An overview of the situation of translations related to Urdu, but more about Urdu into other languages
Even the most skilled translator cannot be expected to faithfully grasp and transfer the elusiveness of poetry. Yet it has always been attempted...
Take all the complexities in any given language and multiply them by two. That, in essence, is what the exercise of translation entails
Of all fiction writers in Urdu, Saadat Hasan Manto is arguably the most translated and hence the most well-known the world over
There is a great need to translate regional literatures but it should be done with care and sensitivity. Translation from Punjabi is a case in point