Translation of Metaphor in the Holy Quran

Abstract

This thesis is about the translation of metaphor in the Holy Quran. It assesses the translation of metaphor in three English translations of the Quran, al-Hilali & Khan (2000), A. Ali (2001), and Y. Ali (2004). The different types of metaphor in both Arabic and English as well as the strategies of translating them are discussed. Metaphor in the Holy Quran has been investigated according to the theoretical stipulations posited by Arab rhetoricians, and in this thesis two authoritative interpretations (tafsirs) of the Quran are used in the analysis: al-Maḥalli & as-Suyuti (1974) and Firuzabadi (1992). Adopting Newmark's (1988) metaphor translation strategies, three different English translations of ten verses with different metaphorical images are assessed to ascertain their success in handling metaphor in the Quran. Each Quranic metaphor is first analyzed in its Arabic context according to the two tafsirs, then its three English translations are assessed. The analysis indicates that Newmark's third strategy, faithful translation, emerges as the most appropriate for rendering Quranic metaphor into English.