To understand the weight of the first hymn, one must understand the spiritual vacuum of pre-colonial Mizo society. The Mizos believed in a cycle of Pathian (a benevolent sky god) and Ramhuai (malevolent spirits). Their rituals, often bloody and fear-based, were accompanied by specific chants. When the Welsh missionaries of the Arthington Aborigines Mission arrived in 1894 at Sairang, they brought with them the Gospel of Luke and a collection of English and Welsh hymns. However, the initial message was verbal and textual. The missionaries realized quickly that the Mizo—a tribe with a robust oral tradition—would learn doctrine faster through melody than through sermons alone.
Kum tam ka zawng a, a chhar a har; Mi sual ka ni lo, ka inbe miah lo, Mahse Isua ka zawn ta.
A fountain filled with blood, Drawn from Immanuel’s veins; And sinners, plunged beneath that flood, Lose all their guilty stains. mizo kristian hla hmasa ber
te khan kum 1894 leh 1898 inkar khan Sap hla (English hymns) 7 vel Mizo tawngin an lo let tawh a. Hla Bu Hmasa Ber : Kum 1899 khan D.E. Jones (Zosaphluia)
Thisen luang a awm e, Krista kevun a lo chhuak; Ka thisen a bawlh hian, Ka sual a kiang famkim. To understand the weight of the first hymn,
Mahse, “Kan Pathian chu ropuiziawma a ni” tih hi a thluk a awlsam a, a thumal a fuh vek a, a hla sak pawh a awlsam duh khawp mai. Chuvang chuan missionary-te hian Kristian hmasa berte zirtir nan an hmang a, chu chu a hlawhtling hle a ni.
Church historians generally point to a few specific compositions when discussing the earliest Mizo Christian hymns. Because the earliest works were printed in pamphlets before a formal hymnbook was published, there are slight historical nuances regarding which song holds the absolute title of "the first." 1. "Krista Unau Hla" (The Brotherhood of Christ) When the Welsh missionaries of the Arthington Aborigines
"O God, I rejoice / You have saved my soul / I am no longer afraid / Of the punishment of sin."
Heng hla hlui hmasa zualte leh an hla thu kimchang zawk hi Kristian Hlabu hrang hrangah hian chhiar theih a ni. Mizo Studies
Musically, Mizo Kristian Hla Hmasa Ber introduced Western scales and instruments to the hills. While the lyrics were Mizo, the tunes were largely imported Welsh and English melodies (such as "Cymanfa Ganu" tunes). Yet, the Mizo people adapted these tunes to suit their vocal range and style.
" hi Mizo literature leh Kristian sakhuaah hmun pawimawh tak luahtu, Mizo kutchhuak hla hmasa ber a ni reng tawh dawn a ni. Mizo Kristian hla phuahtu dangte chanchin emaw, chungchang hriat belh duh i nei em? Book of the Year Hmasa Ber (1989