An analytical comparative study of selected Arabic poems translated into English

Abstract

This dissertation ls devoted to the analysis of the various problems that the translator of Arabic poetry into English invariably encounters. A brief outline of some of the theoretical aspects of translation is given to serve as a basic frame of reference for the subsequent study of the selected poems. The poems chosen belong to the Pre-lslamic and Andalusian eras. The modern era is excluded since it is vastly affected by English influence, particularly by the romantic poetry, and this cannot serve as an idea model for highlighting the purely Arabic cultural and linguistic aspects of the problems of translation. By critical comments on, and comparison of the translation of the selected Arabic poem verse by verse, it is hoped that this study will shed ample light on the relative successes and failures of some of the most prominent and prolific translators of Arabic poetry.