English Version Of Selected Maithili Poems

In the place of Nepal, which is proudly known as Mithila, talents born, grow, and shine spontaneously. Glorious history is proof: the Mithila is the sacred Bhumi of Pitaputri Janak and Janaki. How can this legacy be unnoticeable in literary art of writings?

However, here the book for review is an anthology of poems in English. The title of it is “Varied Verses,” and the poems in it contain unique expressions and flavours of Mithila. The poets and poetesses here value sentiments of the region and love to drop universal messages from joys and sorrows of the region.

In fact, literary researchers may find many such publications from Mithila, but the under-reviewed translated work is the fresh one, and it holds the merit of representative features in the selection of the Mithila poems.

As the editor and translator, we may feel how difficult it would have been for the selection and translation of poems into English to senior scholar Ayodhyanath Chaudhary. In fact, to take a few from so many quality pieces of Mithila are really challenging work. In this backdrop, translator Chaudhary deserves appreciation not only for the conversion of Maithili poems into English, but also for his critical approach, which he has skillfully applied for the quality of this publication.

There are sixty-five poems—all originally written in the Maithili—and their conversion into English has been performed competently by Prof. Ayodhyanath Chaudhary. These sixty-five numbers, however, are not just a total figure of poems. In fact, there exists a balance of representation from the point of view of gender approach, too.

So, the first feature of this book is that it contains poems of poets from both Nepal-Mithila and India-Mithila; thirty-one are from Nepal Mithila and thirty-four from India Mithila. The second noticeable merit is that it carries the beauty of male and female representation, too; the number of poetesses in the book is fourteen. Similarly, it is also a collection, which is made of poems of both young and mature poets and poetesses.

In the context that local governance’s prime aim is to foster local talents and potential, the Janakpur Sub-Metropolitan City’s financial support to publish this literary work is also a praiseworthy thing.

Being a translated collection of English poems, the targeted readers of it now will be English readers. But, for sure, there is plenty of Mithila flavour in it, and it will attract all kinds of Mithila poetry lovers of Nepal, Mithila, and beyond the border.

In fact, poetry means the essence of beauty in language. If we leave aside a few poems in this anthology, the sizes of many creations are little more or less than one page. But the themes the creators have covered and messages they have churned up are really appealing. In this category, we can call the “Varied Verses” a milestone publication of recent times.

One more thing that we need to admit is that we can’t go piece by piece in a small review like this. Similarly, mentioning names of composers, too, is difficult here. So, what we can say about this book now is, it deserves full analysis and critical appreciation, also at the academic level.

Besides this, the book is worthy of being reference material for researchers and readers of Maithili literature. In fact, such books do not come abruptly. It takes vision, which also tests the patience of researchers. Ayodhyanathji himself is a mature scholar, and it is his skillful efforts and patience that have made it possible to bring this book out.

In fact, Maithili-Nepali sisterly relations are a cherished fact among scholars. There is quite a good number of authors and artists like Dr Rajendra Prasad Bimal, Ram Bharos Kapri ‘Bhramar’, Dhirendra Premarshi, Dr Rewati Raman Lal, and Brikhesh Chandra Lal whose names and literary contributions are known to many Nepali readers. Similarly, in Nepali speaking and reading circles, the rich Maithili literature and language have always been attractions. In this context, the published English version “Varied Verses” will be a publication to enrich the spirit of inter-language harmony in Nepal and India both because of English.

Talking pragmatically about the need for translation now, our languages and literatures have already squeezed much. Maithili literature, which is one of the potential literatures, should increasingly break this barrier through quality English translation in the days to come.

Critics Dr Govinda Raj Bhattarai, Bhaskaranand Jha 'Bhaskar', and Mahesh Poudel have expressed joy while discussing the merits of the “Varied Verses” in their prefaces to this book. Indeed, the book deserves appreciation. But the joys of scholars here should be seen from the viewpoint of the need for Maithili literature’s translation into English. Certainly, Ayodhyanath Choudhry has added a gem to the treasure of the Maithili literary translation into English by presenting under-reviewed “Varied Verses.”.

In essence, the concluding lines from this book’s preface by Dr Govinda Raj Bhattarai are: “The purpose of compiling this anthology is to let the world know that the love for one’s mother tongue is as deep as for one’s mother herself. She is neither rich nor poor, neither big nor small. She is only the dearest mother.”