Transcending language – The Appeal of a Book

Of late, I have been raving about the writings of sri vadrevu ch veerabhadrudu.

A friend, who heard it, gave me this book the other day and I was reading it today. Srikar was around me most of the day. He saw me reading the book, on and off, through out the day.

In the evening, he picks it up and reads the title slowly (he knows how to read Telugu script and understands most day today conversations. He doesn’t read or speak much in Telugu).

He tries to translate it – the threads I go round and round – translating దారులు as if it is దారాలు and translating తిరిగిన from the context of వానా వానా వల్లప్పా where he learnt తిరుగు meaning turning round and round.

I am thrilled by this time. Here is a child who usually does not like to engage with any language other than English!

I prompt him to read the line below the title. He translates అడవులు and కొండలు correctly but needs help with నదీనదాలు. We end up with a rough translation of the title – The Paths I Traveled; Rivers, Forests and Hills.

I am happy by this time as this engagement with the book has come completely independently, from the child.

Then he ventures further, “can you translate this book into English?”

“Why?”

“So that I can read it.”
I get greedy. “Or you can learn Telugu, so you can read not just this book but also many other wonderful things I have read as a child.”
For the first time, I see him pay serious attention to this proposition.
“Can we translate this together?”
“We can, but you will have to learn Telugu to work with me.”
“I will learn while we translate.”
I am thrilled beyond my wildest dreams by now.

We agree to start translating one of the recent stories he has written in English into Telugu, as this book would be difficult for him (truth be told, this one would be difficult for me too ☺️).

And then, after 5 minutes, I ask him the question.
“Have you seen me read books in Telugu before?”
“Yes. Many times.”
“You never picked up any of them. What made you pick it up and talk to me about it?”
“The cover art. I also flipped through the book. The illustrations are interesting.”

I don’t know about this. I think he has seen Telugu books with good looking illustrations before. That adds an interesting mystery as to why he really picked this up, and I am happy to let it be.

Now, it’s his turn to get thrilled as I tell him that the person who wrote the book also did the cover painting and the inside illustrations. He says, “that’s just like me!”☺️.

Thank you Veerabhadrudu garu and a heart felt namaskaram. 🙏