Translation Activity Worksheet - Using Gen AI for Translating Poems
Hello learners. I am a student. This blog has been written as part of a Translation Studies assignment given by Dilip Sir. Following the guidelines of the Worksheet “Using Gen-AI Tools for Translating Poems”, this activity examines the role of Generative AI in translating poetry, with special attention to the process, challenges, and outcomes of AI-assisted translation.
💠Introduction
With the rapid advancement of Generative Artificial Intelligence, the field of translation studies is undergoing a significant transformation. AI tools have become increasingly popular in literary studies, offering speed and accessibility, but also raising important questions about faithfulness, aesthetics, and cultural interpretation. Poetry translation, in particular, tests the limits of AI because it involves emotion, rhythm, symbolism, and cultural memory.
This activity explores how a Gen-AI tool translates poetry and evaluates its effectiveness. For this purpose, I selected Faiz Ahmad Faiz’s renowned nazm Mujh Se Pehli Si Mohabbat Mere Mehboob Na Maang, a poem that represents a crucial turning point in Faiz’s poetic journey from romantic expression to social and political awareness. The AI-generated English translation is analysed in terms of meaning, form, emotion, and theoretical perspectives in translation studies.
🔷 Step 1: Poem Selection and AI-Based Translation
Source Poem Details:
Title: مجھ سے پہلی سی محبت مری محبوب نہ مانگ
Poet: Faiz Ahmad Faiz
Genre: Nazm
Language: Urdu
This poem appears in Naqsh-e-Faryadi and is widely regarded as one of Faiz’s most important works. While it begins with romantic devotion, it gradually shifts focus toward collective suffering, social injustice, and human misery. The beloved becomes symbolic, as the poet’s consciousness expands beyond personal love to societal realities.
Using a Gen-AI tool, the poem was translated into English. The translation attempts to retain the poem’s central ideas, imagery, and emotional movement from private love to public responsibility.
Poem 1 Mujh se pehli si mohabbat mirii by Faiz Ahmed
مجھ سے پہلی سی محبت مری محبوب نہ مانگ
مجھ سے پہلی سی محبت مری محبوب نہ مانگ
میں نے سمجھا تھا کہ تو ہے تو درخشاں ہے حیات
تیرا غم ہے تو غم دہر کا جھگڑا کیا ہے
تیری صورت سے ہے عالم میں بہاروں کو ثبات
تیری آنکھوں کے سوا دنیا میں رکھا کیا ہے
تو جو مل جائے تو تقدیر نگوں ہو جائے
یوں نہ تھا میں نے فقط چاہا تھا یوں ہو جائے
اور بھی دکھ ہیں زمانے میں محبت کے سوا
راحتیں اور بھی ہیں وصل کی راحت کے سوا
ان گنت صدیوں کے تاریک بہیمانہ طلسم
ریشم و اطلس و کمخاب میں بنوائے ہوئے
جا بہ جا بکتے ہوئے کوچہ و بازار میں جسم
خاک میں لتھڑے ہوئے خون میں نہلائے ہوئے
جسم نکلے ہوئے امراض کے تنوروں سے
پیپ بہتی ہوئی گلتے ہوئے ناسوروں سے
لوٹ جاتی ہے ادھر کو بھی نظر کیا کیجے
اب بھی دل کش ہے ترا حسن مگر کیا کیجے
💠AI-Assisted English Translation (Full Poem):
Do not ask of me, my beloved,
for the love I once gave you.
I had believed that if you were there,
life itself would glow with radiance.
If sorrow was yours,
what conflict could the world’s grief hold for me?
From your face alone, I thought,
the seasons of spring found their permanence.
Beyond your eyes, I believed,
what else was there in this world to behold?
If only I could attain you,
fate itself would bow in submission.
It was never that I demanded so much
I only wished it might turn out this way.
But there are other sorrows in the world besides love,
and other comforts besides the comfort of union.
Countless dark and savage spells of centuries,
woven into silk, satin, and brocade,
human bodies sold everywhere
in alleys and marketplaces alike,
bodies smeared with dust,
bathed in blood,
bodies emerging from furnaces of disease,
from festering sores where pus still flows.
My gaze is drawn there too what can I do?
Your beauty is still captivating, yet what can I do?
