Treasure Trove: A 25-volume project for Assamese Literature Translation in English

Treasure Trove: A 25-volume project for Assamese Literature Translation in English

(News published in The Assam Tribune, page 3, 16^th Nov, 2011)

Guwahati, 14 Nov: Promising writer and translator Abhigyan Anurag has formulated a novel plan for translating Assamese literary works in English from the year 2011.

In a statement released here today, Anurag says that Treasure Trove, a title of the 25-volume literary project, is an anthology of select Assamese literary works in English translation and the first volume of 568-page book was published by Pandu College and released by honorable MP Smt Bijoya Chakravarty on last 23^rd October, 2011 in its golden jubilee celebration.

According to Anurag, the first volume of the proposed series printed and distributed by Bhabani Printers, Guwahati, contains three sections—short stories, poems and essays of a total of 72 noted and promising Assamese writers and the Assamese texts have been translated by about forty experienced translators working in state and national institutions.

   “I finalized this project way back in 2002 and this year the first volume of the project has been approved by the Pandu College Golden Jubilee Celebration Committee for print. The project covers a total of 25 volumes; there will be English translations of Assamese texts including short stories, poems, short fictions, essays, radio plays, full length plays, satirical stories, newspaper and magazine editorials, songs, works of children literature etc. The texts for translation will be taken from pre-Vaishnavite period to the recent years taking even texts from Orunoodoi, Jayanti, Banhi, Abahawan till Prakash and Goriyoshi. ” Anurag, Compiler and Editor of the project, says here today.

The statement also mentions that English translation of select works of Indian maestro Dr Bhupen Hazarika will be included in one of the volumes of Treasure Trove.

 “This is my life-long venture and I shall try to hold workshops and residency programmes on translation activities in course of time to include more texts and enhance the quality of translation in this project.”

Abhigyan Anurag, Assistant Professor, Dept of English, Pandu College

The proposed third volume:

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                                                               treasure trove

                                                                  Select Assamese literary works in English

Compiler & Editor

Abhigyan Anurag

Web link: abhigyananurag

Cell link: +91 9854348179

Volume III

(Proposed)

    The wonderment we feel for Dr Bhupen Hazarika, an Indian maestro, is the major point of concentration in this volume. It is a fact that the whole of the creations of an artist or a writer never reaches its culmination of success except a few or so that makes them immensely popular. But it is amazing and at the same time a matter of pride that Dr Hazarika, whatever and wherever he did, touched and used his pen in the name of music, culture and literature, emerged as a topmost creative. Treasure Trove (V - III) is designed to see his vision and resourcefulness in English tongue.

*(English translation of Dr Bhupen Hazarika’s  autobiography and cinema-scripts will be included in future volumes—Editor)

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Contents:

(Proposed)                                                                                       

(1) Preface to Treasure Trove Volume- III

(2) Dr Bhupen Hazarika: his mind and art (Around 10-page write-up by one of the topmost intellectuals of Assam). It would cover Hazarika’s introduction, place in Assam history, creative works, music, lyricism, associations with Assamese saints, commitment to society, his  concept of Brahmaputra etc)

(3) Translated texts (by experienced translators and checked by linguists)

   (i) Nomadic journey with a destination: His essays on it (From vocal to poetry, lyrical composition to prose literature, stage music to background music theatre script to cinema script, radio to television, university to Assembly, magazine editor to literary critic, historical study to translation work, painting to moving picture, Assam to world stage.)   

   (ii) Non-fictional works on art and culture (minimum 20 select self written essays)

   (iii) Bhupenda and Bihu (minimum 6 self written essays)

   (iv) Song composer: his confessional works

   (v) Essays written after foreign tours

   (vi) Political essays

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 (vii) Essays on film industry/music/aesthecism

   (viii) Bhupen Hazarika London diary (all pages)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

   (ix) Contemplations on the role of Assamese illustrious figures and saints

   (x) Bhupen Hazarika’s letters (to be framed with commentary like John Keats’ letters)

    (xi) Select Songs (Decade-wise) with his own sketches

    (xii) Poems

    (xiii) Children literature

     (xiv) Interviews

      (xv) Speeches (Social, literary & Political)

      (xvi) Research articles (minimum 10 essays exploring his attitude towards common folk, music, patriotism, word coinage, vocal construct etc)

      (xvii) Bhupenda: the rivers and seasons (his works on these two phenomenons.

      (xviii) Bhupenda and his words: Literary, lyrical flavor, historicity and implications.

      (xix) Light and shade: photographs & handwritings

      (xx) Contributors

      (xx) Regional word, person and subject indexes.

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Dr Bhupen Hazarika

(Poems)

Unknown

That rainy night

When silence spoke out

I arrived

At an unknown land

Through flames of dried up fire

Jumping and jumping

The land

I never desired.

(Bombay, 17^th Aug, 1996)

Tr. by Abhigyan Anurag

------------------------------

House

With a dotted water drop

Of arum plant

My house is built

With the rain

Falling off from the heaven

My house takes in

My beloved drifts away

My house

Slowly

Leaving for me

A foaming sea of rising chest

(1995)

Tr. by Abhigyan Anurag

Google site: abhigyananurag