Don't Quit - Edgar Albert Guest

 

Don't Quit

Edgar Albert Guest

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,

when the road you're trudging seems all uphill,

when the funds are low and the debts are high,

and you want to smile but you have to sigh,

when care is pressing you down a bit — rest if you must, but don't you quit.

 

Life is queer with its twists and turns.

As everyone of us sometimes learns.

And many a fellow turns about when he might have won had he stuck it out.

Don't give up though the pace seems slow — you may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than it seems to a faint and faltering man;

 

Often the struggler has given up when he might have captured the victor's cup;

and he learned too late when the night came down,

how close he was to the golden crown.

 

Success is failure turned inside out — the silver tint of the clouds of doubt,

and when you never can tell how close you are,

it may be near when it seems afar;

So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit — it's when things seem worst, you must not quit.

 

Stanza 1: Painting the Picture of Struggle

• "When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,"
• Explanation: The poem opens with a universal, gentle admission: adversity is a normal, expected part of life. It establishes empathy and realism.
• "when the road you're trudging seems all uphill,"
• Explanation: A metaphor comparing life's journey to a difficult, exhausting climb. "Trudging" implies heavy, weary effort.
• "when the funds are low and the debts are high,"
• Explanation: Moves from a general to a specific, material struggle—financial hardship. This concrete imagery makes the struggle relatable.
• "and you want to smile but you have to sigh,"
• Explanation: Captures the emotional conflict and weariness. It's about the disparity between how you feel inside (wanting optimism) and what you express (resignation).
• "when care is pressing you down a bit —"
• Explanation: "Care" here means worries, anxieties. The personification of care "pressing you down" visualizes the psychological weight of stress.
• "rest if you must, but don't you quit."
• Explanation: The poem's core thesis and refrain. It makes a crucial distinction: pausing for recovery is permissible and wise, but abandonment of the goal is not. This is the central message of resilience.

Stanza 2: The Nature of Life and the Cost of Quitting

• "Life is queer with its twists and turns."
• Explanation: "Queer" is used in its older sense meaning "strange" or "unpredictable." Acknowledges life's inherent uncertainty.
• "As every one of us sometimes learns."
• Explanation: Reaffirms universality. This isn't a lesson for a few, but a common human experience.
• "And many a fellow turns about / when he might have won had he stuck it out."
• Explanation: Introduces the poem's key cautionary tale: the person who quits prematurely, right at the cusp of success. "Turns about" is a powerful image of giving up and walking away.
• "Don't give up though the pace seems slow —"
• Explanation: Direct, imperative advice. It addresses the frustration of slow or invisible progress.
• "you may succeed with another blow."
• Explanation: "Blow" here means a continued effort or attempt (like a blacksmith striking metal). Success may come from one more try.

Stanza 3: The Illusion of Distance and the Tragic Mistake

• "Often the goal is nearer than / it seems to a faint and faltering man;"
• Explanation: Presents a profound psychological insight. Exhaustion ("faint") and doubt ("faltering") distort our perception, making the goal seem farther away than it is.
• "Often the struggler has given up / when he might have captured the victor's cup;"
• Explanation: Extends the cautionary tale with a potent symbol of victory ("the victor's cup"). It heightens the tragedy of quitting.
• "and he learned too late when the night came down,"
• Explanation: "Night" symbolizes finality, the end of the opportunity. The realization comes after the chance is gone.
• "how close he was to the golden crown."
• Explanation: Another, even grander symbol of achievement ("golden crown"). The double symbolism (cup and crown) emphasizes the magnitude of the lost reward.

Stanza 4: The Paradox of Success and the Final Exhortation

• "Success is failure turned inside out —"
• Explanation: The poem's most famous and philosophical line. It presents success and failure not as opposites, but as two sides of the same coin. Persistence is what flips one into the other.
• "the silver tint of the clouds of doubt,"
• Explanation: A beautiful metaphor. The dark "clouds of doubt" have a "silver tint"—the hidden lining of potential success. You must push through the doubt to see the silver.
• "and you never can tell how close you are,"
• Explanation: Reiterates the theme of perceptual illusion. Uncertainty is a constant.
• "it may be near when it seems afar;"
• Explanation: Restates the core idea in simple, parallel language for emphasis.
• "So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit —"
• Explanation: Returns to the battle metaphor ("fight," "hardest hit"). The advice is specifically for the moment of greatest impact and pain.
• "it's when things seem worst, you must not quit."
• Explanation: The powerful, concluding couplet. It directly links the extremity of the situation ("seem worst") with the imperative to persist. The worst moment is the most crucial test of character.

