The New Wife

lol

juicy :)

reminds me when i was 15 and my forty year old far relative tried to marry me.....lol

farzana/godot:
I believe that Munshi Prem Chand started out writing in Urdu and switched to Hindi later in his life. I also think that he did his own translations so even the translations may be considered as his original work.

Farzana

I have taken to your challenge and would translate a story and provide the original in Roman script. I translate for fun. It`s not my ``hobby.`` Sorry for me being incorrect.

I don`t know if Premchand wrote originally in Hindi and not in Urdu. Reading through his stories, one cannot tell if they were not written in Urdu. Some of the words he uses are in pure Urdu. Nowhere in his stories does it say that it was ``translated`` from Hindi. I`ve a book ``Premchand Ghar MaiN`` that may shed some light on his personal life and on his writings (I haven`t read it).

I like your idea. I`d translate a story in my own style and would, along with the translation. provide the reader with the original written in Roman script, so the reader can be ``challlenged.``

your idea is a good one. And, thanks to Chowk, I`m able to reach many non-Urdu folks. Literature is literature, no matter where it came from. Human drama is what attracts me and is universal.

Godot,

It`s an interesting and humorous story with a dramatic touch. The best part was the beginning and closure of each phase of the story. I liked the pauses. I think this can be turned into an interesting drama. Probably, it was. I do not remember. I also liked the links that you have provided.

Good One.

godot:

Sorry, the intention was not to make you work...I just thought it would be fun and also stimulating. I don`t know anything about html commands, but readers have got used to reading a long page here!

Some of us have to read Urdu/Hindi or any regional language in the Roman script...not all of us can master every language or even understand it. So, even if you say this is a mere hobby, you do seem serious about reaching out to your English readership. (Incidentally, Premchand wrote in Hindi so you have translated a translation -- doubly commendable.)

Anyhow, I guess I was just throwing up ideas. You have no idea what friends are capable of :)

Thanks, temporal.

I have already done another translation, slated to be submitted soon. In fact, I did this one before The New Wife. This one is a light reading, takes place during Ramazan, and is related to Eid. I plan to submit it now since Ramazan is here. It would be fun to read it before Eid.

If you remember, I translated Mushtaq Ahmed Yusufi’s Caesar, Mata Hari, and Mirza. Coincidentally, I was also thinking of doing another one by him. I just love his humor. I haven’t read anything by Intezar Hussain. I will check to see if I have a story by him in my Urdu collection. Thank you for your suggestions.

godot:

…would like to add my two bit here…continue with introducing Urdu authors to the English readership here:)...

…who’s next?...can i suggest mushtaque ahmed yusufi or intezar hussain?

rgds,

t

Farzana

Well, first of all, thank you for reading it and for you comment.

The intended audience for my translations is those English-speaking-and-reading people who are either not Urdu speakers or readers. They are unlikely to read literature written in Urdu. My intent is to make Urdu literature available to a wider audience. Chowk is an excellent forum for it, not only because it’s available free of charge to the readers but one gets a good feedback.

When translating, my strategy is to narrate it, in my own style, in modern English language without losing the spirit and soul of the original. My overriding concern is to keep a flow of the story to make it move smoothly. I try to be literal as possible as not to lose the setting of the original story, but I do take a lot of liberties when it’s not possible for me to keep the flow, especially when the original words and phrases would not make sense to an English-speaker. You are right. My attempt in trying to keep a balance between literal and liberty the story may jar. However, does that break the flow and tempo of the story? To me, that is the most important question. I also run into issues of when a word or a phrase is taken for granted in the original, such as Lukshmi in this case. Without breaking the tempo, I had to add “goddess of wealth” to it so a reader who does not know who or what “Lukshmi” is would not have a problem with it.