There are other sorrows in the world besides love,
and other comforts besides the comfort of union.
Do not ask of me, my beloved,
for the love I once gave you.
Hindi Translation (हिन्दी अनुवाद)
शीर्षक: मुझसे पहली सी मोहब्बत मिरी महबूब न माँग
मुझसे पहली सी मोहब्बत मिरी महबूब न माँग। मैंने समझा था कि तू है तो दरख़्शां (रोशन) है हयात, तेरा ग़म है तो ग़म-ए-दहर (दुनिया का ग़म) का झगड़ा क्या है? तेरी सूरत से है आलम में बहारों को सबात (ठहराव), तेरी आँखों के सिवा दुनिया में रखा क्या है? तू जो मिल जाए तो तक़दीर निगूँ (झुकना) हो जाए, यूँ न था, मैंने फ़क़त चाहा था यूँ हो जाए।
और भी दुख हैं ज़माने में मोहब्बत के सिवा, राहतें और भी हैं वस्ल (मिलन) की राहत के सिवा।
अनगिनत सदियों के तारीख़ (अँधेरे) बहीमाना तिलिस्म, रेशम ओ अतलस ओ कमख़ाब (कीमती कपड़े) में बुनवाए हुए। जा-ब-जा (जगह-जगह) बिकते हुए कूचा-ओ-बाज़ार में जिस्म, ख़ाक में लथड़े हुए, ख़ून में नहलाए हुए। जिस्म निकले हुए अमराज़ (बीमारियों) के तन्नूरों से, पीप बहती हुई, गलते …
1. Challenging Aspects of Translation
The Linguistic Shift: The poem begins with high Ghazal-style Urdu (sophisticated, Persianized, romantic) and abruptly shifts to Stark Realism (visceral, harsh, physical). Translating this transition without losing the poetic "shock" is the greatest challenge.
Juxtaposition of Imagery: Phrases like "Paip behti hui" (flowing pus) and "Nasoor" (festering sores) are intentionally repulsive. In English, these can sound clinical rather than poetic. The challenge lies in maintaining Faiz’s "aesthetic of pain" making the reader feel the horror of poverty without losing the rhythmic beauty of the verse.
Syntactic Nuance: The line "Yun na tha, maine faqat chaha tha yun ho jaye" is a masterclass in syntax. It conveys a deep, resign…
Scholar,Application to this Poem
Roman Jakobson,"Equivalence in Difference: The translator must find a ""functional equivalent."" For example, the Urdu word Ghalib (Dominant) isn't used, but the sentiment of Fate being ""Nigun"" (bowed/overthrown) is translated as ""Fate would bow,"" capturing the functional power shift."
J.C. Catford,"Translation Shifts: A ""Level Shift"" is required when moving from Urdu's flexible word order to English's rigid SVO (Subject-Verb-Object) structure, especially to keep the rhyme at the end of the line."
G.N. Devy,"Multilingualism & Continuity: Devy suggests that translation is not a death of the original but a continuation. The translation of this poem continues the ""Progressive Writers' Movement"" legacy in a global languag…
To provide a comprehensive analysis of the translation prompts for Faiz Ahmed Faiz's masterpiece, we must look at the poem through the lenses of linguistics, cultural studies, and translation theory. This poem is a "hinge" in Urdu literature, marking the transition from pure romanticism to social realism.
2. Handling Cultural Connotations & Collocations
“وصل” (wasl) was translated as union, preserving its Sufi–romantic undertone rather than merely “meeting.”
“کوچہ و بازار” was rendered as streets and markets—a culturally charged pairing in Urdu that signifies public commodification, especially of bodies.
“طلسم” (tilism) was translated as enchantment instead of illusion to retain its Indo-Persian mythical weight.
The translation balances semantic fidelity with cultural equivalence, aligning with A.K. Ramanujan’s idea of “context-sensitive translation.”
3. Untranslatable words or phrases
Certain Urdu words resist full translation:
Urdu term Issue Resolution
غمِ دہر Combines existential +Historical suffering Rendered as grief of the world
بہیمانہ Animalistic + dehumanized Rendered as brutal
کیا کیجے Helpless ethical + resignation Repeated refrain What is to be done?
Here, compensation strategies were used repetition, tone, and syntactic echo to retain affect.
