Manan Ahmad Mirani
Translating a Kashmiri novel into English is never a simple act of linguistic transfer; it is an act of cultural mediation. In Amid Dreams and Destinies, Faheem Ahmad undertakes this demanding task with sensitivity, restraint, and a clear respect for the original text. While Asif Tariq Bhat’s Khwaban Khayalan Manz already holds a cherished place among Kashmiri readers, the success of this English edition rests largely on the translator’s ability to preserve its emotional depth, philosophical undertones, and linguistic soul—and Ahmad does so with commendable care.
Nearly seventy percent of the merit of this edition lies in the translation itself. Ahmad resists the temptation to over-polish or over-explain. Instead, his English remains measured and uncluttered, allowing the cadence of Kashmiri thought to breathe within another language. Idioms, metaphors, and culturally rooted expressions are handled with tact: where literal translation would flatten meaning, he opts for contextual equivalence; where Kashmiri nuance is essential, he allows it to remain, trusting the reader rather than diluting the text.
What stands out most is the translator’s control over tone. The original novel moves between introspection, longing, hope, and quiet despair—emotions deeply embedded in Kashmiri lived experience. Ahmad’s translation maintains this emotional rhythm without slipping into melodrama or academic stiffness. His background as a poet is evident in the fluidity of sentences, while his scholarly grounding keeps the language disciplined. The result is an English text that feels literary without feeling foreign to its source.
This being his first published translation, Ahmad demonstrates remarkable confidence. His choices suggest a translator who understands that fidelity is not mere word-for-word accuracy but emotional and philosophical faithfulness. The novel’s reflective pauses, spiritual questioning, and existential concerns—central to Asif Tariq Bhat’s writing—are carried across intact. Even readers unfamiliar with Kashmir can sense the cultural gravity beneath the prose, which is perhaps the highest achievement of any translation.
The original novel itself deserves acknowledgment. First published in 2022, Khwaban Khayalan Manz marked Asif Tariq Bhat’s debut as a Kashmiri novelist and went on to sell over 300 copies in its first edition—a notable achievement for a Kashmiri-language work. Reviews of the original consistently praise its ability to hook readers from the very beginning, its philosophical depth, and its emotional resonance. Many readers have spoken of finishing it in a single night, of finding solace, hope, and reflection in the journey of its characters, and of feeling proud to read such a work in their mother tongue.
Faheem Ahmad’s literary profile further explains the maturity of this translation. A scholar of literature, poet, and aspiring filmmaker, his work has appeared in Inverse Journal and Kashmir Poetics. His debut short film Osh Te Aab is currently in production, and his interests in religion, philosophy, and languages subtly inform his translation practice here—never intrusively, but always thoughtfully.
In conclusion, Amid Dreams and Destinies is not merely an English version of a Kashmiri novel; it is a careful bridge between languages and readerships. The translation allows the novel to travel without losing its roots, making Faheem Ahmad’s work central to the book’s success.
The English translation, titled Amid Dreams and Destinies, will be published by Crescent Publishing House and is scheduled for release in the month of January.
