Special second Verse in time of Famine or Pestilence. O LORD, Our GOD! arise Stay now THY chastening hand : Mere Khudáwand-gár! Ho sab ká madad-gâr ; Balá ko tál Kar rahm ab ai Dáwar! Musíbat-zadon par; Ki huá abtar,2 Sab ka ahwál. My God! (emphatic) or Lord Be every one's helper Do mercy now, O God Upon the beaten by misfor tune As has become declining (confused or worse) Everyone's state (condition). Special second Verse for Her Majesty's Armies, in time of War. ORIGINAL. O LORD, Our GOD! arise; Scatter HER enemies, And make them fall. Bless THOU the brave that fight— Sworn to defend HER right, Bending before THY Might 1 Not in common use in Urdu. There should be no comma and "ki" should be "ke." The last two lines may give the impression that under Her Majesty's rule, things have become worse. The lines also seem to be devoid of poetic feeling. Apni, Victoria par, Sihhat Táqat. Kyá dahqán kyá Sultán. Hain ja uspar qurbán, Sab aqwám-i-jahán, Retranslation. Send blessing, O Sovereign God! Thine, on Victoria! Health (and) strength. Who are on (for) her a Karen 'izzat. May do honour. ORIGINAL. IV. Guard HER beneath THY Wings, SOV'REIGN unseen! Long may our prayer be blest, "GOD SAVE THE QUEEN." 1 We strongly recommend the word " Yávar " for the unfortunate and misleading use of Yár"= Companion or friend, used in the original Urdu Translation of the London National Anthem Society, a Translation which is generally very incorrect. 2 "Kar" is the participial affix to "bow" and not, as might be inferred from its standing separately in the above translation, "make to bow," which is incorrect. 3 The word "fame" has not been translated. Dawar is a contracted form, of "Dádáwar" and means Judge. Therefore the word "Dawar" seems inappropriate here, for one may demand justice or mercy from a Judge, but not a blessing or "Ni'ámat." Besides, this word is not commonly used in Urdu, and is, indeed, unintelligible to the Urdu-speaking masses. In the special second verse "in time of famine," Dawar is appropriate, as mercy is implored. Should be "dihqan.' The word "Sultan" for monarch or "Peer" in the original is not free from objection or misconception, although Sultan really only means "one who is pre-eminently exalted." 7 The line "Rising from East and West" has not been translated at all. Gunda Singh's translation is, on the whole, a fair one and, considering the difficulty of adaptation under conditions of due adherence to the sense and metre of the original, not unidiomatic and, in one place, perhaps eloquent. There can be little doubt that the intelligent translator has benefited by our criticism on the existing version of the National Anthem Society, the numerous defects of which we first brought to notice and by the various adaptations and translations which have appeared in the columns of the English and Urdu Journals of the Anjuman-i-Punjab, as also by the constant attention which has been devoted to the subject by the Anjuman and the public interest in it which it has created since 1883 and which has been further stimulated by its circulation of idiomatic versions in Urdu and Persian at the Rawalpindi Assemblage where it sought to give expression to the loyalty of the assembled Chiefs and gentry. These versions, however, although efforts of far greater poetic genius than the translation before us, are, perhaps, not immediately so acceptable. An exception may, however, be made in favour of one or the other of the versions of Maulvi Fazil Ghulam Qadir, a real poet, who, it may be remembered, recited impromptu Arabic verses on the occasion of Lord Dufferin's visit to the Oriental College. These, and perhaps other, versions may be analyzed in future issues, but it is clear that a really good and spirited translation of "God save the Queen" has yet to be composed. However, as the Anjuman Prize had to be awarded to the best among existing versions, I ventured to propose that it be awarded, in the form of a suitably-inscribed Medal, to the most intelligible and correct composition. Other deserving candidates were awarded Diplomas of Honorary Membership of the Anjuman-i-Musháa'ra or Association of Poets, who have rendered the Parent Society such excellent service in imbuing the public sentiment with the heartfelt wish of "God save the Queen" ! The following are the verses as originally composed. They have been somewhat modified by the London National Anthem Society and a few 1 This is not a full rendering of the original line. This line seems very effective. 3 This line is scarcely idiomatic, whilst "pinhan" is not a translation of "unseen. The substitution of "jab" when(ever), for "jo" would make the sentence more idiomatic, if not elegant. "bachawe" is really to " save one from danger," in which Her Majesty is not placed. It is certainly not the meaning of "save" in "God save the Queen !" "Salámat rakhe' would be better. In the Persian National Anthem "God save the Shah" is rendered by "Salamat Shah." However, there is no place in which "bachawe" is less objectionable than in the above fourth verse. modern or special verses have been added to them. It is a great blot on our many excellent collections of hymns that the English hymn rarely, if ever, finds a place in them : I. God save our Gracious Queen! Send her victorious, Happy and glorious, Long to reign over us; II. O Lord, our God! arise, Scatter our enemies, And make them fall! Confound their politics, Frustrate their knavish tricks. III. Thy choicest gifts in store, May she defend our laws, To sing with heart and voice God save the Queen. (The following is the verse adopted, instead of the above, by the London National Anthem Society.) Thy choicest gifts in store Still on Victoria pour,-- While peasant, Prince and peer Proudly Her sway revere,— Nations, afar and near, Honour Her Name. The remaining verses of the London Society have already been con sidered. 1 For this the London Society substituted "Her." 2 For these verses the London Society substitute: "Bid strife and discord cease- Wisdom and arts increase Filling our homes with peace, G. W. L. THE IMPERIAL AND Asiatic Quarterly Review, AND ORIENTAL AND COLONIAL RECORD. JANUARY, 1893. RUSSIANIZED OFFICIALISM IN INDIA. THE FLY IN THE OINTMENT. BY SIR WILLIAM WEDDERBURN, BART. My friend Mr. Dadabhai Naoroji has, in the last number of this Review, described the feelings of the educated Indian community towards British rule in India. There could not be a better authority on this point. For there is no man living whom the people of India would more gladly name to speak on their behalf. And he is certainly no unfriendly critic towards ourselves, for he has spent many years in England, and has so identified himself with our interests that an English Constituency has chosen him as its representative. What then does he say? He most cordially and fully acknowledges the great benefits conferred upon India; placing above all others the gift of Western literature, science, and art, which, through our schools and colleges, have revived the national life, and given to India the hope of resuming her ancient place among the leaders of civilization. And then as to political benefits: "England has also freely given to India some of her most cherished institutions-institutions for which England has herself fought hard and bled. She has given freedom of speech and freedom of the press-security of life and property, and law and order. Never in all past history have the rulers of any empire bestowed such NEW SERIES. VOL. V. A |