4. Role of Metre and Rhyme
Full rhyme replication is not possible without semantic loss.
A soft internal rhythm and repeated refrains (“There are other sorrows…”) were prioritized.
Some liberties were taken in line length to preserve emotional cadence rather than strict metre.
This aligns with Jakobson’s “poetry as untranslatable except through creative transposition.”
Theoretical Reflection
Roman Jakobson
Confirms that poetry cannot be translated word-for-word—only creatively reconstituted.
This translation uses semantic equivalence with stylistic deviation.
J.C. Catford
Demonstrates linguistic and cultural untranslatability, especially in metaphor and affect.
Compensation and modulation were essential.
G.N. Devy
Faiz’s poem embodies postcolonial resistance; translation becomes an act of ideological transmission, not neutrality.
A.K. Ramanujan
Supports “contextual fidelity” over literalism.
The translation preserves cultural memory and emotional syntax, not just lexical meaning
Comparison of AI Performance (ChatGPT vs. Gemini)
Gemini’s Strength: Tends to excel at maintaining the emotional resonance and "human" feel of the poem. It often captures the Dard (pathos) better by choosing words that feel more evocative of the era.
ChatGPT’s Strength: Often provides a more technically precise rhyme scheme and formal structure, which is useful for maintaining the "Metre" requested in the prompt.
The Verdict: For a poem like "Mujh Se Pehli Si Mohabbat," Gemini usually performs better because it balances the harshness of the political imagery with the softness of the romantic opening more fluidly.
Poem 2: Translate W. B. Yeats's The Second Coming into Hindi and Gujarati.
Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.
Surely some revelation is at hand;
Surely the Second Coming is at hand.
The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out
When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi
Troubles my sight: somewhere in sands of the desert
A shape with lion body and the head of a man,
A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,
Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it
Reel shadows of the indignant desert birds.
The darkness drops again; but now I know
That twenty centuries of stony sleep
Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?
Chat GPT
🌪️ हिंदी अनुवाद (काव्यात्मक)
घूमता हुआ, फैलते हुए चक्र में घूमता हुआ,
बाज़ अब अपने बाज़ीगर की पुकार नहीं सुनता;
सब कुछ बिखर रहा है; केंद्र टिक नहीं पा रहा;
निरा अराजकता संसार पर छोड़ दी गई है।
रक्त से धुंधली लहर छूट पड़ी है, और हर ओर
निर्दोषता का अनुष्ठान डूब रहा है;
श्रेष्ठ लोग विश्वास से रिक्त हैं,
और निकृष्ट लोग उग्र आवेग से भरे हैं।
निश्चय ही कोई दिव्य उद्घाटन समीप है;
निश्चय ही दूसरा आगमन समीप है।
दूसरा आगमन! वे शब्द अभी गूंजे ही थे
कि Spiritus Mundi से उठी एक विराट छवि
मेरी दृष्टि को व्याकुल कर देती है:
मरुस्थल की रेत में कहीं
सिंह का शरीर, मनुष्य का सिर,
सूर्य-सा निर्विकार और निर्दय दृष्टि,
धीरे-धीरे अपनी जंघाएँ घसीटता हुआ,
और उसके चारों ओर
क्रुद्ध मरु पक्षियों की परछाइयाँ चक्कर काटती हैं।
अंधकार फिर छा जाता है; पर अब मैं जानता हूँ
कि बीस सदियों की पत्थर-सी नींद
एक झूलते पालने से दुःस्वप्न में बदल गई थी।
और कौन-सा खुरदुरा पशु,
जिसका समय अंततः आ पहुँचा है,
बेथलहम की ओर जन्म लेने को
घिसटता चला आ रहा है?
🌪️ ગુજરાતી અનુવાદ (કાવ્યાત્મક)
ફરતું, વિસ્તરતા ચક્રમાં ફરી રહ્યું છે,
બાજ હવે બાજીગરનો અવાજ સાંભળતો નથી;
બધી વ્યવસ્થા તૂટી રહી છે; કેન્દ્ર ટકી શકતું નથી;
નિર્લજ્જ અરાજકતા વિશ્વ પર છૂટેલી છે.
