Selected Poems of A.Ayyappan

by P.K.N. Panicker

About this Book It was on the occasion of that Award Presentation Function turned Condolence Meeting that the idea flashed in my mind, ‘Why not try to translate Ayyappan into English and take him closer to the internationally acclaimed names in the world of poetry?’ I even forgot the fact that I may not be sufficiently competent to venture on an immense task of that nature. Even so I started earnestly, read and re-read his poems and made a small beginning. Mr. Shanmugham, a one time close friend of Ayyappan, also prompted me to take up the task seriously. After translating a few pieces I decided to read a few of them in some of the poetry groups functioning in Chennai like Chennai Poets’ Circle, Soulflash, and in some functions organised by the Malayalam department of Madras University. To my surprise and satisfaction the response was very encouraging. On completing around 25 poems I showed them to two of my friends for a critical appraisal. Dr. P.M. Girish went through the translated versions carefully, suggested certain corrections/changes in few places and gave a good chit with an advice that I should not spare any effort to get the same published. ‘Not to publish will mean a loss to Malayalam’ is precisely what he said. Similar sentiments were expressed by Mr. C. Sarathchandran, himself a good writer and columnist both in Malayalam and English. I am 9 deeply indebted to every one of them who encouraged me. Of course the supportive role of Leela Narendran, my wife and companion in this venture cannot be overlooked. A friend asked me what prompted me to select these poems out of the many of Ayyapan poems. Some of them, necessarily because they were strikingly refreshing in their content ( Flowers in the Jail Courtyard, Dinner etc. – in fact most of Ayyappan’s poems are) and may be a little more amenable to translation than the others; at least I felt so. This is not a word to word translation, even though I have tried my best to be as nearer to the original author in keeping the word to word bonding that he has followed. Also I have, at times deviated from the text, marginally, to suit the sensibilities of English readers. Whether such deviations are permitted or desirable in a work of translation is a matter for discussion, but then I would not like to enter into a discussion on the subject. Perhaps, readers well versed in both Malayalam and English will be able to appreciate the reasons for the deviations and comment on. The last translated title included here, ‘A Poet Without a Room of His Own’ is strikingly personal. On Translation There are many differing perspectives on how and what a translated poem ought to be. My own approach to the subject could be summed up as A poet tries to convey certain things, based on his knowledge and emotive experience, through his poems in a particular format and style. What the reader understands or perceives could be 10 exactly what the poet wanted to convey and expected the reader to understand or could be that the reader has a different perception, even a totally divergent understanding as he tries to analyse and look in between the words and lines and particularly so if the reader is placed in a different environment, socially, culturally and temperamentally. To this extent every reader is different and equally so the emotional experience one gets from a poem. Every translator who translate a poem based on the emotional experience and understanding based on his perception is bound to don the mantle of a trans-creator than that of a translator. With a backdrop different from that of the poet’s and this is bound to influence the trans-creation, so much so the trans-creation will tend to be different in form and content from the original.

47 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 6, 2016