An Investigation into Three Persian Translations of Gibran Khalil Gibran’s The Prophet

Document Type : Original Research

Author

Department of English, Marvdasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Marvdasht, Iran

10.22081/ttais.2025.70182.1039

Abstract

This descriptive and comparative study aimed to analyze reframing strategies in the Persian translation of Gibran Khalil Gibran’s The Prophet (1923). The study examined the entire book and its three Persian translations: Mostapha Elm (1961), Mahdi Maghsodi (2004), and Hossein Mohyeddin Elahi Ghomshei (2015). Reframing strategies are significant tools used by translators to adapt a text to a different context. To guide this analysis, we applied Baker’s (2007) reframing theory, which includes labeling, outer paratext, inner paratext, and textual choices encompassing translational and contextual strategies. The findings revealed that among the three Persian translations of The Prophet, Elahi Ghomshei’s version employs a rich array of inner and outer paratextual strategies, often Islamizing the text through frequent theological references to classic Persian poets. His translation is also more heavily commented, interpreted, and reframed compared to those of Maghsodi and Elm. Additionally, Elahi Ghomshei’s translation stands out for its temporal and spatial relevance, as it connects the events to the poet’s era and the original Islamic context. In contrast, while Maghsodi’s and Elm’s translations show few signs of such strategies, Elahi Ghomshei’s work offers examples where the content of Persian poems closely aligns with the English text.

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©2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, as long as the original authors and source are cited. No permission is required from the authors or the publishers.

International Journal of Textual and Translation Analysis in Islamic Studies
Volume 2, Issue 2 - Serial Number 6
April 2024
Pages 156-172

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History

  • Receive Date: 25 October 2023
  • Revise Date: 25 December 2023
  • Accept Date: 11 March 2024
  • Publish Date: 01 April 2024

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