Sampada Kunkolienkar tells NT BUZZ why she chose to translate a four-decade-old Kashmiri classic book into Konkani
KALYANI JHA | NT BUZZ
In 1984, professor Mohammed Zaman Azurdah, the former dean of Kashmir University, won the Sahitya Akademi award for his Kashmiri book ‘Essay Essay Essay’. Fast forward to present day and Konkani readers will now be able to enjoy it in their language as Sampada Kunkolienkar prepares to release her translated version ‘Vicharkan’ on July 17.
Having previously translated the Gujarati bestseller, ‘Karma No Sidhant’ and Bhagwat Gita’s essence in Konkani, Kunkolienkar was approached by Sahitya Akademi to translate this new work as part of its translation programme. Her personal love for essays and non-fiction prompted her to immediately take it up.
The book contains 19 philosophical essays. Among these, she points to one on ‘spoons’ that explores how sycophancy often takes people further in life than merit. Another reflects on honest workers, observing that those who work sincerely are often burdened with even more responsibility.
Translating the work, from its earlier English version to Konkani however, was not without its challenges.
“There is the issue of script and also of preserving the flavour of the original language,” explains Kunkolienkar. One such challenge involved the Kashmiri word ‘Kangar’. “In English, it was written as ‘Kangari’, but I was constantly in touch with professor Azurdah to confirm the pronunciation. In Devanagari we can write exactly what we hear, so I wanted to retain the authentic pronunciation. He was very happy that I could represent it correctly,” she says.
Conveying cultural expressions and idioms that have no direct equivalent in English was also difficult. Rather than replacing Kashmiri cultural references with Konkani ones, she chose to preserve the original expressions. “For example, there is the word ‘Fira’, which refers to the first visit of a newly married woman to her parental home. We have a similar custom in Goa, but I retained ‘Fira’ because that is what the author used,” she explains. “The original book gives the Kashmiri idiom along with its explanation, so I have retained both. I have translated the essays faithfully. They remain Kashmiri essays in Konkani.”
Despite its complexities, Kunkolienkar found the process rewarding. “I had the English translation and I also had the opportunity to interact with the author. We had dictionaries and resources to choose the right words,” she says, adding that the translation itself took several months, followed by revisions, typing, and the Sahitya Akademi review process.
The project also became a deeply personal learning experience for her. The essay on termites in particular remains her favourite one. “It explains that the termites in wood are visible, but there are termites inside human beings that are invisible and destroy us from within,” she says.
Another essay that left a lasting impression on her explores human nature. “The author says that animals are often kinder than human beings. A bull can only attack from the front and a snake bites only when provoked. But a human being can hurt you from every direction, even without reason. These philosophical observations are still very relevant today,” she says.
The essays, she says, also underline the inseparable relationship between language and culture.
“The author says that many people have come to Kashmir and studied it, but if they do not know the language of the people, they can only understand the culture superficially. That applies everywhere in India,” she says.
(The book will be released on July 17, 4 p.m. at Goa State Central Library, Panaji.)
