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Mudliyars: Intricacies of interpretation
During the time of English Judges the Interpreter Mudliyars were a privileged lot, who exacted tribute from some of those who came to court, in cash and in kind. He was fed by the butcher, the fisherman, the vegetable vendor, the tavern-keeper, the village mudalalis and by many others.
The complainant in an abduction and rape case was a well-known prostitute in town. At the end of her testimony, the English Judge who heard the case, gave a polite bow and said, “Thank you madam.” The Interpreter Mudliyar then told her “Behepiya” (get the hell out of here). When the Crown Counsel pointed out to the Mudliyar that that was not what the judge said, the Mudliyar replied that he had a dignity and self-respect to maintain.
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“Mokada yako satha”
(These Mudliyars thought it infra dig to show any politeness to the ordinary folk). Trembling the villager said. “Gona hamuduruwane”. The Mudliyar was in a fix as he did not know the English word for gona (stag).
Turning towards the judge, the Mudliyar said “Your Honour, it is a wild animal.”
“Yes! Yes! Mudliyar but what is the name of the animal?”
“Yako! Kiyapiya sathage nama”
“Ai hamuduruwane? E gonek.”
“Your honour, it is an animal commonly found in our jungles.”
“Mudliyar, ask this foolish man the name of the animal without wasting the valuable time of this court?”
The Mudliyar then dropped his voice and hissed.
“Eluva kiyapiya yako! Eluva kiyapiya.”
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A small-time firewood merchant was charged in court for an offence. Before giving evidence he was administered the oath in Sinhala. (It was not the usual, “the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth…” Here is the gist of it in English.
“Now repeat after me,” the Mudliyar told the accused.
“I swear”
“I swear”
“That I shall”
“That I shall”
“Send to the Walauwwa of the Interpreter Mudliyar”
“Send to the Walawwa of the Interpreter Mudliyar”
“A cartload of firewood every month.”
The hapless man swore it. The Mudliyar then turned to the English Judge and announced. “Affirmed Your Honour”.
***
The body of an old woman was found by a villager on his way to his chena in the morning. Her throat had been slashed. A murder case was filed and her son-in-law stood in the dock, accused of the crime. After the case was called, the villager who had found the body began to give evidence.
“Describe what you saw,” the English Judge told him.
The Mudliyar then translated it for the villager.
“Kiyapiya tho dekka dey.”
“May genige bella kapala para aine vatila hitiya,”
said the villager.
The Mudliyar then translated it for the judge.
“Your Honour! This woman was lying by the road with a cut-throat.”
***
An IRC was produced before court, charged with committing a crime. The magistrate asked, “You must be a notorious character in the village?”
The Mudliyar then interpreted it in Sinhala thus: “Umba gamey notharisge karaththa karayada?”
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A particular incident took place many years ago in the Hambantota Courts. After this incident the poor Interpreter Mudliyar was known, to his dying day, as ‘Major’.
A young man was giving evidence and the Judge commented that he looked almost a teenager.
“Tell me, young man,” said the Judge, addressing the lad in English. “Are you a minor or a major?”
“Kiyanna balanna,”
translated the Interpreter Mudliyar, “Thama pathal karuwekda nathnam yudha hamuda major kenekda?” (Are you a minor or a Major in the army?)
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An entire family was in the dock charged with assaulting a neighbour with clubs over a land dispute. The complainant was giving evidence in Sinhala and the Interpreter Mudliyar was translating it into English for the Judge.
“Mulinma megollo mata banna,”
said the man, pointing to the five accused. “E para egollange gey athulata duwala, poluth arang awa.” (“First they gave me an earful. Then they rushed into their house and came out carrying clubs”.)
But the Mudliyar translated it as, “You honour, they ran into their house and came out carrying coconuts!”
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Once a woman in an advanced state of pregnancy made an application to court claiming maintenance from her paramour for her unborn child. Speaking very kindly, the Judge told her (in English) that her claim was premature and could be entertained only after her child was born. The Mudliyar, translating what the Judge said into Sinhala, put it (literally) as, “the nadukarathuma says that he can’t do anything to you now. He wants you to come after you have the baby.”