Shakespeare Songs in Translation:

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Shakespeare Songs in Translation:

Macbeth, King Lear, Hamlet, As You Like It and A Midsummer Nights Dream

Bengals romance with Shakespeare is more than a century old. One of the earliest records of a Shakespearean play translated to Bengali dates back to 1809 when a gentleman named Claude Monckton translated parts of The Tempest into Bengali. The first instance of a Shakespearean production in Bengal dates further back to the December of 1780 when Othello was staged at the Calcutta Theatre.

Dr. Ananda Lal of Jadavpur University states that Shakespearean productions began as a means of entertainment by amateurs and then the Shakespearean canon was appropriated into mainstream Bengali culture. Numerous productions were staged both in Bengali and in English. Shakespeare was slowly incorporated into the Bengali culture through direct translations, indirect translations and appropriations. The first kind involved a strict adherence to the Shakespearean style and is evidenced in plays such as Girish Ghoshs Macbeth which was commercially unsuccessful. The second kind involved borrowing from Shakespeare, but also departing from it. The third kind involved adaptations or appropriations which possibly borrowed thematically from Shakespeare and appropriated into a cultural context, such as Girish Ghoshs Shah Jahan. The translations of the aforementioned plays have been studied closely, with respect to the similarities and dissimilarities with originals, and influence over and adoption of practices from indigenous theatre in Bengal.

Macbeth

The witches in Macbeth represent the supernatural, the otherworldly and thus their chants and songs are distinctly different from the speeches of the other characters. The witches recognize no boundaries and their powers are extensive. Belonging also to the side of darkness, evil and demonic forces, they are unpredictable and frightening. Their songs and chants which are primarily related to their dark magic rituals are grotesque yet intriguing. Because of their absurd nature, there have been different styles of translations and adaptations of the song in Bengali.

A young Rabindranath Tagore, challenged by his teacher to translate Shakespeare in order to prove his worth, produced one of the first translations of the songs. He stayed mostly true to the original and succeeded in retaining the sense of whimsy.

The original:

Double, double toil and trouble;Fire burn, and caldron bubble.Fillet of a fenny snake,In the caldron boil and bake;Eye of newt, and toe of frog,Wool of bat, and tongue of dog,Adder's fork, and blind-worm's sting,Lizard's leg, and owlet's wing,For a charm of powerful trouble,Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.(Act IV Scene i)

Tagores translation:

Digun digun digun kheteyKaj sharbi aye shobai jutey.Digun digun jol-rey aagunOthrey kora digun phutey.Jolar saper mangsho niyeShiddho kar koraye diye.Girgiti-chokh byanger pa,Tiktiki thyang pyanchar chhyaKuttor jib ar shuor showaShakta oshudh kortey hobeyTogbogiye photai tobay.

Nagendranath Basu in his 1883 adaptation of Macbeth, titled Karnabir, attempted at a domestic recontextualization of the play and shifted the setting to Rajasthan since the gory events related to treachery and regicide would be ill-suited to the history of Bengal. Along with the indigenization of the characters, Basu replaced Shakespeares witches with Bhairavis. Bhairavis are female devotees of Lord Shiva and Goddess Kali, not supernatural beings like the witches. However Basu tried to bring in the eerie atmosphere of the original play through the bizarre invocations and chants of the bhairavis, reminiscent of the witches.

Girish Ghosh attempted a more innovative adaptation of the witches songs in his 1983 adaptation of Macbeth. Ghosh too, like Shakespeare, was influenced by folksongs and added a decidedly indigenous tone to the songs, making them sound like the riddles and chants that one encounters frequently in folktales. Using onomatopoeic words, he succeeded in created a rhythmic chant that captures beautifully the invocations of the witches in Macbeth.

The original:

Black spirits and whiteRed spirits and grayMingle, mingle, mingleYou that mingle may.

(Act IV Scene i)

Ghoshs translation:

Dhola kali, kota lali, miley juley cholay ayeJhun jhun jhun jhun jhun jhun jhunTom tom jhom jhom badbey matbeyRonaroni hanahani khun.Megher koley nonajawleyJe jekhaney choley boley aye aye ayeAye aye kuwashayeAye aye ghurnibayeGhurey phirey shurey sharey aye aye gaiDaki tai aye shobai kor gan tol tan

Gun gun gun gun gun gun gun.

King Lear

King Lear, one of Shakespeares great tragedies, has been a text which has been widely translated, adapted and performed a world over. One such instance is Dwijendra Lal Roys 1908 play Shah Jahan, an adaptation of the original. The use of songs in this Roys play is certainly something worth a discussion. Shakespeares original doesnt make as much use of songs as some of his other, more felicitous plays, but Roys work, set in Mughal India where Cordelia, Goneril and Regan are replaced by Shah Jahans four sons, is full of songs of various kinds and tones which suffuses the narrative with various emotions. Roy also borrows Shakespeares classic five act structure, and the songs do help in setting the tone for large portions of a play that is very incident-filled.

