Wudav Naar Pakhan Hound (Wings of fire)
Tousif Raza
Introduction
Many translators have worked over the autobiographies of different legends in Kashmiri language from English. Many are still translating multiple language autobiographies into Kashmiri, but the present translated autobiography of ‘Wings of Fire’ as “Wudav Naar Pakhan Hound” not only is different but is a discovery of life created by a renowned poet and a prominent critic Dr Ghulam Nabi Haleem who is working on Kashmiri language and literature since a decade very dedicatedly.
The Kashmiri translated version of this book has a series of variations from its original book that make this translation different from many other translated autobiographies also. The first episode-the review on this book is just an introduction to illustrate how the book is translated and why this book is more important academically than any other prose text in Kashmiri language and literature.
A series of episodes on the book has a purpose to clarify the essence of Kashmiri language and literature in different subjects theoretically or practically, in prose or poetry so that we could inspire our upcoming generations for the love of our literature and could make them satisfied to read and write our mother tongue (Kashmiri).
The book ‘Wudav Naar Pakhan Hound’ will encourage many science knowing and science loving gathering to read literature especially in Kashmiri language and can lead many more to produce much better for upcoming generations as a chain.
Few interesting words from the preface
The book starts with a poem mother but the translator has started his journey from preface of the translation in which he clears that why I found this book important to translate. How I’m inspired to read Dr APJ Abdul Kalam as a writer and why I named this book differently, what is the taste in the book and why I am recommending the youth to read this book keenly, why it will increase your interest in reading literature.
He says in his preface that “I have tried to produce the thought of writer instead of words; the reader will definitely come to know the inner voice of Dr APJ Abdul Kalaam’s book while reading. Further I have tried to make a sequence conversation of body and soul by producing the wings of fire as a translation so that the reader could understand the reader’s sprit along with body, he could understand how the autobiography is a dramatic character in front of me acting not only a book.
I’m proud to say that I have tried to recall the religious as well as the spiritual faith of Dr APJ Abdul Kalaam through his book translation. He says, I strictly believe the writers of the book Arun Tewari has written the book thoroughly and conceptual based and has focused on physical, but I have tried to provide the meaning of those words as mystical, metaphysical to understand the spirit of his most important life movements.
Moreover the writer is of the view that science and literature, literature and religion are interlinked, so I considered it as moral duty to produce the translation in such a way so that one could understand the writer’s connection with these basic principles of life.
Haleem says he with a heartfelt impression of this book tried to make an assumption to create a heartfelt touch with the book. “So I preferred feelings rather than words to illustrate the reader what the dedication, hardship, poverty and struggle means, how to move on and go ahead to touch the sky instead of all this because I feel language is the only tool to transfer feelings and understand ones sprit”.
Indian former president Ub ul Fakhir Zain ul Abdul Kalaam is understood by his work and intellect but the book” Wudav Naar Pakhan Hound” contains the ability to inspire the reader for understanding the reality of Dr APJ Abdul Kalaam’s life.
“There is an enthusiasm inside me that propelled me to translate this amazing autobiography even not being in position to work at that time” Haleem says.
In his introduction to the book he feels proud of taking credit to write a translation of this precious book but from the other side he says it is not my effort but God’s will to make me do this.
“For me translating the book was very difficult due to some un tolerable incidents happened with me in that time but I found this work as a spiritual pilgrimage through spiritual character of Dr Kalaam. I found myself blessed with the revelation that the real joy of living can be found only by Sufi spiritual aspects and pathway that I realized in the book and start working on it “.
Introduction to some special aspects of the book
Every subject posses its own terminology due to which the subject is identified or understood but every language has some drawbacks and specialties to explain those terms in different way. The book wings of fire is a science and technology based life journey of a scientist and Dr Ghulam Nabi Haleem in wudaw Naar pakhan Hund has converted every term of every subject in such manner that the reader can understand the book and its core concept very interestingly.
The steady and continuous nature of the translation is providing a sequence in concepts to sort out the hidden concepts in the book. From one side this translation is a tribute to Dr APJ Abdul Kalaam but from the other side this translated version is a big contribution in Kashmiri language and literature.
It is a step to new heights. It is a bold response to science from Kashmiri language from academic point of view. It is an introduction to science in Kashmiri language which will inspire hundreds of writer to design new books of such kind to come out of low cost linguistic phenomenon. It is directly a preservation of thought, knowledge and ideas through a language in a beautiful manner.
Haleem’s honest, dedicated and outstanding work on the book has made a realization of effort by compiling the book without complexities and dryness. The complexion of the subjects the subtitles, intriguing metaphors and subplots are translated as per the taste of literature in Kashmir especially the extractions from religious faith is a research in itself which will be discussed in next episode.
Reading of English is much tasty but is not interconnected with religious faiths of the writer but the translation is dissolution in religious faith and taste throughout. This bilateral religious cum scientific translation will be helpful for all Kashmiris either ordinary or extra ordinary ones who are interested to read and write literature in a different way……..To be continued………….
(The author hails from Tangmarg and can be reached at [email protected])
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