Arrrgh!!! I hate reading Urdu in Roman script. I’m sure I’m not the only one. But your suggestion is a good one. I’ve a copy of Bhagvat Gita that has Sanskrit on one page and its English translation on the one opposite to it, and have the same for Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales,” the difference between the original old English and the new, modern one. Something like that would be tough to do at Chowk since the internet is one long page and not two pages opposite to each other. At any rate, it’s a good suggestion and I may try to work it out given what can be done with html commands (but I do think that it may take all the fun out.) You are giving me a lot of work to do! I wanted an easy way out! Remember, this is just my hobby and I’m not very serious about it. And you’re making me work. Thanks! But you are a friend and that’s what friends are for.

Godot:

Read it at last...and since I have not read the original, for me it was like a new story. However, given the setting, characters and the knowledge that it was Premchand, some background would get in the way of my reactions...

1. I liked the manner in which you made some language usage contemporary.
2. There were sentences which seemed like literal translations, which can either work very well (colloquial flavour is retained) or not well at all (it jars). In this story, both have happened to some degree.

However, I maintain that what you are attempting to do with regional literature is commendable, especially in an interactive forum.

I was wondering if you would select a very short story and translate it taking several liberties, and the original (in Roman script) as well as your `interpretation` are printed together. I think it would truly challenge the reader.

Regards,
F

Dost

Thanks. Your points well taken. However...

1. When translating, I try to be as close to the setting and the time-frame of a story as possible. But there are instances when, as a translator, I have to make a judgement call. To me, ``pissed`` expressed Lalaji`s feelings at that particular point in the story a lot better than ``annoyed/irritated`` would have. Also, I agree ``cap`` would have served better, but in the story Lalaji`s ``cap`` could not have tilted...or at least I could not see his ``cap`` tilting and his chest expanding.

2. It`s true that I`m not very familiar with Hindu names. Picking unfamiliar names (or phrases) from Urdu writings is difficult for me. Btw, that`s how the story ends. The Urdu name of the story, as the subtitle of this translation suggests, is Nai Biwi.


Kaurasach
Khamkhwa (no offence taken)
ZahraJ (hope you`ve a good weekend)
Sweetimran23
Soundmeister
Nadia Zehra
Urstruly
mshergill (relationships are tough...aren`t they?)
Umer
friend

Thank you guys for reading and for your comments.

Lastly, thank you Chowk Staff for inserting the author`s Intro and for the links. It worked well. I`m, however, curious as to why you changed mine ``Translated from Urdu, Munshi Premcahnd`s short story Nai Biwi`` to your ``A Translation of Munshi Premchand’s Short Story Nai Biwi``?

DM #11
``BTW, is this the end of the story? What was the urdu name of the story? ``


DM saheb, so are looking for graphic details of what happened once Lala ji went back to his shop!

godot:
You are getting better with experience. Two small points:
1)some of your translations seem too modern and not keeping with the time period; for instance, it would have been more proper to use annoyed/irritated instead of ``pissed``. Similarly, given the time period and village background, `cap` would have been a better translation for `topee` than hat.
2) it seems that you do not have much familiarity with hindu names and are reading the names inocrrectly from urdu; I suspect that the names of the characters are Durgamull and Leela instead of Dangamill and Laila.
BTW, is this the end of the story? What was the urdu name of the story?

Very interesting and a well written translation !!!!

An absolute eye opener for me, since I am in the very wrong side of my 30`s and divorced, I better be careful about what I choose next !!!!

Thanks Godot mate,

I enjoyed the read.

Umer M.

Translation is done very well but Munshi is too simplistic and sophomoric for me. But then among his peers like Deputy Nazeer Ahmad and Mohammad Hussain Azad he stands out.

Munshi PraimChand is considered embroyonic writer of Urdu Novels. I admit I have read little of him, few by courtesy of Tarai Masand Mussafin who published his stuff in Jaraid like ``Guftago``.
This one is nice. Plus do also upload if their is any urdu version of the Novel. It feels good to keep account of old literary stuff.