(born 1921)松永, 脩蔵, 1921- /ref> is a Japanese engineer best known for translating the
Kural
The ''Tirukkuṟaḷ'' ( ta, திருக்குறள், lit=sacred verses), or shortly the ''Kural'' ( ta, குறள்), is a classic Tamil language text consisting of 1,330 short couplets, or kurals, of seven words each. The tex ...
into
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
from its English version.
Biography
Shuzo first read a translation of a few couplets of the Kural in the 1970s and developed an interest in reading more of it. He wrote to his pen-friend Shekar in Omalur, Salem, Tamil Nadu, India about his interest, and Shekar's father S. M. Muthu, an avid lover of Tamil literature, sent Shuzo a copy of G. U. Pope's English translation of the Kural. Shuzo soon began translating the entire work into Japanese and completed it in 1980, for which he corresponded with Muthu seeking clarifications about the ancient work in 50-odd letters.
In 1981, his another penpal, C. Thanaraj, arranged for Shuzo's maiden trip to
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
Madurai
Madurai ( , also , ) is a major city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District. As of the 2011 census, it was the third largest Urban agglomeration in ...
, where Shuzo presented his research essay on the Kural. Upon Muthu's request, Shuzo also translated poet Bharathiar's ''Kuyil Paatu'' into Japanese, which won an award and cash prize from the
Thanjavur
Thanjavur (), also Tanjore, Pletcher 2010, p. 195 is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is the 11th biggest city in Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is an important center of South Indian religion, art, and architecture. Most of the Gr ...
Manimekalai
''Maṇimēkalai'' ( ta, மணிமேகலை, ), also spelled ''Manimekhalai'' or ''Manimekalai'', is a Tamil- Buddhist epic composed by Kulavāṇikaṉ Seethalai Sataṉar probably around the 6th century. It is an "anti-love story", a ...
'', '' Naaladiyar'', '' Panchathanthira Kathaigal'' and ''Voice of Vallalar'' into Japanese.
Shuzo also authored a book titled ''My India As Seen Through Letters'', explaining his experience with the Indian culture all through the correspondence with Muthu.
Opinions and quotes
Shuzo opines about the Kural text thus:
See also
*
Tirukkural translations
Tirukkural, also known as the Kural, an ancient Indian treatise on the ethics and morality of the commoner, is one of the most widely translated non-religious works in the world. Authored by the ancient Tamil poet-philosopher Thiruvalluvar, it ...
*
Tirukkural translations into Japanese
As of 2015, the Japanese language has two translations available of the Tirukkural.
History
The first Japanese translation of the Kural text was made by Shuzo Matsunaga in 1981, who also translated it into Korean. The second translation was made ...