When it comes to nursery rhymes, authors can experiment with vocabulary, context and gender roles to create a sense of cultural awareness among Indian children, says Dr Babli Moitra Saraf. By Kritika Dua
Which kid wouldn’t relate to Twinkle Twinkle little Star or Jack and Jill or Johnny Johnny Yes PapaIJ Fed as they are with English rhymes and poems as toddlers — sometimes even in their pre-natal state (would-be mothers these days are often advised to listen to lullabies and rhymes) — they grow up with these poems and their associated imagery of a Western idyll, which tend to be culturally not in sync with their roots. As a mother, Dr Babli Moitra Saraf realised the dichotomy that existed as her children were growing up, learning English poems with Hindi and Bengali. “Ours is a trilingual home and the free-flowing languages shaped their personality beautifully. Bengali has a big bundle of children’s rhymes, including poems, lullabies and feeding songs. Then there are the Hindi ones. I taught Aditi and Ishani all three. It was a spontaneous and normal activity. And the cross-blend just made our home alive. That was when I thought of bridging the gap by translating the very familiar English poems into Hindi and indigenise references, images and names. Wouldn’t it be fun to make them everyday rather than distantIJ” asks the principal of IP College at the launch of her translated volume of rhymes called Hey Diddle-Diddle/Tun Tun Tara Tara.
Done with vibrant illustrations, depicting our rich culture and tradition in terms of our behaviour, dressing style, language, locales and lifestyle, the graphic book has the English poem on one side and the Hindi translation on the facing page. “This would promote a bilingual culture. A child who reads the poem Barkha rani barkha rani would also be familiar with Rain rain go away, and at the same time understand the centrality of monsoon in our context,” says panelist Professor Sukrita Paul Kumar, academician, poet and translation expert. She, along with Jayanti Ranganathan, Chief-Editor, Nandan, discussed the impact of such experimental work on the minds of children. Everybody agreed that the translations would help blur the rigidity of nursery rhymes as a Western construct. At the same time, they would help kids develop a respect for and familiarity with Hindi. While both Hindi and the vernacular have their own tradition of children’s literature and books, the translation of the universally popular English works would establish an easy relatability.
Saraf believes that language is a carrier of culture and if Indian children grow up listening to Hindi rhymes, it will harness a positive change. “Parents are aspirational, demanding their toddlers become experts in English from a young age. They shelve big paychecks from their pockets and get them enrolled in schools where speaking this language is a must. I have witnessed it especially among first generation learners. It’s crucial to maintain a constant touch with your mother tongue though it’s a not the only medium of learning. Playful rhymes help you do that.”
Children should continue to converse in their mother tongue as rhymes in their language can open up a new world for them and it will also lead them to discover unique things about their culture. “A particular word can open up a whole world. Educated people like us can see how that world functions,” she adds.
On nursery rhymes becoming an important tool for education, Saraf says, “I think what nursery rhymes do and should continue to do is create a feeling of joy and fun. Otherwise, they would lose their essence. And for children reciting nursery rhymes, the activity should be be as enjoyable as playing games. I think that rhythm, beat and a sense of sound in language taken together lead to the popularity of the rhyme. This is the reason authors have the liberty to repeat words as they do not harm the content. These are fundamental primal instincts which are present in all of us. So, it appeals primarily to our instincts in that sense.”
Adapting and translating popular nursery rhymes from English to Hindi was a natural process for Saraf. She could easily transit from Mary had a little lamb to Minnie ki Bakri. As Ranganathan explains, “Take this familiar poem: Pussy cat, pussy cat, where have you beenIJ/ I’ve been to london to visit the Queen./ Pussy cat, pussy cat, what did you do thereIJ/ I frightened a little mouse under her chair. The English version is quite colloquial. Thus, it has been translated to Billi mausi, billi mausi, kahan gayi thiIJ/ Hum toh Jaipur Rani se milne gaye the/ Billi mausi, billi mausi vahaan tumne kya kya kiyaIJ/ Kursi ke neeche tha chooha usko maine dara diya. This is a part of our culture, traditions, kinship and consciousness. The author found a cultural connect and localised london to Jaipur that is more relatable. Also, to us, Jaipur ki rani is as important as london’s queen.”
Saraf has over the years studied the linguistic strategies of rhymes. “The quotation marks and prepositions are crucial. We underestimate children’s poems but the vocabulary, context and gender roles can create a sense of cultural awareness. Which is why I have used Indian names for characters and places in my adaptations and translations.” This helps kids be at par with the world while staying connected to their roots. “The problem begins when they aren’t familiar with their roots as our society is structured in a certain way. There is a pressure among parents and institutions to teach their children fluent English. To the extent that they even start conversing in it at home. This evident social pressure leads children to behave differently than they normally would. It sways them towards English, the language that seems to pay. Being an English professor, I would not discount that but I think that coming back to your language is equally essential, especially in contemporary times to maintain cultural rootedness.”
Professor Kumar says it is creditable that a child can recite a poem in his/her mother tongue in today’s time when there is an adulteration of languages. “There is a stereotypical idea about translation which is that it’s an easy job. It is a very challenging and time-consuming job and kudos to Saraf for giving the young generation a prized posession in the form of Hey Diddle-Diddle.” A good teacher or an informed parent can breathe new life to our culture. It can help the children assess their individuality by learning about their past and place of origin.