Readers Write In #689: Translations, Tamil Literature and Posterity
By Eswar
What do ‘Crime and Punishment‘, ‘One hundred Years of Solitude‘ and ‘The Little Prince‘ have in common? They are all famous literary works that are, even to this day, widely read all over the world. Yet, all of these works were not originally written in English. For ages, it didn’t dawn on me that these works have been read and raved primarily through a translated version. Several translated works from non-English languages are recognized as masterpieces. The literary world would be poorer without these translations.
Books translated into English have a far-reaching impact. Translating to English makes it possible for the work to be further translated into other languages. For example, Albert Camus’s short story L’Hôte is available in Tamil as Virunthali via the English translation The Guest. Translations break down language barriers and present literature in a language familiar to the reader. Tamil language, surprisingly, carries numerous translated works from foreign languages through English. In India, translated works from various Indian languages, directly or through English, help readers appreciate the broader Indian literary landscape. Tamil literature includes several such works translated from other regional languages as well. Noted Tamil writer Sundara Ramaswamy’s first work is the translation of Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai’s Malayalam novel, Thottiyude Makan.
Translation is more than merely making a text available in another language. Translating a literary work is a creative process in its own right. A good translator is first and foremost an author. They ensure the translated work reads like a book published directly in the translated language, providing an enjoyable reading experience for native readers. There is something pleasant and joyful about reading in a language one feels at home. The sound of the words, their meaning, and familiarity make reading translated works in a favorite language quite delightful.
For two millennia, literary forms of all kinds have been explored and published in the Tamil literary space, yet, not many of them have been translated to English. A small number of works that have been translated are also publicized only within India for Indian readers. Internationally, these translations are known only among Tamil scholars and academics. In comparison, translations from other international languages are both widely received and well appreciated. It is easier to find a copy of Meditations or Rumi’s poems at a major bookstore in an international city than a Tirukkural or a collection of Sangam poems.
Sri Lankan Tamil writer A.Muttulingam once described the process involved in translating foreign language works to English in countries like the USA. There, elaborate systems are in place to oversee the translation process. Translation samples received from several translators are reviewed by a committee before awarding the translation work to a chosen translator. If this is indeed the process followed, this explains the quality of these translated works. Having a systematic process might also look after other challenges such as promoting the book and appropriate remuneration for the translators.
Recent developments have given hope to the future of Tamil literature in English. In 2022 Jeyamohan’s Aram, a personal favorite of mine, was translated into English as Stories of the True by Priyamvada Ramkumar. The book made it to the final list of the American Literary Translators Association National Translation Award in Prose last year. Priyamvada has also received an international grant for the yet-to-release translation of Jeyamohan’s Vellai Yanai. Following Aram, Jeyamohan’s novel Ezham Ulagam was published as The Abyss, translated by Suchitra Ramachandran. It is encouraging to see the works of Jeyamohan, one of the finest writers in Tamil, entering the international stage through English. Priyamvada and Suchitra have also started the Mozhi initiative, a platform promoting translation from various Indian languages. In 2023 Perumal Murugan’s Pyre, Pookuzhi in Tamil, became the first Tamil work ever to be long-listed for the International Booker Prize. An international award from a leading body would attract translators and publishers to bring forth more quality Tamil works into English.
Why is it vital to make Tamil literature available in English? Is it to establish the status of Tamil among the world literature? Is it to present some of the finest Tamil writers on the international stage? While these are all desirable, an even more indispensable reason to have these works available in English is for posterity. For the descendants of Tamils who do not know how to read the language, translations will be the only way to enter the world of Tamil literature. Literature is often the starting point to know the people, culture, history and philosophy of a land.
In regions where Tamil is not a subject at school, parents keen to pass on the language to their children teach Tamil outside of school. These children may learn the alphabet, converse in Tamil, and some of them might go on even to read in the language. Yet, I doubt if Tamil would ever become their preferred language to read. It is very likely that English will be their choice for reading. By choosing English, these children might miss out on the beauty of the original text, but they will, at the very least, be familiar with what Tamil has to offer. If the choice is between reading Avvaiyar in English or not knowing Avvaiyar at all, I would prefer the former over the latter.
In a recent article titled ‘Or Azhagiya Thodakkam’, A Beautiful Beginning, writer Jeyamohan shared a video from YouTube. In the video, Meghana, Sahana and Shankari, children of Tamil origin growing up in the West, discuss the books they have read. While their enthusiasm to speak about what they have read is laudable, it is even more exciting that these children read translations from Tamil, Telugu and Bengali. These translations provide them an opportunity to know their roots and themselves better. As Jeyamohan mentions, this might be a small initiative, but it carries the potential for transforming into something of greater significance and leaving a lasting effect. Some of these children could go on to re-translate these works. Others may develop an interest in learning the language like Thomas H Pruiksma who came to Madurai to learn Tamil and went on to translate Thirukkural and poems of Avvaiyar.
‘Thirai kadal odiyum thiraviyam thedu’, Seek good life beyond the ocean swell, pronounced the sage Avvaiyar. As Tamils steadily continue emigrating and establishing their homes in foreign lands, having Tamil literature available in English is more essential than ever before. Without these translations, the future Tamil children will lose yet another window to their past.
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