00:00Hello viewers, I am Raza Siddiqui, and you are watching my YouTube channel and Facebook page.
00:05In the series, Bookspeak, I am here once again with the introduction of another book.
00:10Today's featured book is Kisi or Sahialse, a collection of world poetry translated into Urdu by Hamid Yazdani.
00:19This book presents poems from poets of different languages, carefully rendered into the heart of Urdu.
00:25As you know, translating poetry is often considered almost impossible.
00:30Because there is a vast difference between prose and poetry.
00:33A prose writer uses words in a simple and direct manner, whereas a poet employs them with rhythm, music, and
00:39layered meanings.
00:41That is why, when translating poetry, the translator must carefully consider not only the meaning of words,
00:47but also their sound, their musicality, poetic imagery, and symbolic system.
00:52A translator's job is not just to transmit meaning, but also to preserve the poetic imagination,
00:57its power images and emotional resonance.
01:00In fact, in the art of translation, it is essential to discover the temperament of the language itself.
01:06The same language can vary in tone, pronunciation, sentence structure, and style when spoken by different social groups.
01:14Therefore, a translator must remain mindful of these linguistic and social subtleties.
01:19Many critics have emphasized the importance of fluency and smoothness in translation.
01:24However, as Dr. Jamil Jalabi has pointed out, fluency and smoothness alone are not the essence of translation.
01:30How can a serious and complex text be reduced to just flowing in simple sentences?
01:35A translator must align his work with the temperament of the target language, ensuring coherence, harmony with the original text,
01:42and creative expression.
01:43Hamid Yazdani's anthology reflects this principle.
01:47In this collection, you will find poems from Canadian poets, as well as from English, Irish, American, French, German, Ukrainian,
01:54Bengali, and Andalusian Arab poets of the 19th and 20th centuries.
01:58These poems highlight diverse styles, themes, cultural perspectives, and creative skills.
02:03The translations are organized under different headings, giving each language a representative poetic atmosphere.
02:09For instance, among German poets, we find multiple poems by Rainer Maria Rilke, Jürgen Theobaldi, Eric Fried, and Johannes Bobrowski.
02:18In French poetry, Yazdani focuses solely on Michel Houellebecq, suggesting that he has chosen poets who best represent the spirit
02:25of their respective languages.
02:27Through these translations, Yazdani has succeeded in maintaining the flow of the original poetry,
02:32while harmonizing it with the temperament of Urdu.
02:35The translations also capture the unique poetic ambiance of each poem, its mood, its imagery, and its individuality.
02:43Ultimately, the translation of poetry not only deepens our appreciation for the subtleties of language,
02:50but also teaches us how different linguistic structures shape human thoughts and feelings.
02:55Hamid Yazdani has employed all the essential elements of translation with mastery,
02:59and since he himself is a poet, he has beautifully reshaped world poetry into the Urdu language.
03:05This collection, spread across 264 pages, has been published by Sanj Publications, Lahore.
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