Archives

Putting Sinhala poems into a modern tongue

by Sena Thoradeniya

George Keyt

While digging for past records I found an article in manuscript form written by me about the world renowned Sri Lankan artist, the late Goerge Keyt. While schooling in Kandy, this dhothi clad, long-haired, recluse-like artist, strolling along Kandy lake-round, coming from the beautiful village of Sirimalwatte in Patha Dumbara, received our reverence.

We had the opportunity of meeting this great master, as undergraduates, when we exhibited our mediocre works at the "Exhibitions of Campus Art", sponsored by the Arts Council of the University of Ceylon, Peradeniya, in the early sixties. These Campus art Exhibitions came into fruition with the endeavours of the late Professor of Sociology, Ralph Peiris, in his capacity as the then Chairman of the Arts Council and that famed bibliographer and "Keyt friend" Ian Goonetileke.

Much has been written on George Keyt the artist: but I suppose very little has been written on his literary accomplishments. He was one of the first to translate into English the Sanskrit classic, Sri Jayadeva's "Gita Govinda."

Several short stories he had contributed to "Ceylon Daily News Vesak Numbers in late 1930s, and especially the short story entitled "Vesak Morning", demonstrates how well he had mastered the craft of short story writing which shows glimpses of a 'modernist' flavour.

The purpose of this essay is to introduce to our readers a rare book authored by George Keyt and show how he had excelled as a translator of Sinhala poetry. In 1938 George Keyt put into English, "Poetry of the Sinhalese", selections of Sinhala classical, folk and 'contemporary' poetry with their Sinhala texts.

Here, contemporary denotes poetry written before 1938. This anthology was published by the Colombo Apothecaries Co. Ltd. In this task Keyt had the assistance of his friend, Bhikku Pinnawela Dhirananda, his mentor in Sinhala tradition. If my memory is correct Keyt had done a portrait of this monk. My late father had bought a copy of this book from a bookshop in Kandy and he jealously guarded it from book borrowers.

Objective

The preface written by Keyt gives the objective of compiling of an anthology of this nature and Keyt's views on Sinhala poetry. His objective we can surmise was to put Sinhala poetry "into a modern tongue" and make it "accessible to many".

Why he puts Sinhala poetry "into a modern tongue" and makes it "accessible to many"? According to Keyt, "if Sinhalese poetry has fallen into neglect., it is due to the unfamiliarity of its language". Putting them into a modern tongue will be a means "for its wider appreciation as the real poetical utterance of the land". There are "barriers of unfamiliarity - such as unusual phrases and obsolete words". "This anthology" he says "attempts to serve as a pleasant avenue leading into the little known and seemingly foreign world of Sinhalese poetry".

This suggests that Keyt has translated these poetry for the benefit of the English educated elite at that time, for whom Sinhala poetry was seemingly a 'foreign world', little known by them and unfamiliar to them. The Sinhala scholar never neglected Sinhala poetry even during the periods of colonial suppression and there were no barriers of unfamiliarity.

Against this backdrop Keyt's attempt could be explained as showing the "avenue" to a generation who has lost its cultural and literary roots embracing everything brought by the colonialists including their literature. In a subtle way Keyt warns them not to "exercise the colonial habit of arriving at critical conclusions based on a comparison with European poetry". He says that "the Sinhalese poets did not set themselves the task of following European models" and "Sinhalese poetry has always enjoyed - and suffered from - an astonishing immunity".

His intention was to give "a general idea" of Sinhala poetry. His choice of poems amply explains this. He avoided showing up "unassociated material" because such material to him were "no more than mere brick and mortar in a beautiful building".

He further states: "The things that appear on the pure mirror of a poem are the things put there by the reader himself, and the breath of a previous influence can only tend to cloud the mirror". That is why Keyt does not offer any critical remarks about the poetry selected in the anthology. This also can be construed as a warning to the rootless anglophiles of the day.

He tells them that a poem is a pure mirror or there is mirror in every poem. The reader puts many things on this pure mirror causing these to appear on it or to cloud it.

