Translation of Metaphors about Shirin in Shirin wa Khosrow Poem

Abstract

Translating literary texts compared to other text types entails more difficulties. The main characteristic of this kind of texts is the application of words in their figurative senses; that is, the use of metonymy, simile and metaphor. This is usually realized through the avoidance of explicitation and the primary meaning of the words and sentences. The present study intends to examine a number of metaphors about Shirin in Shirin wa Khosrow poem and their translations into Arabic to find out what strategies are used to translate the metaphors. The results of the study revealed that several strategies were used to render metaphors about Shirirn. Some metaphors are translated literally, some are substituted by an equivalent metaphor in the target language and some are translated into Arabic using a descriptive-explanatory note.