This is an interpretation into the English language of a poem by the scholar-poet Zava Damdin (1976- ). The title in the Mongolian language and its Mongolian Cyrillic script is, “ХИЙН ТОЛЬ”.
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INNER WIND’S MIRROR
Somewhere on the surface of a clear lake
Tenderly remembering the quiescent Jade Moon’s reflection
Somewhere in a far far away land
Tenderly remembering a perceptive young girl selling date palm fruit
Whenever the image of the poor elderly woman bestowing a handful of dried plums arises
Tenderly remembering, deep in my chest, the important words that accompanied her offering
Whenever my grand Father Guru appeared in my dreams
Tenderly remembering I became extremely happy and wept
Whenever crossing a particular major intersection
Tenderly remembering how someone recognised me and then called out
Whenever presenting the somewhat eccentric old man with gifts and being greeted
Tenderly remembering how we sat down and talked, partaking in some snuff
Whoever one met at the black market, shake hands and exchange a few words
Tenderly remembering how he spoke of goals and dreams for the future, and then was gone
Whoever one met in the coffee shop during tea-drinking time
Tenderly remembering his innocent and child-like way of speaking
Whenever I stepped out with my father into the oh-so-cold and frosty morning
Tenderly remembering the two special ravens who showed me some signs
When young, whenever I sat down to write my next poem
Tenderly remembering how the girl next door would come over and ask me to read it to her
As if a young boy, my heart is filled with fond memories
Unearthed reflections appearing in the inner wind’s mirror
The ‘whole world’ and ‘universes’ are so only by name
More important to live with the passion of a warm heart and a courageous mind
Pure Land of Swoyambhu
Zava Damdin
Translated by Zava Damdin and C.Pleteshner
English interpretation 04.10.2023 from the original Mongolian 07.11.2021
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Mongolian Cyrillic Text Version
ХИЙН ТОЛЬ
Хаа нэгтээ тунгалаг нуурын толионд
Хасын саран тодорхой тусан байсныг сананхан
Хаа нэгтээ харь алсын нэгэн газар
Хасарваань худалдан асан охины харцыг сананхан
Хэзээ ч юм нэгэн ядуу дүртэй эмгэн атга чавга өгөөд
Хэлж дурьдсан тэргүүтнийг хэнхдэг цээжиндээ сананхан
Хэзээ ч билээ зүүдэндээ өвгөн богдтойгоо учран
Хэмжээлшгүй баясан туйлын ихээр хайлж аснаа сананхан
Хаана ч билээ нэгэн их төв замын зөрлөг дээр
Хэн нэгэн намайг таниад дуудаад өнгөрснийг сананхан
Хаана ч билээ бас хазгар өвгөнд өглөг өгсний хариуд
Халуун дотно яриа өрнүүлэн тамхилан суусныг сананхан
Хэн ч билээ зах дээр уулзаж гар бариад хэдэн үг солихдоо
Хэтийн зорилго мөрөөдлөө өөрийн эрхгүй хэлээд явсныг сананхан
Хэнтэй ч билээ цайны мухлагт таараад аяга цай уух зуур
Хэтэрхий цайлган хүүхэд шиг ярилцан асныг
Хэдийд ч билээ жавар тачигнасан өглөө аавтайгаа яван ахуйд
Хэргийн тухайд хос бараан шувуу дохио утгас үзүүлснийг сананхан
Хэдтэй ч байлаа даа удаах шүлгээ бичин суухуйд
Хэзээний л айлын охин ирээд уншихыг шалж байсан сананхан
Хөвүүн миний сэтгэлд сананхан ахуй дурсамж нугууд
Хөврөл үгүй хийн толинд тусанхан буй нь үзэгдлийн төдий
Хөвчин дэлхий хөрвөх орчлон бүгд нэрийдлийн төдий авч
Хөдөлгөөнт ертөнцөд халуун сэтгэл хатамжит явдал чухагтай
Соёмбот Орон
Зава Дамдин
07.11.2021
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Source
A Bilingual Collection of Zava Damdin (1976- ) Poetry. Vol. 1 (2021-2024). The Zava Damdin Sutra and Scripture Institute Library Archive, Manjushri Temple Soyombot Oron, Mongolia. Unpublished manuscript. pp20-21.
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Notes
Excluding the preparatory training and clarity of narrative structure and ideation required, the journey of such compositions tends to move through three phases, starting with: (i) the creation of the original composition with the vertical Mongol Bichig Script; (ii) the subsequent transfer and rendering of this transcript into the Mongolian Cyrillic Script; and then on to, (iii) a (British) English language interpretation, such as you see here. I bring to this interpretive exercise my own particular collection of English language narrative skills and their imagined audiences. From this perspective, a final English language version of a narrative emerges as a negotiated text.
Translation is always an interpretation into another culture.
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Attribution
In keeping with ethical scholarly research and publishing practices and the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, I anticipate that anyone using or translating into another language all or part of this article and submitting it for accreditation or other purpose under their own name, to acknowledge this URL and its author as the source. Not to do so, is contrary to the ethical principles of the Creative Commons license as it applies to the public domain.
end of transcript.
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