One such element is previous influence or the colonial habit of comparing with European poetry. Styles For his 138 paged anthology, Keyt had chosen 44 poems, consisting of 260 verses written in different styles and meters: 17 poems from classical poetry, 20 poems from folk poetry and 7 poems from "contemporary" poetry. Keyt had arranged all the poems of the "Contemporary" writers at the end of the anthology. Classical and folk poetry appear in a mixed form with no definite pattern discernible/ Keyt had selected poems from Gi Kawyas such as Muwa Dev Dawa and Kaw Silumina; Jataka Kawyas such asGutthila Kawyaya, Kawyashekaraya and Kusa Jataka Kawayaya; Sandesha Kawyas such as Thisara Sandeshaya, Gira Sandeshaya, Hansa Sandeshaya and Selelihini Sandeshaya; from the eulogy, Perakumba Siritha and from the amorous poem, Dunuwila Hatana. This selection provides a representative sample of all types of classical Sinhala poetry. How Keyt had put these verses into English demonstrates his mastery of the language of the classical Sinhala poetry which Keyt himself had described as barriers of unfamiliarity - such as unusual phrases and obsolete words".

The subjects depicted in these poems vary from studies of nature such as the morning (Kawsilumina, the moon (Muwa Dev Dawa), the sunset, the forest, to water sports (all from Hansa Sandeshaya, a discourse in a wayside rest (ambalama - Gira Sandeshaya), pleasure gardens (Kusa Jataka Kawya), City of Sravasti (Kavyashekaraya), celestial dancers (Guttila Kavya) and splendour of Vibishana (Selelihini Sandeshaya).

Keyt had rendered into English the famous poem, "Ru rese andina lese ath lela didee viduliya paba", depicting the dance of the heavenly women who descended from Surapura and danced to the music of Gutthila's veena, magnificently. He had devoted nearly ten pages of his anthology to include the much quoted advice of the Brahmin given to his daughter on the eve of her marriage in kavyashekaraya.

Examples

We would like to give a few examples to show how Keyt had rendered classical Sinhala poetry into English. The following verse was taken from the poem Keyt had titled as "The Morning", translation of seven verses from canto (sarga) seven of "Kawsilumina." We cite verse number 324, "durukele aluyam - berame gos piyathaman."

This verse sees the drums at dawn as the sound of thunder of rain clouds (megha). In the night swan-like breasts of courtesans ('Abhisaruvan') rest on lake-like bosoms of their lovers. At the dawn lovers do part. The sound of thunder makes the swans to leave the lake.

"The sound of the thunder of drums at daybreak
Parted lovers in bed,
Parted from lake-like bosoms of lovers
The swan-like breasts of the loved."

Keyt was able to capture the true meaning of the above verse giving it justice. I think it is unfair to compare Keyt's translation with Ariyapala and McAlpine translation of "Kawsilumina" entitled "Crest-Gem of Poetry", as Keyt was dealing with obsolete words with full of ornamentation and embellishment.

Keyt translates the sunset depicted in "Hamsa Sandeshaya" portraying nature and mixing with poetic experiences. We cite the translation of verse number 99 "Adagena sihil manda nala diya dahara hetha".

"A chilling breath now enters the breeze and the rain comes down,
And the pools are women, who close their lilies of eyes in fear,
And the closing petals of lotus flowers like amorous girls
Now capture and close on their secret lovers, the visiting bees."

Dramatic

Keyt narrates and dramatizes the water sports described in "Hamsa Sandeshaya" capturing its imagery.

"A man to the other bank crosses and hies,
And a woman from there dives down and defies:
In passing she kicks at his head as he plies,
And, across, a woman who sees that cries."

The original Sinhala verse, "minisek diya peena yeyi etherata" was very popular among the students of Sinhala literature, one recited by heart by all those who studied literature at secondary school level.

If one compares Keyt's translation of this verse with another translation of the same verse appearing in "An Anthology of Sinhalese Literature" edited by Christopher Reynolds (1970), Keyt's translation looks somewhat amateurish and unrefined.

"A man takes to the water and swims to the other shore,
A woman strikes out and arrives at the opposite bank,
With her foot she lets him have a blow on his head,
At which another girl from a distance away cried out."

Yearning of the King's lover in "Perakumba Siritha", (five verses translated) or the famous verse, "Kenda ware Perakum naraninda sakisanda sandapane," had been rendered into English as follows:

"The love-god, bearing aloft his banner, his bow with a lily of arrow in place; Astride on the gentle wind his horse, with the fire of absence comes to me;

A fire to me is the moon; no sleep to my eyes, no rest, alone in bed;

O you, my friend, in the moonlight, call to king Perakum, tell him, and bring him here"!

The Sinhala scholar who had read the original classic in Sinhala, who was mesmerized by the way this episode was put into verse by the ancient Sri Lankan poet, may think that this is an ordinary rendering in the hands of the translator.

He may not fully appreciate the translation as he may feel it is incomplete and the fitness and the elegance of the original are lacking in the translation.

But here we have to remind them that Keyt's objective was reaching a class that had lost its roots and showing them how rich was the literature of the Sinhalese.