Stanza-Wise Summary

Stanza 1: The Universal Portrait of Struggle
This stanza vividly catalogues the common hardships of life: unexpected failures, exhausting effort ("uphill road"), financial strain, emotional fatigue (wanting to smile but sighing), and the oppressive weight of worry. It builds empathy by listing relatable adversities and then delivers its core, compassionate command: it is acceptable to pause and rest to recover strength, but the fundamental act of quitting is forbidden. This establishes the poem's central thesis on resilience.

Stanza 2: The Warning Against Premature Surrender
The poet reflects on life's inherent unpredictability ("twists and turns")—a lesson everyone learns. It then introduces a direct caution: many people give up and turn back ("turns about") precisely at the moment when perseverance would have led to victory. The advice is clear: despite frustratingly slow progress, one must continue because success often comes with the next sustained effort ("another blow").

Stanza 3: The Illusion of Failure and Its Tragic Cost
This stanza delves into the psychology of discouragement. It argues that when a person is weary and doubting ("faint and faltering"), their perception becomes distorted; the goal is often much closer than it appears. The poet laments the common tragedy of the struggler who abandons their effort just steps away from claiming the "victor's cup" or "golden crown." The realization of this near-success comes too late, "when the night came down," symbolizing missed opportunity and finality.

Stanza 4: The Paradox of Success and the Final Exhortation
The concluding stanza presents the poem's most philosophical insight: Success is simply the inverse of failure ("failure turned inside out"). It is the hidden potential ("silver tint") within the "clouds of doubt." Since one can never accurately gauge proximity to a breakthrough, it may be imminent even when it feels distant. Therefore, the poet issues the ultimate imperative: the darkest, most difficult moment—when you are "hardest hit"—is the precise time to hold on most fiercely. The poem ends by reinforcing its title and core message: when things seem worst, you must not quit.

 

The Priest – Arun Kolatkar

 

The Priest – Arun Kolatkar

 

An offering of heel and haunch

on the cold altar of the culvert wall

the priest waits.

 

Is the bus a little late?

The priest wonders.

Will there be a puran poli on his plate?

 

With a quick intake of testicles

at the touch of the rough cut, dew drenched stone

he turns his head in the sun

 

to look at the long road winding out of sight

with the eventlessness

of the fortune line on a dead man's palm.

 

The sun takes up the priest's head

and pats his cheek

familiarly like the village barber.

 

The bit of betel nut

turning over and over on his tongue

is a mantra.

 

It works.

The bus is no more just a thought in the head.

It's now a dot in the distance

 

and under his lazy lizard stare

it begins to grow

slowly like a wart upon his nose.

 

With a thud and a bump

the bus takes a pothole as it rattles past the priest

and paints his eyeballs blue.

 

The bus goes round in a circle.

Stops inside the bus station and stands

purring softly in front of the priest.

 

A catgrin on its face

and a live, ready to eat pilgrim

held between its teeth.

 Summary

• Analysis: Sets up an expectation of sanctity, ritual, and spiritual authority. The poem will systematically subvert each of these expectations.

---

Stanza 1

• Line 1: An offering of heel and haunch

  • Summary: The poem begins with the priest's body described as a sacrificial offering ("heel and haunch" – parts of an animal).

  • Analysis: Immediate subversion. The priest is not the officiant but the offering itself. The vocabulary is visceral and physical, not spiritual. It evokes a butchered carcass, suggesting exploitation and depletion.

• Line 2: on the cold altar of the culvert wall

  • Summary: The place where he waits (a culvert wall) is metaphorically called a "cold altar."

  • Analysis: The "altar" is man-made, utilitarian, and cold—devoid of divine presence or warmth. The sacred ("altar") is displaced onto the mundane and neglected infrastructure of the village/roadside.

• Line 3: the priest waits.

  • Summary: A simple, stark statement of his action.

  • Analysis: Establishes the central condition: waiting. His passivity is highlighted. He is not praying or performing rites, just waiting, likely for the bus.