લોહીથી ધૂંધળો પ્રવાહ છૂટ્યો છે, અને સર્વત્ર
નિર્દોષતાનો વિધિ વિલય પામે છે;
શ્રેષ્ઠ લોકો વિશ્વાસ વિહોણા છે,
અને નિકૃષ્ટ લોકો ઉન્મત્ત ઉત્કટતાથી ભરેલા છે।
નિશ્ચિત કોઈ મહાન પ્રકટ્તિ નજીક છે;
નિશ્ચિત બીજું આગમન નજીક છે.
બીજું આગમન! એ શબ્દો હજુ ગુંજ્યા જ હતા
કે Spiritus Mundi માંથી ઉપજેલી
એક વિશાળ પ્રતિમા
મારી દૃષ્ટિને વ્યથિત કરે છે:
રણની રેતમાં ક્યાંક
સિંહનું શરીર અને માનવનું મસ્તક,
સૂર્ય સમી નિષ્ઠુર અને નિર્વિકાર નજર,
ધીમે ધીમે પોતાની જાંઘો ઘસડતું,
અને તેના આસપાસ
ક્રોધિત રણપંખીઓની છાયાઓ ઘૂમે છે।
અંધકાર ફરી છવાઈ જાય છે; પરંતુ હવે હું જાણું છું
કે વીસ સદીની પથ્થર જેવી નિંદ્રા
એક હળવા પાળણાથી દુસ્વપ્ન બની ગઈ હતી।
અને કયું ખડખડિયું પશુ,
જેનાનો સમય અંતે આવી પહોંચ્યો છે,
જન્મ લેવા માટે
બેથલેહેમ તરફ લથડતું આવી રહ્યું છે?
🔷 Translation & Critical Reflection
🔹Interpreting the Challenges of Translating Yeats
Translating W. B. Yeats’s The Second Coming into Indian languages such as Gujarati and Hindi is not merely a linguistic exercise; it is an encounter with dense symbolism, Western mythic thought, and prophetic intensity. The poem resists easy equivalence, demanding creative negotiation rather than direct substitution.
🔹Symbolic Complexity and Interpretive Choices
1. Density of Symbols
Key terms such as “Gyre,” “Spiritus Mundi,” and “rough beast” operate as conceptual pillars in Yeats’s private symbolic system. These expressions are layered with philosophical and mythological meaning, none of which have exact counterparts in Gujarati or Hindi literary traditions.
Translational Approach:
Rather than replacing these symbols with culturally familiar substitutes, the translation preserves their ambiguity. The aim was not to simplify Yeats’s vision but to allow the strangeness of his mythic universe to remain intact. This decision aligns with Yeats’s own resistance to clarity and supports the poem’s prophetic uncertainty.
🔹 Biblical and Western Cultural References
References such as “The Second Coming” and “Bethlehem” are deeply embedded in Christian eschatology. For Indian readers unfamiliar with these traditions, their symbolic resonance may not be immediately accessible.
Strategy Adopted:
These references were intentionally retained without cultural adaptation. Following Lawrence Venuti’s concept of foreignization, the translation resists domestication and allows the poem to retain its Western theological framework. Any attempt to replace these symbols would dilute Yeats’s ironic inversion of Christian salvation imagery.
🔹 Cultural Connotations and Lexical Decisions
Certain phrases posed challenges due to their abstract or layered meanings:
“The centre cannot hold” functions as a philosophical metaphor rather than a literal statement. It was translated metaphorically rather than explained, preserving its open-ended collapse of order.
“Mere anarchy”, which combines political and moral breakdown, was rendered as निरा अराजकता, maintaining both intensity and abstraction.
“Rough beast” signifies more than an animal; it suggests a grotesque, inhuman force. Hence, translations such as विकृत प्राणी or અડગ પ્રાણી were chosen to reflect its symbolic monstrosity.
Untranslatable Concepts and Cultural Limits
“Gyre”
The term “Gyre” is central to Yeats’s personal philosophy. While Indian terms like chakra or chakravat convey circular motion, they fail to express Yeats’s idea of a widening conical spiral. As a result, the term was not translated literally; instead, its meaning was conveyed through descriptive imagery.
