Poet to translate Lal Ded's verses into Assamese

GUWAHATI:

Assamese poet

and

Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar

awardee

Bijoy Sankar Barman

has embarked on an ambitious task of translating available works of 14th century Kashmiri mystic poetess Lalleshwari, also known as Lal Ded, into Assamese. Her verses, 'Lal Vakhs' (meaning voices), are believed to be the earliest compositions in Kashmiri language.

This will be the first attempt by an Assamese poet to cover all the existing works of the mediaeval poetess. Years ago, some Assamese poets did make an attempt to translate some portions of her mystic poetry, but not the entire collection could be translated. Barman is hailed as one of the most promising young writers and poets of the country. He was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar in 2013 for his collection of poems, 'Ashokastami'.

The works by Lalleshwari belong to a particular school of philosophy known as Kashmiri Shaivism that is concentrated on the philosophy of Hindu god Shiva. Her works are an intrinsic component of modern Kashmiri literature and is a subject of both philosophical and literary research. Lalleshwari is also hailed for raising her voice against orthodox religious practices.

"The translation is a difficult task for which I am consulting a range of books dedicated to her and her works. There were attempts made by a few Assamese poets many years ago. What I am embarking upon is an overall approach of her existing available works with a comprehensive touch. It will take time as I have just begun," said Barman. Her verses have been translated into English by both national and international litterateurs, including 20th century writers Richard Temple and Coleman Barks among others. "I am consulting books by Temple and Indian translations. My aim is to create awareness about her works in Assam. It is important that the new generation knows about her," added Barman.

Barman in 2013 translated 60 poems out of 400 poems from the eight century Tamil anthology classic 'Kuruntokai' into Assamese. 'Kuruntokai' is considered to be a timeless piece of work revolving around love, sensuality, separation and romance. Barman took 10 years to complete the translation.


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