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| Wednesday, 05 January 2005 |
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German poems and ballads in Sinhala by Prof. Sunanda Mahendra German nuragi sahali saha janagi is the title given by the compiler cum translator Chandra Sri Ranasinghe for his latest collection of German poems translated from the original sources into Sinhala. The collection includes quite a number of genres as the reader may see denoted as love poems, ballads, lyrics, folk poems, folk songs and various other forms in an assorted manner. About forty years ago as an undergraduate of the university the translator Ranasinghe had offered German as one of the subjects for his degree course where he had the opportunity to study the language at ease as he was devoted to the function of translation as a means of learning a language. According to him the manuscript of poems of varying types have been lying in hibernation for a long time perhaps until he discovered it recently. His speciality had been the study of medieval German literature where he had discovered a special interest in the poetical works about which he had written a long introduction followed by his own translations. I found the introduction quite interesting for two main reasons. Firstly, Ranasinghe shows various cross currents and movements that had gone into the moulding of German poetical works up to the middle of the twentieth century. Secondly, his own translations of some of the selected works depict the flavour of the poems for a local audience and the resulting influence of which is traced to the development of the world poetical traditions with influences from the Orient as well. According to the scholar Ranasinghe the German tradition of literary creativity is older than that of the French literary tradition and younger to the English literary tradition. He makes an effort to trace how the special niche was carved as German literature in the annals of European literary history with the great works of such writers and philosophers as Goethe. He notes that the very first German work is denoted as a remnant titled Merseburger Zauberspruche though it is not regarded as an actual creative work of art, and more of a mystical work. Then he traces and hints that a kind of German literary tradition in the ancient context could be reckoned as more charms or chantings or mantras as known to us than actual poetical works which of course led to the development of a lyric tradition which presumably had given way to a musical tradition of an itinerant type normally found in the European countries. In his findings the writer Ranasinghe says that most of the lyrics and ballads that he found in the original German as pioneering efforts had been works attributed to anonymous creators. On examining them closely they are more of the expressions of love and eroticism than refined spiritual thoughts and they are branded as Minnesang translated as Nuragi in Sinhala. The essence of Minnesang according to the introduction is the expression of lover's feeling in secrecy an expression of the genuine feeling of either love and desires or agony and ecstasy. These poetical expressions are also subdivided into various other categories as well. Later on some of the poets have sprung up with their identities exposed and built a tradition of love poems in Germany. As in the Medieval English poetry here too one finds the traces of adventures on the part of the knights and courtiers in the garb of wandering poets in chivalry. Ranasinghe uses the term sahali to denote ballads, but the popular term as known by Sinhala scholars is kavikathava or a story in the form of a poem. The influence of the ballad genre on the literary development in German language is traced vividly and explicitly, enabling the student of comparative literature to obtain supplementary knowledge and information on the subject. Perhaps this may be the only printed document one comes across today in Sinhala to fulfil the desire and to know of the origins and development of German literature with special emphasis on poetical works. A series of small publications of this kind is needed to help build a better climate of comparative literary studies in Sinhala and the local publishers should take this factor seriously. Ranasinghe introduces, though briefly, the services of various German scholars by way of providing mini biographies and lists of their works. In this direction he shows the creative influence of Martin Luther (1483-1546) Johann Christian Gunther (1965-1723), Gotthold Lessing (1729-89), Johann Gottfried Herder (1774-1803), Johann Wolfgang Goethe (1749-1832), Rainer Maria Rilke (1875-1926) and various other well-known and lesser known moulders of classics. Followed by this documentation the writer attempts to trace the development of various literary concepts such as romanticism, naturalism, realism, expressionism and aestheticism and the gradual changing patters in each of the trends giving vent to post pre and neo movements in each category. Then he traces the various social and political movements that helped shape those trends which presumably is a branch that had to be dealt at length. Though the German writer Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956) is known in our country for his plays in English and in Sinhala, the compiler Ranasinghe briefly introduces the aspects of the poet in Brecht. This area I felt should be developed further, for studies in Brecht all over the world have not been properly introduced in Sinhala by even the so-called scholars who justify themselves as exponents in the studies of Brecht at the university level. The second half of the compilation is devoted to the translation ranging from the anonymous to known works. Here the translator Ranasinghe uses a classical and a folk diction taking into consideration the tone of the original work. They are all meant, I suppose to be read not slowly but to express loudly and as such most of the embedded poetical works could be set to music and sung at various occasions. The selections are quite brief and translated into a simple format, reminding the local reader the design of Sinhala folk songs and poems. Most themes on love, marriage, birth, motherhood, various aspirations and heroisms are not really alien and are commonly known to the local reader as a common folk heritage via our own folk creative works. All in all, this compilation with the learned introduction is a fitting tribute especially to the younger generation of Sinhala readers who so yearn to know more about the literary trends abroad. German nuragi, sahali saha janagi is a Godage publication. ############## Stories written for private consumption
