The search: The journey to reading the
Meghadutam was as interesting as the work itself. I was looking for the best English translation of it there is- after my enjoyable experience with 'The Essential Tagore', I realized (rather obviously) that the quality of translation is key to enjoying the original. This sentiment is very well expressed in the preface of the translation I finally ended up reading: 'The cloud message' by Mr. Srinivas Reddy. He makes an interesting and strong case for the creative standing of translations- he cites the long tradition of such translations in India, and how each translation stands as a work of art by itself. He quotes
Sri Vishwanatha Satyanarayana (someone whose work I am sure all elder Singampallis are intimately familiar with), who in his introduction to the
Ramayana Kalpavrukshamu says:
I worship the same Rama as everyone else
but the devotion in my poetry is my own.
Specifically about the oft translated meghadhutam, the author likens the theme of a messenger carrying tidings between separated beloveds as a metaphor for translation. In his words:
Towards the end of the poem, just when the cloud begins to finally deliver the message, he assures the yaksha's wife that he has kept the message safe in his heart (hrdaya nihita). It is as if the cloud was claiming both fidelity and feeling, the spirit and letter of the yaksha's heartfelt words. In the following verse he states that carrying news between a husband and wife is almost like uniting them (sangamaat kincit unah), suggesting in a sense that a translation is nearly the real thing, almost a new original. It is in these ways that the translators long and winding journey is much like that of the cloud's.
So all this underscores the importance of a good translation. My Google search revealed a couple of interesting things:
1. How the Hindu continues to be the only newspaper/magazine that cares about literature. Apart from an Amazon link to buy the book and the Wikipedia link, all relevant links (except one) were from articles or reviews from the Hindu. I enjoyed reading those high quality articles and even wrote to them asking for a recommendation (did not get a reply)
2. Every review of every translation I read said the same thing: very nice work, but doesn't capture the vibrancy of the original.
Then after some conversation with SGK, I settled on buying the translation that I ultimately read. That conversation had its own interesting momentum, resulting in the excellent translation of 'Banshi' by SGK that he posted on SH, which has met the approval of his elite literary circle! Kudos to SGK.
The book: It was an enjoyable read. I think most of the senior Singampallis and spouses would anyway have read one version or the other of the Meghadutham by now, so I won't dwell much on it. I enjoyed all the things that ones praises Kalidasa for: the elegant metaphors, the strong visual language, the underlying rhythm that slowly entrances the reader, the contemporary attitude of the protagonist. But I enjoyed most the mental picture that the poem draws of majestic nature in ancient India. Particularly, there were two aspects that were captivating:
1. The intricate and exhilarating relationship that all nature in India has with the monsoon was depicted well in the poem. As you read the poem, you can see the rains moving across the country, making an already wonderful land more beautiful
2. The powerful description of the Himalayas as the apex of nature was also good. Even today, the Himalayas hold that allure. There are some places on Earth where nature is so grand in scale and beauty that mother nature becomes a tangible presence. The Grand Canyon, the Bharmaputra, the Himalayas, the Yosemite valley- all of them have a profound impact on my consciousness, as it has for countless others. The poem provides that distinction to the Himalayas very eloquently
In any case, Kalidasa does not require my endorsement. But if some of the younger generations have not read it, then hopefully this will give them the fillip.
A couple of excerpts:
When you approach Lord Himalaya, the very source
of the River Ganga,
Where the peaks are snowy white and the boulders
are scented with the musk
Of crouching bucks, rest there on one of his ridges
and ease the toil of travel,
As if you were a living allusion to Shiva's White Bull
digging up the dark earth.
One more excerpt from a little later:
Soar even higher and accept Mount Kailasa's invitation
to fly through her chasms,
Cleaved sheer by the many arms of Ten-Headed Ravana,
but used now as mirrors
By the wives of the gods. There the high peaks, heaped
with snow, day after day,
Will pierce the sky like lotuses of white, as if revealing
the laughter of Lord Shiva.
And yes, while the translation was great, I was indeed left with an impression that no such work can do justice to the original.