Loss and Gain in Narimān al-Shamly’s Intralingual Translation of al-Maʻarrī’s Risālat al-Ghufrān [Epistle of Forgiveness]

Abstract

This study explores the loss and gain of meaning, content, and effect in Narimān al-Shamly's intralingual translation of al-Maʻarrī's Risalat al-Ghufrān [Epistle of Forgiveness] from classical Arabic into semi-literate spoken Arabic which is the level of Arabic used by Egyptians in their daily lives. The study employs the concept of translation universals as a basis for a method of analysis that assesses the success or failure of al-Shamly's translation strategies in conveying the meaning and merit of al-Maʻarrī's text into the translation. The study contributes to the field of translation studies by broadening our understanding of the little explored territory of updating classical Arabic texts through intralingual translation. It sheds light on the possible effects and consequences of the use of certain translation strategies which are usually associated with the translation universals that tend to appear in texts which are made easier to read for the target audience. The study can also help translators when they make conscious decisions during the process of translating a classical Arabic text into spoken Arabic dialects.