biography. It clearly shows that the sermons were intended not only for Lithuanian and Polish preachers, but also for those who did not know these languages: “I set forth in Polish my points, written in Lithuanian, so that, as they spread among the people, they might be useful both to those who know Lithuanian well and to those who do not know Lithuanian at all…”. To this end, K. Sirvydas also provided, alongside the Lithuanian and Polish text, Latin sermon theses, references to Holy Scripture, and Latin indexes of sermons and theses. That K. Sirvydas’s sermons were intended not only for Lithuanian priests but also for Polish priests and priests speaking other languages is shown by his remark that the Lithuanian text should be marked for accent: “In the Lithuanian text of the book, certain signs should be used, called in Latin accents, so that those who do not know Lithuanian could pronounce and read it correctly. But marking the accent requires a new, special typeface, and also expenses that I could not cover at present. Whoever wishes to speak Lithuanian with perfect accent should listen to how people who know Lithuanian speak and accustom themselves to correct accentuation.”

K. Sirvydas, being well educated in philology and influenced by the accented text of M. Daukša’s “Postilė” (1599), took care to mark the accents in “Punktai sakymų.”

The preface suggests that in K. Sirvydas’s time, when the Lithuanian populace was illiterate and there were still very few Lithuanian books, Polish priests serving in Lithuanian parishes read the Gospels and sermons from K. Sirvydas’s “Punktai sakymų” in churches to the local Lithuanian people. To make the text of K. Sirvydas’s sermons, read to Lithuanians by priests who did not know Lithuanian, easier for them to understand, K. Sirvydas advised them to listen to people who knew Lithuanian and to practice correct pronunciation.

K. Sirvydas took great pains to make the Lithuanian and Polish texts clear and comprehensible. He did not intend for anyone to learn Polish from his translation: “If anyone should find the Polish translation not quite perfect and polished, let him know that I did not strive to translate it into Polish in such a way that one could learn Polish from this translation. I wished to translate literally, as far as the nature of the subject permits, from Lithuanian into Polish, so that my translation would be understandable.”

Before the appearance of Part I of K. Sirvydas’s “Punktai sakymų,” only a few Catholic books had been published in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania: P. Kanizijus’s catechism, published around 1585; M. Daukša’s translated catechism (1595); M. Daukša’s “Postilė” (1599); and the first edition of K. Sirvydas’s Polish–Latin–Lithuanian dictionary (around 1620).

⁸ Index of the Points contained in this part. Index of certain subjects.

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K. Širvydas notes this state of affairs—the scarcity of Lithuanian religious writings—in his preface: “We already have almost countless books written in Latin and other languages, but in the Lithuanian language there are too few books, so necessary for the salvation of souls.”

K. Širvydas explained why he provided not full sermons but only brief Gospel points (theses). He did not prepare lengthy sermons solely because of his poor health, but also because sermons in his time were short: “I had in mind that those interested could easily read this work of mine and that the points would be useful to preachers, who need not so much the words as the substance itself. I composed a short book of sermons not only because of my poor health, but also because of the brevity favored in our times.”

K. Širvydas explained in greater detail how to use his sermons. For the Gospels he included, K. Širvydas supplied several sermons rather than just one, so that readers could choose. In addition, he provided simple sermons for the unlearned and more thorough ones for the educated. This book contains matters that will be incomprehensible to the unlearned and understood only by the more educated. Sermons should therefore be selected according to the audience: “For ordinary people one should speak in a more accessible way, and for the more learned, more thoroughly. For this reason, I provide more simple points here for choosing than complex ones.”

From the preface we learn that, while preparing his sermons for print, K. Širvydas was in very poor health: “I prepared points for only a dozen or so Sundays, because, being in poor health, I had to make the work easier by dividing it into parts.”

K. Širvydas intended to write the missing sermons (from Easter to Advent): “Although I am in poor health, I hope, in fulfilling your wish, dear reader, to provide the other sermons as soon as possible.”

