A critical study of the select English translations of Malayalam dalit poems

Abstract

The experience of the downtrodden and their struggle to gain rights initiated the inception of Dalit literature in India. Dalit poetry first appeared in the forms of labour songs like “Koithupattu” and “Chakrapattu” following an oral tradition from time immemorial. With the advent of social reforms in Kerala, in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, reinforced by the teachings and leadership of Sree Narayana Guru and Ayyankali, the works and visions of Pandit Karuppan, Kumaran Asan and Poikayil Appachan, the voice of the marginalized began to be heard in Malayalam poetry. From the early twentieth century onwards, many Dalit poets from Kerala began to express their anguish and protest against the oppressors. By introducing simple diction and colloquial language in their poems, the poets challenged the earlier ‘Sanskritization’ in Malayalam poetry. English translations of these poems gave a greater momentum to this growing body of literature as through translations the poets got a wider audience to express their protest. The present study furnishes a critical analysis of the select English translations of Malayalam Dalit poetry. It analyses and interprets the select poems of Kaviyoor Murali, K. K. S. Das, G. Sasi Madhuraveli, Raghavan Atholi, Sivadas Purameri, S. Joseph, M. R. Renukumar, M. B. Manoj, Vijila, Binu M. Pallipad and S. Kalesh that had appeared in The Oxford India Anthology of Malayalam Dalit Writing (2012), No Alphabet in Sight: New Dalit Writings from South India (2010) and Writing in the Dark: A Selection of Dalit Poetry in Malayalam (2009). The thesis is divided into five chapters. The introduction chapter discussed the evolution of Malayalam Dalit writings and gave an overview of Dalit movements and Dalit Literature in Kerala. The second chapter, “The World of Translation and Themes” had discussed the common themes that appeared in Malayalam Dalit poetry. Protest, rebellion, revolution, exploitation, inequality, alienation, identity crisis, poverty, gender discrimination and vulnerability were the common themes discussed in Malayalam Dalit poems. The third chapter, “Language and the Aesthetic Domain” had attempted a formalistic analysis of the select poems. A detailed study of language, diction, symbolism, rhythm, mythical and biblical allusions, analogy and imagery that appeared in the poems was done. The fourth chapter, “Translation: Prospects and Realities” discussed the challenges and possibilities of translating Malayalam Dalit poetry into English. It also focuses on the concept of equivalence, loss and gain principles in translation and the politics of translating Malayalam Dalit poems into English. The fifth chapter titled “Conclusion” included the research findings and prospects of the study.