post-colonial_translation

Composing the other 83
Before we leave the epic as text type behind, it is worth mentioning
de Marre’s obligatory descriptions of a storm (p. 90), a ‘burning
mountain’ or volcano (p. 100), a naval battle (p. 116) and a shipwreck
(p. 174). The storm is most interesting for our purposes, especially
if we contrast de Marre’s description with that of Haafner. In de
Marre’s storm the ‘vloteling’, most likely a neologism denoting a
‘denizen of the fleet’, remains conscious of epic decorum throughout:
‘In such a misery floats the ‘vloteling’, whose eyes / Trembling, look
up to the arches of the skies / Moved themselves, and stare at the
fury of the clouds until the light / Laughs on him, and appears with a
happier face’ (p. 90). Haafner’s sailors behave more in keeping with
the adventure story, and therefore also with what we may assume
to have been closer to reality. His description ends as follows: ‘This
terrible storm had lasted for eight days and cost us eleven members
of our crew, both because of the falling of the masts, the breaking
down of the pumps, and the heavy seas that had thrown a few men,
as well as our cattle, overboard; the most part of the crew that was
left over, which had not had a moment of rest all this time, now
suddenly became ill because of tiredness and the suffering they had
undergone’ (p. 65).
But let us now turn to the conceptual grid, the composition of the
reality of Dutch India as influenced by the textual grid. On p. 46, de
Marre gives the plot of van Haren’s Agon, but from the Dutch, not
the Bantam side:
Now your heroic host sets forth for Bantam’s proud walls,
Where the old ruler, strengthened by secret evil-doers,
Discord-sowing flatterers, and traitors to his son,
Tries to come again in the possession of his abandoned throne.
What’s this You strengthen the son with well-manned keels,
Chase away the mutineer who wants to destroy all of Bantam,
Make safe, through the courage of heroes, at the same time,
Your commerce, people, and throne, the prince and the
kingdom.
In his play, van Haren tells the same story from the point of view of
Agon, the old sultan of Bantam, who is about to abdicate in favour of
his two sons, Abdul and Hassan. It becomes obvious that Abdul, who
does not want to see the kingdom divided, but wants to become its sole
inheritor, is in league with the Maatschappij against his brother and his