The Book of Psalms. English and Japanese.

HEPBURN (James Curtis).

Hepburn's Romanised Japanese applied to Psalms

First edition. 12mo. Red morocco, gilt on spine and top board. Printed in English and transcription into Romaji. Minor damage to head- and tail-cap, but overall still a very good copy. Printed ex-libris of George Cochran on front pastedown, ms. presentation note from E. M. Saunby (wife of John W. Saunby) pasted on front free endpaper. [iv], 263pp. Yokohama, Seishi Bunsha, 1888.

£2,500

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HEPBURN (James Curtis).

The Book of Psalms. English and Japanese.

The first complete Japanese version of the Psalms, printed in English together with the Japanese using Hepburn's system of Romanisation.

James Curtis Hepburn (1815-1911) was an American Presbyterian missionary who arrived in Japan in 1859. He ended up staying for 33 years and also worked as a physician, educator, and translator. Famously, he invented the Hepburn Romanisation system for transliterating Japanese – which is still used as standard practice today. Together with Kishida Ginko he completed the first Japanese-English dictionary to be published in Japan in 1867. Later, he contributed to the translation of the first complete Bible into Japanese.

Provenance: George Cochran’s (1834-1901, first Canadian missionary to Japan) with his bookplate. Together with a ms presentation note by Eliza M. Saunby (wife of John W. Saunby, 1858-1925, another Canadian missionary) to Dr. Brown.

Rare in commerce.

Stock No.

262812

The Book of Psalms. English and Japanese.

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