RE-FINDING MY CULTURE AND MYSELF IN TRANSLATION

Abstract

The poems I have translated from Punjabi into English are from my books titled Bracket de Baharwaar (1994) and Angad (2008). [Bracket de Baharwaar is the winner of a prestigious award in India]. Both books are available at Apnaorg.com, electronically; hard copies can be ordered at Amazon. As regards my experience in translation, I seem to have lost nothing; the gain is tremendous- I have found my misplaced self while translating my poems aged decades.

In the process, I have gained insight into the place of translation in inter-cultural communication. An unanticipated gain is also there, which is touching, sweet and soothing and much more at the same time. That gain is of intra-cultural communication. [Re] Publishing your poetry in a foreign land, in its original script is a feeling which can be translated in to ‘home coming’; word to word and in total equivalence; my gratitude to you, Dr. Marco Sonzogni, for this opportunity.