Caesar, Mata Hari, and Mirza

Re: Prem, #11

I am many things (just ask RSaxena and harimau), but what I am not is blasphemous. I wouldn`t dare insult or be careless about things that are sacred to others.

Thank you so much, Prem, for you kind words and your faith and trust in me that I can carry out the challenge. I have enough votes for Prem Chand. Now, step 1: find a story by Prem Chand that I like. I looked up DesiStore-dot-com. With S&H it costs about twenty bucks, which at the current Pakistani exchange rate is...gulp...about twelve hundred rupees. But I guess you, Stuka, and my dear friend anNy are worth it.

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All right, I confess. I do believe in certain thoughts being just blasphemous.

Translating Prem Chand into English is one of those thoughts. I mean, what`s next? Sheikh Peer into Poorbi?

But, Godot does such a marvellous job of translations that I would trust him. So Godot Mian, let`s have one.

Two concerns though. Prem Chand/Dhanpat Rai/Nawab Rai wrote in both Urdu and Hindi. Some of his works are available in both languages, some in only one of the two. Tranlating a translation could be a challenge.

Also, Prem Chand was a very poor man most of his life. Often he had to write something/anything to put food on the table for his family. So, it is important to choose wisely. But there is no dearth of the best stuff.

Bade Bhai Saheb is fine. Idgah has a similar, wonderfully human touch to it (enough to bring tears into the eyes of the most heartless). But if you want more serious, quintessential Prem Chand, you may want to consider Kafan, Poos Ki Raat, Sawa Ser Gehoon, Do Bailon ki Katha, Bade Ghar Ki Beti etc. etc.

Re: ylh, #1

Thank you so much, Yasser.

Re: temporal, #2

Temporal, you are way too kind to me. Thank you so much. I remember you asked me to translate Yousufi in a post to ``My Sahib``. Well, here it is. This translation is dedicated to you.

I think you may have misunderstood ``Aatish`` in my translation. Of course, I didn`t mean a person by that; it was meant to be a reference to by-gone days (perhaps it was my spelling of ``Aatish`` that threw you off.)

I struggled quite a bit between ``Pond Cheri`` and ``Pondicherry``. You are ghaliban sahih; it should have been ``Pondicherry``.

You may have discovered some other errors in my writing as well. Before submitting to Chowk, I read it so many times that my eyes started to hurt. I thought I did a good job editing. However, when I read it on Chowk, I saw at least one typo and one grammatically incorrect sentence. Oh, well! Over all it didn`t turn out to be that bad a translation (I think.)

Re: veeresh, #3

Veeresh, one reason I translated this particular piece is to let non-Pakistani Chowk readers know that, overall, this is how Pakistanis are: liberal and broad-minded, and who can laugh at themselves (certainly a sign of people who are quite secure with themselves.) Pakistan is not all bearded-Mullahs that you have come to believe. The people you refer to are very few, but who, unfortunately, are just too loud and violent. I hope this translation will help you understand Pakistanis a little better and do away with some of your misconceptions about them.

Re: semipreciousme, #4

Thanks.

Re: Subroto, #5

Thank you, sir. One more coming up, but it may be a little while. These things are not that easy. They take up a lot of time.

Re: Urstruly, #6

Urstruly, thank you for the kind words. Yousufi is not pride of the Urdu language, he is pride of Pakistan. He is Pakistan`s treasure. This translation is a tribute to him. Yes, I love Shafique-ur-Rehman and his ``Shaytaan`` as well. I`ll find time to translate him. You`re right; his characters are quite innocent and quite elegant in their simplicity.

Thank you for reading the translations in one sitting. I think the credit goes to Manto (10 pages) and Yousufi (8 pages.)

Re: sac, #7

Thank you, sac. Cannot disagree with you. Yousufi has such a great command of the Urdu language. Loaded with the Persian words, his style and depth is unmatched. When I read the story in Urdu, it was just too hilarious; translating into English took something away from it. There were expressions that could not be translated (at least by me.) There is definitely a cost associated with a translation

Re: anNy, #8

This is just too uncanny! Munshi Prem Chand is precisely the writer I was thinking of translating next (I`m not kidding.) But I don`t have any books of his. I`ll try DesiStore-dot-com. Is there a story by him that you would like me to translate? I read most of the Urdu books in the late 60s and early 70s as a young boy in Pakistan (I don`t read Urdu books anymore.) I remember reading Prem Chand back then and liking his stories a lot, but I don`t remember any one in particular. But, you got it! He`s next (if I can find a book of his, that is.)

Thank you, dear friend.

Re: Stuka, #9

Thank you, Stuka. I will look into Badey Bhaisaheb (if I can find it.)

Godot:

Excellent job sir. Sac says the translation loses a little bit of the flavor. I wouldn`t know. But I did enjoy reading this story, along with the previous Manto one.

I would second AnNy`s request. Translate Premchand if possible. I remember one story of his Badey Bhaisaheb which was quite enjoyable.

Godot:

Not bad. Sometimes the translation loses its flavor for being a little too bland but I guess thats the price one pays for reading a translated work. temporal is right about `Atish` although I thought it was clever improvisation on your part :)

later

-sac

Godot

This was funny and sad by turn, well written all the way (and quite a long way that:). If you have time and the inclination, please do Prem Chand ka translation. I have read little bit of his work and loved his cheek!- reading it in english without having to run and look for huge, indecipherable words in the luggat would be great.

Dear Godot

What a delight it was to read this article. I am impressed with your command to translate, and to do the full justice with usage and sensibilities of the language. I consider those writers great (at Chowk and elsewhere)whose writing I can read in one sitting. Your ``My Sahib`` was great, it must be of more than 6 pages but I read it in one sitting. And same is the case with this article. You have done a wonderful job. I dont feel myself worthy of writing anything about Mushtaq A. Yousafi.He is a genre in himself. The pride of Urdu language.

I especially liked the following:

Nicely done:

``As the reader might have figured it out, forget about raising a dog, Professor Qazi Abdul Qaddoos’ relationship with dogs never went beyond a successful experiment of bites and bitten.``

Exquisite:

``I remember that day very well when these sinful eyes saw beauty at both end of the leash. Then, I had a beautiful yearning: after we get freedom from the Brits, and if I get lucky, I’d get a blue-eyed, shapely-legged, blond dog as a pet for sure.``

Hilarious:

``Mr. S. K. Dean was a distant relative of mine who happened to be my neighbor as well. He had a strong, pure Greyhound, whom he was raising with the neighbors’ blood.``

Godot,

very well done. Next, time if you get time, please look at Shafique ur rehman`s ``Shaytaan``. It is so innocent, and so beautiful.

Please sir can we have some more...

....nice....it`s good to see smt different on chowk for a change....

Mushtaq (and his pet?) will not be put to the stake with howling mobs of barking mullah fundoos for this?

godot:

...ji khoosh kar diya!...abhee jaldi maiN haiN...srif dou baatouN per tawajjah dilana chahaiNgay...``Atish`` ...say murad koi sakhs nahiN hay...srif guzri jawani ka zik`r kar rahay haiN...in the manner of `when we were young(er)`...aur haaN ``Pond Cheri`` ghaliban indian sheh`r Pondicherry ki taraf ishara hay... tafsilan bayan baad maiN likhaiN gay...kaavishaiN jaari rakhiyay...am sure dost-mittar will join me in saying `allah ray zoar-e-qal`m aur ziyadah`?:)

khoosh raho,

temporal

Your knowledge and the scope of your reading never fails to amaze me. Thankyou for a wonderful piece.