Act I Scene iv presents Mahamaya, the wife of the Jodhpur chief Jaswant Singh singing a song (along with her female attendants) for her departed husband who is yet to return from war. This song apprises of the grief which afflicts her heart at this, but it also opens our eyes to the Rajput code of chivalry and honour which is being glorified here.

Mahamaya: Gao amar charoeegon

Charoneegoner geet

Jetha giechen tini somore

Anite joigourob jini

Setha giechen tini moha ahobane

Maner chorone pran bolidane

Mothite amar moronsindhu, aji giachen tini

Sadhaba othoba bidhaba tomar rohibe uccho shir

Utho birojaya, bandho kuntol, mucho e ashruneer

Setha giechen tini

Korite rokkha sotrur nimontrone

Setha borme borme kolakuli hoi

Boro boro bhim porichoi

Bhrukutir soho gorjon mishe rokto rokto shone

Sadaba othoba

Setha nahi onunoi nahi polayon

Shey bhim samar majhe

Setha rudhirshikto amit onge

Mrityu nrityo koriche ronge

Gombheer artonad er songe bijoy nadyo baje

Sadabha othoba

Setha giechen tini je maha ahobe

Juraite sob jala

Hetha hoi toh firite jiniya samar

Hoi toh moria hoite amar

Shey mahima krore dhoria hashia

Tumio moribe bala

Sadabha othoba

(Act I Scene iv)

Back translated:

Where he has gone to fight a battle

To bring the pride of victory

He has gone there upon a grand call

In order to give his life to prestige

In Act II Scene i, we find a happy-go-lucky Morad celebrating in his usual ebullient, loud fashion after Aurangzeb has left with his jester Dildar with a troupe of dancers who are around him. He is moments away from being duped by Aurangzeb; however, in all the frivolity, he fails to realize it. This helps in establishing him as a character who is extremely given to worldly pleasures and someone who would do anything in order to get his fill of it, no matter what the situation.

Morad: Aji esechi-aji esechi, esechi badhu he

Nie ei hahsi rup gaan

Aji, amar ja kichu ache

Esechi tomar kache

Tomai korite sob dan

Aji tomar choronotole rakhi e kusumovar

E har tomar gole di badhu upohar

Sudhar andhar bhori, tomar odhore dhori

Koro badhu- koro tai pash

Aji hridayer sob asha, sob sukh bhalobasha

Tomate houk aboshan

Oi bheshe ashe kusumito upobon sourav

Bheshe ashe uccho jolodol-kolorob

Bheshe ashe rashi rashi jyotsnar mriduhashi

Bheshe ache papiyar tan

Aji emon chander bhalo-mori jodi sheo bhalo

Shey moron swarag soman

Aji tomar chorontole lutaye porite chai

Tomar jibontole lutie morite chai

Tomar noyontole shoyon lovibo bole ashiachi

Tomar nidhan

Aji sob bhasha sob jak-nirob hoia thak

Prane sudhu mishe jak-pran

(Act II Scene i)

Back translated:

Let all my hopes, all my happiness and love

End in you today.

Here comes the scent of flowers from the forest,

Here comes floating the noises of those in the water,

Here comes a lot of the moonlights giggle

In Act III Scene ii we find Piara, the wife of Suja, singing her heart out of love for her husband who is about to go into battle. A heartfelt, emotionally honest song which lays out the depth of Piaras love for her husband, it can also be seen as an expression of emotion at the fcat that Suja is soon going to leave for battle.

Piara: Ami sara sokalti boshe boshe ei

Sadher malati gethechi

Ami, porabo bolie tomar golai

Malati amar gethechi

Ami, sara sokalti kori nai kichu

Kori nai kichu badhu ar

Sudhu bakul er tore boshie birole

Malati tomar gethechi

Tokhon gahitechilo je tarushakha dhore

Sulolito sware papiya

Tokhon dulitehcilo shey tarushakha dhire

Prabhat sameer e kapiya

Tokhon prabhat er hashi, porechilo ashi

Kusumkunjobhobone

Ami tari majkhane, boshia bijone

Malati amar gethechi

Badhu malati amar gatha noi sudhu

Bakul kusum kuraye

Ache prabhat er preeti sameeran giti

Kusum e kusum e joraye

Ache, sobar upore matha tai badhu

Tobo madhumai hasi go

Dhoro, gole fulohar, malati tomar

Tomri karone gethechi

(Act III Scene ii)

Translated back into English:

I have spent my entire morning

In creating this garland

I have created this garland

To put it around your neck

I have not done anything else since morning

I have not done anything at all

I have only sat under the Medlar tree

And made this garland

Finally, Act IV Scene i starts off with Piara singing forlornly in Sujas castle. This song, using the metaphor of Radhas search for Krishna, points out the rather desolate and fragile state in which Piara is owing to the ravages of the war of succession of which her husband is also a part. This song evocatively brings out how despondent and cut off she feels from the world which she occupies. The tone of sadness is overt and very credible.