“Spiritus Mundi”
This Latin phrase refers to a collective world consciousness or reservoir of archetypal images. Since it functions as a proper philosophical term in Yeats’s system, it was preserved in transliteration. This choice reflects J. C. Catford’s notion of cultural untranslatability, where meaning is bound to a specific cultural-intellectual tradition.
Metre, Rhythm, and Sound
Yeats employs a loose blank verse marked by rhythmic irregularities that heighten the poem’s apocalyptic mood. Replicating English iambic movement in Hindi or Gujarati is structurally impossible due to syntactic differences.
Priority Areas:
Maintaining rhythmic cadence
Preserving line symmetry
Reproducing prophetic repetition (e.g., निश्चित ही / નિશ્ચિત છે)
Here, transcreation (anuvad) was prioritized over literal equivalence. Some syntactic flexibility was necessary to preserve the poem’s incantatory and foreboding tone.
🔹 Theoretical Perspectives on Translation
Roman Jakobson
Jakobson’s assertion that poetry is “untranslatable except through creative transposition” guided the translation process. This work functions as interlingual translation, recreating emotional force and symbolic weight rather than merely transferring lexical meaning.
J. C. Catford
The translation illustrates both linguistic and cultural untranslatability. English constructions such as “Things fall apart” are concise and impactful, whereas Indo-Aryan verb-final syntax requires expansion. Strategic translation shifts were therefore employed to preserve rhetorical force.
G. N. Devy
From Devy’s perspective, translation is a form of cultural continuity rather than equivalence. Rendering Yeats into Gujarati and Hindi introduces Western modernist anxiety into Indian literary discourse, revealing the universality of chaos, fragmentation, and historical crisis.
A. K. Ramanujan
Ramanujan’s emphasis on context-sensitive translation informed the balance between the universal and the particular. Preserving ambiguity respects Yeats’s mythic imagination while allowing Indian readers to engage with the imagery without forcing familiarity.
Comparative Note: Gemini and Other AI Tools
Among AI translation tools, Gemini demonstrates a notable sensitivity to cultural symbolism. It often recognizes Yeats’s metaphysical concerns beyond surface imagery. While ChatGPT tends to prioritize semantic accuracy and literal clarity, Gemini frequently opts for more poetic diction in Gujarati, using emotionally charged words such as vyakul instead of neutral prose equivalents.
Conclusion
Ultimately, translating The Second Coming is not about linguistic replacement but about cultural dialogue. The translation allows Yeats to enter Indian languages as a foreign yet resonant prophetic voice, proving that his vision of historical disintegration and spiritual uncertainty transcends cultural boundaries.
Poem 3 : Choose a Gujarati poem and translate it into Hindi and English
🌸 हिंदी काव्यात्मक अनुवाद
अखंड वरने वरी — मीराबाई
अखंड वर को वरण किया, सखी!
मैंने अखंड वर को वरा।
भवसागर में घोर दुःख भोगे,
चौरासी लाख योनियों का फेरा भरा॥
संसार लगा अति भयावह काला,
देख हृदय मेरा काँप उठा।
कुटुंब-सहोदर सब स्वार्थी निकले,
माया-जाल को त्याग दिया॥
जन्म-जन्म का संताप सहा,
घर-गृहस्थी का बोझ उठाया।
संत-संगति में परम सुख पाया,
अब निज घर में ठहराया॥
सद्गुरु की पूर्ण कृपा से,
भवसागर से पार उतरी।
मीरा कहे—गिरधर नागर मिले,
संतन चरणों में शीश धरी॥
🌼 English Poetic Translation
I Chose the Eternal Bridegroom - Mirabai
I chose the Eternal Bridegroom, my friend,
Yes, the One who never fades.
Through the ocean of birth and suffering vast,
Eighty-four lakhs of lives I strayed.
The world appeared dark and dreadful,
My heart trembled at the sight.
Self-bound kin and grasping ties
I cast away their web outright.
Through many births I bore the pain,
The burdens of the worldly role.
In the company of saints I found
A resting place for my soul.
By the True Guru’s boundless grace,
I crossed the ocean wide.
Says Mira: “I found Giridhar
At saints’ feet, I abide.”
Gemini
English Translation: The Eternal Groom
Refrain: I have wed the Eternal Groom, O friend! I have wed the Groom who never dies.
