Impacts of Translation from One Language to the Other

A Case study of Baba Bulley Shah Poem ‘ik nuqte wich gl mukdi ae’

Abstract:
Translation is a prehistoric art that provides an opportunity to study different cultures. In the
modern era, it has been established as an extended field for research and transformation of written
material and cultural elements from one language to the other. However, when any genre is
translated from one language to the other, it becomes a pseudo one, and con not sustain its original
and classic effect. Likewise, when the technique of translation is applied in poetry particularly, it
loses all its charms and effects, because it is the form and content that is unique with a language.
When the language is changed, the form and the content also does not remain the same. Therefore,
Samuel Johnson (1859) says, “Poetry…cannot be translated.” This research paper aims to
conclude the same notion as of Johnson’s through a detailed study of Baba Bulley Shah’s mystical
poem ‘ik nuqte wich gl mukdi ae’ translated in English.

Introduction:
Since the beginning of the current decade, translation, as a process of ‘changing words
from one language to the other’ (Webster), has been emerged as a cross cultural research field. It has
been proved as a powerful source to know about different cultures. It also enriches a language with
other literatures. A case in point is English language, which has a major volume of translated
literature from other cultures, for example, Greek, Italian, Roman, French, and many others. Many
researchers (Hambleton, 1973; Ercikan, 1998) have conducted researches regarding translation, its
techniques, impacts and components. This research article aims to analyze critically the thematic
and textual impacts of translation of Baba Bulley Shah’s Punjabi poem ‘ik nuqte wich gl mukdi ae’
translated in English. The paper revolves around the abstract, introduction, literature review,
analysis, respectively.

Objectives:
The objectives of this qualitative research are:
To get the deep knowledge of translation, its significance, and method.
To know about the problems involved in translation.
 To have the understanding of impacts of translation upon theme, form and other
related things.

Research Hypothesis:
Translation affects the theme, structure, and content of a poem.

Research Questions:
What is translation and its significance?
What are the expected problems in translation?
What are the requirements for a translator?
What are the impacts of translation upon content, form and theme, especially of a mystical
poem?

Research Methodology:
This research paper was conducted through the qualitative approach. In order to know the
impacts of translation, the poem which was taken as the sample was ‘ik nuqte wich gl mukdi ae’
written by Baba Bulley Shah and its English translation done by Kartar Singh Duggal. These were
downloaded from internet. In this research paper, the secondary sources were mostly adopted. The
analysis of the poem were conducted regarding thematic, contextual as well as cultural base.

Data Analysis:
The data of this research paper that consists upon Baba Bulley Shah’ poem ‘ik nuqte wich
gl mukdi ae’, and its English translation by Kartar Singh Duggal, has been taken from internet. The
poem is written in pure Punjabi dialect ‘Manjhi’. Comparatively, both the Punjabi as well as the
English version, have 24 lines. The Punjabi version does not have any specific type of poem.
However, in Urdu, such a poem is known as ‘Musadas’. Bulley Shah, according to Pori (1997),
dismissed all sorts of physical structure, as thematically, in the whole poetry, he negated to confine
the self to mosque, temple or clergy, rather he advocated to be free from religion or caste
constraints.
In translation, the thing that matters the most, is the culture difference. A word has a specific
effect in about one culture. When that word is translated, it mostly becomes impossible to create the
same effect for the people of other culture. Here, in these versions, this difference of word’s effects
comes even in the title. The original title is ‘ik nuqte wich gl mukdi ae’, while the English title is ‘It’s
all in One contained’. Here, the word that is going to be affected the most is of Nuqta. Nuqta in
Islamic culture has a great significance, and the meaning and effect of it do not remain the same in
its English alternative One.
Nuqta is an Arabic word, which means ‘the point’. In Islamic tradition, the point is
considered as the blueprint of the holy Quran. It is believed that the Quran starts with the point of
‘ba’ in ‘Bismillah’. It is narrated in the Islamic exegesis Rooh ul Bayan of the holy Quran that
someone asked from Hazrat Ali (R.A), the fourth righteous caliph of Islam, that what is the
meaning of the hadith in which the holy Prophet (PBUH) said ‘I am the city of knowledge and Ali
(R.A) is its door’. In its explanation, Hazrat Ali (R.A) said …, the whole knowledge of the Quran if
someone wants to condense, it will become the verse of ‘Tasmia’, and further the whole knowledge
of ‘Tasmia’ can be compressed in the alphabet ‘ba’, and it further can also be in the point of ‘ba’,
and I am that point (Rooh ul Bayan, vol; 1, page; 28). It is also considered that it was the energy of
the nuqta in the word of kun that its thunderbolt created the whole universe. Ibn e Sina identified
the causeless cause and the nuqta through the Greek logo, which was a square shaped object
analogous to the kaba of Abraham. As Hazrat Ali (R.A) was born inside of the kaba, so he called
himself the nuqta itself. In everyday life, every written word starts with nuqta. In philosophy, the
nuqta stands as a word in motion that makes dialogue. In quantum physics a particle stands as a
nuqta that helps to create a wave. In mysticism, the nuqta represent the self.
After having such an ample significance of nuqta, the word One cannot be its alternative.
There does not remain the same mystical effect as in nuqta. In the second and third line, the English
translation is changing totally the agreement of lexis given in the original version. There are two
imperative verbs in the original chd (shake off) and kr (do), but the English version has only one of
chd (shake off). The original version does not have the adjective for the word khawb, but the
English brings ‘disaster’ additionally. Same is the case with other words.
It is believed considerably that one of the English language deficiencies, comparatively to
other languages is its not being Jamei (epigrammatic). It means English language brings two or
more words to produce a meaning, while other languages have only one word for that meaning.
Such a condition can be observed apparently in this Punjabi poem English translation. For example,
Bulley Shah brings a word of Maand, which means, if translated, tired. On the other hand, the
English version has a too long word of ‘half-alive, half-dead’,that does not create the same effect as
the original does.
Conclusion:
This qualitative research paper clears that the English translation ‘It’s all in One contained’
of Baba Bulley Shah’s poem ‘ik nuqte wich gl mukdi ae’, although works as an alternative, it does
not possess the same thematic significance and charm. This can be generalized that when a genre,
particularly the poetry, is translated from one language to the other, there affects the meaning,
content, form, as well as the popularity. The translation brings more ambiguity and loss of thematic
effect, especially in the mystical poetry, such as of Bulley Shah’s, where the language is the major
tool to create the meaning .There translation becomes a pseudo version instead of a classic one, and
the main purpose cannot be sustained.

Recommendations:
It is recommended to listen the Punjabi poem ‘ik nuqte wich gl mukdi ae’, sung by Nusrat
Fateh Ali Khan that is easily available on You Tube, and after it , to read its translation ‘It’s all in
One contained’, which is also easily available on internet. This will help to understand the effects
created by the translation definitely.