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Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice / Translated into Hindi Prose by Arya [i.e. Mary Nundy]

[Venice Nagar ka Beopari]

Venice Nagar ka Beopari is a translation of The Merchant of Venice into Hindi prose by Miss Mary "Arya" Nundy from 1887. There are two prefaces to this publication, one by the author, the other by Sir Edwin Arnold, the English journalist and poet. In her preface, Mary Nundy writes that she is "utterly incapable of doing justice to so famous a play of Shakespeare as that of the Merchant of Venice; but should this Translation prove useful to Hindu students it will amply repay me for my feeble attempt." She also thanks Sir Edwin Arnold whose "interest in India inimitable Light of Asia has endeared himself to the Indian people", and goes on to thank him and his family for the kindness they have shown her. Interestingly, her preface is dated "Jubbulpur, March 1888" whereas the publication date is given as 1887 in its accompanying documentation. In Arnold's own preface, he admits to not being "sufficiently proficient" in Hindi to comment on the text in great authority, but that "Truly, as an effort towards popularising Shakespeare in India, this publication seems to me praiseworthy and deeply interesting." Arnold's preface is dated London, December 1887.
Insert letter from Vera J. Flower. This copy of Venice Nagar ka Beopari is accompanied by a handwritten letter from Vera J. Flower dated Nov 23rd 189- and reads: "My Dear Uncle Charles, Here is the translation of the "Merchant of Venice" written by Miss Mary Nundy, our Indian friend, but it is in Hindi not Sanskrit as were first told - though equally unintelligible I suppose! Your loving niece, Vera J Flower." Also in this copy, at the top of the page containing Sir Edwin Arnold's prefaces are the words "With Aryas Compts", presumably in the author hand, as is it not the same writing as the accompanying letter from Vera Flower.
Duplicates of this publication can be found at: 2372.