The Tamil Tint!

का हाल बाटे?

Writing in Bhojpuri restricts my other language-speaking readers. You and I realize this, it’s equivalent. But the difference sparked when Alexander the Great realized it. He wanted the Greek scholars to convert the contemporary literature. The process of translation and its history is dated thousands of years ago. The details could be traced from scholars like Roman Jacobson, Gideon Toury, Mona Baker, and Venuti. But nothing could surpass the contribution of Horace and Cicero when it comes to the history of translational studies.

Translation is in the air these days. How? Globalization!

You visit a new country with a different language than your mother tongue, you are not as concerned as you would be, if this was a decade ago. 

I have been writing since I was in eighth grade- makes me happy to say that out loud. I write in joy, sorrow, contentment, disappointment, and all similar feelings you can spell. It has its role and purpose, but one of the beautiful things about writing at periodical intervals is to spot the progress you have made. By progress, I do not mean how you started from zero and now you are getting paid for it. For sure that is a big achievement that calls for celebration. But what I meant as progress was, how earlier you were not sure about the usage of a particular punctuation and now you are. Moreover, you can spot your mistakes and rectify them- that kind of progress. Rome was not built in a day; neither can you start writing, like your favorite writer- in a day.

Back to the story, I still write poetries that I restrict to keep in my journal. There were and are reasons. Several times, instead of constructive criticism, people have picked up my work. Anyway, I wrote some lines on how things change when we move out of a place. About the friends, people, neighbors, and family we leave behind.

You must be wondering what is special about it. So many of us write poetries, so what? Let me tell you the beautiful part. Swasti, one of my close friends, called me one night to share the stories she had. We had a conversation and I wanted to continue but I had two exams the next day, so I had to cut off the conversation. To make Swasti feel better, I shared my poem “On Moving Away” with her. Little did I know, she would feel good and at max, she would write a big paragraph in reflection on the poem or maybe she would send a two-minute voice note. 

Life throws surprises and so does Swasti. She is currently studying in Tamil Nadu so she has Tamil-speaking friends. She sent back a Tamil version of the same poem. She mentioned how she recited the poem to her friend, Abirami, and for better understanding, Abi translated the poem into Tamil. My heart was so full looking at the Tamil version. I was not sad for not understanding a word written rather I was amazed at the beauty of languages as the thread in the world of knitted fabric.

What made me happy today?

I am not a renowned author, neither is Abirami - an expert translator. But we both stepped out of our identities of just Shreya and just Abirami. And then there are people like Swasti- connecting the dots! This is what makes life exciting, looking forward to The Road Not Taken. 

On Moving Away- Ashita

Vilagi Selgirathu - Abirami