Barriers

Keyt is at his best when he translates into English classical Sinhala poetry. Barriers of unfamiliarity, unusual phrases and obsolete words, unfamiliarity of the langauge as described by Keyt himself had not hampered him in his translations. Everything appears "in the simplicity which characterizes such verse."

He had accomplished his task by making Sinhala poetry accessible to the English reading public. He had remarkably shown them "the real poetical utterance of the land." It should be noted that the language Keyt uses, in translating classical Sinhala poetry is rich with images, vivid and lucid, sensitive to the vitality of eastern imagery.

This clearly manifests that Keyt had mastered the Eastern Tradition and his medium. He had skilfully won against the disadvantages and setbacks in translating from an "unfamiliar language," "unusual phrases" and "obsolete words". Keyt had achieved this success by harmoniously bringing together every aspect of this genre organizing them in accordance wit his total conception and purpose of his work.

Keyt had included a wide array of folk poetry into his anthology. Nelum Kavi, (poetry in the act of paddy replanting) Goyam Kavi, (poetry of reapers) Paru Kavi, (poetry of the boatmen) Pathal Kavi, (poetry of the miners) Karatta Kavi, (poetry of the carters) Pel Kavi, (poetry of the peasants watching their fields) and Daru Nelawili Gee (Cradle Songs) consist the most of folk poetry put into English. Games such as Lee Keli (stick dance), Onchili (swing), Kalagedi Netum (dance with the pitchers) and a drummer in a comic play are also included.

The translator had shown a penchant to include almost all of the well - known verse dialogues found in folk poetry, such as the verse dialogues between the King Rajadhi Rajasinghe and the peasant woman in the watch hut by her field (Lassana himawathe mavee pesenne), King Wimala Dharma Surya and his queen (Nala suwanda unu pen musuwa etada), Daskon Adigar and Queen Premila (Sakman Karana maluwedee bendi hada), a mother and her daughter-in-law (Badagini wela ma giya kala puthuge geta) and the man about to set on a journey and his amorous wife (Mama Ivasam madarada ivasum deda) respectively.

In, "In the watch-hut by the field," a Pel kavi, Keyt had included some rare verses such as the farmer's encounter with the lapwing (kirala) and the lapwing's reply to the farmer that it had come in search of a missing one in his "crowd," crying.

Images

There are instances where Keyt had translated some folk poems-word-to-word, without resorting to create lyrical images. It may be due to the simplicity that characterizes such poetry and their popularity. The following padda boat song," Onna male oya na mala nela waren" is an example:

"Pluck me that Na flower there, little brother,
Your foot place lightly, the bough may break,
See boats on the Kelani River and come,
Wish them well, and come in the boat."

Similar direct translations also appear in "A Bride's Father Advises Her." We quote

"Pekaniya nodakwa" from Kawyashekaraya.
"Not showing your navel,
Be clothed to your ankles,
Your swan-breasts concealing,
Laugh not such as to show all your teeth."

He may have used this idiom because of some traces of folk poetry found in these verses. This applies too to his translation of verses depicting water sports cited above. In translating folk poetry, in which the language shows signs of erudition, another feature of Sinhala folk poetry, Keyt uses a langauge rich in imagery.

The poem "The Kalagedi Dancers" and poet's discourse with the bambaras (bees) are few examples.

From among contemporary poets six poems written by Piyadasa Sirisena, Ananda Rajakaruna, Mullapitiye K. H. de Silva, Boralesgamuwe G. H. Perera respectively and a poem which appeared in "Lanka Kaw Sithumina" had been chosen for this anthology.

The langauge used in translating contemporary poetry closely resembles the langauge used for translating classical poetry. The reason may be the themes, metaphor, similes and language of these contemporary poets closely resembling those of classical Sinhala poets.

Finally, this anthology reveals that Keyt had been careful not to select any poem, either from the classical poetry, folk poetry or contemporary poetry, eulogizing Lord Buddha and virtuous life disciplined by Buddhist way of life, a salient feature of Sinhala literature of any period or tradition.

Instead, he had chosen and included in his anthology verses which depict Sanskrit and Hindu influence; themes which are direct influences of Sanskrit Maha Kavya Tradition.

It is no surprise when one sees that mostly Hindu and Sanskrit traditions influencing his paintings, how he celebrated love, both divine and profane with his brush.

 **** Back ****

www.Pathmaconstruction.com

www.ceylincoproperties.com

www.ppilk.com

www.crescat.com

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries

Produced by Lake House
Copyright © 2003 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager