Monday, February 24, 2014
"Augmenting" Al-Jubouri's Imagery -- Liz's Question
In her Translator's Preface, Howell explains her decision to "augment" Al-Jubouri's "religious imagery by occasionally using Judeo-Christian expressions more common in English-language literature" (xix). What is the impact of this decision on your reading of Howell's translation of Al-Jubouri's poetry?
One example is her use of "hymns" in "Eid Before the Occupation," which appears on pages 76-77 and is given further context in the "Notes" section. Why use "hymns" in a poem about Eid ul-Fitr, a Muslim celebration that closes Ramadan? How does this play into the thoughts Howell voices in her Q&A about creating an "English elegy that would sing with a power equal to Amal’s Arabic elegy"? How does it play into ideas of domesticating / foreignizing?
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Howell’s decision to “augment religious imagery” and to use Judeo-Christian expressions reminds me of a comment I’ve read long time ago about the translation of Greek classics into Arabic by Christian Syriacs. It was said (and I am translating literally) that “Plato came out of the Syriac translators’ hands in the habit of a Christian monk”. I think Howell’s translation has done something similar to Aljabouri’s poetry and I will explain that effect on one poem, “My Mother after Occupation”.
ReplyDeleteIn Howell’s translation, the poem loses a lot of its cultural aspects by both, the use of “hymn” as well as by the avoidance of literal translation. Take for example the line “Even her prayer s became a hymn to/chaos”. Prayer here is contingent (مرهونة) on a (ترنيمة) which is a chant, hymn or psalm. Prayer in Islam is the act of worship that Muslims do five times a day and they wait for “Azzan” which is the call to prayer, most comparable to an alarm clock anouncing that a pray is due. The use of the word “hymn” and making it connected to prayer deprive “prayer” of its Islamic context and makes it sound like a Christian prayer, rather than the known Muslim prayer with its fixed readings, prostration, etc. The (ترنيمة) that is connected to the prayer could be Azzan. Aljabouri keeps this meaning ambiguous, but Howell’s translation and her use of the word hymn destroy this ambiguity.
In terms of foreignization, Howell’s translation of this line strips it of its cultural identity and, I think, a valuable meaning that would enrich the whole poem. What I do not understand is Aljabour’s approval of this translation.
The question of using "hymn" versus the Arabic word for prayer or call to prayer is a complex one. Even if we agree or disagree on whether something is lost or gained with the change, Al-Jubouri authorizes the translated text as another acceptable "echo" (from the Benjamin article...I think) of her poem.
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