Daisy Rockwell, born in America's distinguished artist family, is known to the people of India as the best translator of Hindi literature. Daisy has translated the novels of Upendranath Ashk, Bhishma Sahni and Usha Priyamvada into English. Coming from an art background, Daisy kept herself away from art for a long time. After teaching Hindi for many years at the University of Berkeley, he chose the path of art, translation and writing. talked to them
J Sushil Here are the main excerpts:
You were born in America. If she wanted, she could have chosen another language. Then why only Hindi and Urdu?
The system of education is slightly different in America and India. In India, subjects choose in advance. There is a buffet lunch system in America. Here in four years of graduation, we keep taking different subjects. I could read French, Latin, Greek and German. Then I felt that all these languages are related to each other, so I should do something different. I was at the University of Chicago and taught Hindi there. It was fitting into my schedule. Then I also did my PhD from there, on Upendranath Ashk's novel 'Girti Deewar' and his life.
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How did you get introduced to the works of Upendranath Ashk?
I read a book – History of Indian Literature, written by Peter Gaffky. He was a Hindi scholar at the University of Pennsylvania. He said that Ashk's seven-volume novel 'Girti Deewar' is as amazing as Marshall Proust's seven-part novel 'Remembrance of Things Past'. I found this interesting and started working.
How did the idea of translating Ashq's novels come about?
In fact, I attended AK Ramanujam's seminar during my graduation. He has been a famous translator, poet, work on folklore. From there I got interested. I met Ashk ji during my PhD and asked him for permission to translate 'falling walls'. Before that translation, Ashk ji asked to translate a compilation in which I was not that much interested.
Then how did 'falling walls' get translated?
Ashk ji died while doing the compilation work. Then no one published that collection. After that I left the translation job. Many years later, while talking to an American student on Hindi literature, this book came to Penguin through him. Ashk ji's son Neelabh said so I started translating 'falling walls'.
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He also translated Bhishma Sahni's novel 'Tamas' which has been translated twice before. Why re-translate?
The decision to translate Tamas was not mine, Penguin approached. Bhishma Sahni's daughter is a scholar of Russian literature. She wanted a good translation of Tamas on Bhishma Sahni Centenary, so I was told.
You are also translating the works of writers. You have translated Khadija Mastur and then Usha Priyamvada's 'Fifty pillars, red walls'…
Translating women's novels was a well thought out decision. During 'Me Too', I had decided that I would read women's books, especially those who were not fair women. While reading I found that there is a kind of misogyny in the writings of male writers. He can't get over his body while writing about women. I have not found such a thing in women's writings. This was a big reason. In fact, we read such books from the beginning in which misogyny is there. We can't catch him.
Why only Usha Priyamvada's book? You must have read many women writers…
Actually Rakhshanda Jalil was bringing a compilation. He asked me to translate a story based on Delhi. That was from Usha Priyamvada's book. 'Pachpan Mukhle Lal Deewaan' is based on Lady Shri Ram College, the life of Delhi. Enjoyed his translation. The language is accurate. Not many uses. When writers use language, it is difficult for the translator. So I thought that this book should be translated completely.
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Was Usha ji ready for you to translate?
It was not that easy. He didn't have complete confidence. He took the whole test. I translated and sent the sample. Since she used to teach Hindi in America itself, she got permission. Very beautiful novel. He has a clean and beautiful language.
Which book had a difficult translation?
'Rand Samadhi' by Geetanjali Shree is a difficult novel. There are wonderful uses of language. None other than the author can help in its translation. Not only is it a great novel, but at the same time there were some kind of linguistic difficulties in its translation.
You are a translator as well as an artist. Your task as an artist is 'missing'. Any particular reason?
Actually I was running away from art. My grandfather was Norman Rockwell, one of America's greatest artists. There were many artists in father, mother, kinship. I didn't want to be an artist. PhD, then was teaching Hindi at Berkeley. There was an administrator, but later did not like it. After leaving the job, started painting. But I didn't want to paint in my name. Understand that I wanted to disappear from both the arts and academia. He used to put his paintings on a blog Chapati Mystery (which is the blog of Prof. Manan Ahmed of Columbia University) in the name of 'Missing'.
