TRANSLATIONS AND ESSAYS IN HONOR OF THE LIFE AND WORK OF AJARN KANNIKAR ELBOW
TRANSLATOR’S DEDICATION
This piece celebrates the reverence I hold for my Ajarn. I studied with Kannikar for 2 years, and while I was not always the most stand-up student, she stuck with me and supported me, ceaselessly, through matters outside the academic realm, simultaneously encouraging me to succeed in my studies as well. Kannikar became more than just my mentor, but my friend. She opened a new world of passion for language, culture, and travel. I admired her deeply, and she has left a lifelong impact on my explorative endeavors.
This piece I wrote describes how I feel about my existence on this earth, and how the beauty of exploration fulfills me. We worked together my last semester of college to translate it into Thai, and I ended up imprinting it on my body for life; a tattoo.
Kannikar, just like my tattoo, you have left a permanent, positive, inspirational imprint on my life. I am eternally grateful, as a scholar, and as a friend.
She looked out onto the vast expanse of land before her,
Enlivened by the unknown, overwhelmed by the insurmountable beauty,
She was returned to her most vulnerable essence as human;
For the Earth does not belong to us, we belong to the Earth.
เธอทอดสายตาไกลออกไป
ยังแผ่นดินอันกว้างใหญ่ไพศาล
สิ่งที่ไม่เคยพบพานทำให้เธอรู้สึกมีชีวิตชีวา
ตื่นตันใจกับความสวยงามที่ยากเกินบรรยาย
เธอได้หวนกลับไปยังแก่นแท้ของมนุษย์
แผ่นดินนี้มิใช่ของเรา
หากแต่เราเป็นส่วนหนึ่งของแผ่นดิน