---

Stanza 2

• Lines 4-5: Is the bus a little late? / The priest wonders.

  • Summary: His internal monologue is revealed—a practical, mundane concern.

  • Analysis: The focus is temporal and logistical, not eternal. The bus, a symbol of modern connectivity and schedule, replaces God as the object of anticipation.

• Line 6: Will there be a puran poli on his plate?

  • Summary: He wonders about his next meal, specifically a sweet, festive bread (puran poli).

  • Analysis: Reduces the priest's concerns to basic, bodily needs. The question implies scarcity and dependence on the offerings of others. His priesthood is a means of sustenance.

---

Stanza 3

• Lines 7-8: With a quick intake of testicles / at the touch of the rough cut, dew drenched stone

  • Summary: He reacts physically to the cold, rough stone against his body.

  • Analysis: A strikingly intimate and vulnerable physical detail ("intake of testicles"). It emphasizes bodily discomfort and animalistic reaction. The "dew-drenched stone" contrasts with the "cold altar," adding a layer of damp, earthly reality.

• Line 9: he turns his head in the sun

  • Summary: A simple movement, shifting his gaze.

  • Analysis: This turn initiates a shift in perspective, both literally and figuratively, from his immediate discomfort to the distant road.

---

Stanza 4

• Lines 10-11: to look at the long road winding out of sight / with the eventlessness

  • Summary: He looks at the empty, uneventful road.

  • Analysis: The road symbolizes time, fate, and the future. Its "eventlessness" mirrors his own stagnant life.

• Line 12: of the fortune line on a dead man's palm.

  • Summary: The road's emptiness is compared to the fortune line on a dead man's palm.

  • Analysis: A powerful simile. A dead man's fortune line is meaningless; his fate is sealed, his future non-existent. This suggests the priest's life is similarly fated, static, and devoid of future promise. It's a crushing image of existential nullity.

---

Stanza 5

• Lines 13-15: The sun takes up the priest's head / and pats his cheek / familiarly like the village barber.

  • Summary: The sunlight on his face is described as the sun "patting his cheek" with the familiarity of a barber.

  • Analysis: The sun, often a divine or life-giving symbol, is rendered as a commonplace, slightly intrusive figure. The "barber" suggests a routine, professional intimacy that is neither respectful nor reverential. It underscores the priest's lack of elevated status.

---

Stanza 6

• Lines 16-17: The bit of betel nut / turning over and over on his tongue

  • Summary: He is chewing betel nut (a common stimulant).

  • Analysis: A habitual, sensory act. It's what he does while waiting, replacing ritual chanting or prayer.

• Line 18: is a mantra.

  • Summary: This chewing action is metaphorically called a mantra.

  • Analysis: The ultimate subversion. The sacred, recited mantra is replaced by a mechanical, bodily activity. His "prayer" is an automatic, possibly addictive, physical motion aimed at summoning the bus, not God.

---

Stanza 7

• Line 19: It works.

  • Summary: A blunt, declarative statement. The "mantra" works.

  • Analysis: Ironic and bathetic. The efficacy of his "mantra" is measured in the material appearance of the bus, not spiritual gain. It mimics the structure of ritual efficacy but empties it of sacred meaning.

• Lines 20-21: The bus is no more just a thought in the head. / It's now a dot in the distance

  • Summary: The bus materializes from a thought into a physical reality.

  • Analysis: Traces the process of anticipation becoming reality. The "dot" is a focal point that breaks the "eventlessness" of the road.

---

Stanza 8

• Lines 22-24: and under his lazy lizard stare / it begins to grow / slowly like a wart upon his nose.

  • Summary: As he stares, the bus grows larger, compared to a wart growing on his nose.

  • Analysis: The "lizard stare" suggests a cold-blooded, fixed, predatory gaze. The simile "wart upon his nose" is grotesque and personal. The approaching bus is not welcome or exciting; it is an affliction, an ugly growth imposed on his field of vision, suggesting a parasitic relationship.

---

Stanza 9

• Lines 25-27: With a thud and a bump / the bus takes a pothole as it rattles past the priest / and paints his eyeballs blue.

  • Summary: The bus passes him roughly, and for a moment, its color (likely blue) fills his vision.