I would like to begin with a question. What makes a reader remember a book long after the minute details of the story have been forgotten? Does the intention of the author in writing the book have an impact on the impressions the reader gains from the book? In answer to the questions I would venture to say it is the spirit and style of the book that leaves lasting impressions on the reader, and the intention of the author does indeed impact upon shaping the opinions of the reader. In today's globalized world, writing has ceased to be a personal creative process that writers share with the world, and instead has become a product manufactured for the global market. Although an audience is important to the writer, as it brings the writing out of obscurity into the open, the author who writes solely for an audience becomes self-conscious and the story contrived. I would venture to say it is when an author writes for no-one in particular but because he or she feels the need to, the story is honest, open and 'makes the reader the recipient of a confidence.' When reading Colpetty People - a collection of stories by Ashok Ferry, one gets the feeling that writing is a personal creative process to the author, i.e. the stories have not been written with a particular audience in mind but because the author felt the need to record impressions, create characters and engage in the process of writing itself. Hence, the stories are un-self-conscious and the writing itself appears effortless. The reader also comes away with the impression the stories are not separate but sections of a larger narrative. One even wonders whether the stories would have been crafted differently if they had been written with the intention of being chapters of a book rather than individual stories. The stories written over decades provide glimpses of the life of Asian migrants in post-colonial Africa, tackle the emotionally ambiguous state of children growing up away from home shuttled between continents and deal with the need to keep up appearances to maintain social position and the tenuous nature of human relationships. Glimpses of life A refreshing feature of the book is that it does not over-state or over-describe but instead leaves a lot to the imagination of the reader. Recently I came across a quote of American novelist Willa Cather which describes this perfectly; she says 'whatever is felt upon the page without being specifically mentioned there - that, one might say, is created'. In most if not all stories in Colpetty People emotions are not described, only situations. The description, which sometimes appears to be a narration of facts devoid of feelings, somehow provides space for the reader to discover the emotions of the characters and the state of their relationships. For example, 'A Few Days After Eleven', a story narrated in short statements of facts drives home to the reader feelings of loneliness, fear and abandonment experienced by a child who when only eleven years and a few days old was sent alone to a boarding school on another continent. The economy of words, especially with regard to emotions, actually helps the reader realise the depth of feeling in the child, his sadness coupled with anger at his parents for being sent away from home alone, and his desperate need for reassurance and love. Human relations are one of the main concerns of Colpetty People, which has chosen to deal with what can be called the 'seedy side' of relationships. Most stories are crafted to show the dysfunctional nature of relationships that appear to be quite healthy and normal on the surface. The stories deal with the deception, sometimes self-deception, pretentiousness and denial required of each of us to keep relationships alive and going, whether with our parents,siblings, friends, lovers or partners. The stories even make one wonder whether one has to deny or obliterate parts of oneself to have successful relationships. 'The Night Bus to Clapham' is about Ashoka who in order to survive in a foreign country has chosen to give up his identity and become Jonathan. His relationships with his co-workers and girlfriend are based on a denial of his identity and reality. The sadness of this is underscored by the fact he is able to be 'Ashoka' only on the short bus ride home. Humour is a device used liberally by the author to point out the pitiable position of the characters. In the story 'Jiggy' we find an accountant from Pannipitiya living vicariously through his alter ego. Jiggy from Colombo 7 is a happy go lucky man who appears to have it all and lives in the fast lane. Although the accountant wants a life like Jiggy's he is at the same time outraged at Jiggy's lack of morals etc. Little does he realise that Jiggy's life is not as fantastic as it appears, for Jiggy lives in a small room in a boarding house of sorts and drifts from job to job with only his charm to see him through to the next day. The monotony of the accountant's life is broken only by the outrageous and irresponsible acts of Jiggy, which he tolerates regardless of their impact on his life. Through a series of funny incidents the author shows us the lives of two men not quite satisfied with their lives but yet unable or unwilling to make changes to achieve their desired state of being. Loneliness The loneliness of older people who live their last days alone in a world they find alien, a world that does not respect or understand the values they hold dear, features strongly in a couple of stories. These stories also ponder about the institution of family and question whether it is indeed the support structure it is perceived to be. One of the shortest stories in the collection," Pack Up the Moon," is one such story that leaves a lasting impression. It is the story of an old man who lives his last days alone with only a kind neighbour for assistance. Living every day becomes a burden and death becomes a much longed for visitor to the man, whose children and relatives are now strangers who like vultures circle the deathbed only to protect their inheritance. One curious fact that is true of nearly all the stories is that the main character is an outsider who is part of a certain community, society or group in name only. This while allowing the character to provide a dispassionate and sometimes brutally honest picture of the world of which he is a part of, also provides the reader with an insight into the emotional state, hang-ups and prejudices of the character. The characters are therefore outsiders who always wish to be outsiders. I would like to end with a quote from the story 'Eternity' which is more a poem than a story. I believe this quote illustrates the spirit of the collection of stories - 'And every once in a while the brilliant light of the setting sun is reflected in the cracked window of a sugar pink facade, and you drag yourself reluctantly after your eye to view the dim dusk of non-existence within. But only for a moment and you are back outside again, shivering in the safety of the salt air, unspeakably thankful that you are you and they are they.' Ambika Satkunanathan ############## Skilful story teller at work
