Crazyfinger

New "Translation" Blog

For a while there was a thought to put up a focused blog on translating efforts from Indian languages into English, but no action until now.  Well, Pavada is up.  I know, the design is not exactly original but please visit, comment and help correct the misinterpretations and mistakes. 

Translating Gorati Venkanna

After this conversation over at Kufr blog, I got to thinking about translating this song.  Here it is.  It is not at all how the original in Telugu is.  I won't go into details of why such a loss is the most difficult thing to recover.  I am leaving the comments section open just in case someone has a better result or a corrective suggestion. 

How many more years...!
[Missing two lines]
This bloodshed, this violence, still how many more years...!

Lords, ruling chiefs, elders...!
O, well-armed ring leaders
O lord Samaranagireddi... you,
Do be cozy my lord, do be in comfort

Bharatavirareddi... you, shall
Hand out the bombs
Our people... shall 
Tread that path

Narasimha nayudu, you... shall   
Snap your fingers
And all these people... shall 
Jiggy in ringers

Narasimha nayudu lord, you,
Narasimha nayudu lord, you... shall   
Bristle your moustache in pride
We shall rush with our incensed anger

Indrasenareddi...!  Indrasenareddi shall 
Cast high as moon, shall  
Sit on heaven's throne

The umbrellas over your head we are
The soles under your feet we are
The machetes in your fists we are

Hound dogs, that chase
At your roil, ruffle and hiss, are we

Sons, who slaughter
Even a blood-brother at your wrath, are we
Do be cozy my lord, do be in comfort

O, well-armed lordly lords
O, well-armed ring leaders
O, faction leaders
Do be cozy my lords, do be in comfort

May your last born be,
May your last born be
Given the visa for America
Be happy There

May your first born, be an SP and
May your first born, be an SP and
Swing the truncheon
Look after you
In a manner with no cases

Collector, like a son-in-law, shall 
Bear your feet's burden
Authority, like a dog, shall
Watch over you

Our cow herding son
Shall lift up your hatchet
Shall decapitate as many heads
As the morsels from you 
Do be cozy my lords, do be in comfort

Your thousand-noter
We shall receive with humility
Sever the arm
Of whomever you show,
And show you

Your five thousand-noter
We shall receive with joy
Cut off the two legs of one of them
And show you

At your call for tender
We shall raise working heads
If the work stalls,
If the work stalls we shall be
Bones of your contention

When we gave you bombs
You fed us your expensive whisky
Your delicious food

And so if harm's your way,
Though our little one shivers
With cold and fever,
We shall go even at night,

And though the month-old bride
Is alone at home we shall
Seize our hunting knives,
At your times of trouble

If you give us bombs
We shall hurl, as play balls
For your sake
On our own heads
Do be cozy my lords, do be in comfort

As hired guns, we shall bear the blame
As country's leaders, you shall gain merit
What do you say...!

Playing your part, heroes shall strike a hit
Seeing that cinema, our folks shall whistle

Next to Gandhi, Nehru shall be your pictures
In police stations shall be our photos
Do be cozy my lords, do be in comfort

Maa Bhoomi - 1

Skipping through directory menu of downstairs phone, I stopped at the entry: "DAD 0119140..."  At once I felt as if an entirely separate being in me became awoke.  Which phone would ring if I call that number?  Why am I still here?  Something should've changed...Then I remembered this song, sung by Gaddar (Gummadi Vittal Rao) that he used to like.  Haven't heard this one in a loooooooong while, but here it is, with my transliteration.  Someday when I have time I will try my hand at translating it...   

Bundenka bundigattaay...!
Padahaaru bundlugattaay...!
Yey bandley vastavukoduko?
Naizaamu sarkaroda...!

Bundenka bundigatti, padahaaru bundlugatti,
Yey bandley vastavukoduko, Naizaamu sarkaroda...!
Nazeela nilchinavuro, naizaamu sarkaroda...!

Bundenka bundigatti, padahaaru bundlugatti,
Yey bandley vastavukoduko, Naizaamu sarkaroda...!
Nazeela minchinavuro, naizaamu sarkaroda...!

Poleesu miltry rondu

Poleesu miltry rondu

Balavantulaanukonee

Balavantulaanukonee

Nuvu pallelu dostivi koduko

Oho pallelu dostivi koduko

Aha pallelu dostivi koduko, Naizaamu sarkaroda...!

Bundenka bundigatti, padahaaru bundlugatti,
Yey bandley vastavukoduko, Naizaamu sarkaroda...!
Nazeela minchinavuro, naizaamu sarkaroda...!

Jageerudaarulanta,

Jageerudaarulanta

Jameenudaarulanta

Jameenudaarulanta

Nee Yandaajeriri koduko

Nee Yandaajeriri koduko

Nee Yandaajeriri koduko...! Naizaamu sarkaroda...!

Bundenka bundigatti, padahaaru bundlugatti,
Yey bandley vastavukoduko, Naizaamu sarkaroda...!
Nazeela minchinavuro, naizaamu sarkaroda...!

Stree purushulantagalisi

Pillaalamantagalisi

Stree purushulantagalisi

Pillaalamantagalisi

Vadisela raallu nimpee, vadivadiga gottitenoo

Vadisela raallu nimpee, vadivadiga gottitenu

Karaapu neelludechhi, kandlalla jallitenoo

Karaapu neelludechhi, kandlalla jallitenoo

Nee miltry baaripoyero...!

Nee miltry baaripoyero...!

Nee miltry baaripoyero...! Naizaamu sarkaroda...!

