Roopa Pai translates late Kannada poet K S Nissar Ahmed poems for Bengaluru launch

A new English translation of poems by the late iconic Kannada poet K S Nissar Ahmed, titled 'Every Day a Celebration' and translated by writer Roopa Pai, is set to be officially released on June 27 at the Bookworm bookstore on Church Street in Bengaluru. Published by Seagull Books, the collection aims to bring the work of the household literary figure to English-speaking readers and make regional Kannada poetry accessible to a global audience.

The translation journey began in 2016 during the Rio Olympics when Pai wrote a series of viral blog posts about sportspersons. Motivated by the momentum, she translated a few poems by Ahmed for Karnataka Rajyotsava later that year, which eventually led to translating five of his poems for a journal.

Pai later met Ahmed at an event at Sapna Book House, where he agreed to a full collection of his poems being translated. In 2018, Pai visited Ahmed at his home, where he presented her with a handwritten, neatly categorised list of 100 poems from various collections, along with a gifted set of his poetry books.

Translating the 100 poems proved to be a challenging task for Pai. The project competed for time with her other book commitments, occasionally drawing impatience from Ahmed. Pai completed the final set of poems in 2020, receiving the approval of the poet just days before he passed away.

Following Ahmed's death, the translated poems remained on Pai's computer for three years. In 2023, Pai decided to move forward with the publication to honour the late poet's legacy, leading to the upcoming release.

Ahmed, a geologist by profession and the author of 'Nityotsava', was known for writing on a vast array of topics, from critiques of American policy to odes to Krishna. Pai noted that his unpredictable style, which blended literary Kannada with unique portmanteau words, earned him the moniker "Shabda Brahma" or creator of words.

Pai highlighted the unique nature of Kannada poetry, noting that high literature in the language was historically set to music and shared with the masses rather than remaining isolated. One of the translated verses in the collection reflects Ahmed's geological background, describing precious stones being fashioned by "a river of boiling, burbling rock."