The Translation of Repetition in Arabic Religious Discourse Into English: The Case of the Quran
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1507.16Keywords:
Quran translation, repetition in Arabic, repetition in English, Arabic stylistics, English stylisticsAbstract
Despite growing interest in the study of the rendition of stylistic devices in Arabic literary texts, relatively little has been published on the transfer of Arabic rhetorical features into English. This study explores the treatment (or lack thereof) of different forms of repetition in Arabic religious discourse when translated into English. The prominence and resonance of recurrent forms and phraseology in Arabic literary and religious texts, especially the Quran—the Arabic language's unsurpassed masterpiece—demand that translators handle this issue with utmost delicacy. Quran translators, coming from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, vary in their approaches to repetition, ranging from literal (faithful) translation to semantically (contextually) driven or more communicative (albeit loosely equivalent) renderings. Repetition in classical Arabic takes various forms: some are conspicuous (e.g., lexical and phrase repetition), while others are less pronounced (e.g., pattern and semantic repetition). Analyzing how repetition is rendered in English reveals a discernible pattern: the more salient the repetition, the more likely translators are to retain it, whereas subtler forms are often omitted. This is due to the mismatch between Arabic and English in their treatment of repetition. While Arabic employs repetition to consolidate key concepts, enhance cohesion and coherence, and create aesthetic harmony, English generally favors conciseness. Consequently, Quranic translators sometimes struggle to replicate the Arabic style, leading to a loss of rhetorical impact. This study highlights the challenges posed by these linguistic differences and underscores the need for strategies that balance fidelity to the source text with readability in the target language.
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