Bundenka bundigatti, padahaaru bundlugatti,
Yey bandley vastavukoduko, Naizaamu sarkaroda...!
Nazeela minchinavuro, Naizaamu sarkaroda...!

Chuttumuttoo suryapeta,

Nattanaduma nallagonda,

Chuttumuttoo suryapeta,

Nattanaduma nallagonda,

Nuvvendedaidrabaadoo,

Daani pakkaa golukonda,

Nuvvendedaidrabaadoo,

Daani pakkaa golukonda,

Golukondaa kilakinda
Golukondaa kilakinda
    -
    -
Nee Gori kadtamukoduko, Naizaamu sarkaroda...!
Nee Gori kadtamukoduko, Naizaamu sarkaroda...!
Nee Gori kadtamukoduko, Naizaamu sarkaroda...!
Nee Gori kadtamukoduko, Naizaamu sarkaroda...!
Nee Gori kadtamukoduko, Naizaamu sarkaroda...!
Nee Gori kadtamukoduko, Naizaamu sarkaroda...!
-
-
-
Nee Gori kadtamukoduko, Naizaamu sarkaroda...!
Nee Gori kadtamukoduko, Naizaamu sarkaroda...!

Bhanumathi - II

Couldn't resist going back to one more song...This time I absolutely had to try translating this song into English.

At last...!
Jasmine festoons began swaying in the heart
Moonlight began swinging in the eyes

How sublime comfort fills this night...!
How long's hence...bloom fills this life...!

When doves whispered "Ohuroo roo" on the branch
When wind rustle breathed sighs on the sprig
Or even when rivulets just tinkled in the lake
At the faintest sounds of soft wind in tender shoots...!
Thinking you are here at last, hearing only your voice
Eyes moist with tears, at once I looked all over

Even for a moment now, don't leave, hear?
This whimpering heart, don't let it break, hear?

How long's hence...bloom fills this life...!
How sublime comfort fills this night...!

Bhanumati - 1

Earlier this afternoon I was out and about and out of nowhere began thinking of stories of Bhanumati I used to read when I was about fifteen. Here is a song, sung and performed by her, one of my favorites:

Here is a rough and tumble translation of the song (in Telugu in the above video):

What haughtiness you put on...!
When beautiful belle unasked
Come calling
Really...!

Way to go, Prince...!

When this suave, this svelte
This tender youth
I put out for you
And come calling
What haughtiness you put on...!

On winds wafted, intense longing
Aroused, blue shadows of dark evening

Again and again
As the agitations of resounding anklets
Hasten and come calling, you handsome
What haughtiness you put on...!

Chengoona Ala Meeda...

From this Old Telugu Songs site, (thanks, Swarup for the link and for kuffir and Swarup for stoking this translation idea) here is my transcription of the song "Chengoona Ala Meeda..." sung by M.S. Rama Rao.  Telugu diacritics have always eluded me with their non-intuitive and computer-unfriendly styles, so I am not employing them in this below transcription. 

chengoona ala meeda midisee potadi meenu
chengoona ala meeda midisee potadi meenu
chinnavaadu edaraite' marachee potavu me'nu
kaadantaava?  kaadantaava chinnadaana neevu, kaadantaava chinnadaana

vallaamaalina mamata kamma timme'ra laaga
vallamaalina mamata kamma timme'ra laaga
kammukunnadi ninnoo, chinnadanaa
sammasaina vaadu sarasane' vunnado
pallakunta ve' le' chinnadaanaa neevu, pallakunta ve' le' chinnadaana

My translation:

Suddenly in the net, the fish leaps insolently
    suddenly in the net, the fish leaps insolently
Seeing in front the young lad, you forget yourself

Do you deny it,
    do you deny it, young lass,
Would you deny it young lass?

Overflowing affection, like an irresistible numbness,
    overflowing affection, like an irresistible numbness,
Overwhelms you, young lass

That who matches you is nearer, perhaps
Soon you'll be on a palanquin, young lass,
    you'll be on a palanquin soon, young lass

See?  How pallid and lifeless the translation reads?  Those who can read Telugu will know what I mean.  Click below to see more of this post with further updates, perhaps with a transliteration of the poem, soon.

(C) "a problem with authority"

My rough and tumble translation of this telugu poem by Varavara Rao.  My comment on "kufr" blog reproduced below, entirely for my own reading pleasure:-)

~

My language has rusted quite, but I thought I'd take a shot at the translation, just for kicks. Here it is. The column width is messing up the display but nevertheless...

Regards,
Crazyfinger 

True, the rains fell
And streams bent this year,
But there were no seasons since ten years,
Surprised am I, soon as stepped into the prison,
By the cuckoo's welcome song,
"Has the Spring arrived, already?"

Walls, of Nizam's eon; barbed wires,
Endings, electrified for death,
Guarded bastions,
Walls surrounding walls,
Gates inside gates,
Locks to open,
Locks to close,

Lush green,
Trapped between the guard watches,
Flightless pigeons,
Sky, looking as though wholly trapped
And imprisoned in the yard

The "Allaho Akbar", the prayer call in the lazy noon,
Wind, shivering in the cold from wet ground,
In here are imprisoned all the seasons, all this time,
The Mango bud and the Neem blossom, taste one and same,
The prison cuckoo sings on, and on,
Like a coaxing cheer,
The fettered, the chained song

That may be for my arrival,
Or may be that, friend Kanakachari is not here

Update #1:  Click below to see a transliteration and a word-by-word annotation with English words.