Bhagat Ram

Zahra

There`s no way I can even imagine to mock something like Parabola. That was an honest spelling mistake...anyway, I`ll get in touch with you off line...

Go.

I am glad that you followed my suggested route. I hope you liked what you discovered ? I just want to clarify something. Are you making fun of Parabola by saying ``megazine vs. magazine`` ? It can be a spelling mistake but I just want to confirm. As I said earlier, I am very sensitive and territorial about this beautiful subscription that I have chosen to look into on a very regular basis.

If you do not mind before you submit the story to Parabola, I would like to take a peek. Again, I am not an authority but I would still like to see how you are presenting it.
I hope you will not consider it an intrusion. You can send the story to me at zahraj@optonline.net

Take Care.

Dost-mittar

Thanks, Dost. You’re right. The nuances and subtleties inherent in a culture are impossible to translate. A translator can only hope to come so close. You are also right, then, that Krishan Chandar’s humor is very specific to our South Asian culture and cannot be translated with the same slant without sounding silly. Since you mentioned it, I’m guessing that you know Urdu quite well and have read Krishan in Urdu...


Zahra

Sorry, Zahra, for responding late. I actually went through the course you charted for me at B&N. This morning, I did have in its café a cup of emperor’s tea without milk and sugar browsing through the lates issue of Parabola, and had a wonderful time (you were also right; it wasn’t easy locating it and I had to spend good effort with their help staff!) I know what you mean. The megazine opeartes at a different level and it’s not for everyone. I think you are right. “Bhagat Ram” may fit in one of their themes. I think I will submit this translation to the megazine for one of its themes and see if it makes it. Thank you so much for making me aware of this megazine. You’re a good friend.

Go.

I think you misread how Parabola works. It`s core philosophy is based on ``Myth, Tradition and the Search For Meaning.``

Now, they pick stories from different religions, faiths, following, leanings, cultures and you name it. The reason I asked you to submit this story, not necessarily presenting as a word by word translation of Krishan Chand, was to use something from your ending para as the theme. It can be human goodness, compassion or whatever. Since Parabola has themes like, War, Peace, Passion, Intimacy, Riddle & Mystery, Grace, The Ego and I, and many others therefore it struck me that the above story can be presented from south asian origin. I do not think that this story is true story. I am not sure. Even if it`s not, it can be presented as a fable from South Asia. You can certainly mention, taken from Krishen Chandar`s works...

I love Parabola and I am very touchy and senstive about the said magazine. I would not even route many of close friends on what it entails. That`s like my secret. It`s like a pretty deep and intense and enchanting pandora`s box. Somehow, something in the end of this story prompted me to route you to Parabola.

Your other article was an interesting read and I think I read it way back, but this one is more appropriate to be submitted to Parabola. You can only understand what I am saying by following the steps below:
- Head out to your local B&N
- Get the latest issue of Parabola
- If you do not find it then give the customer service guys a real tough time. Hopefully, they will get that for you
- Get yourself a cup of emperor`s white tea(without milk and sugar)
- Take a seat at the Cafe
- Review the table of contents
- Look into the overall mix of articles, stories, mythical works, poems and other stuff
- Think about this piece and how you can leverage it.
- Finish your tea before you leave. Only finish your tea once you make up your mind otherwise leave it there.

Good luck.

Godot:
This is your best translation yet. But it`s no criticism of yours when I say that Krishan Chandar`s wit and sarcasm can be truly enjoyed in his original Urdu.
Keepupthegoodwork!

punjabi zulu,

ah! then in your case we would have to change ghalib`s `dil hi tau hai NA sang-e-khasht to dil hi tau hai YE sang-e-khasht.`

and another one bites the dust!

:-)

nooralain

My heart is made of stone. It cannot be stirred back to life.