Piara: Soi keba sunailo Shyam nam

Kaner bhitor dia morome poshilo go

Akul korilo mor pran

Na jani kotek modhu Shyam name ache go

Badan charite nahi pare

Jopite jopite nam obosh korilo go

Kemone paibo soi tare?

(Act IV Scene i)

Translated back into English:

Which friend of my told me of Shyam?

His name went to my heart through my ear

It agitated my very heart

I do not know how attractive Shyams name is

That it cant let me be.

I have lost name while recitin his name

How will I get him, friend?

These songs help to portray the various moods which affect characters in the play at different points of time. Piaras misery, Morads licentiousness and Mahamayas grand, eloquent espousal of the Rajput creed are all evoked brilliantly through song, and one really understands what theyre going through while dealing with the lyrics.

Hamlet

The songs of Hamlet attain their tragic peak through Ophelia, who, in her madness, sings about grief and melancholy. Not only do her mad songs heighten the tragic, conflict-ridden note of the play, but they also aid in creating sympathy towards her. Also, they sometimes contain topical allusions, references to the pastoral, so that the songs become reservoirs of tales and stories with which the contemporary audience could identify. When these songs are translated in Bengali adaptations, they are transformed into a different context altogether, sometimes thematically, at other times through imagery and language. The songs, themselves rich in images and allusions, now start storing the indigeneity of the culture and language into which they are being adapted. With this in mind, it would be interesting to look at two major translated songs from Hamlet, the first from Hariraj and the second from Tiner Talwar.

In Hariraj, the context of the song is when Ophelia, in the original play, sings:

White his shroud as the mountain snow

Larded all with sweet flowers

Which bewept to the ground did not go

With true-love showers.

(Act 4, Scene v, Lines 36, 38 40)

This, as translated into Bengali by Nagendranath Chowdhury in Hariraj, became more lush, descriptive and longer:

Neel akashe kiron haashe,

Ki nobo akashe poran dhaaye.

Moloy poroshe chole phul heshe,

Nishakor-pashe milite chaaye.

Shaadh hoy mone, taarokar shone,

Dheere phute uthi shunil gogone,

Lolito lohori tuliye shutane.

Jochhona kirone milate kaaye.

Back translated from Bengali into English:

Rays smile in the blue sky,

In some new sky my heart rushes.

Flowers, with sudden smiles, move in white touches,

Wishing to be united at night.

The heart yearns to bloom slowly

With stars, in the vast, blue sky,

Water overflowing in all its beauty.

The body vanishes in the moons soft glow.

This song does contain the beauty and the imaginative quality of Ophelias song. The rhythm and imagery coincide, both equally rich and melancholic. Written in archaic Bengali, it creates an aura of nightly beauty, in turn, imbibing these Shakespearean lines with images of night time in Bengal. The language of this song, therefore, mainly transforms Shakespeares original song in terms of images, modifying and playing with them in order to give it an appeal of rich imagery of Bengal and its landscape.

Tiner Talwar is a play very different from Hamlet. Only a portion of it was taken from Hamlet which was named Mayur Bahan. This portion, in turn, was derived from Hariraj. Here, one notices a double adaptation taking place this part is an adaptation of Hamlet twice removed, since it is derived from Hariraj which is an adaptation of the original play. There is only one song in this portion of the play that has been translated from Hamlet.

In Hamlet, Ophelia sings:

How should I your true love know

From another one?...

(Act 4, Scene v, Lines 23-24.)

In this play, this song was given the following shape:

Bhalobeshe eto jala shoyi,

Kea age janito?...

Back translated from Bengali into English:

Who knew before

The burns of loving?

Once again, this song contains the usage of archaic Bengali tongue, evident through words like janito and shoyi. There is the use of phrases like Bhalobeshe eto jala shoyi which are typically associated with Rabindrasangeet. While the form and length of the original song has been retained here, the theme of love is further intensified. It can be said that not only does this song uphold a certain broad category of Bengali songs, Rabindrasangeet, but Shakespeares original is mainly changed thematically, by stretching the limits of the songs theme. This is an example of a Bengali play which does not use an adaption of Hamlet, but uses a song in a particular portion which, in turn, is an indirect adaption of the play, thus, highlighting the several stages Shakespeare adaptation has moved through in Bengal.

Another Bengali adaptation of Hamlet where there is interesting use of music is Darpan, a Bangladeshi adaptation. Here, no songs by Ophelia were used, but instead, there is the use of gajans in the silent scene of the play. Gajan is a traditional Hindu festival which is associated with the worship of various Hindu gods and goddesses and the charak festival. The songs associated with this native festival are called gajan songs. Darpan, by including gajan songs, mixes Shakespeare with native cultural phenomena of Bengal and its interiors.