  • Analysis: The bus is violent ("thud," "bump," "rattles") and disregards him. "Paints his eyeballs blue" is a surreal, almost violent image of perception being forcibly overwhelmed by this machine. He is passive, acted upon.

---

Stanza 10

• Lines 28-30: The bus goes round in a circle. / Stops inside the bus station and stands / purring softly in front of the priest.

  • Summary: The bus maneuvers and stops, engine idling ("purring") before him.

  • Analysis: The "circle" suggests a ritual or habitual route. "Purring softly" is a potent anthropomorphism—the bus is like a cat, but the connotation is of a predator that is calm because it is in control. It now holds the power.

---

Stanza 11

• Lines 31-33: A catgrin on its face / and a live, ready to eat pilgrim / held between its teeth.

  • Summary: The poem ends with the bus imagined as a cat with a grin, holding the priest (the "pilgrim") in its teeth.

  • Analysis: A shocking final metaphor. The priest is now the "pilgrim," but his pilgrimage is reduced to a wait for transport. The bus, a symbol of mechanized modernity, is the predator. The priest is its prey, "ready to eat"—consumed by the very system he depends on for mobility and connection. The "catgrin" is one of sly, predatory satisfaction. The roles are completely reversed from the title: the sacred Priest is the consumable Prey.

---

Teaching Points

• Subversion of Sacred Imagery: Track how every term associated with sanctity (priest, altar, offering, mantra, pilgrim) is systematically re-contextualized within a mundane, mechanical, and often bleak physical reality.

• Metaphor and Simile: Analyze the poem's startling comparisons (dead man's palm, village barber, wart, lizard, cat) and how they build a consistent worldview of absurdity, predation, and bodily existence.

• Modernity vs. Tradition: The bus versus the priest. Discuss the poem as a commentary on the displacement of traditional spiritual roles by the impersonal forces of modernity and infrastructure.

• Socio-Economic Critique: Explore the portrayal of the priest not as a spiritual guide but as a figure of economic marginalization, dependence, and stagnation within a specific Indian rural/semi-urban context.

• Kolarkar's Style: Discuss how this poem exemplifies Kolatkar's ability to blend the stark, imagistic clarity of modernism with a uniquely Indian sensibility and visceral detail.

Wings of Fire (My Early Days - chapter 1) A.P.J Abdul Kalam

 My Early Days

                                                                                       A.P.J Abdul Kalam

Introduction:

     Dr. Avul Pakir Jainlabdeen Abdul Kalam wa born in the small pilgrim town of Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu, as a son of a boatman.  Kalam was hard working and ambitious.  He aspired to be a pilot, but went on to design rockets under the inspiration of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai.  He became the Director of the Defence Research and was the force behind the development of ‘Agni’ and ‘Trishul’ rockets under the missile programme.  He also got Bharat Ratna award and published an autobiographical work called Wings of Fire, which is an inspiring story of how India can achieve. 

His Childhood:

     He was born in Rameswaram and his father Jainulabdeen was a middle class Muslim.  His father had neither much of formal education nor much wealth but though he had generosity of spirit and wisdom.  His mother Ashiamma, who is quite generous in providing food for outsiders and and Kalam recollects his vision how he sat with the outsiders and ate every day. His parents were widely regarded as an ideal couple.  He was one among many children in his family with distinguished looks born to tall and handsome parents.

Location of his house:

     He lived in his ancestral house which was build in the middle of 19th century and it was a fairly large pucca house built up of limestone and brick on the Mosque Street in Rameswaram.  His parents took care of his needs.  He ate with his mother on the floor of kitchen, on which she ladle rice with aromatic sambhar and with a variety of sharp pickle and small amount of coconut chutney.

Jainulabdeen, a pious Muslim:

     He describes about an old mosque in his locality where his father use to take him every evening.  He never has any idea of the Arabic prayers chanted (sung) but he was convinced that they reached God.  When his father came out of the mosque after the prayers, people of different religions would be sitting outside waiting for him.  He used to dip his finger inside the bowl of water and say prayers to cure diseases and other disables.  Many came home to thank his father after they get cured.  He always smiled and asked them to thank Allah.

    His father’s close friend named Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry would always discuss about spiritual matters with him.  Kalam, asked his father about the relevance of prayers and he replied that there is nothing so mysterious about prayers.  It is a communion of the spirit and people.  He is capable of explaining difficult religious concepts in a simple manner.

