“Negotiation of Difference”: A Study of the English Translations of Ghalib’s Urdu Ghazal

Abstract

The Ghazal is a well-known genre of Urdu poetry. The translation of Ghazal into the English language poses specific challenges. Translating Ghalib, one of the greatest ghazal writers, into English, is a special case under consideration. Several translators have produced their versions of Ghalib’s Urdu ghazals. The present study is an effort to evaluate the performance of six translators who rendered a particular ghazal of Ghalib in the English language. The study utilizes the distinction between ‘literal’ and ‘sense-for-sense’ translation as perceived by Nida (2000 [1964]), and Vermeer (2000). The translations have been analyzed on the basis of three research questions which encompass the aspects of the type of translation, the form of the Ghazal, and the poetic appeal. The study offers useful insights into the translation of Ghazal into the English language.