Therefore, the translation of songs from Hamlet in Bengali adaptations of the play and the use of native songs in other adaptations serve to create an inter-mingling of Shakespeares original songs with the native songs of Bengal. While being adaptations of Shakespeare, these plays also echo a native Bengali culture, classic instances of appropriation of Shakespeare into an alternative discourse through music.

As You Like It

Shakespeares As You Like It has always left critics and readers in wonder because of the implicit intricacies wrought into its simplicity. While its seemingly light-hearted tone is thought to be its weakness when compared to other serious plays, the play always challenges the modern readers sensibilities, with its pastoral setting and humourous gender swaps. The play is often described as a musical comedy, because of the abundance of songs and its musical potential within the pastoral setting. Shifts between prose and poetry in dialogues break up the linear action of scenes and effectively maintain audience attention. The songs of As You Like It play a key role in setting up the pastoral setting and introducing masque elements, through comic acts and the pairs of lovers. Dwijendralal Roy in his Arghyagatha II -Piu, translated two songs from As You Like It alongside Scottish and Irish lyrics. Roy is often described as the archetypical educated Bengali nationalist who dedicated himself to the study of European canonical literature, hoping to imbibe innovative forms and structures from non-Indian writing in order to develop a distinctive writing style. After study Romantic poetry in great detail, Roy is said to have been strongly influenced by Shakespeares plays. He translated, Under the Greenwood tree and Blow, Blow thou winters wind. Roys translation of Under the greenwood tree from Act II scene v, does not, however, keep up the original lyrical structure. The translation is entirely literal with hardly any variation in imagery or tone, and often sounds stiff, and not very musical.

The original:

Amiens: Under the greenwood tree

Who loves to lie with me,

And tune his merry note,

His merry note;

Unto the sweet birds throat-

Come hither, come hither, come hither!

Here shall he see

No enemy

But winter and rough weather.

(Act II, Scene v, Lines 1-7)

Who doth ambition shun

And loves to lie i the sun

Seeking the food he eats

And pleased with what he gets-

Come hither, come hither, come hither!

Here shall he see

No enemy

But winter and rough weather.

(Act II Scene v, Lines 35-39)

Roys translation:

Pallabita shyamataruchhay

Mor shath shuite je chay,

Gete gaan harasha antare

Milaye bihager sware,

Aye re ekhane, aye re aye

Dekhibi e thain-

Karo shatru nai-

Bina sheet, taap, prakhara baay.

Ke tyajibe uchcha abhilaash

Rabikore koribi re baash,

Auhoribi, khuji bone bone,

Ja paibi robi tushta mone-

Aye re ekhane, aye re aye

Dekhibi e thain-

Kono shatru noi-

Bina sheet, taap prakhar baay!Roys translation of Blow, Blow thou winters wind from Act II scene vii, on the other hand, sees interesting alterations. Roy is able to change the winter-imagery into describing the harshness of summer to appeal to the Indian mind. The winter wind becomes hot summer wind (batash aagun), not forgoing the tone of displeasure with unkind nature, while the Bitter sky has been changed to cruel sun (nithur tapan) narrating the image of a scorched universe. The refrain is in classical tarana style- Tum tere dana gao tum tere- another alteration to suit the Indian mind. Even the unfamiliar holly is ignored and is suitably replaced by the popular phrase, kare nahe kore bhoy (trans. Then, do not fear anything). Roy inverts lines 3 and 4 to cater to the Bengali reader in terms of familiar poetic forms. Despite these fundamental changes in subject, the tone of the poem, its lyrical qualities and rhythm are preserved in the faithful translation of the rest of the poem.

The original:

Amiens: Blow, Blow thou winters wind,

Thou art not so unkind

As mans ingratitude,

Thy tooth is not so keen,

Although thy breath be rude.

Heigh ho! Sing , heigh ho! Unto the green holly

Most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly.

Then heigh ho! The holly!

This life is most jolly.

Freeze, freeze, thou bittersky, That does not bite so nigh,As benefits forgot:Though thou the waters warp,Thy sting is not so sharpAs friend rememberd not.Heigh ho! Sing , heigh ho! Unto the green holly... This life is most jolly.

(Act II, Scene VII, Lines 175-194)

Roys translation:

Boho boho batash aagun

Noho tumi eto nidarun

Jemoti norer kritagnata,

Hok tor nishwash kothor

Daten nai eto bish tor.

Tum tere dana gao tum tere kare nahi koro bhoy

Bandhuttwa shob mukher, prem o paglami boi noy.

Tobe kare naahi koro bhoy

Besh e jibantishukhamoy.