Verses: I wandered through eighty-four lakh births, In the ocean of life, where deep sorrow lies. (Saheli!)
I saw the world as a dark, fearsome void, And trembled in terror before my eyes. (Saheli!)
Kin and siblings are driven by self; I cast off their webs and their worldly ties. (Saheli!)
Since birth, I have suffered in endless toil, Doing the chores that the household buys. (Saheli!)
In the company of Saints, I found supreme bliss; Now my heart is still, where my true home lies. (Saheli!)
By the perfect grace of my Satguru, I have crossed the sea where the spirit dies. (Saheli!)
Says Meera: I found the Mountain-Lifter Lord, At the feet of the Saints, my spirit flies. (Saheli!)
Hindi Translation: अचल सुहाग (अखंड वर)
मुखड़ा: अखंड वर को वरी, सखी! मैं तो अखंड वर को वरी।
अंतरा: भवसागर में महादुख पायो, लख चौरासी फिरी, सहेली।
संसार सारा भयंकर कारो, देख जिसे मैं थरी, सहेली।
कुटुंब-सहोदर स्वार्थी सारे, प्रपंच को मैं परी हरी (त्यागी), सहेली।
जन्म धरके संताप व्यथा सही, घर के धंधों में मरी, सहेली।
संत समागम महासुख पायो, अब निज घर में ठहरी, सहेली।
सद्गुरु की पूर्ण कृपा से, भवसागर मैं तरी, सहेली।
बाई मीराँ कहे प्रभु गिरिधर नागर, संतन चरणन पड़ी, सहेली।
Poem-4 कलम, आज उनकी जय बोल - रामधारी सिंह दिनकर
जला अस्थियां बारी-बारी
चिटकाई जिनमें चिंगारी,
जो चढ़ गए पुण्यवेदी पर
लिए बिना गर्दन का मोल।
कलम, आज उनकी जय बोल
जो अगणित लघु दीप हमारे
तुफानों में एक किनारे
जल-जलाकर बुझ गए किसी दिन
मांगा नहीं स्नेह मुंह खोल
कलम, आज उनकी जय बोल
पीकर जिनकी लाल शिखाएं
उगल रही लपट दिशाएं
जिनके सिंहनाद से सहमी
धरती रही अभी तक डोल
कलम, आज उनकी जय बोल
अंधा चकाचौंध का मारा
क्या जाने इतिहास बेचारा,
साखी हैं उनकी महिमा के
सूर्य चन्द्र भूगोल खगोल।
कलम, आज उनकी जय बो ल.....
English Translation
Title: Pen, Sing Their Victory Today
O Pen, sing their victory today! Those countless tiny lamps of light, Who stood through storms and dark of night, Consumed themselves and flickered away, Without a plea for love or oil— O Pen, sing their victory today!
Having drunk their flaming, crimson crest, The horizons now spew fire from their breast; At their lion-roar, the earth did quake, And even now, it trembles in their wake. O Pen, sing their victory today!
Gujarati Translation
શીર્ષક: કલમ, આજે એમનો જય બોલ
કલમ, આજે એમનો જય બોલ! જે અગણિત લઘુ દીપક આપણા, તોફાનોમાં એક કિનારે, ઝળહળીને બુઝાઈ ગયા કોઈ દિન, માગ્યું નહીં સ્નેહ (તેલ) મોઢું ખોલી— કલમ, આજે એમનો જય બોલ!
પીને જેમની લાલ શિખાઓ, ઉગલી રહી લપટ દિશાઓ; જેમના સિંહનાદથી સહમી ધરતી, રહી હજુ સુધી ડોલ— કલમ, આજે એમનો જય બોલ!
💠 Analysis of Translation Prompts
Translation is never a simple act of replacing words from one language with another—especially when the source text is rooted in cultural memory, political struggle, and poetic intensity. While translating this Hindi revolutionary poem, I encountered several linguistic and cultural challenges that required not just lexical accuracy, but interpretative sensitivity. This blog reflects on those challenges, my translation choices, and the theoretical frameworks that guided my decisions.
1. Linguistic Challenges and Untranslatable Metaphors
One of the most complex elements of the poem is the metaphor of “Sneh” (स्नेह). In Hindi, sneh simultaneously refers to oil used in a lamp and human affection or love. This layered meaning is central to the poem’s emotional core: the martyrs neither demanded oil to keep their lamps burning nor sought love, recognition, or gratitude from society.
