Devi: The Boundless (A Daughter's Inward Journey) - ’யாதுமாகி’யின் ஆங்கில மொழியாக்கம்

’யாதுமாகி’ நாவல்,சென்னை எதிராஜ் கல்லூரியின் முன்னாள் ஆங்கிலப் பேராசிரியையும், தோழியுமான வை.காதம்பரி அவர்களின் மொழிபெயர்ப்பில் Devi: The Boundless (A Daughter's Inward Journey) என்ற தலைப்புடன் சென்னை எமரால்ட் பதிப்பகத்தாரால் வெளிவந்திருக்கிறது; குறிப்பிட்ட இந்தத் தருணம் பல விதங்களில் நெகிழ்வானது. மனநிறைவும் மகிழ்வும் ஊட்டுவது. மூலத்தை உருவாக்கும்போது நான் கொண்டிருந்த மனநிலைகள், உணர்வுகள்,பாத்திரங்களோடு நான் கொண்டிருந்த பிணைப்புக்கள்,முரண்கள் என சகலத்தையும் தன்னதாக்கி மனம் கலந்த ஒன்றிப்போடு ஆங்கிலத்திலேயே நேராக எழுதப்பட்டது போன்ற உணர்வைத் தோற்றுவிக்கும் வகையில் இப் பெயர்ப்பைச் செய்திருப்பவர் காதம்பரி; கடும் உழைப்போடும்,அர்ப்பணிப்போடும் இப்படைப்பை மொழிபெயர்த்ததோடு நூல் வெளிவரவும் பெருமுயற்சி மேற்கொண்ட அவருக்கு வெற்றுச் சொற்களல்ல..என் நட்பு ஒன்றே நன்றி கூற வல்லது. மொழியாக்கத்துக்கு அணிந்துரை வழங்கியிருக்கும் ஜஸ்டிஸ்(முன்னாள்) திருமதி பிரபா ஸ்ரீதேவன் அவர்களுக்கும், ஆங்கில மொழியாக்கத்தை வெளியிட்டிருக்கும் எமரால்ட் பதிப்பக உரிமையாளர் திரு ஒளிவண்ணன் அவர்களுக்கும் என் நன்றி. தமிழ் மூலத்தின் அட்டையை ஆங்கிலத்துக்கும் பயன்படுத்திக் கொள்ள மகிழ்வோடு உடன்பட்ட வம்சி பதிப்பகத்தார்க்கும் [பவாசெல்லதுரை-கே வி ஷைலஜா,அட்டையை வடித்த வம்சி]மகிழ்வோடு என் நன்றிகள்.

ஆங்கிலப் புத்தகத்தைக் கீழ்க்காணும் இணைப்புக்களின் வழி கிண்டிலிலோ,
இ புத்தகமாகவோ,அச்சு வடிவிலோ பெறலாம்.

https://www.amazon.in/dp/B087NP6KBN,

https://www.emeraldpublishers.com/devi-the-boundless2/,

https://www.amazon.in/Devi-Boundless-M-SuR

Translator’s Note
V.Kadambari 
[Former Professor of English, Ethiraj College for Women, Chennai and Former Adjunct Professor of Gender Studies, RGNIYD. She is a bi-lingual writer, speaker and translator,Chennai]
Jan 2020

Subversions and autobiographies of women are milestones in Feminist Literary Tradition. Contrary to the popular opinion, that women do not have any stories to tell and that woman’s stories do not have anything worthwhile to say, the autobiographies of women share specifically, women problems. Autobiographies of Asha Purna Devi, Ismat Chugtai, Devaki Nilayangode, Durga Ghote to name a few of the great chain of writers speak about the economic and physical exploitation of women; a degradation of the life of women which men can only very dimly comprehend. To this line of writers belongs M.A.Susila, a Tamil writer who has written the Fictional Auto/Biography Yadumagi, to recover the past and to pass on the lessons to the future. Yadumagi is a dedication of a daughter to her self-made mother and to all self- made women. The work speaks of the trauma of a victim of child marriage, and her brave forward journey in a patriarchal setup.

Recovery literatures help women to recover their self-esteem, recognize their worth, gain balance, throw male chauvinism as ignorance and march ahead with pride demanding attention and space to be cleared for a dignified living. I feel privileged to have been permitted to translate the work by the author and thank the Emerald Publishers for bringing it out in print. I have tried to be faithful in my translation to the source text though at times I found the crisp style of the author a challenge. I wish to record my grateful thanks to Hon’ble Justice Tmt. Prabha Sridevan, a well known translator herself, for writing the foreword for the book.

 Foreword

  Hon’ble Justice Tmt. Prabha Sridevan (Retired)

  Chennai

  December, 2019

                                        

We are a country divided and in a way united by our languages. Walking between languages that are our country’s own, is easier than walking from our language to English or the other way. But both must be done if we want our writings to be read by all. Indian writing is not read by all the world as it deserves to be. I must say Tamil writers are not even read by others in our country as they should be. A piece of evidence is the Jnanpith award winners from Tamil literature, first to get it was ten years after the inception, twenty seven years thereafter came the next, we are now waiting for the third. It is certainly not because the Tamil writers have not made a significant contribution to literature. One of the many reasons, is we have not fully understood the value of translation. The number of novelists in other countries, who write aiming to get published in many languages is growing. We too must do it.

