This study explores the challenges of translating Abu Bakr Salem's Saudi-Hadhrami songs and poems from Arabic to English. The paper focuses on three famous songs by Abu Bakr Salem, examining the difficulties in conveying both the content and form of these culturally-rich poetic texts.
The research employs Low's Pentathlon Approach as a framework for analyzing the translation process. This approach considers five criteria: singability, sense, naturalness, rhythm, and rhyme. The author, who is an experienced translator, conducted the translations himself.
The study finds that translating Saudi-Hadhrami folkloric songs is an extremely complex task due to multiple factors, including cultural, musical, colloquial, prosodic, structural, and stylistic elements. While the literal meaning can often be conveyed, the translations struggle to capture the cultural nuances, rhyme schemes, and musical qualities of the original songs.
The paper concludes that Saudi-Hadhrami poems and songs are essentially untranslatable, as preserving both meaning and form becomes nearly impossible. The added dimension of music in songs further complicates the translation process. The study supports the notion that poetry, especially when tied to specific cultural and musical traditions, poses unique challenges for translators.
This research contributes to the ongoing debate about the translatability of poetry and culturally-specific texts. It highlights the intricate relationship between language, culture, and artistic expression in the context of Saudi-Hadhrami folkloric songs.