Gitanjali... My years' dream!

^

My anna, Prof. Lingadevaru Halemane who released, Prof. Ki. Ram. Nagaraja who presided over the occasion and Dr. K Y Narayana who spoke about the work and my publisher Dr. M. Byregowda. ^

My Publisher Dr. M. Byregowda, to whom I am grateful for the way he has introduced me to the Kannada Literature.

Invitation of book release with a sketch of Tagore by Satyajit Ray >

Ya... I have to believe it after pinching myself!

India's only Nobel Prize winning literary work Tagore's Gitanjali in my simple Kannada translation got released on 22nd May 2008. This is my first book being published, though this is the sixth book I've translated.

I usually 'live' than dream. But production of this book was like a mirage. It was just like it would come out the very next week. But even after a year it would be in press only.

Tagore through this book showed me that life can be very simple.

I have had my invitation to this world's festival,
and thus my life has been blessed. My eyes have seen
and my ears have heard.
-Gitanjali
These are the lines which made me celebrate life. It was like enlightenment. "All other things are so complex in this life. You can't make them simple. Why to give literature in simple language?" said a critic.

In addition to 6 translations which are already published , mine is another. Why did I do it? Just for the love I had for the book. No other reasons. I may not know meter, I may not know rhyme scheme. I liked the poems. I tried to give the reader the same pleasure I got from them. When I was just finishing the translations, I came across some other translations, I felt I have conveyed the ideas in the way they have appeared.

"He should have written these poems in Vachana style. Then they would have had scope for more meanings." another critic said. I did not want my translation to be like some other poem. This is how I understood. This is how I put!

Literature should not be the reason for us to have our own sect separated from society. Let's include society. Let's draw them here then, let's use high quality language, for which they have to see the dictionary.

I am thankful to Chidananda Sali, Prof. BK Anantha Swamy, Hemanth and Dr. M. Byregowda, who have played important roles in bringing me and my book to light and all others who took interest in this endeavour of mine.

Those who missed the Book Release function say, "Sorry, I could not make it..." I say with a smile, "Don't worry, I will invite you again for the Second book release function." Afterall, they are not talking about my marriage!

...if we say these Kannada poems are better than Tagore's poems, Bengalis would become angry. -Jogi, Kannadaprabha.