জীবনানন্দ দাশের স্ব-অনূদিত ইংরেজি কবিতায় মেটাফরের রূপান্তর / The Transformation of Metaphors in Jibanananda Das's Self-Translated English Poems

Abstract

Jibanananda Das (1899–1954), one of the most influential modernist poets in Bengali literature, has long been the subject of translations, with his poems and complete anthologies rendered into various languages over decades. Notably, Das himself pioneered this process by translating eleven of his own Bengali poems into English at different points in his career. However, only traces of six such self-translations have been recovered: the original Bengali works ‘Banalata Sen’, ‘Andhakar’ (Darkness), ‘Beral’ (Cat), ‘Nabik’ (Sailor), ‘Manosarani’ (Meditations), and ‘Kuri Bachar Pare’ (Twenty Years After), alongside their English counterparts ‘Banalata Sen’, ‘Darkness’, ‘Cat’, ‘Sailor’, ‘Meditations’, and ‘Twenty Years After’. This proposed research article centers its analysis on these six pairs, exploring the intricacies of self-translation in the context of Das's poetic oeuvre.

          A hallmark of Das's poetry is his masterful use of metaphor as a primary literary device, which weaves intricate layers of imagery, emotion, and philosophical depth into his verses. Drawing from nature, urban decay, existential themes, and historical allusions, these metaphors often transcend literal meanings to evoke a surreal, introspective world. The article investigates the transformation of these metaphors during the translation process into English. Specifically, it examines instances where metaphors are altered to better suit the target language's idiomatic expressions or cultural nuances, thereby preserving the essence while adapting form. Conversely, it highlights cases where metaphors become obstacles in translation, leading to their dilution or complete omission due to linguistic incompatibilities, semantic gaps, or the poet-translator's interpretive choices. Intriguingly, the study also identifies moments where entirely new metaphors emerge in the English versions, either as creative substitutions or enhancements that reflect Das's evolving bilingual perspective.

           Through a close comparative reading of the original Bengali texts and their self-translated English renditions, this research aims to outline a framework for understanding self-translation's impact on poetic devices. It posits that Das's dual role as poet and translator reveals unique insights into cross-linguistic creativity, fidelity versus adaptation, and the inevitable losses and gains in meaning. By focusing on metaphor as a lens, the article contributes to broader discussions in translation studies, particularly regarding modernist poetry from non-Western traditions. Ultimately, it underscores how self-translation can both preserve and reinvent a poet's voice, offering fresh avenues for interpreting Das's enduring legacy in global literature.