Born and raised in Indonesia, a country containing a plethora of local languages and cultures, I have a lifetime opportunity to experience the diverse cultures and languages. I have traveled across Indonesia for the purpose of understanding how people make meaning of their life and how the people are predominantly constructed socially and culturally. As I moved to places such as Bali, Papua in the Eastern part of Indonesia, and Jakarta in the Western part of Indonesia which have completely distinct cultures, I began to learn that with 7000 local languages, not many young generations knew of their existence or even how to speak them. That was the moment my love for languages grew, and I aspired to create awareness on the existence of local languages and its perseverance. Despite having the privilege of speaking and owning some of those local languages such as Dayak, Javanese, and Banjarese, I also am passionate about learning other international languages such as English. As I widened my horizon by studying abroad and experiencing even more complex western and eastern cultures and languages, I found it very interesting to be able to communicate with people from diverse cultures across the world. I believe that my successful experience learning English and other languages were based outside the classroom engaging with unique people with their own ways of speaking. For instance, during the interviews, some participants relied heavily on vivid and descriptive words to convey their feelings, while others opted for a more reserved and subtle approach. This variation in linguistic expression highlights the rich diversity in how people communicate their meanings and emotions using words. This relates to how I engage myself in translation. It is always magical to understand how the writer makes meaning in their writing and how I must approach interpretation without losing any essence of emotionality and vulnerability.
In this translation, I have strived to maintain the essence and emotional depth of the original text while adapting it into Bahasa Indonesia, a language of unification influenced by Melayu and Dutch. "Glossary for Miscarriage" (Glosarium saat Keguguran) by Emily Dyer Barker is a poignant and evocative work that explores various themes related to human experiences, specifically those connected to pregnancy and loss. The source text is a collection of concise and powerful entries that capture the multifaceted nature of these experiences. Throughout the translation, I have focused on preserving the vivid imagery and emotional resonance found in the original text. The source text uses poetic and symbolic language to convey complex emotions and moments, and I have attempted to maintain this poetic quality in the target language. As I traversed the piece, I encountered several phrases or words related to solar eclipse that the interpretation of such celestial events is considered culturally dependent and different societies may attribute varying meanings to these phenomena based on their unique perspectives and beliefs. For example, in Indonesia, people have engaged in rituals or ceremonies during solar eclipses. These rituals are often aimed at warding off perceived negative influences or harnessing the transformative energies associated with the celestial event. Furthermore, phrases such as “Baily’s Beads” and “Diamond Ring Effect” do not have exact translations in Bahasa Indonesia since we adopt the words from English and internalize it in our daily lives. Given the complexity and cultural specificity mentioned in the statement, I decided a translation strategy that combines different approaches would be most effective. First, I consider the cultural equivalency. For example, instead of directly translating "Baily’s Beads" or "Diamond Ring Effect," I provided a brief explanation or use terms that resonate with the cultural background of the target audience. Then, I added footnotes or annotations which help maintain the flow of the main text while offering deeper insights.
I have also retained the structural elements of the original, including the use of concise entries and poetic language. This format allows the reader to engage with each topic individually, appreciating the depth of emotion and the symbolism embedded within them. Alberto Rios’s essay “Translating translation: Finding the beginning” poses the idea to dig deeper into the nuances of both the source and the target language because the goal is to convey the same emotional depth and resonance while adapting the text to the cultural and linguistic context of the target audience. For example, the source text includes cultural references such as "Cotton-Eyed Joe", "Avon Skin-So-Soft", and "pinata". These references provide specific cultural context which do not have literal translation into Bahasa Indonesia. In adopting Ríos's approach, I encountered the challenge of maintaining the richness of cultural references present in the source text by using strategies such as explanatory notes and retaining the key terms.
Furthermore, I have ensured that the translation captures the sense of wonder, loss, and reflection that permeates the source text. The language in the translation is carefully chosen to evoke similar emotions in the reader as they engage with the various entries. It is important to note that some cultural references and nuances from the source text may not have direct equivalents in the target language. In such cases, I have strived to convey the underlying sentiment and meaning to the best of my ability. I have preserved the original titles of the entries, as these titles are essential to the structure and understanding of the text. Additionally, in every possible interpretation, I have worked to produce the exact translation, meaning I tried diligently and accurately rendering the content of the original language to target language, while also paying attention to preserving the original meaning and contexts as closely as possible. Through translating this piece, I felt serendipitous to explore Emily Barker’s emotionality, vulnerability, and wonderful imagination, and the opportunity to represent it to Indonesian readers or community is profoundly appreciative. Lastly, working in this piece for the past four months, the poem has altered and shifted my perspectives on women and miscarriages, and prompted a meaningful change in the complexity of language and feelings, that hopefully will affect the readers too.
About the Translator
Biaz Nabilla is an MA student in Linguistics and Applied Linguistics. She comes from a multicultural and linguistically diverse country, Indonesia. She is currently an intern at Thousand Languages Project, translating poetry and nonfiction into Bahasa Indonesia. She is also currently working on several projects related to promoting biliteracy and revitalization of local languages in Indonesia, including Dayak to broader audiences, specifically children.(updated 2024)
Translations
"Glossary of a Miscarriage" by Emily Dyer Barker (Indonesian)
"i saw my life without you and it was beautiful" by Emily Clarke (Indonesian)
With grateful acknowledgment to Indonesian translation reviewers: Asri Nurul Qodri and Dinda Aprinda Subah