An Profeta, the first ever Bikol translation of Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet will be launched on September 10, 2013, Arrupe Convention Center, Ateneo de Naga University at 4:30pm. Translated by Fr. Wilmer S. Tria, one of the foremost translators in the region today, the project is accompanied by artworks done by Bernie Faustine Brijuega and book design by Pen Prestado. Both artists are new members of the Burikbutikan Artists Collective, a group of visual artists, writers and cultural workers in the region.
The book is published by Ina nin Bikol Foundation, Inc. which recently published An Sadit na Prinsipe, the Bikol translation of Antoine Saint Exupéry’s The Little Prince.
Fr. Tria considers literary translation as one of the primary tasks any serious Bikol writer to strengthen the cultural renaissance in the region today. Asked why he keeps translating classical texts into Bikol, when one can easily just get a copy in English, Fr. Tria argued that not all Bikolanos read English editions. “These literary translations are meant primarily for Bikolanos who have a high regard for Bikol. We in the academe should respond to the needs of fellow Bikolanos whose first and only language is Bikol. We should give them access to the classics so they may be empowered by our own Bikol tongue. We should also encourage more young people to learn and appreciate Bikol and because by way of translation, we are able to link Bikol to the world and the world to Bikol”, Fr. Tria said.
Widely regarded as a literary masterpiece, the first edition of The Prophet contains the visual artworks rendered by Gibran himself. Since 1926, there are more than 40 translations of this work, which contains twenty-six prose poetry that talks about the deep intricacies of love, friendship, faith, marriage, wealth and death. A Filipino translation of the same book by the poet Ruth Elynia Mabanglo was published in 2011.
The public is invited to attend.