Who is Tejinder Singh?

Tejinder Singh is a 48-year-old computing professional based in Melbourne, Australia who has taken it upon himself to translate the works of iconic Punjabi poet Surjit Patar into Shahmukhi, the script used in West Punjab.

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Melbourne Programmer Translates Iconic Punjabi Poet for Pakistani Readers

Q: Why is Tejinder Singh translating Surjit Patar's poetry?

Tejinder Singh was motivated to translate Patar's works into Shahmukhi after receiving repeated requests from readers in Pakistani Punjab who wanted to access the poet's poetry, which remains largely inaccessible there due to script barriers.

Q: How is Tejinder Singh translating Patar's poetry?

While Tejinder Singh uses artificial intelligence tools during the translation process, he manually reviews and refines each translation to preserve the original poem's emotional and literary essence. He believes shared literature is key to rebuilding cultural ties between East and West Punjab.

28 Jul

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Summary

Melbourne-based Tejinder Singh translates Punjabi poet Surjit Patar's works into Shahmukhi script
Motivated by requests from Pakistani readers to access Patar's poetry
Uses AI tools but refines translations manually to preserve essence

In a move to bridge the language divide between East and West Punjab, Melbourne-based computing professional Tejinder Singh has embarked on a personal mission to translate the works of iconic Punjabi poet Surjit Patar into Shahmukhi, the script used in Pakistani Punjab.

The 48-year-old, who moved to Australia two decades ago, was inspired to take on this project after receiving repeated requests from readers in Pakistani Punjab who wanted to access Patar's poetry. "They want to read Patar, and it's disheartening that his poetry remains largely inaccessible there due to script barriers," Singh explained.

Despite his background in computing, Singh taught himself Shahmukhi using open resources. While he utilizes artificial intelligence tools during the translation process, he meticulously reviews and refines each translation to preserve the original poem's emotional and literary essence. Singh believes that shared literature is key to rebuilding cultural ties between the two Punjabs, which are home to over 16 crore Punjabis combined.

Calling his initiative a personal passion project, Singh plans to continue translating Patar's poetry to ensure the late poet's work transcends scripts, borders, and generations. One poem at a time, he'll send a bridge of ink the border can't end.

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