Molana's Techniques Used in Translating the Prophet's Traditions in Mathnavi

Abstract

Versified translation has got certain requirements: The translator needs to have mastery over the two languages as well as the subject matter, artistic talent, and familiarity with the readership. Among the examples of versified translation is Molana's Mathnavi, which is considered as a brilliant piece in mystic literature. The present paper is an attempt to find answers to the following questions: What strategies has Molana, as a translator-poet, applied in translating the Prophet's words? What is the scientific-artistic background with which he has been able to create the greatest adapted version of the Prophet's Tradition in Persian? As a muhaddith ('reciter of traditions')" and faqih ('jurisprudent') as well as a poet and leader, Molana has been able to translate a great number of the Prophet's traditions by using artistic techniques of direct or indirect quotation, hall o tahlil ('extreme paraphrasing'), translated quotation, 'aqd ('versified quotation'), and talmih ('allusion'), i.e. a range of propositional and lexical borrowings in the versified text of Mathnavi, and hence enriched both Persian and Arabic languages structurally and semantically.