English, however, offers no single word that holds both meanings. The semantic and phonetic unity of sneh is lost when translated literally. To address this, I expanded the phrase into “plea for love or oil”, choosing semantic clarity over formal compression. Although this altered the structure, it preserved the poem’s ideological intent.
Another challenging term was “Singhnad” (सिंहनाद). While it literally means “lion’s roar,” in Indian epic and nationalist traditions it signifies a thunderous war cry—a sound powerful enough to unnerve the enemy and awaken resistance. Translating it merely as “roar” would flatten its force, so I focused on recreating its physical and emotional impact, emphasizing tremor, shock, and collective awakening.
2. Cultural Symbols and Poetic Collocations
The poem draws heavily from Indian symbolic traditions. The lamp (deep) is not just a physical object but a metaphor for the individual soul (Atman) and self-sacrifice (Balidan). When the poem says the lamp “extinguished itself,” it implies voluntary martyrdom rather than passive death.
Similarly, the image of “Lal Shikha” (crimson flame) functions as a symbol of revolutionary fire. The intense imagery of flames “drinking blood” or “spewing fire” is a familiar trope in Hindi revolutionary poetry. It conveys how a single sacrifice ignites the collective consciousness of a nation. Retaining this imagery in English was essential to maintain the poem’s political and emotional charge.
3. Translation Choices: Rhythm, Tone, and Creative Freedom
In terms of structure, I attempted to echo the poem’s refrain-based rhythm, especially through the recurring line “O Pen, sing their victory today.” This repetition mirrors the Hindi refrain “Kalam, aaj unki jai bol” and acts as a rhythmic and emotional anchor throughout the translation.
Certain liberties were unavoidable. Words like “oil” can sound prosaic or visually dull in English poetry. To compensate, I used phrases such as “flickered away”, which offered a more evocative image while sustaining the elegiac yet proud tone of the original poem.
4. Theoretical Reflections on Translation
My translation approach aligns closely with Roman Jakobson’s idea of “equivalence in difference.” Jakobson famously argued that poetry is, by nature, untranslatable. To address this, I employed creative transposition—rather than replicating Hindi metre, I recreated the Veer Ras (heroic sentiment) using strong, percussive English verbs like “quake,” “spew,” and “storm.”
J.C. Catford’s theory of translation shifts was particularly relevant in handling sneh. Since English lacks an equivalent term, a category shift was necessary one word became two, altering the form but preserving meaning.
Drawing on G.N. Devy’s concept of translation as continuity, the Gujarati version of the poem feels more culturally “at home” because of its shared Sanskritic vocabulary with Hindi. Words like Agni, Singhnad, and Dharti travel seamlessly between these languages, making translation an act of cultural continuation rather than displacement.
Finally, A.K. Ramanujan’s emphasis on context-sensitivity deeply informed my approach. Ramanujan viewed poems as cultural maps, and understanding Dinkar requires an awareness of the Indian freedom struggle. By portraying the Pen as a sacred historical witness, the translation keeps this political and cultural context alive.
5. A Comparative Note: Gemini vs. ChatGPT
In comparing AI-assisted translations, notable differences emerged. Gemini tends to prioritize emotional intensity and layered meanings, particularly with culturally loaded words like sneh. Its translations retain the raw, revolutionary energy of the poem.
ChatGPT, on the other hand, often produces polished and grammatically refined English versions. While clear and readable, such translations can sometimes smooth out the poem’s rugged revolutionary force diminishing images of trembling earth or eruptive sacrifice.
Overall, Gemini appears more attuned to Veer Ras and the linguistic proximity between Hindi and Gujarati, whereas ChatGPT excels in standardization and fluency. Each approach has value, but for revolutionary poetry, emotional fidelity is as crucial as linguistic accuracy.
💠Conclusion
This translation process reaffirmed that poetry translation is not merely linguistic transfer it is an act of cultural negotiation, emotional recreation, and ideological responsibility. Every choice reflects a balance between loss and gain, fidelity and freedom. In that sense, the translation becomes not a replica, but a new living version a fresh voice carrying the same revolutionary fire.
💠 References:
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