The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Translate regional literature into English: Governor

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
ePaper

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Translate regional literature into English: Governor

Staff Reporter

Two books under Classical Kannada Texts in Translation series released

TRANSLATION PROJECT: Governor T.N. Chaturvedi (right) releasing two books brought out by Kannada University, Hampi, in Bangalore on Monday, along with writer U.R. Ananthamurthy, the literary critic C.N. Ramachandran and O.L. Nagabhushana Swamy. 1; Photo: K. Bhagya Prakash

BANGALORE: Academic bodies such as universities should endeavour to translate valuable and time-tested works of regional literature into English for the benefit of the world, Governor T.N. Chaturvedi said on Monday.

He was speaking at the release of "Strings and Cymbals: Selections from Kannada Oral Tradition", and "The Sign: Selected Vachanas of the 12th Century" brought out by Kannada University, Hampi, under its Classical Kannada Texts in Translation series here on Monday.

`Of high quality'

Jnanpith Award-winner U.R. Ananthamurthy praised the quality of translation and production of both the books. He said translators of both the works had successfully perceived the cultural intricacies and challenges involved in translating complex and multi-layered folk epics and vachanas into a language such as English.

Strings and Cymbals is a compilation of 13 select Kannada oral narratives classified under myths, alternative versions of classics, women and society, nature and man, and political narrative. It attempts to cover a range of subjects such as history, women's studies, anthropology, ecology and tribal studies. It is edited by the noted literary critic C.N. Ramachandran, who also translated it along with Padma Sharma. It is priced at Rs. 200.

Focus on vacahanakars

The Sign focusses on the 12th Century vacahanakars such as Akkamahadevi, Allamaprabhu, Basaveshwara and Chennabasavanna. It also introduces over 50 other vachanakaras who were not known much during their days. The book contains 468 vachanas composed by 60 vachanakaras. It is edited by O.L. Nagabhushana Swamy, who is also one of the translators along with Laxmi Chandrashekar and Vijaya Guttal. It is priced at Rs. 150.

More information

Contact the Director, Prasaranga, Kannada University, Hampi, Vidyaranya, Hospet 583276 or log on to www.kannadauniversity.org or kannadauniversity@gmail.com for details.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka