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This article presents the original text of Akka Mahadevi's renowned vachana, followed by a series of seven distinct English translations. The translations are arranged in a specific order, progressing from the most direct and source-text-focused to the most interpretive and creative. This structure allows a reader to build their understanding layer by layer. Each translation is accompanied by a detailed justification explaining its objective and methodology.
1. The Original Vachana (ಮೂಲ ವಚನ)
ಎಮ್ಮೆಗೊಂದು ಚಿಂತೆ, ಸಮ್ಮಗಾರಗೊಂದು ಚಿಂತೆ.
ಧರ್ಮಿಗೊಂದು ಚಿಂತೆ, ಕರ್ಮಿಗೊಂದು ಚಿಂತೆ.
ಎನಗೆ ಎನ್ನ ಚಿಂತೆ, ನಿನಗೆ ನಿನ್ನ ಕಾಮದ ಚಿಂತೆ.
ಒಲ್ಲೆ ಹೋಗು, ಸೆರಗ ಬಿಡು ಮರುಳೆ.
ಎನಗೆ ಚೆನ್ನಮಲ್ಲಿಕಾರ್ಜುನದೇವರು,
ಒಲಿವರೊ ಒಲಿಯರೊ ಎಂಬ ಚಿಂತೆ!
Romanized English Script
Emmegondu chinte, sammagāragondu chinte.
Dharmigondu chinte, karmigondu chinte.
Enage enna chinte, ninage ninna kāmada chinte.
Olle hōgu, seraga biḍu maruḷe.
Enage Chennamallikārjunadēvaru,
olivaro oliyaro emba chinte!
Translation 1: Literal Translation (ಅಕ್ಷರಶಃ ಅನುವಾದ)
The buffalo has one worry, the tanner has another.
The righteous one has a worry, the one bound by karma has another.
To me, my own worry; to you, the worry of your lust.
I refuse, go away, let go of my sari's edge, O fool.
For me, the worry is whether Lord Chennamallikarjuna
will love me or not!
Translation 2: Foreignized Translation
A worry for the buffalo, a worry for the tanner.
A worry for the dharmi, a worry for the karmi.
To me, my worry; to you, your worry of kāma.
I refuse, go. Release the seragu, O maruḷe.
For me, the worry of my Chennamallikārjunadēvaru—
will he love, or not love!
Translation 3: Performative Translation
For the buffalo, its concern; for the tanner, his.
For the virtuous, his concern; for the fated, his.
For me, there is my concern; for you, your concern of lust.
I reject you! Be gone! I command you, release my robe, you deluded fool!
My concern is this: will my Lord, Chennamallikarjuna,
accept me or will he not?
Translation 4: Poetic Translation (ಕಾವ್ಯಾತ್ಮಕ ಅನುವಾದ)
The beast worries for its flesh, the tanner for the hide,
The pious for his merit, the bound where karma will guide.
My care is all my own, while yours is born of lust;
Begone! Unhand my cloth! O fool, to worldly dust.
My only worry is the grace I yearn to win,
Will my beautiful Lord of jasmine mountains let me in?
Translation 5: Thick Translation (Primary Poem)
The beast worries for its flesh, the tanner for the hide,
The pious for his merit, the bound where karma will guide.
My care is all my own, while yours is born of lust;
Begone! Unhand my cloth! O fool, to worldly dust.
My only worry is the grace I yearn to win,
Will my beautiful Lord of jasmine mountains let me in?
Translation 6: Mystic Translation (ಅನುಭಾವ ಅನುವಾದ)
The beast frets for the flesh, the craftsman for his trade,
The pious for his ledgers, the soul in karma's shade.
These chains of care bind all, but mine is forged of Light;
While you, O fool, are chained to appetites of night.
So I un-speak your claim, un-fetter hand and soul!
My one great Question burns: will the Beloved make me whole?
Translation 7: Spiritual Trans-creation (ಆಧ್ಯಾತ್ಮಿಕ ರೂಪಾಂತರ)
The creature frets for survival, the craftsman for his trade,
The good man for his virtue, the sinner for debts unpaid.
My own concern consumes me, while you are lost in flesh and fire.
I sever this bond! Depart! Unchain me from your base desire!
My only question, the one that burns my soul,
Is whether the Divine Beloved will finally make me whole.
3. Justification for Each Translation
Each translation employs a different strategy to navigate the complexities of the original text.
- Literal Translation: The primary goal here is fidelity to the source text's words and structure. It aims to provide a transparent, word-for-word rendering so a reader can understand the basic semantic content and syntax of the original Kannada. It avoids poetic embellishment to serve as a foundational text for linguistic analysis.
- Foreignized Translation: This translation deliberately resists "domesticating" the vachana. Its goal is to emphasize the cultural and linguistic foreignness of the text. By retaining key Kannada terms (dharmi, kāma, seragu, maruḷe) and mimicking the direct, somewhat unconventional syntax of the original, it forces the reader to confront the text on its own terms, effectively "sending the reader abroad" rather than bringing the text home.
- Performative Translation: This translation is based on Speech Act Theory. Its purpose is to highlight the actions being performed by Akka's words. It translates "ಒಲ್ಲೆ ಹೋಗು" not as a simple refusal but as a powerful act: "I reject you! Be gone! I command you...". This focuses on the illocutionary force of the language, showing how the vachana is not just a poem but a revolutionary social and personal act.
- Poetic Translation: This translation aims to create an aesthetically pleasing and emotionally resonant poem in English. The focus shifts from literal accuracy to capturing the spirit, rhythm, and rasa (aesthetic experience) of the vachana. It uses English poetic devices like rhyme (hide/guide, lust/dust) and meter to make the vachana feel like a complete poem to an English-speaking audience.
- Thick Translation: The objective of this method is to provide a rich, layered reading experience. While the primary poem is fluent and poetic (identical to Translation 4), its true value lies in the extensive annotations that accompany it. This method educates the reader about the cultural, philosophical, and linguistic world from which the vachana emerged, making its meaning as transparent as possible.
- Mystic Translation: This version seeks to translate the inner mystical experience (anubhāva) of the poem. It uses metaphysical language ("forged of Light," "appetites of night") to elevate the conflict beyond the personal to a cosmic struggle between spiritual illumination and worldly darkness. The translation of "ಒಲಿವರೊ ಒಲಿಯರೊ" as "will the Beloved make me whole?" focuses on the ultimate mystical goal of Aikya (union/wholeness).
- Spiritual Trans-creation: This is the most liberal of the translations. Its goal is to convey the core spiritual conflict to a contemporary, global audience that may be unfamiliar with specific Indian cultural concepts. It replaces culturally specific terms with more universal metaphors ("creature," "craftsman," "Divine Beloved") to ensure the central emotional and philosophical struggle is immediately understandable, even at the cost of cultural specificity.
ಕಾಮೆಂಟ್ಗಳಿಲ್ಲ:
ಕಾಮೆಂಟ್ ಪೋಸ್ಟ್ ಮಾಡಿ