The preface concludes with a wish to the reader customary in K. Širvydas’s time: “Dear reader, be so kind as to accept and make good use of this work of mine as a favor.”

“Przedmowa do czytelnika” is written in archaic Polish, in long periodic sentences and an old-fashioned rhetorical style.

Although K. Širvydas’s preface was written 30 years after M. Daukša’s famous Polish preface to “Postilė,” K. Širvydas did not equal M. Daukša in the ideas he advanced. He did not champion the rights of the native language or offer patriotic thoughts. However, “Punktai sakymų” surpassed M. Daukša’s “Postilė” in originality. Moreover, they reflected the period and Lithuanian daily life better than M. Daukša’s translated “Postilė.”

We provide below a Lithuanian translation of K. Širvydas’s preface to “Punktai sakymų,” “Przedmowa do czytelnika.”

“Punktai sakymų,” wrote J. Lebedys, “is the first instance in the history of Lithuanian culture in which a Polish text was translated from Lithuanian.” See Lebedys J. Senoji lietuvių literatūra. – V., 1977, p. 83.

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Preface to the Reader

Dear Reader, I offer you, as I believe, quite good points for sermons, rather than fully developed sermons, as is customary in other postils. I had in mind that students would be able to read this work easily and that the points would be useful to preachers, who need not so much words as the substance itself. I composed a small book of sermons not only because of my poor health, but also because of the brevity favored in these times.

We already have almost countless books written in Latin and other languages, but there are far too few books in Lithuanian, though they are greatly needed for the salvation of souls. I set out my points, written in Lithuanian, in Polish, so that, as they spread among the people, they might be useful both to those who know Lithuanian well and to those who do not know Lithuanian at all but care for the souls of their neighbors: by reading the Polish translation, they will understand it from the Lithuanian text alongside.

If anyone should find the Polish translation not very polished or refined, let them know that I did not endeavor to translate it into Polish in such a way that one could learn Polish from this translation. I wanted to translate word for word, as far as the substance allowed, from Lithuanian into Polish, so that my translation would be understandable.

If anyone should ask why I confirm my proposals only with proofs from Holy Scripture, I would answer that they are very thorough and prove every truth revealed by God, while reason, drawing proofs from them, strengthens the will.

In the margins of the book I provide very brief Latin theses setting out what was presented throughout each sermon, so that everyone may know which point to read and what to take from it when needed. I also include a Latin index of the most important topics, so that the book may be useful even to those who do not know these two languages. The index refers to the margins of the book, where the reader will quickly find the very essence of the teaching, defined in particular points and supported by Holy Scripture.

Certain marks, called accents in Latin, should be used in the Lithuanian text of the book so that those who do not know Lithuanian can pronounce and read it correctly. But marking accents requires a new, special typeface, and thus expenses that I cannot now afford. Whoever wishes to speak Lithuanian with a perfect accent should listen to how those who know Lithuanian speak and accustom themselves to correct stress.

Having described the book itself, I wish to explain how best to use it. First of all, anyone may use these points for reflection or meditation, for personal benefit and to awaken personal devotion. Here is abundant material for fruitful reflection. These points may be used not only for sermons, but also for exhortations and pious conversations. In the points I provide, I offer more proofs so that you may use them as you see fit, or choose one point to expand and explain sufficiently. I provide more points for Sundays, so that you may choose whichever ones you like. Some are for reflection, others for instructing others. You may join the points together as you see fit.

This book contains matters that will be incomprehensible to the unlearned and understood only by the more educated. When selecting sermons, one should make a distinction: simpler things should be said to ordinary people, and more learned matters explained more thoroughly to the better educated. Therefore, here

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I offer a choice of more simple points than complex ones. I prepared only a few dozen Sunday points because, being in poor health, I had to make the work easier by dividing it into parts. If God prolongs my life, despite my poor health I hope, in fulfilling your wish, reader, to present the remaining points as soon as possible. Dear reader, kindly accept this work of mine and make proper use of it as a kindness.

K. Pakalka