The Translated Verse, Arshia Sattar

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/the-translated-verse/765669/0

The Translated Verse

In the city for a workshop recently, Sanskrit scholar and writer Arshia Sattar commented on the vibrancy of Indian literature outside the English language

In her witty replies, one can trace the passion that she has for the written word. Translator, facilitator and author Arshia Sattar aptly represents the bridge between the archaic and the contemporary. The writer in fact is one among the handful of academicians who have translated Sanskrit texts like Kathasaritasagara and Valmiki's Ramayana in English. In the city, for a workshop on 'Valmiki in the 21st century' that was recently conducted at Open Space, the writer spoke about her translations and the presence of the sacred texts in our lives.

"The Ramayana is a part of our cultural vocabulary, as is the Mahabharata. We continue to talk about these stories and characters precisely because all of us, common or uncommon, men and women and children, find that they still speak to us. The texts may not say the same thing to each of us, but they are obviously saying something that we want to hear," she says, referring to the modern-day relevance of the Ramayana.

In her translations, she takes a balanced route – substituting difficult prose with contemporary language. She loves this challenging job. "Valmiki's work is a pleasure to translate because he is so lyrical. There's nothing detached about his language -- he talks about love and loss and longing in the same way that any of us would. Except that he's a better poet and his work sounds and feels better. Translating Valmiki into English or any other widely and commonly spoken language is about subverting that 'special' status that so many people ascribe to Sanskrit," she says.

On the subject of Sanskrit, ask her to comment on the way the language is taught in schools, and she says, “We don't even study Indian literature in any serious way in school -- or Hindi or Bangla or Marathi, or any other Indian language. Why single out the way Sanskrit is taught?"

The writer is currently working on a new book of essays on the Ramayana which will be out later this year. She is also immersed in a selection of texts about how money was used and thought about in the classics and is also translating a Hindi novel. According to her, some of the most vibrant work in India is happening outside the English language. "Indian languages are flourishing. In fact, it is Indian writing in English that is beginning to bore me a little," she says
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