Tirukkural translations into German

Among the European languages, German has the third highest number of translations of the Tirukkural, after English and French. As of 2015, there were at least eight translations of the Kural text available in German.

History

The first translations of the Kural text into German were made by August Friedrich Caemmerer in 1803 and by Friedrich Rückert in 1847.^[1]^[2] However, these remained incomplete. Caemmerer translated only the first two books, viz. the Book of Virtue and the Book of Wealth.^[3] The first well-known complete German translation was made by Karl Graul in 1856.^[2] It is said that when a Kural couplet was explained in English to Graul,^{[n 1]} he was so much taken up with it and started learning the Tamil language in order to study the Kural in the original.^[4]^: 19 Graul published his translation in 220 pages under the title Der Kural des Tiruvalluver. Ein gnomisches Gedicht über die drei Strebeziele des Menschen as the third volume of the four-volume work Bibliotheca Tamulica sive Opera Praecipia Tamuliensium. Graul's translation is considered a scholarly one by various scholars including Kamil Zvelebil, who in 1962 praised the translation thus: "As far as I know, the two best translations of Tirukkural had been till this day, Graul’s old German version … and V. V. S. Iyer’s (translation in English)."^[5] Speaking about the Kural in his introduction, Graul said, "No translation can convey any idea of its charming effect. It is truly an apple of gold in a network of silver."^[4]^: 19^[6] The nineteenth century witnessed one more translation by Albrecht Frenz and K. Lalithambal in 1877 (titled Thirukural von Thiruvalluvar aus dem Tamil).^[7] It was published in Madurai.^[8]^: 76

Comparison of translations

Translation	Kapitel 26, Vermeide das Essen von Fleisch
Translation	Kural 254 (Couplet 26:4)	Kural 258 (Couplet 26:8)
Karl Graul, 1856	Was ist Huld und ihr Gegentheil? Tödten und Nichttödten. Unrecht ist’s auch jenes Fleisch zu essen.	Die Weisen, die der Leidenschaft den Rücken kehrten, essen nicht den Leib, der dem Leben den Rücken kehrte.
Albrecht Frenz and K. Lalithambal, 1877	Fragt man, was Gnade ist: Nicht töten – Fleisch essen ist ebensowenig Gnade wie Töten.	Leute ohne Verblendung essen kernen Körper ohne Leben.

Impact

Russian pacifist Leo Tolstoy's concept of non-violence or ahimsa is said to have bolstered when he read one of the German translations of the Kural.^[9]^[10] Tolstoy later instilled the concept in Mahatma Gandhi through his "A Letter to a Hindu" when young Gandhi corresponded with him seeking his advice on the struggle for Indian Independence.^[10]^[11]^[12] Referring to the Kural literature as 'the Hindu Kural' in his correspondence, Tolstoy cited six couplets from the chapter on non-violence.^[13] Taking Tolstoy's advice, Gandhi then took to studying the Kural while in prison,^[14] which later culminated in Gandhi's various non-violent movements to liberate the nation.^[9]^{: xviii–xxi}

Notes

^ According to S. Maharajan, it was couplet 1091 from the Third Book of the Kural that was explained to Graul:
"Two are the looks
the in-drinking eyes of this maid have—
the one that makes you ill
and the other that cures you."^[4]^: 19

References

^ Sanjeevi, N. (1973). Bibliography on Tirukkural. In First All India Tirukkural Seminar Papers. Chennai: University of Madras. pp. 146–147.
^ ^a ^b Polilan; K. Gunathogai; Lena Kumar; Tagadur Sampath; Mutthamizh; G. Picchai Vallinayagam; D. Anbunidhi; K. V. Neduncheraladhan, eds. (2019). Tiruvalluvar 2050 (in Tamil) (1 ed.). Chennai: Periyar Enthusiasts Group. p. 685.
^ Ebeling, Sascha (2010). Colonizing the Realm of Words: The Transformation of Tamil Literature in Nineteenth-Century South India. Albany, New York: SUNY Press. p. 24. ISBN 978-1-4384-3199-4.
^ ^a ^b ^c S. Maharajan (2017). Tiruvalluvar. Makers of Indian Literature (2nd ed.). New Delhi: Sahitya Akademi. ISBN 978-8126053216.
^ Zvelebil, K. (1962). Forward. Tirukkural by Tiruvalluvar. Translated by K. M. Balasubramaniam. Madras: Manali Lakshmana Mudaliar Specific Endowments. p. 327.
^ Sanjeevi, N. (1973). Tributes to Tirukkural. A compilation. First All India Tirukkural Seminar Papers. University of Madras. p. 124.
^ Ashraf, N. V. K. (March 2007) [October 2005]. "Tirukkural". GeoCities. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
^ Parthasarathy, Sa.; Ashraf, N.V.K.; Rajendiran, C.; Thangavelu, Elangovan; Duraisamy, Senthilselvan; Selvan, Ajey Kumar (2023). Thirukkural Translations in World Languages. Chennai: ValaiTamil Publications.
^ ^a ^b Rajaram, M. (2009). Thirukkural: Pearls of Inspiration. New Delhi: Rupa Publications. pp. xviii–xxi. ISBN 978-81-291-1467-9.
^ ^a ^b Walsh, William (2018). Secular Virtue: for surviving, thriving, and fulfillment. Will Walsh. ISBN 978-06-920-5418-5.
^ Tolstoy, Leo (14 December 1908). "A Letter to A Hindu: The Subjection of India-Its Cause and Cure". The Literature Network. Retrieved 12 February 2012. The Hindu Kural
^ Parel, Anthony J. (2002), "Gandhi and Tolstoy", in M.P. Mathai; M.S. John; Siby K. Joseph (eds.), Meditations on Gandhi: a Ravindra Varma festschrift, New Delhi: Concept, pp. 96–112, retrieved 8 September 2012
^ Tolstoy, Leo (14 December 1908). "A Letter to A Hindu: The Subjection of India-Its Cause and Cure". The Literature Network. Retrieved 12 February 2012. THE HINDU KURAL
^ Lal 1992, pp. 4333–4334.

