Produktdetaljer
Om bidragsyterne
Varghese Mathai is Benjamin P. Browne Professor of English at Judson University, USA and a Fulbright scholar. He lectures internationally on classics and literature of translation. His recent publications include The Malabar Mandate (2013) and The Village Maestro and 100 Other Stories (2022).Makes up, at one stroke, for the incomprehensible neglect of Mahakavi Simon's work for over nearly a century. Mathai's is a work of impressive erudition, as well as of immense importance for the history of world literature.
Prabhu Guptara, Professor Emeritus, William Carey University, India
Mathai’s book offers a profound study in the life and work of K. V. Simon, an extraordinary poet hitherto little known outside Kerala, though still of Miltonic profile in the realms of faith and letters. This is a 'go to' book for any explorer, scholar, or lay person, entering the colorful Malabar Coast of India, its ancient Christianity, the Malayalam language, and world literature.
Heike Oberlin, Professor of Indology, University of Tübingen, Germany
Translations build bridges. Through this careful examination of the life and work of K.V. Simon, Varghese Mathai has championed the task of showcasing an Indian poet of Miltonic caliber to an audience of nations. Mathai’s elegant verse translations of Simon’s magnum opus, Vedaviharam and the numerous selections from <i>Sangeetha Ratnavali</i> represent a weighty service to world literature.
Donald R. Davis Jr., Professor of Asian Studies, University of Texas at Austin, USA
Rich in history, thorough in translation of the vast hymnody, and insightful in the analysis of the person and his times, Mathai’s work is invaluable in understanding Christianity in Kerala in the 20th century through the life of K. V. Simon.
Stanley John Valayil, Assistant Professor of Intercultural Studies, Alliance University, New York
This is trailblazing work, unveiling Mahakavi Simon to the delight of his audience worldwide. Varghese Mathai transmits the substance and spirit of Simon’s writings through the first ever English biography of the poet and the extensive English translation of his elite verse.
James Kurichi, Lecturer in Malayalam, University of Pennsylvania, USA
The first English study of poet K. V. Simon (1883-1944), with sample translations, including of his 12,000-line epic Vedaviharam, and a critical biography.
Opening with the story of South Indian poet laureate (or mahakavi) K. V. Simon’s heroic life, this book escorts its global reader through the legendary Malabar Coast, transiting into the densely rich Simon verse in translation, and closing with a comparative reading of a rewarding range of texts from Simon and Milton.
When Simon's epic Vedaviharam, a verse rendition of The Book of Genesis, appeared in the Malayalam language in 1931, The Guardian hailed the multifaceted Simon as “India’s veritable Milton.” Like Milton, Simon was a polymath, poet, hymnodist, composer, religious reformer and an educator. Like Milton, he was a man of immense learning, writing prose and verse with equal brilliance. As a result of his writings – in which he exhorted the Church of his era to seek scriptural literacy rather than uphold uncritical traditions – Simon was catapulted into public life as a reformer, apologist, and a nationally known prophetic figure. In Mahakavi K. V. Simon: The Milton of the East, translations of Simon’s works cover a range, from purpose-driven topic studies to interpretive Bible commentaries, poems, and hymns.
Scholarship has so far placed Simon’s poetical work on par with the bhakti classics of Ezhuthachen, the Father of modern Malayalam, and of Poonthanam, a Hindu metaphysical poet, both household names in India. But in this study, Varghese Mathai shows how Simon distinguishes himself by his contributions to numerous knowledge fields that bridge him to world literature, modern history, colonial studies, religion, apologetics, rhetorical studies, and more.
List of Figures
Foreword—Mahakavi K.V. Simon: Kerala’s Reformer Laureate
by A. J. Thomas
Acknowledgments
Timeline
Introduction—Mahakavi K. V. Simon: A Prophetic Legacy
by Reverend Valson Thampu
1. The Life and Times of K. V. Simon
An Overview
Simon’s Childhood
A Lay Launch of Reform
Debates and Disputations
The Viyojitha Sabha [The Separatists]
Vedaviharam, Simon’s Epic Poem
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
The Last Lap
Resting Where the Cradle Rocked
2. Malayalam: K. V. Simon’s Language
A Brief History
3. Simon Verse in Translation: Selected Pieces and Portions
Songs and Hymns
-Pahimam Deva Deva [Entreat thee I]
-Manuvel Manujasutha [Manuvel, ManSon]
-Paadum Ninakku Nityavum [I will sing unto thee all days]
-Thenilum Madhuram [Sweeter than honey]
-Devajana Samajame [The Gathered Elect]
-Amba Yerusalem
-Poorna Hridaya Seva Venam [Wholly given to serve]
-Thunga Prathaapamaarnna Sri Yesu [Of glory utmost]
-Paramaathmaav Ura Cheyyum [“Listen to what the Spirit has to say”]
-Ariya Babylon Nadikkarike [Exiles on Babel’s banks]
-Nallarin Sundari [Starlet Virgin!]
-Aadyantamillatha Nityante [Eternal One, to this comely pair]
-Vandaname Deva! [Honor to thee, Lord]
-Paadum Paramanu Parichodu [The Song of Moses]
-Yeshunayaka Sreesha Namo [Jesu, Lord, hail to thee]
-Salomiye Varikente Priye [Come away my beloved]
-Smarna Sabha Doothu [Letter to Smyrna]
-Sardis Sabha Doothu [Letter to Sardis]
-Paramadeva Vandana [To the God of gods]
Portions from Simon’s Epic, Vedaviharam
-Invocation
-The House of Abraham
-Jacob’s Years in Paddan Aram
Wisdom Passages in Vedaviharam
4. K. V. Simon and John Milton: Two Epic Stars of the East and the West
The Times and Home Grounds of Simon and Milton
Vedaviharam and Paradise Lost: Concordant Contents
The Songs of Simon
Simon, a Lover of Peace
A Sage of Letters
Appendix
Bibliography
Index