Kalam’s inspiration:

     Abdul Kalam tried to follow his father as an example in his life.  When he was six years old when his father was working on a project to build a wooden sailboat he sat beside him and admired his work.  Ahmed Jallaluddin who married Kalam’s sister Zohara, helped his father.  Later he narrates about a disastrous wind which collapsed a train full of passengers in Pamban Bridge.  Ahmed turned to be his friend though there is a difference in their age.  They walked along the sea shore discussing on spiritual matters.  Their first halt would be near Lord Shiva temple, and they talked about God and relationship with him.

      Though Ahmed’s education was limited, he was the only person in the island who can speak and write English.  He always speaks about scientific discoveries, contemporary literature and achievements of medical sciences and widened his knowledge.  He encouraged Kalam to read and borrow books from the library of S.T.R Manickam, a former militant nationalist.

His Second Inspiration:

      Samsuddin, cousin of Kalam was the next person to inspire him greatly.  He was the sole distributor for newspapers in Rameswaram.  The newspapers would arrive from Pamban.  These newspapers were mainly bought by the reading demands of 1000 strong literate people who lived in Rameswaram and few readers would discuss Hilter, Mahatma Gandhi and Jinnah. Kalam collected the bundles of newspapers thrown from train and he earned his first wage.  Second World War was broke out in 1939 when he was eight years old.  He used to collect tamarind seeds and sell it to a provision shop. Jallaludin would tell him stories about war and he talks about the solitariness of his locality after war.

Kalam’s Close friends:

     He had three close friends in his childhood.  Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan and Sivaprakasan.  All these children were from orthodox Hindu Brahmin families.  Ramanadha Sastry was the son of Pakshi Lakshaman Sastry, and later he took priesthood of Rameswaram temple; Aravindan went into business of arranging transport for visiting pilgrims; Sivaprakasan became a catering contractor for Southern Railways. 

Science Teacher:

     One day when he was in his fifth standard at Elementary School a new teacher came to his class.  He never could digest a Hindu and a Muslim student sitting together.  He asked Kalam to sit in the last row and later he went home and told his parents about the incident.  Lakshmana Sastry summoned the teacher and asked not to poison the minds of children with social inequality.  Later his science teacher Siva Subramania Iyer an orthodox Brahmin who tried to break the social barriers helped Kalam in studies and later he joined in high-school for his higher education.  Kalam was invited to his home for a meal but his wife refused to serve him. Later his teacher served him the dinner.

Higher education:

     After the Second World War, India’s freedom was eminent.  He asked his father’s permission to leave Rameswaram and study at the district headquarters in Ramanathapuram.  Later his father took him along with his three brothers to the mosque and recited prayers from the Holy Quran, and wished ‘May God Bless You, my child’.  Samsuddin and Ahmed Jallaluddin travelled with him till high-school.

Conclusion:

     Due to his homesickness, he found hard to fit with the new environment.  He used to recollect the words of Jallaluddin who always spoke about the power of positive thinking whenever he felt homesick or dejected.  He strived hard to control his thoughts and his mind was filled up with the memory of his home town.  He used positive thinking and overcame his home-sickness.  

Summary of the poem Insensibility

Introduction to the author 

Wilfred Edward Salter Owen MC (18 March 1893-4 November 1918) was an English poet and soldier. He was one of the leading poets of the First World War. His war poetry on the horrors of trenches and gas warfare was much influenced by his mentor Siegfried Sassoon and stood in contrast to the public perception of war at the time and to the confidently patriotic verse written by earlier war poets such as Rupert Brooke. Among his best-known works most of which were published posthumously - are "Dulce et Decorum est", "Insensibility", "Anthem for Doomed Youth", "Futility", "Spring Offensive" and "Strange Meeting". Owen was killed in action on 4 November 1918, a week before the war's end, at the age of 25.

Summary of Insensibility 

Introduction:

Insensibility is a poem written by Wilfred Owen during the First World War which explores the effect of war fare on soldiers, and the long and short term psychological effects that it has on them.

Wilfred Owen's dual role:

The poet was well aware of his dual role in this most terrible war. First and for most of the time he was there to serve with and lead his men. Secondly, he wanted to record through poetry the pity of war, as someone pleading for sanity and compassion.

