Memory of Sudanese Theatre: In Translation of Theatrical Texts
Sudan Events – Al Sir Al Sayed
Perhaps translation is what we miss most in our intellectual and literary life, and this may be due to many reasons that it does not allow here to mention.
Our proposal of this hypothesis comes only as a reminder of this great loss, due to what we know about the importance of translation and its roles.
It is striking that the Sudanese theater knew translation, specifically in the field of theatrical text, at a very early time, given the history of translation, particularly literary translation, in Sudan, and this was in the early forties of the last century.
We can refer here to the “translational” activity in (Bakht Al-Rida Institute). Such as those translations completed by Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb Ahmed in the texts of Shakespeare, Hamlet, King Lear, Othello, Romeo and Juliet, and the humorous parts of Henry IV, and Professor Jamal Mohamed Ahmed participated in translating the play “Joan of Arc” by Bernard Shaw and a translator of the play “The Spoiled Boy of the West” by the Irishman John Singh and Dr. Abdullah Al-Tayeb for the play “Androcles and the Lion” by Bernard Shaw.
In the late sixties and early seventies, plastic artist Osman Waqi Allah translated the play “The Swamp Dwellers” by Soyinka and Professor Habib Mudathir the same play, and the writer Al-Tayeb Zarrouq translated the play “Electra” by Sophocles and the poet Al-Nur Osman Abkar translated the play “The Lion and the Jewel.” Dr. Salma Babiker for the play “The Strong Dynasty” and the two plays by Soyinka, after which the director Fath al-Rahman Abdel Aziz translated the play “Voisic ” by the German George Büchner, and the critic Ahmadta Emfreeb the play “The Island” by Athol Fugard. There is also a translation of the play “They Are All My Sons,” which was completed by one of the English language professors in the stage.
I do not remember his name now in high school, and there is a translation of a number of comedic plays performed by a university professor, whose name I also do not remember now.
Not remembering names is some of what the construction of the war did by confiscating some of our memories, which is a grave matter, as you know.
As for translating the Sudanese text into other languages, I only know of the translation that Professor Salah Al-Qawi completed for the play “Traffic Sign,” which he translated into French.
I noted here that some of these translations were published in magazines such as Al-Khartoum Magazine, some were published in books, some were not published, and some were forgotten, such as the translations of Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb Ahmed, Jamal Mohamed Ahmad, and Dr. Abdullah Al-Tayeb, which is considered a great loss by all standards.
I conclude that, despite the long history of our theatrical movement and despite the importance of translation, our gains in it as writers and intellectuals, and especially as playwrights, were not to the extent required or even reasonable.
