Translational Analysis of the Urdu and English Translated poetry of Amjad Islam Amjad

Abstract

Translating literature from one language to other languages is a widespread phenomenon for last few decades. Cross-cultural communication inevitably needs translational literature and transnational poetry for establishing bridge of acceptance and respectability among different cultures and nations. This exploratory study undertakes a meticulous evaluation of 15 poems translated from Urdu to English by Baidar Bakht, exploring the depth and breadth of translated work from a total of 250 poems by renowned Urdu poet Amjad Islam Amjad. Employing a holistic framework analyzing various modern and historical translation theories with an integration approach, the study delves deep into the complexities of distance found between the original Urdu source texts and their English targeted texts. A careful examination is conducted at the literary, pragmatic and cultural levels, analyzing selected elements across the poems. The investigation reveals varying degrees of distance preservation between the source and target texts across different levels. While linguistic and pragmatic features exhibit a relatively minimized distance, cultural elements demonstrate a more partial alignment between the Urdu and English versions. This in-depth examination assists in appreciating the aesthetics of poetry and translation to their fullest. The findings provide valuable insights for researchers, translators and modern poets interested in cross-cultural literary exchange through skilled translation, assessing both the quality of translating implicit poetic aspects between languages and the inherent challenges in the process.