Unusual form of the poem:

'Insensibility' has an unusual form -six stanzas of varied which some is an ode-and some notable slant or para rhymes throughout. This poem has no obvious full rhyme scheme and no clear foundation of metre. There is a mix of iambic pentameter. It is similar to the steady marching rhythm of the men as they march in the battlefield.

Horrors of war:

The opening line indicates that the soldiers are happy inspite of knowing about their death. This is a shock to the reader. The soldiers are indifferent to death, even if their own blood in their veins is already cold. To survive the horrors of war, a soldier has to lack warmth and feeling and compassion, become a ruthless killing machine. The speaker is suggesting that they are very happy when compassion is absent. They turn into robots effectively. Their feet do not get sore on the cobbles. The cobbles are the actual skulls of the dead warriors.

Indifference of the array officers:

The men go on dying in the battlefield and fill the gaps between the dead bodies already present. The soldiers are like shelves and commodities. Once they are gone it is a simple matter of finding some more replacements. The generals, the officers and society do not care for this kind of pathos (Loss of lives).

Insensibility:

The soldiers are numb without feeling or any way of caring whether those incoming shells will hit them or not. Though there are chances of being killed easily they are insensible. A lad sings a song as he marches. The soldiers are able to laugh even as others die around them. Owen is ironic and mock at the beautitudes in the 'New Testament' where Christ addresses a large crowd.

Dullards:

The final stanza concentrates on those dullards, those civilians and senior army staff who are not at the fore front of the battle. They are not spoken of as wretched and incapable of pity. Dullards refer to the insensible soldiers. They are turned to stone. The poet's contempt towards the military high command, the politicians, the religious leaders and the people of England is effectively revealed in the poem.

Conclusion:

The main idea of the poem is to highlight the lack of sympathy towards our fellow-beings and the meaninglessness of the deaths caused by wars.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF BIBLE TRANSLATION – FROM GREEK TO ENGLISH

 

A BRIEF HISTORY OF BIBLE TRANSLATION – FROM GREEK TO ENGLISH

Jerome and the Latin Vulgate

As language changed, new translations needed to be written. Around AD 382, in an effort to make the Scriptures once again available to ordinary people, the Pope commissioned his secretary Jerome to create a new translation in Latin. With great seriousness and trepidation, Jerome accepted the task. He was passionate about this assignment and tradition credits him as saying, “ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.”

He learned Hebrew and was able to access biblical texts in both Hebrew and Greek, thanks to the works of Origin. Jerome’s finished product is what we call the Vulgate. Many of our biblical terms in English such as, Scripture, salvation, justification and regeneration, come from this version. The Vulgate Latin Bible became the standard used by the Roman Catholic Church for 1,000 years.

John Wycliffe and the First English Bible

Efforts to translate the Bible into Old English (Anglo-Saxon) began in the 8th century, first with the book of Psalms and then the Gospel of John. Other parts were translated as well, but these efforts were brought to a temporary halt with the Norman Invasion of England in 1066.

In the 14^th century, Oxford teacher and priest John Wycliffe challenged the growing power and privilege of the Catholic Church, which was now firmly anchored in the long held tradition of the Latin Vulgate. Wycliffe began translating the Bible to Middle English, the common language, so Christians could read it for themselves without having to depend on the Church. His followers completed the task and nearly 200 copies of his manuscripts have survived.

Unfortunately, the early missionary perspective on Bible translation had shifted dramatically. The leaders of the Church now thought only learned scholars and men of intelligence should have access to the Bible. Consequently, forty-four years after Wycliffe’s death, the Catholic Church officially excommunicated him. His body was dug up, burned, and dumped into a river.

Nevertheless, Wycliffe’s vision spread through Europe inspiring the Czech priest and philosopher Jan Hus and others to produce Bible translations in Hungarian and Bohemian. As a result, in 1415 Hus also was declared a heretic and burned at the stake.

 William Tyndale and the First Printed English Bible

With the invention of the printing press in the 15th century, Bible translation changed radically. William Tyndale was an English chaplain, tutor and scholar who worked on the first printed English translation of the New Testament in 1526. This iconic translation would form the base for most future translations.

Tyndale had a gift for language and was able to communicate powerfully. He coined many common phrases including: ‘land of the living,’ ‘the parting of ways,’ and ‘apple of my eye.’ He worded the familiar verses, ‘fight the good fight,’ and ‘the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.’ The word ‘at-one-ment’ was his invention and his use of the archery term for missing the mark, ‘to sin,’ was ingenious.

