An Approach to English Translations of Some Couplets from the Bustan of Sa’di

Abstract

The aim of this article is to have an approach to three English translations of some couplets from the Bustan of Sa'di through a contrastive analysis and comparative study. The Bustan of Sa'di has been translated into English many times by both orientalists and Iranian translators, but the quality of such translations has rarely been assessed. Therefore, the quality assessment of these renderings seems to be necessary so that the degree of validity and literary value of such great cultural works might be recognized. In the present study two English translations by orientalists and another one by an Iranian translator have been surveyed in order to see which one is closer to the original, especially in the English equivalents given by the English translators for the Persian culture-specific items of the Persian couplets.