Doho doho nithur tapan,Noho eto ashojhya danshanJemoti kriter asmoran.Bote, tumi jwalao sanshar,O hulete naahi eto dhaar,Bandhuttwer bismriti jemon. Tum tere dana gao tume tere kare nahi koro bhoy... Besh e jibantishukham.

In Ichchhetithir Golpo (1989) by Dattatreya Dutt, the songs of As you Like it employ familiar rhymes and conventional images of love and spring in It was a lover and his lass from Act V scene iii. While there arent too many distinctive recent productions of As You like It in Bengal, owing to the difficulty of preserving humour in translation, this production stays close to the original text. While invoking the same images when dealing with specific subjects of love, lovers despair and the symbolising of emotion in seasonal imagery, Dutt uses Taare na, taare na, taare naire naare na/ Naare taire nare naire na as familiar replacements for the refrain With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino. Shakespeare generic birds that herald spring in are replaced by the koyel. Repetition of Boshonte, boshonte, boshonte (trans. Spring) along with ku kuhu kuhu ku, invoke the inherent rhythms in nature during the season of abundance. In the refrain, Sweet lovers love the spring, is changed to aaj bhalobashar deen (trans. Today is the day for love) in order to preserve the simplicity of the language and maintain lyrical structure. While subsequent performances of Ichchhetithir Golpo was organised across the proscenium stage, open-air, audience-interaction formats, all used the same script that conveyed the simplicity of the pastoral setting with its lyrical language and multiple songs.

The original:

Pages: It was a lover and his lass,

With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,

That oer the green corn-field did pass,

In the spring time, the only pretty ring time,

When birds do sing, hey ding a ding, ding;

Sweet lovers love the spring.

Between the acres of the rye,

With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,

These pretty country folks would lie,

In the spring time, the only pretty ring time,

When birds do sing, hey ding a ding, ding;

Sweet lovers love the spring.

This carol they began that hour,

With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,

How that life was but a flower

In the spring time, the only pretty ring time,

When birds do sing, hey ding a ding, ding;

Sweet lovers love the spring.

And therefore, take the present time

With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,

For love is crownd with the prime

In the spring time, the only pretty ring time

When birds do sing, hey ding a ding, ding;

Sweet lovers love the spring.

(Act V Scene iii, Lines 16-39)

Dutts translation:

Dujona dohaar haat dhore

Taare na, taare na, taare naire naare na,

Naare taire nare naire na,

Jachhilo maather poth dhore

Boshonte, boshonte, boshonte shei mishti diner anande,

Koyel daake kuhu kuhu ku

Ku, kuhu kuhu ku, ku kuhu kuhu ku

Aaj bhalobashar deen.

Shei ghono ghasher galichay

Taare na, taare na... naire na

Pasha pasha shuye dujonay

Boshonte, boshonte, boshonte shei mishti diner anande,

Koyel daake kuhu kuhu ku... ku kuhu kuhu ku

Aaj bhalobashar deen.

Taara bone moder e jibone

Taare na, taare na...naire na

Phute othhe phulerei moton

Boshonte, boshonte, boshonte shei mishit diner anande,

Koyel daake kuhu kuhu ku... ku kuhu kuhu ku

Aaj bhalobashar deen.

Bhog kore nao go e logon

Taare na, taare na... naire na

Premer mala porbe joubon

Boshonte, boshonte, boshonte shei mishit diner anande,

Koyel daake kuhu kuhu ku... ku kuhu kuhu ku

Aaj bhalobashar deen.

The simplicity of the language of the play ensures its near-literal translation in Bengali productions. To adopt more complicated structures could lead to breakdown of the pastoral innocence that the original text is characterized by. As illustrated through these translations, while individual instances of modifications to cater to the sensibilities of the Bengali theatre audience is present, for the most part, direct translation is the dominant mode adopted when performing vernacular versions of As You Like It.

A Midsummer Nights DreamOne of Shakespeares most musical plays is A Midsummer Nights Dream. Filled with mischievous musical fairies who sing of the realm they inhabit and the transgressors too are infected by the musical climate of the forest. Utpal Dutts adaptation of Shakespeares A Midsummer Nights Dream, Chaitali Raater Swapna was first performed at the Minerva Theatre in 1964 where he directed the play beside playing Bottom. He kept his translation true to the original in structure and language. The play included two songs but the fairy lyrics especially the ones spoken by Puck were also done musically in the stage shows. Chaitali Raater Swapna is faithful to the original capturing the spirit of the play in the vernacular.

The Fairies Song in Act II Scene i which introduces Titania, Dutt transfers the lullaby literally and transforms it into the Bengali lullaby Aye aye chanda mama kopale tip diye ja. The original song:

First Fairy: You spotted snakes with double tongue,

Thorny hedgehogs, be not seen.

Newts and blindworms, do no wrong,

Come not near our Fairy Queen.

