JOURNAL 



OF THE 



ASIATIC SOCIETY 



Part I.— HISTORY, LITERATURE, &c. 



No. IV.— 1869. 



Translations from Cliand. — By F. S. G-rowse, Esq., M. A., B. C. S. 



The two specimen translations from the Father of Hindi Poetry 

 which I have submitted to the criticism of the Society, were, I 

 believe the first that had appeared since the year 1838, when Col. 

 Tod contributed to the Asiatic Journal a version of the Kanauj 

 Khand. I have lately had an opportunity of comparing his transla- 

 tion with the original, and find that notwithstanding its apparent 

 close adherence to Indian modes of expression, it is in fact extremely 

 loose and untrustworthy ; though no doubt it contains many sugges- 

 tions calculated to smooth the path of a future translator. Consider- 

 ing the novelty of my undertaking, the comparative failure of my 

 only predecessor, the inherent difficulty of the text, and the imperfect 

 condition of the MS. in my possession, I felt little confidence in the 

 result of my labours, and would gladly have welcomed the suggestions 

 of competent critics. I was also in great hopes that such suggestions 

 would not be withheld, since it appeared that the poem had recently 

 excited considerable curiosity among oriental scholars. In these 

 expectations, I have been completely disappointed, and the accuracy 

 of my rendering has remained altogether unchallenged, from the 

 indifference of the public, I fear, rather than from any more flattering 

 cause. 



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