Translating Metaphor and Simile from Persian to English: A Case Study of Khayyam‘s Quatrains

Translating Metaphor and Simile from Persian to English: A Case Study of Khayyam‘s Quatrains. Morteza Zohdi ; Ali Asghar Rostami Saeedi.
About Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 1 (2011) 9 (Sept.), pp. 1122-1138.

Summary

Metaphor and simile are two figures of speech which make comparison between two things. These two figures of speech are widely used by writers and poets in their literary works and Persian poets are no exception. Metaphor and simile often create problem for translators. These problems are even more complicated in poetry due to its compactness and its obligation to preserve the sound effects. This research intends to identify the most accurate translation made of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam in translating its metaphors and similes. Khayyam is a well-known poet in the west and certainly the most famous one. This fame is due to the translation of his Rubaiyat by the Victorian poet Edward FitzGerald. But FitzGerald has not rendered an accurate translation and has done a more or less a free translation. In his translation, many of the verses are paraphrased, and some of them cannot be confidently traced to any of Khayyam’s quatrains at all. Other translators also have translated Rubaiyat. This study investigates two translations of Rubaiyat (i.e. FitzGerald and Arberry) with regard to similes and metaphors.