:-)

trulyurs,
thank you! i`m reading `aik muhabbat sau afsanay` right now, so will keep a lookout for that.

punjabi zulu,
i grew up watching ashfaq ahmad do a talk show, and have read some of his stuff. . .also watched the series on television. . .he really isn`t such a sap, but if a translation of one of his stories should appear here on chowk, you`ll have a chance to put that facetious remark to the test ; )

I second Urstruly suggestion and would urge people to contribute stories from as many sub-continental languages as possible.

Urstruly

It`s already there. It`s one of the side-bars on the front page. Under ``ExploreChowk`` you`ll see Translations where all the translations that have appeared on Chowk are kept.

Chowk encourages all to submit ``original`` translations from any South Asian language. All those translations are there in one place.

Hope it helps...

Godot:

I think Chowk Staff should create a separate category of ``Translations``; that would really be a priceless treasure in Chowk`s database.

PZ

Thanks! I don’t know which writer is next on my list. I don’t plan my translations in advance. It’s too early to tell. My approach is that, when I’m ready to translate, I read a few stories from my collection, select one, and go for it. Your suggestion for Rajinder Singh Bedi is duly noted. I’ve never read him, but I think I have a few of his stories in my collection. I will read them, and if I feel I can do justice to any one of his stories, I will surely translate it for Chowk.


M.B.Z.Isphahani

Thanks for reading it and your commentary. I agree with your thought. To believe without conviction is hypocrisy, and leaves one shallow and in disarray. Bhagat Ram, on the other hand, believed with strong conviction in his own way and practiced it in his own way. Most people will not understand him.


Warpster

It’s indeed very powerful. Thanks for reading it.


Rozaiba

Thanks, Rozaiba.


Soundmeister

Looking back at our history of exchanges, yours is surely a great compliment...you seemed to have turned the page... Thanks for your very kind words.

However, I do think that the author had to state the obvious in the end. I don’t think the story would have been complete without it.


Zahra

Thanks, Zahra!

I took some liberties with the phrases. Not all of it is Krishan Chandar’s. I had to do that to keep the flow of the story and to convey the feeling of the narrator towards the protagonist (as I saw it).

Thank you so much for the link. I checked it out. I don’t know if any of my translations fit any of the themes. However I think My Identity that I wrote for Chowk a while back may have a shot at one of the themes. And, hey, thanks again. That was very considerate of you.


SamiT

I’m sorry, I’m not sure what is it that you are trying to say...


baaghiraja

Your comment is very humbling, Nadeem. Apparently you have read the original in Urdu...and apparently you read it the same way I did. Many thanks.


babelicious

Thanks Nyda. Glad you enjoyed it.


Urstruly

Thank you so much.

I think credit goes to the creative genius of the Chowk founders for providing such an opportunity to me (and to all of us). Chowk staff has been very generous to me, and the site indeed should get the credit for trying to preserve our South Asian heritage.

Btw, lol @ ishq kameena...it indeed is...makes grown men do silly things...


nooralain

Thanks noor. You are right. I do need a fresh set of eyes to scan my writings before I submit for publication.


Farzana

Thanks Farzana. I figured since I know Urdu well enough (don’t speak it as much though), and have learned at least working-level English in America, I might as well take advantage of it and contribute what I am very fortunate to have.

Btw, “left pinky” = “baiyen haath ki chhunglia”

This Ashfaq Ahmad sounds like a real sap.

nooralain

In one of his epic ``ek mohabbat sau afsaanay`` (which was also a popular TV serial once), I forgot exactly which one of the hundered stories; I guess you will have to go through all of them.

trulyurs. . .
where exactly does ashfaq ahmad (and i do know about him) write that. is it in one of his short stories?

FV

Then you know nothing about men. The writer Ashfaq Ahmad ( I don`t expect you to know about him) writes about holding a water tap (nalka) all day long hoping that across the city somewhere his beloved would touch the tap in her house and then thru this web of water pipes burried under the city streets connecting one house to the other he would be able to touch her.........

Its Ishq kameena...that`s all