The song stands out for the unique juxtaposition of physical and mental worlds and their interplay on each other. It also offers us a glimpse into the creative mind of the artist that contains multitude contradicting each other- a mind that is ill at ease as the forces inimical to culture rustle into the range of his view. As he sees them , he climbs down from the ivory tower of art and mingles himself with the real world giving vent to his apprehension and finally feels assured as the forces well- disposed toward culture are all set to take over.But he does not become complacent as he feels he has miles to go which is amply borne out by his agitating mental state.
Also is important in the song the wonderful wordplay that he indulges in-Prasanta/asanta/klanta and the paradox that seems to form the fulcrum on which the entire song clusters. The paradox of prasanta-the Pacific. The Pacific(he calls it a sea, not ocean) is supposed to be calm;but the Pacific that exists in his mind is tumultuous.
From a very early age I was drawn to this song for its rhythm and rhyming words. But over the years as I have mellowed much ,was I able to grasp its real worth. Since then a strong desire to translate this song into English nestled somewhere in my mind. As a new year begins,I feel the best way to kick start it is by translating that desire into real action.
But at the same time I am fully aware of the pitfalls that I am bound to encounter while translating this song into English. In fact a song cannot be translated as is inextricably bound up with this its tune. If only I could translate its tune too!( and capture the wordplay...) Therefore I endevour to translate the song as a poem.
Besides I a reminding myself of the essay entitled 'The Meaning Of Words' that Jawaharlal Nehru wrote(he wrote it in Hindi)as long ago as 1935 in which he remarked that language is' semi frozen thought'(Translation,text and theory edited by Rukmini Bhaya Nair). To unfreeze that thought and refreeze it into a different language is the task of a translator. And for that I am not competent enough. I have translated it the way I internalize it and not the way Bhupen Hazarika would have done it if he were to write the song in English.
Finally I believe that the reader must be treated carefully and conscientiously,but friends can be dealt with a little more cavalierly(Winter notes on Summer Impression: Fydor Dostoevsky).Needless to say my readers are my fast friends.
Well, now...
Much have I swum
where the seas meet,
Yet I am not satisfied
The waves in my mind's pacific
are still restive.
Of tidal waves there is no end
in the bosom of my mind's pacific,
endless undulations bring in
hopes in abundance.
So the waves in my mind's pacific are restive.
The peace of glorious lives along the Pacific shores
are today troubled.
With endless new formations
monsters strike relentlessly.
So the waves in my mind's Pacific are restive.
The strikes Of destruction in the Pacific
are now challenged,
Innumerable are the soldiers of culture
Collisions usher in new horizons of progress.
So the waves in my mind's Pacific are restive.
The depth and power of the Pacific
dissipate the destruction
Multitude march on for peace
Creativity comes alive.
So the waves in my mind's Pacific are restive.
Well translated; the original has numerous cultural markers specific to the Assamese language, so your effort is laudable given that that has not impeded your rendering. Perhaps the word 'So' in two of the lines, refrain actually, could be looked into for something else. 'So' carries a prosaic feel, at least that is what appears to me in the context of the song.
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