Sadly, of the 3,000 copies of the New Testament Tyndale printed, only two have survived, due to the Catholic Church of England’s active suppression and burning of the books.

Around 1529, Tyndale began a translation of the Old Testament in Europe. By 1535, he had finished the Pentateuch and nine other Old Testament books when he was captured and burned at the stake. His last words are reported to be: “Lord, open the King of England’s eyes.”

Coverdale, Matthews, and The Great Bible

Miles Coverdale continued Tyndale’s effort and finished the printing of the first complete English Bible in 1535. Not being proficient in Greek and Hebrew, he used Latin and German translations, as well as Tyndale’s unpublished works, including his partial Old Testament. In the preface of the Bible, Coverdale praised King Henry VIII, who on account of his new Queen, Anne Boleyn, had split with the Catholic Church of Rome and set up a Church of England. The Coverdale Bible was the first Bible licensed by King Henry VIII for use in England. Later Coverdale was authorized to translate The Great Bible of Henry VIII in 1539.

Other translations followed with the goal of keeping the language common and being more accurate to the original Greek and Hebrew. John Rogers, a friend and editor of Tyndale, incorporated Coverdale’s work and produced the Matthews Bible in 1537. In the latest wave of back and forth violence, the new Queen Mary went on a rampage to return England to Catholicism, and Rogers was burned at the stake for being a Protestant in 1555.

The Geneva and the Catholic Rheims-Douai Versions

Because of persecution, hundreds of Protestants fled to areas in Germany and Switzerland, especially Geneva, where eventually the Geneva Bible was produced in 1560. This contemporary English version accomplished many firsts. It was the first to use a team of translators, number verses, have commentaries in the side margins, and contain maps and illustrations. The Geneva Bible was the most accurate version at the time and became the primary Bible of 16th century Protestantism.

When Queen “Bloody Mary” was succeeded by her sister Elizabeth I, an updated version of The Great Bible was created as an attempt to compete with the popular Geneva Bible. A panel of bishops prepared this translation in 1568, aptly calling it the Bishops’ Bible; nevertheless, the Geneva Bible continued to be the most popular version in England.

Then finally, in 1582, the Catholic Church who had fought so hard to keep Latin as the only language for the Bible, beside its original sources of Hebrew and Greek, produced its own complete English translation from the Latin Vulgate Bible called the Rheims-Douai Bible.

The King James Version of 1611

In 1603, King James VI of Scotland assumed the throne of England as King James I of England, and during an ecclesiastical conference at Hampton Court it was decided that a new Bible translation needed to be made to replace Elizabeth I’s Bishops’ Bible. Problems among Protestants, Catholics and new denominations were emerging and the goal was to make a scholarly version of the Bible for all Christians to be able to use.

The plans for the King James Bible were elaborate. A group of 47-54 translators were gathered and given 15 rules as guidance. The Bible was not to include Geneva Bible type commentaries. The translators were to base their work on the Bishops’ Bible, but the other major English versions were also considered and the whole was corrected from original Hebrew, Greek and early Latin texts. The translators were divided into six companies with each company assigned specific books. Completed translations were sent to other companies for review and the final needed agreement among all translators.

The KJV Bible was not immediately popular but in 1660, with the restoration of the English monarchy under King Charles II, public fondness for the king was rekindled. The KJV eventually gained widespread popularity in England, the Anglican Church, and the American colonies.

Genesis 1 Translations Comparisons

John Wycliffe Bible 1384

In the firste made God of nouȝt heuene and erthe. The erthe forsothe was veyn with ynne and void, and derknessis weren vpon the face of the sea; and the Spiryt of God was born vpon the watrys. And God seide, Be maad liȝt; and maad is liȝt.

William Tyndale Bible 1529

In the beginnyng God created heauen and erth. The erth was voyde and emptye, and darknesse was vpon the depe, & the spirite of God moued upon the water. Than God sayd: let there be lighte and there was lighte.

Geneva Bible 1560

In the beginning God created ye heauen and the earth. And the earth was without forme & voyde, and darkenes was vpon the depe, & the Spirit of God moued vpon the waters. Then God saide, Let there be light: And there was light.

