Words of wisdom

Amarjot Kaur

Of a man who invested his literary genius to translate Shakespeare into Punjabi, there are more than just layers of knowledge that go deeper as you attempt to unfold them. A scholar, and man of few words, Surjit Hans gave Punjabi literature a translated version of complete works of Shakespeare that took him over 20 years. A poet, theatre actor, author, columnist, and satirist, at 86, Hans is all set to translate the Darwin’s Origin of Species, along with economist, philosopher and author Adam Smith’s theories. “Adam Smith and Darwin provide the fundamentals of economic and evolution. Students who do not know English must be informed about these fundamentals. In Japan, almost all important works have been translated into Japanese to help local students expand their horizons. A similar effort is needed in India, including Punjab,” he says. 

Considering that Punjabi language offers limited scope for translation of scientific words, Hans, at Ru-Ba-Ru, an event organised by Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi, shares that the task of a translator is not only a responsible one, but also a tricky one. “Can you translate the word ‘species’ for me? It means so many things. So, sometimes I invent equivalent terminology. However, the essential task is to get the original copy of the text to-be translated first. Also, one has to keep in mind the sensibilities of different regions. Then, the knowledge of language is also important—so, imagine the pitfalls in the two sentences: he’s a man of conviction. And, he’s a man of many convictions,” he laughs. Also, he admits that translating Shakespeare’s comedies was a more difficult task than translating the tragedies he wrote.

The idea of translating Adam Smith’s works came owing to their relatedness with Punjab’s economy and its understanding. “The idea is not just to make an attempt to stand with the working class, but succeeding at it too,” says the former professor of History and English at the Guru Nank Dev University. Hans moved in England in the mid-sixties and took up a series of jobs, including a postman, bus conductor, and factory worker, only to return to India in 1975. In England, Hans was a member of the Shakespeare club, which provided members exclusive previews of all Shakespeare stage shows for a nominal fee. “Now, I want to write a natak (play) on Chhotepur,” he quips.

Among the contemporary Punjabi poets, Hans is particularly fond of Ishwar Dayal Gaur and Bhupinder Kaur Preet. “Gaur’s anthropological attempt about his native village and his book Surmedaani is fascinating. Preet also carries no emotional load while describing ordinary incidents, giving a new insight,” he shares.

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