A Study of the Persian Translations of Metaphors in the Quranic Chapters of "al-Baqarah", "’Āl-i ‎‎‘Imran", "Nisā", "al-‘An'ām", and "’A'rāf"‎

Abstract

The Qur’an, a book of the most eloquent words, is full of rhetorical arrays of metaphors, the ‎understanding of the meanings of which has resulted in the study of the beauty of artistic expressions ‎in the Holy Qur'an. Translation of this material including metaphors has also been frequently reviewed. ‎In the present research, the researchers draw on rhetorical references to explore the interpretation ‎and translation of words such as "maraz", "’ashtarū", "’ajal", "bishārat", etc. in the Quranic Chapters of ‎‎"al-Baqarah", "’Āl-i ‘Imrān", "Nisā", "al-‘An'ām", and "’A'rāf". The study explores the metaphorical uses ‎of these terms and looks at translations offered for them by four renowned translators (Ayatī, Ilahī ‎Qomsheī, Khoramshāhī and Foolādvand). The analysis reveals that the translators vary in their ‎approach to these metaphors and they do not translate all these as metaphors. The literal, semantic, ‎and interpretive translations offered by the four translators are examined.‎