Chorus:Philomel with melody

Sing in our sweet lullaby,

Lulla, lulla, lullaby; lulla, lulla, lullaby.

Never harm

Nor spell nor charm

Come our lovely lady nigh.

So good night, with lullaby.

First Fairy:Weaving spiders, come not here;

Hence, you longlegged spinners, hence!

Beetles black approach not near;

Worm nor snail, do no offence.

Chorus:Philomel with melody

Sing in our sweet lullaby,

Lulla, lulla, lullaby; lulla, lulla, lullaby.

Never harm

Nor spell nor charm

Come our lovely lady nigh.

So good night, with lullaby

Second Fairy: Hence, away! Now all is well;

One aloof stand sentinel!

(Act II, Scene II, Lines 11-32)

The original song has two fairies singing along with a repeated chorus. Dutt drastically shortens the song in his translation. He keeps true to the opening lines of the song but he only includes the chorus instead once instead of twice as in the original. Dutts adaptation is as follows:

Prothom Pori:Gibchera joto rongeen shaap,

Bang, poka joto matir prani

Bondho koro joto dour jhap laaf

Hethaye ghumaye porir rani.

Shokole:Dhan kheye ja bulbuli

Golaye modhur gaan tuli

Ghum aye re, ghum ayere, ghum!

(Jeno) indrojaaler jadukori

Ranir mon nayi na kari,

Ranir kopale teep diye ja,

Petbhore tui dhan kheye ja,

Gaan geye ne bidaye!

Aye re, ghum aye!

Ditiyo Pori: Ja ebar pala shobayi: para juriyeche

Ek jon shudhu paharaye thak durer oi gache.

Translated back into English:

First Fairy:All the forked tongued colourful snakes

Toad, bugs and creatures of the earth

Stop all running bounds and charades

The queen of fairies rests on this hearth

Chorus:Eat the grain bulbul

Sing a song and cast your spell

Come, sleep come, come sleep, sleep

Weave a magic web

Make the Queens mind ebb

Anoint the queens forehead

Eat to your hearts content

Sing back to where you came from

Come, sleep come.

Second Fairy:Now run along, the neighbourhood is asleep

One of you from that distant tree keep up to peep.

His translation of the lullaby is in keeping with the tone of the original where the fairies sing to dispel the creatures of the witchs cauldron while incorporating the vernacular ones. He invokes the moon with his allusion to the Aye Aye chanda mama lullaby. The Philomel of the original chorus is transformed into the bulbuli or bulbul, of the Aye aye chanda mama lullaby which in the original goes as Bulbulite dhan kheyeche khajna debo kishe? Also the term para juriyeche is traditionally mentioned in Bengali lullabies.

Bottoms song in Act III, Scene i is a unique one of sorts, where as usually songs are sung to entertain or reflections or prophesize , this is a deeply personal song where Bottom is trying to gather courage after waking up from his slumber next to Titania.

The original song:

Bottom:The ousel cock so black of hue,

With orange-tawny bill,

The throstle with his note so true,

The wren with little quill

(Act III, Scene i, Lines 108-113)

Bottom:The finch, the sparrow, and the lark,

The plainsong cuckoo grey,

Whose note full many a man doth mark no

And dares not answer nay

(Act III, Scene i, Lines 119-122)

Dutt creates a song roll call of birds which consist of the Mynah, the Baya, the Kingfisher and the Oriole are almost all song birds and all sing at the crack of dawn. The translation reads thus:

Bottom:Kokil jotoyi kalo hok

Gaan ki taar kao?

Kakatua-ar kotha ja hok,

Jhutikhani bhalo.

Bottom: Shalik, Babui, Machranga,

Bou-kotha-kou gaye,

Shone shobayi ghum-bhanga,

Nijer kaaje jaye.

(Act III,Scene i)

Translated back into English it reads:

Bottom:The Koel is of a dark colouration

But its song is not sad.

Whatever the be the cockatoos insinuation

Its crest is not bad.

Bottom:Myna, Baya, Kingfisher

The Orioles melodies,

Is Everyones waker -upper

Before they go about their duties.

Dutts song mirrors the image of the melodious Koel and the exotic Cockatoo, the former is dark yet its song lifts while the other imitates and screeches but its majestic crest is redemptive, this is Bottom trying to reason and encourage himself. The medley of birds alluded to in the second verse have their own significance. The Myna is a notorious mimic, is a nod to the form of theatre. The Babui is the Baya Weaver which is known for its bower building prowess invokes the queens slumber bower. The folktale of the Bou-Kotha-Kou or the Black-hooded Oriole is an infamous one where the wife of a merchant is mistreated and deprived by her mother is law but does not say a word of it to anyone and one day she is unable to control her hunger and consumes the pitha (sweet) she is making for the guest and in fear she commits suicide where upon the gods transform her into the oriole, the bright yellow hue from the turmeric on her sari from slaving in the kitchen and the black from the soot of the cooking process, thus the name bride-you-may-speak.

