Collaborative translation, an intercultural dialogue: translating poetry of Ṭáhirih Qurratu’l-`Ayn

Abstract

ABSTRACT Collaborative translation does not occur very often, though in the case of poetry we more frequently come across such works. The highly complex character of poetry translation and the daunting task of transferring formal qualities of rhythm, rhyme, assonances, and other sonic properties along with conveying ambiguities and nuances, multilayered meanings, and metaphoric images, necessitate a combination of abilities and cross-cultural competencies that are rarely found in a single person – justifying collaborative translation, preferably to be carried out by experts from both the source and target cultures. Yet, this approach poses its own unique challenges and obstacles. Based on a case study of translation of three volumes of poetry from Persian and Arabic into English, the theoretical and pragmatic aspects of intercultural collaborative translation will be discussed. 1