The Little Prince Speaks in Urdu

“It was just meant to be,” says Lucknow-based Masud,36,who fell in love with the famous book after he was gifted a copy by a friend. “She said that the English translation is nowhere close to the original French translation. And once I read it,I knew it had to be translated for the Urdu reading audience. It is a story that needs to be told to more and more people,’’ says Masud,who teaches Hindi and Urdu to foreign students.

“ Language is magic through which you can be a part of anyone,” says Masud,who adds that he is bridging the gaps that exist because of languages. However,Masud does recognise the fact that some books come closer to you when read in one’s own language.

The writer,who was present at an interaction,courtesy the Women’s Creative Forum,doesn’t agree that Urdu is a dying language,“The language is loved. What we need is better quality books to reach out to readers,who’re looking not only for good content,but books that appeal to the eye and psyche,” says Masud,who took the painstaking effort to not only translate the book,but also produce it,by designing and publishing it personally. “Clean,glossy,without any mistakes,I didn’t want to grapple with the chalta hai attitude of publishers,where grammar,spelling,typos and bad sentence construction become a norm and you can’t spot a paragraph without mistakes,’’ rues Masud.

As for the process of translation,it was gratifying,yet sapping both emotionally and mentally. Masud says that he had to stay true to the story,its essence,philosophy and also keep the range sacrosanct. The lapse,quips Masud,occurs when the translator thinks he can do better than the original text and has the capability,capacity or right to change it. “That’s bizarre,for the independence is totally limited. Only the translator knows when to draw this delicate line,” says Masud,who garnered help from his American friends to get the smallest detail in place.

One sees clearly only with the heart. What is essential is invisible to the eye. Masud quotes the most popular statement from the original text — an idealistic observation about life and human nature made by The Little Prince’s lead character. The fact that the book transcends the limitations of space,age,time is what makes the story amazing.

Currently Masud is busy translating two of his grandfather’s works from Urdu to Hindi. The books offer a historical,sociological and geographical perspective of theatre and fine arts in the time of Wajid Ali Shah.