Koryun - The Life Mashtots

Koryun, a student of St. Mesrop Mashtots and one of the translators of Bible into Armenian (5th century), is telling about the creation of Georgian alphabet. ( Koriun, "The Life of Mashtots" Yerevan, 1981. Translated from Old Armenian (Grabar) by Bedros Norehad )

კორიუნი, წმ. მაშტოცის მოწაფე და ბიბლიის სომხური თარგმანის ერთერთი ავტორი (მე-5 საუკუნე) ”მაშტოცის ცხოვრების” ამ ნაწყვეტში მოგვითხრობს წმ. მაშტოცის მიერ ქართული ანბანის შექმნის შესახებ

XV

Again, after the passage of sonie time, the beloved of Christ thought of taking care of the barbarian regions, and by the grace of God undertook to create an alphabet for the Georgian language. He wrote, arranged, and put it in order, and taking a few of his pupils, arrived in the regions of Georgia. And he went and presented himself to King Bakour, and the bishop of the land, Moses.

He placed his skill at their disposal, advised and urged them, and they consented to do what he requested. And he found a Georgian translator by the name of Jagha, a literate and devout man. The Georgian king then ordered that youths be gathered from various parts and provinces of his realni and brought to the vardapet. Taking them he put them throughthe forge of education, and with spiritual love and energy he removed [frbm them] the purulent uncleanliness of the worship of spirits and false idols, and he separated and purged them from their native [traditions], and made them lose their recollection to such an extent that they said, “I forgot my people and my father’s house.”

And thus they who had been gathered from among so many distinct and dissimilar tongues, he bound together with one (set of) divine commandments, transforming them into one nation and glorifiers of one God. There were found among them men worthy of attaining the order of bishop, first among whom was a saintly and devout man by the name of Samuel, who became the Bishop of the royal court.

And when he had organized the work of God’s worship in all parts of Georgia, taking leave of them he returned to Armenia, and meeting Sahak, the Catholicos of the Armenians, recounted all that had transpired [and] together they glorified God and the exalted Christ. (285)