Description

ABOUT THE BOOK

This is a book of translated from Bengali. Rhymes are perhaps the earliest works after man got his speech. They predate writing. Even in caves mothers sang rhymes to her child. They were not part of elite literature. Rather they pour out of mothers and grandmothers as naturally as a bud blossoms into a flower. They are perhaps tied with Mother Nature in an umbilical cord. Images and characters arise in them in fluidity. When poets write rhymes, they try to capture this fluidity. It is so fluid that sometimes the name of the poets becomes obscure much like the original rhymes. Our task here is to transfer this fluidity in translation. It is for readers to decide how far we have succeeded.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Srijan Sengupta – Srijan cannot speak properly. He expresses himself in written words. He is called autistic. His passion is writing. This is expressed through many forms. Translation is a way. Rhymes are most primordial creations. It rises from a mother’s lip to sooth her child. It speaks of most mundane things in simple but beautiful words. Like the chirping of birds, like the colour of flowers and like its scent, it enchants us all. It is very difficult to capture such innocence in translation. Ahan Sengupta – Ahan is described as non-verbal autistic person. He loves to write. He writes stories and poems. He also translates poems. This is an exercise into the minds of others. It is a difficult exercise. It raises the question of conversation between two minds. Rhymes are expressions of common people in their daily life. It is couched in local environment. Translating them in an universal set-up is not very easy.