Definitions of the short story are diverse. John Wain's opinion in this regard is as follows: "When I write novels, then, I put in the centre of a story a character, or cluster of characters, belonging to the type I know best, the type to which, making due allowance for individual differences, I belong myself... The short story, which does not call for a lot of detail but merely for the telling arrangement of a brush stroke here and there, can allow the writer to portray, even if only in snapshot fashion, lives that are largely mysterious to him... But they are all people whom I feel confident of understanding at that particular point in their lives... What I am offering you is my notion of the way human beings behave." According to A. M. G. Sirimanne (Preface to the Short Story), "First let us see roughly how a short story' gets written. This is not to say that there is 'one' ideal formula which every writer must follow. There's no 'must' about it. Every writer develops a method which is specially adapted to achieve the effect he desires. Edgar Allen Poe, Hawthorne, Chekov, Hemingway, Maupassant, Turgenev, Lawrence, Joyce and others evolved their special techniques to promote the ends they had in view... Thus, almost any subject is good enough for a short story, provided the writers imagination is deeply stirred by it... Through purely objective and dramatic means, the author must convey comment on life, a point of view." Single figure Barnet, Berman and Burto (An Introduction to Literature) hold that, "The modern short story is not an anecdote and is not an abbreviated novel... The novelist usually covers a long period of time, presenting not only a few individuals but also something of a society. He often tells of the development of several many - sided figures. In contrast, the short-story writer having only a few pages, usually focuses on a single figure in a single episode, revealing his character rather than recording his development. Whereas the novel is narrative, the contemporary short story often seems less narrative than lyric or dramatic: in the short story we have a sense of a present mood or personality revealed rather than the sense of a history reported." On going through M. D. S. Maithripala's second collection of ten short stories entitled, A Cutting Edge, its first story, "The Ring," revived my memory of having read a similar story long ago by either W. A. Silva or Hemapala Munidasa, of the loss of a gold ring during a banquet, which was found lying under a carpet later on. Maithripala does it in a different manner: the ring is found years later caught in a sink-slot. This story centres on the ill-effects of suspicion. And when it was detected by the victim's husband, a mason repairing the sink, the reader sees the embarrassment of the lady of the house. The story of "Kattandiya and the Bride" may seem to act like a balm to the lovelorn. Although it is cleverly wound up, the desperately needy love-lorn youths should not "rush in like fools where angels fear to tread". "Sundari's sins" is an attempt to modernize a Jataka Story with a touch of Scotland Yard or CID detection of culpable homicide. Here, I must pay a tribute to the writer for his commendable effort in introducing a tiny bit of useful guidance contained in the Jataka stories representing life experiences that can enlighten people who have lost their common sense on the nature of human foibles. Hackneyed theme "Hobgoblin of the Walauwa" is skilfully composed. I feel, however, it is high-time this hackneyed theme was avoided like the plague. Even the cinema and the teledrama are encroached by those hanging on to this crumbling Walauwa system which has long ceased to interest the general public. "A Cutting Edge" which is also the title of the anthology presents a new perspective regarding a historical event. This is the second time I observed a novel approach by a local writer, (the first being that of Dr. Premarathne Magammana's "Thambapanni Geethaya", a poem, which offers a new turn of interpretation to Rawana's purpose of kidnapping Sitha. This short story fills the reader with a plausible contest generating an appealing touch coupled with curiosity leading to serious imagination. 'The Subordinate Officer" relates how a White Sahib was outwitted by a Blackie which excites nationalistic exultation. Reader's attention The enthroning of Vatta Gamini Abaya or King Valagamba in the next episode deserves special mention as it competently arrests the reader's attention throughout the tale inducing a relish to read history with pleasure effectively bringing out pathos about a mother's stoical suffering ending up in triumph. The eighth story reveals relentless cruelty to children which is reported in the media even today. "The Face of Fortune" stands out as a romantic tale fulfilling a sense of adventure and heroism of the protagonist who is rewarded in the end. The last story poises the strong bond of love, care and understanding between a father and a son successfully. The writer's skill in deftly presenting the stories enabling the reader to appreciate the short stories at a single setting is remarkable. Somapala Arandara **** Back **** |
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Produced by Lake House |
Colpetty People, Author: Ashok Ferrey, Published by Perera Hussein
Publishing House, 80 A, Dharmapala Mawatha, Colombo 7, Available at all
major book stores, 207 pages Price: Rs. 450
A cutting edge, Author: M. D. S. Maithripala, Samayawardhana Bookshop,
Colombo 10, 76 pages, Price Rs. 100
