How Kannada classics find their way to modern readers through translation

Grandson translates grandfather’s work

Now, more and more Kannada modern classics are being translated and reaching bookshelves. Following the release of Bride in the Hills, Vanamala Viswanatha’s English translation of K.V. Puttappa’s (Kuvempu) modern classic Malegalalli Madumagalu (Penguin Random House India) in October 2024 — which vividly brings Malnad region to life through an intricate tapestry of rural life — two modern classics by two towering literary personalities of Kannada literature, D.V. Gundappa (DVG) and his son Bengaluru Gundappa Lakshminarayana Swamy (BGL Swamy), have also reached a global audience through their English translations.

These two landmark works, Mankutimmana Kagga and Hasuru Honnu, have been translated by DVG’s grandson, K. Natarajan, and his wife, Jyothi Natarajan. Both works, titled DVG’s Mankutimmana Kagga: A Yokel’s Sheafs and BGL Swamy’s Hasuru Honnu: When Green is Gold, were released on December 16. DVG was a colossus in the realms of intellect, literature, poetry, philosophy, and statesmanship in Karnataka. He was, truly, a phenomenon.

Multiple translations of Kagga

Nevertheless, this is not the first time Mankutimmana Kagga has been translated into English. There are multiple translations of this most famous and popular literary work in Kannada, which was published in 1943. Mankutimmana Kagga is widely regarded as a masterpiece among the Kannada-speaking population across the world. Kendra Sahitya Akademi published an English translation of this classic with the title Muddled Muff’s Musings by Chandana Sri. Similarly, Mankutimmana Kagga: A Diminutive Musings on Creator, Creation and Life by Uma Ram and K S Ram, Foggy Fools Farrago: A New Rendition of D V Gundappa’s Mankutimmana Kagga by Malathi Rangaswamy and Hari Ravikumar, The Rumblings of Thimma; The Dull by D. Sheshagriri Rao, Translations of Mankutimmana Kagga: Tribute to the Great Poet of Kannada Literature D V Gundappa by Nileena Thomas and Sudha G, and DVG’s Mankutimmana Kagga (English transcreation by Dr Myna R Shetty are the other English translated versions of this modern classic of Kannada literature. Kagga has also been made into a Kannada film by A T Ravish. “This film is about the childhood days of DVG,” says Ravish.

The meditation on life

Mankutimmana Kagga is popular in Kannada Diaspora because it is a collection of verses capturing meditations on life in a semi-philosophical vein and holds the key for leading a balanced life, besides advising one to lead a harmonious life by becoming one with all people. So far, this classic work has seen many editions in the past 80 years. Kagga explores the deeper questions of life, and contemplates on the meaning of the ultimate truth.

Challenges of translation

On the challenges of translating this ‘edifice of Kannada literature,’ K Natarajan, grandson of DVG, says: “Translating Mankutimmana Kagga has been a formidable task for many reasons. There is the danger of sublime thoughts getting morphed, while conveying through an alien tongue. The sheer reach and depth of thoughts are amazing”.

Also read: Vanamala Viswanatha interview: ‘Translating Kuvempu’s masterpiece was a joyous challenge’

Kagga’s relevance

When asked about the relevance of the translation of Kagga in the changed time, he said; “Literary tastes have changed over the eighty years since Kagga was written. This has led to a disconnect between the text and the modern reader for whom the old value system and classics are passé. But like in any great literary classic, the thoughts in Kagga are of eternal quality. The collective wisdom of our forefathers can never lose relevance. These factors make Kagga desirable literature and it is hoped that an English translation establishes a connection with it easily. You might have observed that today there are signs of resurgence of interest in classic literature among the reading public. This is a welcoming trend. I hope that this translation broadens the readership”.

Hasuru Honnu: A scholarly approach to complex ideas

Unlike Kagga, Hasuru Honnu, a Kendra Sahitya Akademy award-recipient work by BGL Swamy, is getting translated into English for the first time. Hasuru Honnu, first published in 1976, is a botanical and autobiographical novel by BGL Swamy. It is a humorous take on the education system and the treasure trove of ecological wisdom. Though the work is light-hearted, yet it has a scholarly approach to complex ideas, using humour to make them accessible. Jyothi Nataraja, the wife of K Natarajan, who translated Kagga into English, translated Hasuru Honnu into English with the title When Green is Gold.

First father-and-son duo receiving Sahitya Akademi award

BGL Swamy is well-known among Kannada readers, both as the son of D. V. Gundappa and as a prolific writer and a significant figure in Kannada literature. Dressed in a cozy white jubba and pyjama, with a pipe dangling from his lips, a smirk always on the verge of becoming a smile, and a smile ready to break into laughter — this is the image that comes to mind for those Kannada readers who saw him in Mysuru. However, for non-Kannada readers, Swamy was an internationally renowned botanist and a Kannada writer. He served as Research Fellow at Harvard University and later spent a term at Cambridge. He was the Chief Professor of Botany at Presidency College, Chennai. Swamy is credited with the discovery of a wide variety of flora and named them Ascarina and Sarcandra after his mentors. He is the recipient of Birbal Sahni award. His Hasuru Honnu received the Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award in 1978. This marked the distinction of a father-son duo receiving the prestigious award for the first time.

Also read: Srinath Perur interview: Translation is my way to get closer to Kannada

Kannada and Tamil idioms

Sharing her experience of translating Hasuru Honnu, Jyothi Natarajan notes, “The translation of any work, particularly like Hasuru Honnu, entails many pitfalls, particularly, when it is a grand mix of science and humour. Further, it was indeed very difficult to translate typical Kannada and Tamil idioms used in everyday parlance into English. Usually Kannada phrases require rather long English sentences. Tamil names have been transliterated, but the typicality of Tamil pronunciation will alas be lost in the process. It was difficult to understand the import and connection between quotations from literature, music and culture, the theme in the book. This is because the ideas of any intellectual like Dr Swamy are always profound.” However, Dr Anuradha Prasad, Retired Professor of Linguistics CIEFL, Hyderabad, asserts that “the translator has been able to capture all the details and subtleties of the original work”.