CREATIVE TRANSLATION OF POETRY

https://www.altalang.com/beyond-words/can-poetry-be-translated/

As I begin my blog in the capacity of a professional translator, with over 15 years of experience, it needs to be reiterated that Dr. Harivansh Rai Bachchan is the single most popular and the most revered Hindi poet of India. Apart from a host of literary compositions, his poetic epic "MADHUSHALA"has been an all-time favourite not only with the Indian readership but with the readers of the world, possible only due to the translations in ENGLISH and other languages.

Here, the poet chooses to deal with the philosophy of human-life, through the instrument of "MADHUSHALA" (the place where alcohol is served, the English translation for which can be THE HOUSE OF WINE, THE TAVERN, etc).

English translations of Dr. Harivansh Rai Bachchan's poetic epic "MADHUSHALA" have, till date, been, more or less, line-to-line explanations of the poetry in prose form, in English. As it is, translation of poetry in its true poetic form is, indeed, a daunting and an intellectually p(g)ainful accomplishment. The exercise becomes even tougher with poetry having philosophical undertones. Being a three-level exercise - comprehension, assimilation and reproduction - justice has to be done on all these three levels. Much of the "feel", the literary finesse, the rhyme, the rhythm, the actual lines in a stanza and the flavour that a reader of poetry enjoys in the original language, gets lost in the process of translation. The reason is simple to understand. Imperfection at any of these three levels. Adequate time, thought and labor has to be devoted to achieve the kind of recreation that may be only next to the original creation. A real CREATIVE TRANSLATION OF POETRY.

Dr. Harivansh Rai Bachchan, the great poet and the (Late) father of Dada Saheb Phalke awardee, celebrity of Bollywood movies, Mr. Amitabh Bachchan, is composed of "quatrains", verses of four lines, with a generous use of metaphors and philosophical undertones. Another remarkable characteristic of his poetry is that all the "rubaiaan" (verses) end in the word MADHUSHALA".

The instruments of "MADHU", "MADIRA" or "HALA" (alcohol or wine etc.), "SAAKI" (bar-maid, wine-maiden etc.), "PYALA" (glass, the cup etc.), and, of course, "MADHUSHALA", "MADIRALAYE" (the place where alcohol is served, the tavern, the house of wine) have been used to explain the complexity of life.

While translating a poetry, it is the duty of the translator to preserve and keep intact all the various and unique characteristics of poetry, so that a poetic "CLONE" is developed that does 100% justice to the work of its original creator. (Please do check the real essence of the poetry in Hindi and compare it with the translation in English, pl. also compare the rhyme, the rhythm and the highlighted words to get the real flavour of Dr. Harivanshrai's "MADHUSHALA")

SOME EXAMPLES

"MADHUSHALA", in Hindi by DR. HARIVANSHRAI BACHCHAN (Translated in English as THE BAR-HALL by NAVEEN TEWARI)

[ 1 ]

With grapes made of subtle emotions,

Today, I ferment my wine all,

With own hands O’ darling dear,

I’ll make you drink the glass all,

                          You’re the one I’ll offer first,

                                      And then the world may get its taste,

You’re the one, who’s welcome first,

In to my own BAR HALL.

[ 2 ]

For your thirst, I’ll scorch the world,

And draw from it the wine all,

Alike the barmaid on one foot,

Dance to the tune of glasses all,

                            On you the sweetness of this life,

                            Long ago I had offered,

It’s me today, who will dedicate,

To you the world’s BAR HALL.

[ 3 ]

You’re my wine O’ darling dear,

And, I, the thirsty glass wall,

You fill me in yourself, then,

You turn a drinker, all in all,

                            I fill you and then I spill,

                            You fill me and go carefree,

For each other we are made,

Today, in this BAR HALL.

                                         

To be continued....