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Gleaning
A Sinhala novel in Thamil
K. S. Sivakumaran
Knowledgeable readers of the Sinhala novel might have heard of a
writer by name Bandupala Guruge. I have not heard of him before.
His novel Senahasin Uppan Daruwo (Children born out of Love) is now
available in Thamil translated by Ira. Sadagopan.
The title in the latter language is Ulaipaal Uyarnthavarhal meaning
'Those rose to High Status by Working Hard'. I did not like the cover
page, but the illustrations in inside pages by the translator are
appreciable. The book has 241 pages and is published by the National
Library Documentary Services Board.
The book is dedicated to the "Karuppans and Periya Annans living as
slaves even today in the Lines not knowing there is life of freedom
outside".
The translator edits Wije, a children's magazine published by Wijeya
Group of Newspapers. He is also an attorney-at-law and had previously
worked as a journalist for the Virakesari. As an undergraduate student
he has written and produced prize winning stage plays. His books include
a collection of poems titled Vasanthakalum
Vasekarangalum and a book for the juveniles titled Aayiram Aandu
kaala Manitharhal. He is working on four books at present.
No information is available about the original writer from this book.
But an excerpt from his idea about the novel is as follows: "The
Plantation areas include the hillcountry and the low-lying wet zones in
the South.
The Thamilians of Indian descent were brought down to work in these
Plantations by the British Imperialists. These people were the resource
people for the development of Plantation economy at a big level. They
were also responsible in the formation of a new subculture especially in
the estates".
Prof. S. Santhiraaegeran in his erudite introduction to the
translated novel says that the Sinhalas from the original novel would
have been enlightened by the actualities of the suffering people from
the Thamil community.
He also says that the novel depicts the situation where social
mobility has not taken place among the estate population.
The writer of the original novel states that the purpose of his novel
was to show that the Sinhala and Thamil people in the plantation areas
lived a life of co-existence undergoing the same inadequate life. This
was particularly so in the wet zone in the low lying areas in the South.
Apparently the novelist identifies himself with a progressive idea of
Marxist hues.
The translator himself hails from the Uva province. The original
writer is a senior journalist, a writer and left wing writer, we
understand from the translator. But unfortunately the Sinhala writers do
not know Thamil, but most writers in Thamil know Sinhala as well.
We learn that the original novel was serialised in the Divaina and
later chosen as one of the best five novels and alter published in 1997.
I do not wish to reveal the plot and nor do I want to go not details
of characterisation. However on the translator's admission, he has taken
a free hand in making this novel a transcreation rather than a drab
translation. The style suits the Thamil style of writing with idioms and
phrases and descriptions.
Readers in Thamil could now how at least progressive Sinhala writers
view sections of the Thamil community.
C V Veluppillai's In Ceylon's Tea Garden
Talking of translations and transcreations, we must mention another
recent book published in Thamil. The late C V Veluppillai was a hill
country writer and politician married to a Sinhala lady. He was one of
the earlier poets in English in this country. Poet Tambimuttu, Alagu
Subramaniam, S J K Crowther were just a few Thamilians who wrote in
English then.
When C V V's In Ceylon's Tea Garden was published, the late Manjusri
provided the illustration is moot point to remember. And likewise the
late Harrison Pieris published this book in 1956. Now the second edition
with excellent translation into Thamil by Shakthi A Baliah has come out
recently.
Thialgar has published this book.
For those who have not heard of him or read him here are some
selections of poems from his book:
The Weeders and Crootch-men
Reflect and recall,
Their days now and then:
How their sires came
From across the seas;
The musalman's boat song
The wind upon the mast
The fast swelling sails
Waft here across the coast
A mother's sigh for a son
A sister's tears for a brother
Who sold their souls
For gold beneath the tea.
They blame the boatman
The wind upon the sails,
The first immigrant who came
Footsore on weary trek
And through Anuradha fell
Linguid, broken, dead!
Peacock gay sarees
And amber soft jackets
Of dark green and yellow
Their old ties renew.
The vermillion hue
Penciled on the brow;
Flower's red on lips
They leave them neat
They leave them sweet.
From the coffee days
To these our tea days-
Rom the coffee picker
To the tea plucker;
Between the sigh and smile
Between the sweat and rest
The changes came and went ...
Not this mutability
That's our theme.
But the pit and barrier
Within man & man
Within man and state
How the one forbids
And the other denies
From their voteless gloom
From their stateless doom
Of rights withered dross
Shall wake another dawn:
In the matting hour
Where once life decayed
Shall spring a fire-throb,
In the breathing of men.
The above lines were taken at random to show the poetic renderings of
the Late CVV.
Shakthi Baliah's translation of C V V's poems is really good.
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