Gysbert Japiks

Gysbert Japiks
Gysbert Japicx, 1637, portrait byMatthijs Harings
Born	Gysbert Japiks Holckema 1603 Bolsward,Netherlands
Died	1666(1666-00-00)(aged 62–63) Bolsward
Nationality	Dutch
Occupation(s)	Poet, teacher
Notable work	Friessche Tjerne(1640)

Gysbert JapiksHolckema,better known as simplyGysbert Japiks(1603–1666), was aWest Frisianwriter, poet,schoolmaster,andcantor.

Life

Japiks was born inBolsward,Friesland, as Gysbert Japiks Holckema or Holkema. Japiks used hispatronymand not his surname in his writing.Japiks was a school teacher by profession. In 1656, three of his children had died of theplagueand Japiks' eye sight had been affected by the disease. Except for his son Salves, he would lose all his children and his wife to disease. In 1666 Japiks died of the plague.

Japiks started writing from an early age. He wrote inDutch,FrisianandLatin.He admired theLatinpoetsHoraceandOvid,but was also an enthusiast for his own West Frisianmemmetaal,ormother tongue.His first known poetry in dates back from 1639. In his early works Japiks portrayed the life of rural Friesland, and was characterised by excessivealliteration.Much of his work were translations and reworkings of Latin poets, but also the Dutch poetsVondelandConstantijn Huygensfeatured prominently in his work. His first published work in book form wasFriessche Tjerne(1640).In 1644,Franciscus Juniuswas researching Old German languages, and visited Japiks for work and information about the West Frisian language.Around 1650, Japiks and Abbe Freerks Gabbema started a letter exchange most of which still exists in which Gabbema encouraged Japiks to publish and avoidDutch orthographyin his Frisian writings. His publisher Rintjus however was reluctant to publish in Frisian.

His work was the most notable in that language of his day and had the effect of elevating Frisian to literary status.Japiks' orthography with a much more nuanced and phonetically correct spelling which is significantly different from the Dutch orthography,is very similar to the current official spelling.The poems of Japiks were published inFriessche Tjerne(1640) and also posthumously inFryske Rijmlerye(1668).

Songs

Japiks's Frisian songs werecontrafactato well-known tunes by composers such asGoudimel,Bourgeois,andPierre Guédron.A selection from them was recorded by Frisian singers andCamerata Trajectinain 2003.

Example

First part of the song 'Wolkom freugde fan 'e wrâld' in the original, modern and English version:

Wol-komm' freugde fenne Wrâd, Haed-ljeacht oerre Stierren, Griente, Kruwd in Blomme-Fâd, Mietter fen uwz jieren, Hijmmel-eag dy 't al oer-sjocht Dy uwz Dauwe in Miste' ontjocht Dy uwz 't fjild bemiellet, Ja mey goud oer-striellet.

Wolkom freugde fan 'e wrâld, haadljocht oer de stjirren, griente, krûd blommefâd, mjitter fan ús jierren, himeleach, dy't al oersjocht dy ús dauwe en mist ûntsjocht dy ús 't fjild bemielet. Ja, mei goud oerstrielet.

Welcome joy of the world, headlight over the stars, greens, herb and flower custodian, measurer of our years, heaven-eye that oversees all that pulls us away dew and fog that paints us the field. Yes, radiates it with gold.

Gysbert Japicx House

The house in which Gysbert Japiks was born, was bought in 1979 by his descendants Arjen Holkema and Trijntje Holkema-Slot and turned into a museum. The museum was opened 25 September 1997 byAad Nuis,State SecretaryofEducation, Culture and Science.The House also contains the localtourist agencyand a bookstore specializing in the Frisian language.

External links

• Gysbert Japicx at Digital Library for Dutch Literature(in Frisian and Dutch -Wirkenavailable for free download)
• Gysbert Japicx House(in Dutch and Frisian)