Streem of himalayan melody

This, to the best of my knowledge, is the first attempt to make an English translation of the songs and poems of the popu lar and highly respected bard and songster Sri Narendra Singh Negi. His songs are about the simple, common people of hills and deeply rooted in the surroundings. His language is very colloquial that of labor class, farmers, shepherds and grassreapers. In the realm of music and literature of Uttarakhand, Negi made his ap pearance in such a manner that he became a symbol of renais sance. The literary tools of his songs are embedded in this very soil and the consciousness of the people. Undoubtedly his songs carry the utmost possibility of adding new dimensions to the folk literature of the hill region. He has added a new passion to the love for dialect and cultural heritage by giving voice to almost all the aspects of hill life.

It has taken me almost two and a half years to complete the task and it has not been easy; because it was not just informa tive translation but a poetic one. Translation is a discovery and a consequence of a creative process; hence a poetic translation in an absolute sense is a pure work of art. For a translator merely the knowledge of both the languages is not enough; he must also have an astonishing and deep literary sense in order to make a fine translation. I have made an attempt to remain true to the feel and sense of Narendra Singh Negi's original songs while translat ing them. I leave it to the readers to evaluate my efforts.