Patna: First published in 1928 ‘Fool Bahadur’ by Jayanath Pati from Nawada district of Bihar becomes the first Magahi novel to be translated into English. Published by Penguin Random House India, Fool Bahadur is a delightful novel set in colonial Bihar, a humorous reflection on the state’s erstwhile society and bureaucracy—told through the story of a young law officer, who hustles his way through the bureaucratic corridors to win the coveted British title of Rai Bahadur.
The first-ever translation of this forgotten Magahi novel into English by Indian poet-diplomat, editor and translator Abhay K. is a tour de force that leaves readers chuckling at the characters dotting its intriguing plot.
The translated version was launched in Patna on February 24, 2024, at the 4th edition of Grand Trunk Road Initiatives by the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha, Press Secretary to the President of India Ajay Singh, and Principal Secretary to the Government of Bihar Dr S. Siddharth in the presence of Abhay K., Milee Aishwarya, publisher, of Penguin Random House India and Aditi Nandan, Director of the Grand Trunk Road Initiatives.
On publication of the book, the publisher of Penguin Random House Milee Aishwarya said —
‘Fool Bahadur by Jayanath Pati, translated by Abhay K. is a timeless and engaging novel. The first novel in Magahi is a hidden gem and now in its new English edition will reach out to a larger audience. I congratulate Abhay K. on giving Fool Bahadur a new life.’
Commenting on the launch of the book, Abhay K. said—“The publication of the English translation of Fool Bahadur as a Penguin modern classic marks a significant high point in the history of Magahi language and literature, which has a very rich literary history. I hope that my translation of the first Magahi novel will pave the path for more translations from Magahi and other languages of Bihar such as Angika, Bajjika, Bhojpuri and Maithili.”
Abhay K. from Nalanda, Bihar, is a poet, editor, translator, and author of several poetry collections. His poems have appeared in over 100 literary magazines including Poetry Salzburg Review and Asia Literary Review, among others. His ‘Earth Anthem’ has been translated into over 150 languages and his translations of Kalidasa’s Meghaduta and Ritusamhara from Sanskrit won him the KLF Poetry Book of the Year Award (2020–21).
He received the SAARC Literary Award in 2013 and was invited to record his poems at the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C., in 2018. His forthcoming book ‘Nalanda’ will be published by Penguin Random House in 2025.
– global bihari bureau
