Gysbert Japiks

Gysbert Japiks Holckema, better known as simply Gysbert Japiks (; 1603–1666), was a West Frisian writer, poet, schoolmaster, and cantor.

Life Japiks was born in Bolsward, Friesland, as Gysbert Japiks Holckema or Holkema. Japiks used his patronym and not his surname in his writing. Japiks was a school teacher by profession. In 1656, three of his children had died of the plague and Japiks's eyesight 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. Around 1650, Japiks and Abbe Freerks Gabbema started a letter exchange most of which still exists in which Gabbema encouraged Japiks to publish and avoid Dutch orthography in his Frisian writings. His publisher Rintjus however was reluctant to publish in Frisian. Japiks's 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 in Friessche Tjerne (1640) and also posthumously in Fryske Rijmlerye (1668).

Example First part of the song 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 by Aad Nuis, State Secretary of Education, Culture and Science. The House also contains the local tourist agency and a bookstore specializing in the Frisian language.