This happened around this time last year. My friend and ex-colleague Purnima posted on FB asking for translation of one of the most famous poems in the 'Sumati Satakam'. I was a little surprised by this. Now, here's a girl who writes really great in Telugu, a voracious reader of English and Telugu books alike (and in fact of Hindi books too, of late, at that time) And on the other hand, here is a widely known poem explaining simple things. "Why is she asking others to translate this for her?" I have no clue till today, but I went on to respond to her, me being perhaps some third in the queue. Though, my guess was that, she was perhaps working on/reading some translations or maybe was just curious to see how variedly people translate the same thing.
We get to translate things as students and at many other times in life for various reasons as part of some or the other work. Say you are preparing for some English Elocution and some great content in a Telugu magazine has been given to you to rescue you...so on and so forth. But I'd like to mark this translation of Telugu poem as my first official translation :-)
Original Telugu Poem:
తన కోపమె తన శత్రువు,
తన శాంతమె తనకు రక్ష, దయ చుట్టంబౌ,
తన సంతోషమె స్వర్గం,
తన దుఖమె నరకమండ్రు తథ్యము సుమతీ!
Translation in English:
One's anger is one's own enemy,
One's tolerance protects oneself, one's kindness comes to one's help,
One's happiness can bring about heavens,
Oh good-minded fellow, it is said one's sorrow can certainly yield hell!
I don't remember if this is exactly what came out of my translating skills back then, but I remember I tried to stay "literally" close. I tried to do the same now and hence hope the same content to be out now.
We get to translate things as students and at many other times in life for various reasons as part of some or the other work. Say you are preparing for some English Elocution and some great content in a Telugu magazine has been given to you to rescue you...so on and so forth. But I'd like to mark this translation of Telugu poem as my first official translation :-)
Original Telugu Poem:
తన కోపమె తన శత్రువు,
తన శాంతమె తనకు రక్ష, దయ చుట్టంబౌ,
తన సంతోషమె స్వర్గం,
తన దుఖమె నరకమండ్రు తథ్యము సుమతీ!
Translation in English:
One's anger is one's own enemy,
One's tolerance protects oneself, one's kindness comes to one's help,
One's happiness can bring about heavens,
Oh good-minded fellow, it is said one's sorrow can certainly yield hell!
I don't remember if this is exactly what came out of my translating skills back then, but I remember I tried to stay "literally" close. I tried to do the same now and hence hope the same content to be out now.
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