Hikayat Faqir: Lost in Translation- Part 1
June 2023
Taufiq Hanafi
Within the realm of Malay literature lies a captivating manuscript known as Hikayat Faqir. This manuscript, which is part of the renowned collection formed by Scottish poet and Oriental languages scholar John Leyden, provides a remarkable glimpse of literary activity in the early 19th century along the northwest coast of the Malay peninsula.
Dated at the end of 28 Safar 1223 AH (28 April 1808 AD), Hikayat Faqir is housed within the larger compilation called Hikayat Lima Fasal, consisting of five distinct stories, starting from ff.51v and ending on ff.110v: (a) Hikayat Faqir (ff.51v-61r), revolving around the story of a faqir, a poor individual, likely serving as the main focus of the manuscript; (b) Hikayat orang miskin yang bernama Isḥāk (ff.61v-71r), narrating the tale of a destitute person named Isḥāk; (c) Hikayat Raja Jumjumah dengan anak isteri baginda (ff.71r-89r), unfolding with Raja Jumjumah and his relationships with his wife and child; (d) Hikayat anak saudagar bersahabat dengan orang kaya dan miskin (ff.89r-95v), exploring the friendship between a merchant's child and individuals from both wealthy and poor backgrounds; (e) Hikayat anak saudagar menjadi raja (ff.96r-110v), recounting the journey of a merchant's child who eventually ascends to become a ruler.
An intriguing puzzle surrounds this manuscript, centering around its interlinear translation. With only the first two pages translated, and that too inadequately and incompletely, Hikayat Faqir presents us with a complex enigma to unravel.
Figure 1. Hikayat Faqir MSS_Malay_B_10 f.51v
Notably, the first page of this manuscript is heavily annotated in pencil with an interlinear English translation. This translation presents a confounding complexity. It is not a faithful translation of the original text, and words are frequently misplaced in different lines. In addition, rather than providing a word-for-word interlinear translation, it fails to capture the essence and details of the narrative.
To shed further light on this issue, below is the transliteration of the first page of Hikayat Faqir, followed by its English translation.
Transliteration of the First Page:
Billahi 'ala. Ini hikayat pasal yang pertama-tama yang amat
masyhur dan lagi terlalu amat banyak dan lagi memberi manfaat yang mendengarnya.
Adalah suatu raja bernama Sulthan Abduljalil nama negerinya Zamin Ambar.
Hatta baginda itu terlalu amat besar kerajaannya dan beberapa buah negeri ta'luk
5 karenanya. Hatta baginda itu serta dengan adil lagi dengan murahnya. Syahdan,
hatta baginda itu pun sehari-hari pergi bermain-main di luar negeri yang tiada berhenti.
lagi diiringkan oleh segala raja-raja menteri hulubalang ra'yat sekalian demikian sehari-hari
makan dan minum yang tiada khalnya lagi. Hatta kepada suatu hari baginda keluar
negeri bermain itu maka baginda pun berjumpa dengan suatu kebun bunga-bungaan
10 dan bagai-bagai jenis poko'-poko' di dalam kebun itu. Hatta baginda pun turunlah
dari atas kudanya lalu berjalan ke dalam kebun itu. Tatkala itu faqir yang empunya
kebun datang duduk minum kanjah(?) maka faqir itu pun kedengaran
suatu suara. Demikian bunyinya. Hatta faqir aku datanglah. Maka faqir itu pun
heranlah dirinya. Siapa juga yang berteriakkan aku ini. Hatta …
The English Translation:
Billahi a’la the beginning of this story, this first chapter of which is very
Famous and good and will do good to all who hear it
There was a rajah named Sultan Abdul Jelil & his country
Zamin Ambar. This prince was great in his sovereignty and many
5 Countries were under his government & he was upright & liberal
This Prince was good to go from his country daily to amuse himself
& he was attended by his ministers, hoeloebalangs & people
& their eating and drinking was never finished
One day the prince went out from his county when where he
10 Fell in with a garden (caboon) in which were flowers & various
plants & trees - on which he alighted from his horse &
entered the compound; the fakir to whom
the garden belonged heard a voice saying, hey,
fakir, you, come here, on which the fakir thought within himself, or said
to conjecture who it was who called to him
The reason behind this inadequately done interlinear translation remains a subject of speculation and leaves us pondering the motivations and intentions of the translator. While the exact reason behind this enigma remains speculative, several factors could have contributed to this puzzling situation.
One possible factor is time constraints. Translating a manuscript, like Hikayat Faqir, requires a significant investment of time and effort. The translator may have been restricted by limited time availability, potentially due to other commitments or pressing deadlines, resulting in a rushed and incomplete translation.
Limited resources may have also played a role. Translating a text from one language to another necessitates access to dictionaries, reference materials, and linguistic expertise. If the translator lacked sufficient resources, such as comprehensive dictionaries or access to language experts, it would have been challenging to produce a precise and thorough translation.
Linguistic difficulties could have further complicated the translation process. Malay literature often contains intricate language structures, cultural references, and idiomatic expressions that can pose challenges for translators. If the translator faced difficulties in comprehending or conveying these nuances, it could have resulted in an inaccurate translation.
Another possibility is that the translator's intention was not to provide a meticulous, word-for-word interlinear translation. Instead, their goal may have been to offer a general overview of the story, focusing on conveying the broader narrative rather than preserving every detail. This intention, while understandable in certain contexts, could contribute to the imprecise nature of the translation.
In the absence of concrete information about the translator's circumstances and intentions, we can only conjecture on the reasons behind the inadequate translation. The case of Hikayat Faqir serves as a reminder of the intricacies involved in translating prose works from the past as we navigate the intricate world of translation and explore the wide reaches of Malay literature.
Acknowledgements:
I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to Rahmat Sopian and Genie Yoo. Their invaluable assistance and expertise in reading the translated page have been instrumental in shedding light on its contents. A more in-depth analysis on the translation may soon follow.
References:
https://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/FullDisplay.aspx?ref=MSS_Malay_B_10
Brown, I.M. 1955. John Leyden (1775-1811): his life and works. Edinburgh: University of Edinburgh
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