In the Aitareya Brahmana we have a verse extolling travel, it contains these words, “Therefore, wander! The feet of the wanderer are like the flower, his soul is growing and reaping the fruit.” I will take from it, the pen of the translator is like the bee, carrying the pollen to far off places, and enriching the soil she takes from and the soil she takes to. For how else will we Indians know about another living elsewhere in our country, or the reader abroad learn about us? I remember a non-Indian reader after reading my translation asked me what “Tamboolapoorithamukhi” meant. These are the joys and rewards of translation!

            V. Kadambari has rightly chosen for translation, M.A. Susila’s book about a woman’s life spanning six decades. One might say, it is the story of a Brahmin woman of Tamilnadu, specifically a child widow. This girl thirsts for education, tradition very nearly chokes her. Very nearly… but does not succeed. Devi’s presence is all pervasive, and that is why the title in Tamil, “Yaadumaagi”. Her stamp is in everything she does; the way she bathes the grandchild, she tends the flowers, she notices the student who opts out of school because of poverty, she reminds her daughter to get the details for her grand-daughter’s IAS exams, her meticulous folding of her clothes, the way she keeps accounts with her regular sari shop. Insults and hurts come her way, she is cheated, scorned, but she is almost Buddha-like in her calm. It is a record of one society, its values, and about the ones who conformed, and the ones who braved. It is archival in its value.

Devi’s grandmother uses all the tricks in her command, to make her reluctant son get Devi married. He thinks to himself if he deserved to wear the Kattabomman like moustache when he did not have the courage to stand up against his mother.  There are such light moments too. Then tragedy strikes. As I read this book, I wept for all those women who for no fault of theirs, had their heads shaven, made to wear dull sarees, had their blouses removed andwere fettered in celibacy, all for what? All because a boy perhaps as untouched by life as these women, had met his end. So their “lives” had to become colourless. Devi is a vibrant warrior and through her life we remember those women so unfortunate.

It is not surprising that V. Kadambari chose this to translate. She has carried the spirit faithfully. It is not an easy structure, the narration goes forwards and backwards, it starts in 1967, then somewhere goes to 1926, then to 1983, and concludes in 2013. It is not just a travel around in Time. It is a movement in Space as well. Starting in Karaikudi, it goes to Madras, Madurai, Tiruvaiyaru in turn and climbs up to Rishikesh. It is a challenging work for the translator.  The translator has worked with truth and passion. I am so happy to have been asked to introduce this book.

PREFACE

M.A.Susila

[This Preface is a translation from the Tamil Edition.]

                                                                       

                                                                        27.7.2014

       

               

          Yadumagi is a small attempt at fictionalizing a life story. This is my first milestone in Novel writing.

Charu is making an inward journey into the life of a mother who was both mother and father to her. Cutting across time vertically and horizontally she is on the footprints of the mother whose personality had inspired her to search the crevices of her mind. In that journey she is aghast and puzzled by looking at what the pages of her mother’s life unfold before her. Charu who belongs to the next generation is wonder struck at the way in which her stoic mother had continued her sojourn holding on to the single mantra ‘firm of purpose’. Without ranting and raving but with ease and grace she had taken every step consciously on the path chosen and created by her firmly setting aside the challenges and hurdles on her path.

 Charu discovers that her mother’s life had all the possibility of being left to wilt in the darkest corners covered with dust and dirt and her unrecognised intelligence would have been buried deep within those. But Devi not only did not succumb to pressures that would have allowed her to be engulfed in ennui but had used the occasional and rare crutches that were offered to her for creating an identity and status for herself. The active outcome of Charu’s thoughts and search is the novel.

It is but natural for human kind to evolve facing at various junctures different kinds of troubles. Though these troubles may vary according to the time, the trouble shooting strategies and resolutions to move forward do not change much. May be in today’s context, child marriage and refusal to educate girls are rare. In Devi’s life more than the mishaps she had faced, the way in which she had faced them gains importance.

First and foremost I wish to place on record my sincere thanks to my affectionate friend and senior writer Kaveri. She has not only given an introduction to the novel which I began writing when I was in Delhi but also had discussed its development at various stages. Her erudite observations have been invaluable.

I am indebted to writers Thiru Jeyamohan and Thiru Paavannan, who amidst their own writing schedule spared time to go through the manuscript. I owe my sincere thanks to friend and critic Thiru Rajagopalan, for his valuable suggestions.

I recall with gratitude all my friends who evinced keen interest in the novel, gave constructive criticisms and helped to make the script take shape.

My daughter Minu Pramod was with me at every stage of the novel. She had not only read the chapters as and when they were written, but helped me to shift to the next stage with her valid observations.  She read the novel so many times that she knows it by heart.

When I sought the help of Vamsi Publishers to bring it out, Tmt.K.V.Shylaja accepted it without any hesitation. She has also given a critical introduction and honoured me. Apart from being a discerning reader she is a writer and translator too. I am indebted to her and Thiru Bava Chelladurai for publishing the novel.

To Vamsi (son of Bava and Shylaja) who brought out the essence of the novel in the cover design my love in abundance.

K.V.Jayashree, a translator herself discussed the novel and corrected the proof. I am thankful to her. I thank Mohana and Sindubharathi, who type-set the book and edited the photos.

http://www.masusila.com/2016/08/blog-post_11.html