TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES I.
Captain Hollings’ transliteration of Hindi uses ù/u/ú for a, ee for i, and oo for u. So, for Shree Krishnù Chund read Sri Krishna Chand, Luchmee Lachmi (Lakshmi), Hustinapoor Hastinapur, etc.
In lieu of footnotes the translator has placed brief notes in parentheses inside the text.
Some foreign terms the translator didn’t define:
bhang, an intoxicant made from hemp.
bhangee (banghy), a yoke placed on the shoulders for carrying baskets or boxes.
Bys, Vaishya (caste).
choupur (chaupur), a board game similar to pachisi.
Chundal (chandal or chandala), a person of low caste.
Chutree, Kshatriya (caste).
coss/koss, a unit of distance, varying between about 1¼ and 2½ English miles.
dhobee, a person of low caste employed as a washerman.
eight principal parts the body, the forehead, body, arms, knees, and feet. To “touch the ground with the eight principal parts of the body” implies the person is lying flat on the ground.
five elements of nature, air, earth, ether, fire, and water.
ghaut (ghat), a path or stairway that descends to a river.
ghuree (ghari or ghurry), a unit of time. This book figures sixty-four gharis in a twenty-four-hour day (or 1 ghari = 22½ minutes). Note: it is more common to define sixty gharis in a day (1 ghari = 24 minutes).
goonja (gunja) seed, Abrus precatorius, a flowering plant whose colorful seeds are used as beads or in percussive instruments.
holee powder, colorful powder (gulal) used in the Holi festival.
jogee (yogi), a devotee who practices the Yoga philosophy.
jowar, millet.
kudum (kadam) tree, a tropical evergreen.
“must” elephant(s), the Eastwick translation uses furious elephant(s).
palkee (palki), a palanquin.
puhur (pahar), unit of time equal to three hours.
roolee (roli), mixture of alum, rice, turmeric, and acid, used to paint sectarial marks on the forehead.
ruth (rath), a carriage or chariot.
six flavours, acrid, astringent, bitter, salt, sour, and sweet.
Soodrú, Shudra (caste).
The three worlds, Heaven, Earth, and Hell.
tiluk (tilak), a sectarial mark on the forehead.
toolsee (tulsi), Ocimum Sanctum, or holy basil.
PREFACE TO THE TRANSLATION
OF THE
PREM SAGUR.
The object of this translation is to render the work easily intelligible to the young Student: in fact, to assist the beginner from the commencement of his study of the Prem Sagur, in understanding what he is reading about, and the explanations of his Pundit.
With this view, I have endeavoured to make the translation a tolerably literal one, keeping close to what I considered to be the meaning of the text, without, however, wishing to translate every sentence exactly literally.
The Hindee language is well worthy the careful study of every public Officer in India, as being the one, which is most commonly spoken by inhabitants of almost every part of the country.
To the Military man this language is of special use, as it not only enables him thoroughly to understand his men on points of common occurrence and of duty; but by being able to converse freely with them, to study their habits, manners, customs, their general turn of thought and opinions.
The Hindee of the Prem Sagur is remarkably pure, and the book is, I believe, an Examination Book at all the Presidencies.
W. Hollings, Captain,
47th Regiment.
Lucknow,
10th February, 1848.