Ever wondered what the source of inspiration for a poet like Javed Akhtar is? The answer to that is – ‘the terror of deadlines’, which literally left the audience in splits at the opening day of the Hyderabad Literary Festival (HLF) 2015 at the Hyderabad Public School (B) grounds here on Saturday.
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The event, which started with Mr. Akhtar reciting some of his poems along with his translator Ali Husain Mir repeating the same in English, was a delightful treat for all those who managed to catch the recitation. Each minute only added more and more people, till all the chairs were occupied and people had to stand and watch the recitation.
Answering a question with zest and humour, Mr. Akhtar explained that he did not have any ritual when it came to writing.
“I write in a lot of places. When I know that there is a deadline, I just write anywhere,” he said. When asked if he fails to draw motivation to complete his work, the lyricist replied that it didn’t happen to him often.
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“Most of the time I finish my poems at one go. But sometimes when I sit with great ambition to write, words don’t come. It happened once, when I was writing a long poem,” Mr. Akhtar recalled. After graciously taking as many questions as time permitted, the opening event concluded, with the lyricist signing autographs for several fans who queued up after buying his book of English translated poems.
On the decline of Urdu
Speaking about the decline of Urdu in India, Mr. Akhtar said, “If you want to kill a language, then cut all the economic advantages, and everything along with it dies, including culture,” and added that it was treated ‘very badly’ over the past.
Ali Husain Mir on translations
While the spotlight was undoubtedly on Javed Akhtar throughout the opening ceremony of the HLF 2015, the man sitting beside him is perhaps equally important, at least for those fans of the lyricist not conversant with Urdu.
Currently a faculty member at the William Paterson University in the US, Ali Husain Mir, the man from our very own Purani Haveli, has translated Mr. Akhtar’s poems to English. An alumnus of HPS, in this chat, he delves into the effort that went into translating.
How did you end up with the job?
I had written for the Progressive Writers Movement, and I had translated some of Mr. Akhtar’s poems to English. Mr. Akhtar had approached me in July last year, and that’s how I ended up doing it.
What was the hardest part?
It is very important to maintain the flow and rhythm, as the translation should also look like a poem. The outcome should be close to the spirit of the original work.
Where does Urdu stand as a language today?
An attempt has been made today communalise it for absurd reasons. Urdu has always been an urban language, and is not of Muslims alone.