Publishers and writers debate how to resurrect Burma’s great translation tradition

Although the days are long gone when Burma’s publishers could produce such politically charged works as George Orwell’s “Animal Farm” in the Burmese language, the country’s literati still dream of establishing a truly independent and effective translation society.

Orwell and other Western authors were translated into Burmese when the country had an active Translation Society, founded in 1947 by the country’s first prime minister, U Nu, who also worked as a translator for a time at Rangoon’s Judson College.

The Translation Society was renamed Sarpay Beikhman—“Building Great Literature”—in 1963, one year after the coup that brought Ne Win to power. But it has never lived up to its grandiose title.

Although Sarpay Beikhman hands out annual awards, few translators are honored. No translation prize at all was awarded in 2008.

Some complained that the Sarpay Beikhman society was also to blame because its awards favored government policies and practices.

Financial restraints as well as regime interference and censorship are blamed by writers for the decline of translation work in Burma’s publishing houses.

“I can’t publish some heavy classic works in translation because of the investment involved,” said Shwe Kyaw, owner of the Seikku Cho Cho publishing house.

An employee of the Mone Ywaee publishing house also said translations were often too expensive to contemplate. “Currently, we have no plans to publish any classic books in translation.”

It’s a far cry from the golden days of Burmese publishing, when determined efforts were made to introduce Burmese readers to Western classics.

The first venture into these new waters was made in 1904 by James Hla Kyaw, who adapted part of the Alexandre Dumas novel “The Count of Monte Cristo” in a Burmese translation titled “Maung Yin Maung Ma Me Ma.”

The appearance of James Hla Kyaw’s ground-breaking translation led others to realize that exposure to world literature, particularly books of the West, would greatly assist efforts to modernize Burmese writing.

Translators such as Thakin Ba Taung, Shwe U Daung, Zaw Gyi, Mya Than Tint, Dagon Shwe Hmyar, Maung Htun Thu and Maung Moe Thu introduced Burmese readers to virtually the entire repertoire of Western and Russian writing.

Mya Than Tint won Burma’s National Literature Award five times for his translations of such major works as “War and Peace” and “Gone with the Wind.”

When the University of Rangoon was founded in 1920, some members of the academic staff—most notably J. S. Furnivall, founder of the Burma Education Extension Association—were determined to make foreign literature available to Burmese. Many new adaptations of foreign works into Burmese followed.

In 1910, Furnivall helped establish the Burma Research Society, going on to found the Burma Book Club in 1924 and the Burma Education Extension Association in 1928. A Burmese-English dictionary, which Furnivall compiled with C. W. Dunn, followed in 1940.

Furnivall encouraged young writers to venture into translation in his magazine Ganda Lawka (World of Books) magazine, which regularly published competitions intended to improve translating skills.

A young academic named U Thant—who later achieved fame as UN secretary-general—won a Ganda Lawka award for his translation of Robert Browning’s ode, “The Pied Piper of Hamelin.”

Thakin Ba Thaung, a founder of Dobama Asiayone (“We Burmese Association”) won the Ganda Lawka prize five times and was also presented with the Prince of Wales award in 1929 for his translation of “Outlines of General History” by William Francis Collier.
 
Thakin Ba Thaung also translated works by Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy, Moliere, George Orwell, Upton Sinclair, Jules Verne and H.G. Wells. All were snapped up by Burmese readers.

Even a busy politician, former Prime Minister U Nu remained an enthusiastic promoter of translated world literature. In 1937, he joined a group of Burmese politicians in founding the Nagani (Red Dragon) Book Club, modeled on publisher Victor Gollancz’s left-leaning Book Club in London. The Nagani club said its aim was to publish low-priced books in the Burmese language containing the essence of contemporary international literature, history, economics, politics and science. The club published more than 70 books and a monthly newsletter in the four years following its founding.

A major project in 1948 by the Burma Society to translate Sir John Hamilton’s 10-volume encyclopedia was abandoned the following year in favor of producing a shorter work concentrating on articles relating directly to Burma and its arts and sciences.

Burmese translators aren’t working exclusively in the English language, however. Historians point out that Burmese scholars have been translating Pali and Sanskrit texts for centuries. Veteran journalist and author Win Tin told The Irrawaddy: “Actually, we should translate not only foreign-language books but also Burmese ethnic languages. By reading different ethnic literatures, we can get to know about respective beliefs, attitudes, cultures and customs. We can deepen our understanding of each other.”

Publisher Shwe Kyaw also believes translations of foreign literatures are valuable for understanding other cultures. He said Burma had been “left behind by developed countries, but we can catch up with them by reading their books.”

The well-known Burmese writer Maung Wun Tha agreed, telling The Irrawaddy: “Translated literature can be a bridge between different countries, peoples, culture, philosophy and technology.”

Ohn Kyaing, a veteran journalist, said translations were needed not only of English-language works but also of books written in Chinese, French, Japanese and Hindi. The government should create a “good translation society,” he told The Irrawaddy.

The government has the necessary resources, said Phone Thet Paing, editor of the journal Myanmar Thit (New Myanmar). Universities, libraries and academics should also support efforts to revive Burma’s translation tradition, he told The Irrawaddy.

The lack of public libraries and slipping educational standards were named by several writers as factors responsible for the decline in translated works.