Lesson 2

P20122 : Literary Translation: A History

This lesson traces the history of literary translation in Tamil Nadu. The Tamils are a very ancient race and historical records show that from time immemorial they traded with people from other parts of the world. The epic “Manimekalai” refers to Kaveri Poompattinam, an ancient trading port which was thronged by people speaking various languages. A poem in “Aganaanuru” mentions the term “Mozhipeyarpu” which means translation. The term also occurs in the ancient Tamil grammar text “Tholkaappiyam”. These references prove that the ancient Tamils were familiar with the art of translation.

    Among the ancient Tamil texts “Puranaanuru”, “Kalithogai”, “Silapathigaram”, “Paripaadal”, and “Manimekalai” bear evidences of translation. Initially, a number of texts from North India were either adapted, translated or transcreated in Tamil. The epics “Seevagasinthamani” and “Yasodra Kaaviyam” are adaptations of Sanskrit texts. In works such as “Manimekalai”, “Sivagnana Sithiyaar” and “Neelakesi”, the authors have adapted philosophical tenets popular in the northern parts of India and have recast them in the socio-cultural context of the Tamils. Again, “Kambaramayanam” is an adaptation of Valmiki’s “Ramayanam” written originally in Sanskrit. The “Bagavadgita” has also been translated into Tamil. Bakthi literature constitutes a major bulk of literary texts translated into Tamil.

    A number of literary texts in Tamil have also been translated into other languages. In 1595 “The Thirukkural” was translated into Malyalam. Today “Thirukkural” is the most widely translated Tamil text. The story of Aandal, the history of the Nayanmaars and the Thiruvilaiyaadal Puraanam of Lord Shiva have been translated into Telugu and Kannada.

    Translation of literary masterpieces from English, French, German and Russian had a major impact on the Tamil literary scenario. These translations paved way for the birth of new genres in Tamil such as the novel and the short story. Translations of the plays of Shakespeare and Oscar Wilde had a great influence on Tamil drama. Today, Tamil literature abounds in translations from other Indian languages. It also has a huge collection of translated tales from all over the world. Translation of Arabian nights, Canterbury Tales, Grimm’s Fairy Tales, Stories from Greek Mythology, Folk tales from other parts of India and Stories about Birbal and Tenali Raman have undoubtedly enriched the repertoire of Tamil Literature.