Conclusion

The good news of the Bible was meant to be shared and read by everyone, just as Jesus went out of his way to include outcasts and lowly people. To best understand God’s word each person should have it in their native language. The missionary work of producing versions of the Bible for all people was a hard fought battle, but with persistence and God’s help it moved forward.

We must be thankful for the abundance of English versions we have to choose from which allow us to best understand the original Bible. Plus, we are beyond blessed to have access to the earliest Hebrew and Greek texts online. As language inevitably changes throughout time, Bible translations need to as well, to best follow the ultimate goal of spreading God’s word of forgiveness and hope in a way that each person can understand.

Copyright : https://wycliffe.org.uk/story/a-brief-history-of-bible-translation

*A chronological list of major English Bible Translations:*

🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝

🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝

1. Anglo-Saxon (Old English) Translations (7th–11th centuries)

The earliest parts of the Bible were translated by monks like Caedmon, Aldhelm, and Bede (who is believed to have translated parts of the Gospel of John into Old English around 735 CE).

These were not full Bibles, but portions, paraphrases, or commentaries in poetic or prose form.

2. John Wycliffe’s Bible (1382–1395)

The first complete translation of the Bible into English from the Latin Vulgate.

Associated with the Lollard movement, it was done before the invention of the printing press and circulated in handwritten copies.

Strongly opposed by the Church, which banned unlicensed vernacular translations.

3. William Tyndale’s Translation (1525–1536)

The first English translation of the New Testament from Greek, and parts of the Old Testament from Hebrew.

Tyndale’s translation laid the groundwork for many later versions.

He was executed for heresy in 1536, but his work influenced nearly all English Bibles that followed.

4. Coverdale Bible (1535)

Translated by Miles Coverdale, using Tyndale’s work and other Latin and German versions.

The first complete printed Bible in English.

5. Matthew Bible (1537)

A compilation by John Rogers under the pseudonym "Thomas Matthew."

Combined Tyndale’s and Coverdale’s translations.

Authorized for use by King Henry VIII.

6. The Great Bible (1539)

Commissioned by Henry VIII and edited by Miles Coverdale.

The first English Bible authorized for public use in churches.

7. The Geneva Bible (1560)

Produced by English Protestant exiles in Geneva during Mary I’s reign.

The first English Bible with verse numbers, extensive marginal notes, and printed in Roman type.

Hugely influential, and favored by Puritans and Shakespeare’s generation.

8. Bishops’ Bible (1568)

Commissioned by the Church of England as an official replacement for the Geneva Bible.

Less popular due to its more difficult language and lack of helpful notes.

9. Douay-Rheims Bible (New Testament 1582; Old Testament 1609–1610)

The first English Catholic Bible, translated from the Latin Vulgate.

Done by English Catholics in exile at Douay and Rheims.

Response to Protestant versions and retained strong Latinized English.

10. King James Version (Authorized Version, 1611)

Commissioned by King James I to produce a politically and religiously unified translation.

Based on Tyndale, Coverdale, the Geneva Bible, and others.

Became the most influential and widely used English Bible for over 300 years.

11. Revised Version (1881–1885)

An official revision of the King James Version by British scholars.

Introduced modern scholarship and corrected older translations using Greek and Hebrew manuscripts.

12. American Standard Version (1901)

American revision of the Revised Version.

More literal and formal in style.

13. Revised Standard Version (1946–1952; OT completed in 1952, NT in 1946)

A major Protestant translation updating the ASV.

Balanced between formal accuracy and readable English.

14. New American Standard Bible (1971; updated 1995, 2020)

A very literal and formal translation, favored in conservative Protestant circles.

15. New International Version (1978; updated 1984, 2011)

A popular evangelical translation aiming for clarity and readability.

A dynamic equivalence translation (thought-for-thought).

16. New Revised Standard Version (1989)

Revision of the RSV.

Inclusive language and strong academic scholarship.

Widely used in academic, mainline Protestant, and Catholic contexts.

17. English Standard Version (2001)

A revision of the RSV with more conservative theological leanings.

Emphasizes word-for-word translation with literary elegance.

18. Common English Bible (2011)

Ecumenical effort with accessible language.

Focused on simplicity and readability for modern audiences.

19. The Message (2002)

A paraphrase rather than a formal translation.