The two song serve as inversion of each other, the fairy song is a celebratory song sung at the queens request to ease the queen to sleep while Bottoms song is sung after he awakens to ease him into consciousness. Both work to sooth, yet the queens song indicates her power over others while Bottom song serves as a reminder that he is abandoned by fellow actors and must be his own source of strength.

Conclusion: A conversation with Mr Debojit Bandhopadhyay.

Debojit Bandopadhyay has been associated with the study and performance of Shakespeare texts translated into Bengali for many years. He provided the researchers with primary research materials and has been of immense assistance during the process of collection and analysis of translated textual materials. We are sincerely grateful for his assistance and cooperation. His interview provides a conclusive basis for this research as it summarizes the purpose behind the project and its various aspects.

Interview:

How are you connected to this field of Shakespeare song translation in Bengali and how long have you been connected?

I began my career as a performance artist and a musician for Bengali theatre and that is where my research began. I performed songs in Bengali, but my research was never restricted to just Bengal. My exposure to theatre had been through the likes of Rabindranath Tagore, Girish Chandra and Michael Madhusudan Dutt, but theatre could never be mentioned without reference to Shakespeare, Brecht or Ibsen. The overbearing presence of the English and the colonial culture which most despised, led us to acquaint ourselves with Shakespeare, and in spite of our differences with them and their culture, we warmed up to Shakespeare and transformed him into a household figure. Theatre in Bengal had started borrowing from Shakespeare, sometimes directly, sometimes indirectly and sometimes as adaptations or appropriations. Shah Jahan for example, by Dwijendralal Ray was an appropriation of Shakespeares King Lear. He has also translated a lot of Shakespeare songs in Bengali. Girish Chandra who had trained under an English captain and teacher had translated Macbeth directly. He maintained the metre, syllable for syllable, replacing English words with Bengali ones. Every language has its own peculiarities, and words are lost in translation, but a sense of the original was maintained. If we go back a little, we will find Rabindranaths translation of Shakespeares Macbeth, which is similar in content and theme to Shakespeare. His earlier translations had been devoid of western influence, but this was derived entirely from Shakespeare. Earlier translations of Shakespeare had mostly been direct or indirect. Nowadays adaptations are more popular. Either way, to attempt such translations or adaptations it was important to be equally at home in both Bengali and English.

I have been connected to the field for about two decades and Ive tried to accumulate as much material as possible. I always keep searching for comparisons because without comparisons, it is impossible to comprehend in full capacity the developments in Bengali theatre in a colonial or post-colonial context. Girish Chandras play Siraj-ud-Daula for example, written during the partition of Bengal, is an unacknowledged adaptation of Richard III. The plays were not similar as such, but the lives of the protagonists had uncanny parallels. They had both died young, they were both tyrannical and they were both debauched, but when the time came, they answered the battle cries and fought valiantly for their land.

How do you think that the field of Shakespeare song translation has progressed from the past and what are the patterns you have noticed?

There are very few direct translations. Previously, English education had been restricted to the urban elite and writers who expressed themselves in both languages were rare. There were the likes of Bankim Chandra, Michael Madhusudan Dutt, Ramprasad Sen or Bharat Chandra Ray, but none of them had incorporated Shakespeare. Bankim shifted his focus to the novel and Shakespeare is yet to penetrate the Bengali novel. Madhusudan was preoccupied with the Indian Epics and Greek Tragedy.

When the Hindu College (later Presidency College and now Presidency University) was established, it used to be a centre for a civil service examination where English candidates who were to be posted in various parts of India were imparted education. One of the requirements was to learn a relevant regional language as to the persons posting. Shakespeares penetration in Bengal began with Claude Monckton, one such candidate who was to be posted in Bengal. He attempted a translation of parts of The Tempest into Bengali. It was the first recorded instance of Shakespeare being translated to Bengali in 1809. When Derozio started teaching at the Hindu College, he taught Shakespeare to a batch of English speaking students in English. These students went on to stage Shakespeare in English at places such as the Hindu Theatre or at the Sans Souci Theatre (which is now St. Xaviers Auditorium). But it was not until after 1857 that Shakespeare had properly penetrated Bengal. It was when the English East India Company lost control over Bengal to the Empire that Shakespeare began to penetrate Bengal.

