The Vernacular Language

 My professor inspires me; she offers ideas and all I want to do is explore all the possibilities in my head. A new assignment from her stirred up some precious memories and some musings. 

• As you read more, your opinions transform; you form opinions, and the old ones sometimes vanish. Something similar happened to me. I grew up in Bihar, and when I stepped out of my state I realized I was now representing my state, in a completely new place. Now that I had to talk to people about Bihar to outsiders too, I started reading about it. The language, Bhojpuri, when spoken with the natives gives me a welcoming feeling. Now that I call my friends, I prefer talking to them in Bhojpuri, than in other languages.

• Irrespective of the place, I have always been fond of folk traditions. The variedness is amazing. While visiting the same state, you might come across very opposite or similar traditions. It fascinates me. I believe this interest developed due to my family. It was them, who kept on appreciating cultures, but when moved out of the home state, appreciated other cultures as well. They narrated stories of difference and similarities to me. Now that I am in a new state, I try to locate a pattern in the traditions. 

• Recently I was assigned a task of translation in one of my favorite classes. It was to translate the poem, I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud by William Wordsworth. We were supposed to translate in Hindi, but a thought struck my mind, how about Bhojpuri?! I was full of words but lacked the appropriate ones. I was trying hard to remember idioms and phrases too. It amazed me at the end, how the translation turned out to be easy because of memories. I recalled how I used to share stories with Dadu, Nani, and Nanu (grandparents). My Dadi passed away a long time away, but her dialogues are eternal. She used to abuse in Bhojpuri, using really complicated words. Back to the translation process, I called my Mother and my Kaku (uncle) to confirm some words. I rang up my sister to recite the translated version. Her reaction made me think of people I know, who will be so happy to read a Bhojpuri poem.

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I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud 

By William Wordsworth

English I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o'er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. Continuous as the stars that shine And twinkle on the milky way, They stretched in never-ending line Along the margin of a bay: Ten thousand saw I at a glance, Tossing their heads in sprightly dance. The waves beside them danced; but they Out-did the sparkling waves in glee: A poet could not but be gay, In such a jocund company: I gazed—and gazed—but little thought What wealth the show to me had brought: For oft, when on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood, They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude; And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils.

Bhojpuri हम घुमत रहीं अकेले, बन के बदरी जे तैरेला पहाड़ान के भीरी  एक हाली में देखनी हम, भीड़ के लोगन के ना, ऊ रहे फूलन के पोखरा के भीरी, गछिया के जरी ऊ खूब नाचे, लहरावे, आ फहरावे। लगार लागे ला जईसे चमचमावत तारा के, मान१ टिमटिमावत बाटे ऊ आकास गंगा में खीचाईल रहे ऊ एगो पाई निहन बुझ१, संगे, एगो खाड़ी बड़हन दिखल फूल हजारो, ऐके गो नजर में जईसे सिर घुमेला जोस से थिरकला में। ओकर नियरा के धार चमकल बाकि ऊ फूल, ढेर चमकल अब कबी कईसे खुस ना होई जब भेंट टोली ले होई। देखला पे देरी ले, तनिक हम सोचनी का तिजोरी दिखा देलस ई एगो फूल। संजोगे, जईसे लेटनी खटिया पे दुनो, खाली आ भरल सोच लेले फुलवे से बुझाईल ह दुनिया के रीति तब बुझनी ह अकेले रहे के खुसी  अब जीव जुड़ा गईल हमार आ जिया नाचल, फिन एनकी बार!

• Now that I have translated a poem from one language to another, I realise what is - “losing essence in translation.” Not that willingly I have misinterpreted, but some concepts are explained better in the languages written. Though the new version might surprise the audience sometime, but the original remains the original. I have tried my best.

Happy reading!

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Shreya

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