The Sound of Tamil in English
Murugan’s words bring alive the brutality and
unyielding harshness of that life.
Recommendations is a weekly column, in our Books section, where we invite a well-known author to recommend four books translated from an Indian language. These are not just recommendations, but books that have made an impact on their creative world.
This month, we will feature author Anita Nair's selections.
Seasons of the Palm
By Perumal Murugan
Translated by V. Geetha
For me, a translation works best when it manages to imbue a sense of the original language into English. Be it Brazilian, Portuguese, Japanese or Hungarian, I need to sense the lilt and tempo of the language the people in the book speak. This becomes trickier when I am reading an English translation of a language I am fluent in, or have more than a passing acquaintance with. The standards I set for the English translation of Indian languages therefore tend to be higher and more demanding.
My introduction to Perumal Murugan’s writing was through “One Part Woman” and “Poonachi.” However, the book that overwhelmed me was his “Koolla Madari” or “Seasons of the Palm.” Translated by V. Geetha, it brings alive rural Tamilnadu; the bleak glory of its land and seasons made even more unforgiving by the heartless caste hierarchy. At the crux of the book is a young bonded labourer Shorty, who is caught in an unforgiving life, while seeking a nebulous sense of happiness. But, it is more than just that. Murugan’s words bring alive the brutality and unyielding harshness of that life. I read the book, brilliantly translated by V. Geetha, in English but what I heard in my head was rustic Tamizh, and that for me is the hallmark of a good translation.