A mild Shakespearean influence can be seen in the works of Madhusudan Dutt. In his play Krishnakumari, Krishna Krishna, ha Krishna is syllabically and tonally similar to King Lears Cordelia, Cordelia. Dinabandhu Mitras Nabin Tapasini is thematically similar to Shakespeares The Merry Wives of Windsor. Bharat Chandra Boses Charu Chitrahara is an adaptation of The Merchant of Venice. Jatirandranath Tagore borrowed extensively from Othello in his play Asrumati, from the dropping of the handkerchief to the Shakespearean trope of miscommunication of news. But it was common for audiences to reject direct Shakespeare on account of the fact that language was an impediment since English education had been limited. Othello and Hamlet were popular plays, though. Saudagar by Bhupendranath Bandhopadhyay was an adaptation of The Merchant of Venice, which we can say was Benglicised. The folk songs had been transformed into kirtans or devotional chanting/eulogy and names like Jessica had become Juthika. The pattern that emerged was that people started interpreting Shakespeare in their own way and integrated him into the Bengali ethos. Utpal Dutts production of Julius Caesar during the celebration of 400th anniversary of Shakespeare was staged as The Contemporary Caesar. He had previously used period costumes for other plays but used contemporary costumes for this production. He had also changed the dialogue format. Shakespeare translations kept changing progressively and moved more towards adaptation than direct or indirect translations. Shah Jahan, as mentioned earlier, may not be exact in dialogue but was similar in content and theme.

What do you think are the challenges which are faced in archiving such material?

The most challenging aspect is that a lot of literature is already lost and some are getting lost due to improper archival or preservation. Pages of books are missing at the National Library. Sometimes entire books go missing. There was a point in time when the British Council Library had a fantastic collection of books and if one ever wanted to photocopy them, only certain portions would be allowed. I had befriended the photocopier who would occasionally photocopy entire books for me and thank god that he did because some of original books of the photocopies that I have retained are lost entirely. I acknowledge that it is piracy, but it is very necessary if we must preserve for posteritys sake.

This aspect is just the lackadaisical attitude on our part. It gets more difficult because of limited funds allotted to research, or the fact that research of immense scope is time-bound and sometimes funds arrive a month or two before the deadline, at which point it needs to be rushed. The other aspect includes non-cooperation from people who refuse to share resources at their disposal and due to negligence these eventually get lost. I look positively towards the digitization of literature. It is a wonderful innovation for the purpose of archival. Even if a hard copy is lost, soft copies can be made available and be easily distributed. And I believe that if one person dedicates oneself to researching and archiving one thing at a time, it would be splendid since that would allow one to focus on a single subject rather than get distracted by a million odd irrelevant things.

What is the current scenario with regard to Bengali productions in Shakespeare?

Bengali theatre has been in decline for the past three decades. Group theatre is one of the aspects I believe has choked Bengali theatre because if a designated person is chosen for varied roles, it is unreasonable to be convinced that he/she can deliver each one with equal proficiency, even if worked towards with utmost sincerity. And especially with a playwright like Shakespeare whose characters are so varied and complex, it becomes all the more difficult. Another aspect responsible for its decline is the advent of the English educated audiences who might prefer to watch Shakespeare in English, rather than in Bengali. Of course, that is not to say that good work is not being undertaken, but unfortunately its popularity is in decline.

Chatterjee, Rinku. "Shakespeare in the City," The Statesman, April 23, 2006.

William Shakespeare, Macbeth, ed. Kenneth Muir (London: Methuen & Co. Ltd, 1951)106. All Macbeth quotations are taken from this edition.

Nagendranath Basu, Karnabir, dir. Nagendranath Basu, 1883.

Girish Ghosh, Macbeth, dir. Girish Ghosh, prod. Minerva Theatre, 1893.

Dwijendralal Roy, Shah Jahan, 1908. All references in this paper are from this play.

William Shakespeare. Hamlet, ed. Ann Thompson and Neil Taylor (New Delhi: Cengage Learning India Private Limited, 2008), 376. All Hamlet quotations are taken from this edition.

Nagendranath Chowdhury, Hariraj, dir. Amarendra Nath Dutta, prod. Classic Theatre, 1897.

Utpal Dutt, Tiner Talwar, prod. Peoples Little Theatre, 1971.

Ali Zaker, Darpan, prod. Nagarik Productions, 1991.

William Shakespeare, As You Like It (Third Series: The Arden Shakespeare) ed. Juliet Dusinberre (London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2006) p 210, 212. p 230-232. p 328-330. All As You Like It quotations are taken from this edition.

Dwijendralal Roy, Dwijendra Racanabali ed. Rathindranath Roy, (Kolkata: Sahitya Sansad, 1964) 521.

Dwijendralal Roy, Dwijendra Racanabali. 521.

Ichchhetithir Golpo, By Dattatreya Dutt. Shishir Mancha, Kolkata, April 28, 1989.

William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Nights Dream, ed. R. A. Foakes (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003)81-82.

Utpal Dutt, Chaitali Raater Swapna, (Kolkata:Jatiyo Sahitya Parisad ,1964) 33.

Shakespeare, A Midsummer Nights Dream, 92.

Utpal Dutt, Chaitali Raater Swapna, 43.