The Bard and his Sister-in-law is an English translation of the Bengali novel ‘Kobir Bouthan’ originally written by Mallika Sengupta. The work of translation is a gigantic job but translator Lopamudra Banerjee took it upon herself to transcreating this 442-page historical novel over two years. Such translations are a boon for English readers like us who want to know about Rabindranath Tagore, his upbringing and Jorasanko men and women but have limited options as we can’t read Bengali script.
As I proceeded through the pages, I did not feel that I was reading any translated work, the vivid background descriptions and characters’ emotions were free-flowing. Even the translations of letters written by Rabi (Rabindranath Tagore) and Satyendranath (Rabi’s elder brother) have the characters’ distinct voices intact.
I particularly loved the four-page-long diary entry of Rabi written on a ship while sailing through the River Ganges. At the book launch of The Bard and his Sister-in-law on the international platform of The Fertile Brains among the esteemed poets and authors: Prasanna Kkumar, Dr Roopali Sircar Gaur, Shalini Nandkeolyar and Dr Gargi Saha on 5th July 2024, I could not resist asking how much time it took Lopamudra ma’am to translate this particular diary entry. These four pages took her as many as seven rewrites and she is still not satisfied with her work, however, these pages are bliss for me. I dived into the beauty of Rabindranath’s pen and devoured every word heartily.
The original Bengali words are used to create an authentic mid-nineteenth-century Kolkata household setting of a Bengali family. The mention of words like memsahib and gora sahib takes us to the era of the British Raj. I am not a Bengali but my heart craved for more of Bengali literature after reading The Bard and his Sister-in-law.
I bathed in the musical soiree of Thakurbari, I enjoyed the grand literary discussions of the Tagore siblings, and I soaked in the love of Rabi for his muse, Kadambari (his Notun Bouthan). I witnessed the struggle of Jorasankho women to break the shackles of bondage pressed upon them by the patriarchal society, their conspiracies to win their husband’s love and their chores and chatters. Also, abundant was the love among the Tagore brothers and the blossoming of art and literature in the compound of Jorasanko. The tactful upbringing of Debendranath Tagore (father of Rabindranath Tagore) is clearly visible throughout this historical biography.
It transported me to the agonizing pain of Kadambari when she lost little Urmila (her sister-in-law’s daughter whom she loved like her own) and the intense mourning of Gyanada when she lost three of her children. Kadambari and Gyanada are two strong brides of the Tagore household: one creates her own identity by accepting age-old traditions and restrictions while the other paves a path for the emancipation of women by daring to sail through the Atlantic Ocean and going to London without her husband or any other men from her household with her three children that too when she was pregnant.
The tales of Malini, the bookseller, entertained me and the plight of Nati Binodini cast light on how people of higher strata used someone from an undignified background as mere puppets to fulfill their lust and pockets. Rupa, the nonconformist adopted daughter of Rabi’s mother, played an important role in shaping the interpersonal relationships between Tagore women. The spread of Brahmo Samaj, society’s stern reaction against its followers and how Debendranath went against his wife, brother’s family and society to propagate and follow Brahmo religion is shown through various instances in this historical non-fiction. The multifaceted narratives of liberal Swarnakumari and Satyendranath, enduring Rash Sundari and unfaithful Jyotirindranath have been distinctly defined leaving no room for confusion.
The original Bengali novel takes references from various published works and the esteemed translator herself read volumes of books on this subject to bring out the authenticity in her translated version. The Bard and his Sister-in-law is a testament to Lopamudra Sengupta’s hardwork and will to make Bengali literature accessible to non-Bengali readers. I am deeply grateful to her for bringing this book into my hands and igniting my interest in Bengali literature.
What you need to know about Rabindranath Tagore’s childhood and his upbringing at Jorasanko is present in The Bard and his Sister-in-law. To read purchase this book at: https://amzn.in/d/02UYMe8h
The link to the book launch of The Bard and his Sister-in-law: https://youtu.be/yk-teXgAD5k?si=96v6nz52iYl5VDqd
About the translator, Lopamudra Banerjee:
Lopamudra Banerjee is an author, poet, translator and editor with eight solo books and six anthologies in fiction, nonfiction and poetry. She lives in Texas, USA with her family, but she is originally from Kolkata, India. She has been a recipient of the Journey Awards (First Place category winner) for her memoir ‘Thwarted Escape: An Immigrant’s Wayward Journey’ (Authorspress, 2016), the International Reuel Prize for Poetry (2017) and the International Reuel Prize for her English translation of Nobel Laureate Tagore’s selected works of fiction (2016). Her poetry has also been published in renowned platforms including ‘Life in Quarantine,’ the Digital Humanities Archive of Stanford University. She was a Featured Poet at Rice University, Houston in November 2019. ‘Bakul Katha: Tale of the Emancipated Woman’, her English translation of Ashapurna Devi’s award-winning Bengali novel ‘Bakul Katha’ has received an Honorable Mention at the London Book Festival. Her recent collection of poetry and monologues ‘We Are What We Are: Primal Songs of Ethnicity, Gender & Identity’ (Black Eagle Books, 2022) is a collaboration with Mexican-American poet and storyteller Priscilla Rice. ‘The Bard and his Sister-in-Law’ is her fourth book of translation (2023) and has been selected for the Bookfair of the UK Bengali Conference in Harrow, London.
About the reviewer, Sneha Goel, the best English Teacher in Guwahati:
Sneha Goel is a British Council–certified IELTS trainer, Scholastic India–mentored short story writer, certified phonics and public speaking educator. She is a published author, poet and diarist. Her reviews, blogs, poems, stories and thoughts are part of various international anthologies. Apart from writing, she is passionate about teaching English to children. She is a writing coach and English language development teacher who teaches English grammar, literature, creative writing, academic writing, story writing, poetry writing, phonics, public speaking and Spoken English to students from class 1 up to grown-ups. To know more about her writing training and English language teaching services click here.
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