Express News Service
CHENNAI: For centuries, works from Tamil classic literature have served as a guide to understanding the history and heritage of the land, and taken the form of a repository of aphoristic teachings and knowledge, which can be tapped for the better good. To ensure its consumption by people across the globe, these works have also been translated into different foreign languages.
The landscape of these literary translations, especially in English, has gone through colossal transformations, taking new forms to suit the ever-changing context. The newer crop of translators has almost always been successful in finding contemporary ways to interpolate refreshing dimensions to the age-old words, without breaking its nucleus. For the last five years, Chenthil Nathan has been on a journey to translate classic Tamil poetry spanning 2,000 years.
“All of us could do with some ancient wisdom and poetry, don’t you agree?” asks the mechanical engineer, over a phone call. An avid blogger since 2002, Chenthil’s journey into English translations began in 2015, when he came across a US-based professor, who was then translating the works of Greek poet Homer. “He was translating the works in a way that it was relevant and consumable to people. A friend brought this to my notice and suggested I embark on a similar endeavour for Tamil poems,” shares the translator, who runs a transportation business in Thoothukudi.
Ask him what fuelled his interest in the Tamizh language and he points to the people he grew up with and met during his younger years. “My growing years were spent in places like Thoothukudi, Pudukottai and Kumbakonam. Here, most of my neighbours had children who went to Tamil medium schools. For someone who was part of an English medium school, learning the Tamil names of elements in the periodic table and other subject-based jargons fascinated me,” he shares. In February 2016, Chenthil started a Twitter account, Old Tamil Poetry, to share his original English translations.
Today, the handle boasts a following of over 24,000 people. “In 2020, I had about 15,000 followers. In the last year, the page has gained about 9,000 followers. Consistency of the posts and quality of content matter. Sometimes, I replug some of my old translations too, it will be new to someone who has just started following me. So, I ensure there is constant engagement,” he informs. From Thirukkural, Kundalakesi, Nattrinai, Neethi Neri, Puranaooru, Kurunthokai, Kalingathu Parani to Naladiyaar, Chenthil has so far translated over 700 poems from the Sangam period to 17th century.
“My creative process is spontaneous. I never plan what I am going to translate or post. Whenever inspiration strikes, I quickly jot it down on my laptop, work around bettering the translation and then post it. The reception for the translation of Sangam poetic pieces have been excellent,” he shares. Chenthil’s focus is more on the readability and understandability of the translations than the form and metrics. “This has worked well for me. I am not a ‘professional’ nor have I formally learned this art. My focus is on taking the goodness of these poems in its truest form to the audience,” he shares.
A time-consuming, long project, Chenthil confesses he feels uninspired at times. But his passion, he tells, gets the better of him and the monotony takes a back seat. “Many people who follow my page have suggested I turn the translations into a book. But since my translations are a mixed bag of literary pieces, I am now chalking a plan to focus on one and complete translations for it.
For instance, 1,330 couplets in the Thirukkural. So I want to translate all the kurals so that they can be made into a book. I am hopeful that this translates into reality. But for now, I am happy serving ancient wisdom to everyone,” he shares. For details, visit Twitter handle @oldtamilpoetry
No comments:
Post a Comment