Sources

Lal, Mohan (1992). Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature: Sasay to Zorgot. New Delhi: Sahitya Akademi. ISBN 978-81-260-1221-3. Retrieved 7 March 2018.

Published translations

Karl Graul (Trans.). (1856). Der Kural des Tiruvalluver. Ein gnomisches Gedicht über die drei Strebeziele des Menschen. (Bibliotheca Tamulica sive Opera Praecipia Tamuliensium, Volume 3). Leipzig: Dörffling & Franke; London: Williams & Norgate. 220 pages. (Digitalisat)

[5] According to S. Maharajan, it was couplet 1091 from the Third Book of the Kural that was explained to Graul:
"Two are the looks
the in-drinking eyes of this maid have—
the one that makes you ill
and the other that cures you."^[4]^: 19

[1] Sanjeevi, N. (1973). Bibliography on Tirukkural. In First All India Tirukkural Seminar Papers. Chennai: University of Madras. pp. 146–147.

[Polilan2019-2] Polilan; K. Gunathogai; Lena Kumar; Tagadur Sampath; Mutthamizh; G. Picchai Vallinayagam; D. Anbunidhi; K. V. Neduncheraladhan, eds. (2019). Tiruvalluvar 2050 (in Tamil) (1 ed.). Chennai: Periyar Enthusiasts Group. p. 685.

[3] Ebeling, Sascha (2010). Colonizing the Realm of Words: The Transformation of Tamil Literature in Nineteenth-Century South India. Albany, New York: SUNY Press. p. 24. ISBN 978-1-4384-3199-4.

[Maharajan2017-4] S. Maharajan (2017). Tiruvalluvar. Makers of Indian Literature (2nd ed.). New Delhi: Sahitya Akademi. ISBN 978-8126053216.

[6] Zvelebil, K. (1962). Forward. Tirukkural by Tiruvalluvar. Translated by K. M. Balasubramaniam. Madras: Manali Lakshmana Mudaliar Specific Endowments. p. 327.

[7] Sanjeevi, N. (1973). Tributes to Tirukkural. A compilation. First All India Tirukkural Seminar Papers. University of Madras. p. 124.

[GeoCities_German-8] Ashraf, N. V. K. (March 2007) [October 2005]. "Tirukkural". GeoCities. Retrieved 16 April 2017.

[ValaiTamilPub-9] Parthasarathy, Sa.; Ashraf, N.V.K.; Rajendiran, C.; Thangavelu, Elangovan; Duraisamy, Senthilselvan; Selvan, Ajey Kumar (2023). Thirukkural Translations in World Languages. Chennai: ValaiTamil Publications.

[PearlsOfInsp_Rajaram-10] Rajaram, M. (2009). Thirukkural: Pearls of Inspiration. New Delhi: Rupa Publications. pp. xviii–xxi. ISBN 978-81-291-1467-9.

[Walsh2018-11] Walsh, William (2018). Secular Virtue: for surviving, thriving, and fulfillment. Will Walsh. ISBN 978-06-920-5418-5.

[12] Tolstoy, Leo (14 December 1908). "A Letter to A Hindu: The Subjection of India-Its Cause and Cure". The Literature Network. Retrieved 12 February 2012. The Hindu Kural

[gandhi-13] Parel, Anthony J. (2002), "Gandhi and Tolstoy", in M.P. Mathai; M.S. John; Siby K. Joseph (eds.), Meditations on Gandhi: a Ravindra Varma festschrift, New Delhi: Concept, pp. 96–112, retrieved 8 September 2012

[14] Tolstoy, Leo (14 December 1908). "A Letter to A Hindu: The Subjection of India-Its Cause and Cure". The Literature Network. Retrieved 12 February 2012. THE HINDU KURAL

[FOOTNOTELal19924333–4334-15] Lal 1992, pp. 4333–4334.

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