ESSAY

Challenges in Translating

Urdu Poetry to English

________________

Nasir Karim

________________

Poetry is a complex interplay of sound, rhythm, meaning, cultural references, and emotional resonance…While translations are valuable for cross-cultural understanding and appreciation, they are often a shadow of the original, unable to fully capture the unique beauty and power of the original verse. —Nasir Karim

Translating poetry is a challenging task in any language, and translating an Urdu poem to English while preserving all its poetic merits presents unique difficulties. Poetry is a complex interplay of sound, rhythm, meaning, cultural references, and emotional resonance. And, the poetic merits of an Urdu poem, including its meter (behr), rhyme scheme (qaafiya), refrain (radeef), use of literary devices, and cultural depth, make it particularly intricate to translate into English. Therefore, this gap between two languages is most of the time so unfathomable that a perfect translation seems impossible.

Moreover, Urdu and English have vastly different linguistic structures. Because, Urdu poetry often relies heavily on the sound and rhythm of words. The language’s phonetic characteristics, such as the use of guttural sounds, nasalization, and specific vowel sounds, create a melody that is difficult to replicate in English. For example, Urdu’s use of rhyme and refrain can create a musical quality that is hard to preserve.

________________

Transposing an Urdu poem’s meter into English often results in a loss of its original rhythm and flow.

________________

Urdu poetry follows specific metrical patterns. Hence, the behr can vary in length and structure, giving each poem a unique rhythmic quality. English, however, has its own metrical systems (like iambic pentameter), which don’t always align with Urdu’s meters. So, transposing an Urdu poem’s meter into English often results in a loss of its original rhythm and flow.

Additionally, Urdu poems, especially ghazals, often employ a complex rhyme scheme where the same phrase or word ends each couplet (radeef), accompanied by a preceding rhyming word (qaafiya). This creates a musical repetition that is intrinsic to the poem’s identity. The English translations struggle to maintain these patterns without sounding forced or unnatural.

Furthermore, Urdu poetry is deeply rooted in the cultural, historical, and social context of South Asia. Many poems reference specific cultural symbols, historical events, or social norms that may be unfamiliar to an English-speaking audience.

________________

Urdu poetry employs a range of literary devices that can be challenging to translate directly.

________________

Similarly, we see that Urdu poets often use symbols like the nightingale (bulbul), the rose (gul), and the garden (bagh/chaman) which carry deep metaphorical meanings within South Asian literary traditions. And, translating these symbols into English can dilute their significance if the cultural context is not conveyed effectively.

Also, Urdu poetry frequently references historical figures and events from Persian, Mughal, and Indian history. Consequently, without knowledge of these references, English readers may miss the delicate meanings that these allusions convey.

Likewise, Urdu poetry employs a range of literary devices that can be challenging to translate directly. Urdu poets often use wordplay, puns, and homonyms to create multiple layers of meaning. These linguistic subtleties are often untranslatable because the words used in Urdu have no direct equivalents in English that can capture the same versatility.

________________

Urdu has rich idiomatic expressions that often encapsulate complex ideas or emotions succinctly… One of the key challenges in translating Urdu poetry to English is preserving the emotional and aesthetic impact.

________________

Since, metaphors and similes in Urdu poetry are often culturally specific. For example, the beloved in Urdu poetry is often described using metaphors that evoke beauty, grace, and sometimes unattainable longing. Therefore, translating these metaphors into English without losing their emotive power and cultural resonance is difficult.

Urdu has rich idiomatic expressions that often encapsulate complex ideas or emotions succinctly. English idioms might not convey the same meanings, leading to a loss of the poem’s intended impact.

One of the key challenges in translating Urdu poetry to English is preserving the emotional and aesthetic impact. Notably, Urdu poetry often evokes deep emotions through its use of language, tone, and imagery. This can be traced into the tone of an Urdu poem, whether it is melancholic, romantic, or contemplative, is often tied to the specific choice of words and their arrangement. English translations may fail to capture the subtle shifts in tone that are easily conveyed in Urdu.

________________

Urdu poetry is rich in imagery and sensory details, which create vivid pictures in the reader’s mind.

________________

Finally, Urdu poetry is rich in imagery and sensory details, which create vivid pictures in the reader’s mind. These images are often tied to the cultural and natural environment of South Asia. Translating these images into English, which may not share the same cultural or environmental context, can result in a loss of vividness and sensory impact.

To illustrate these challenges, let’s consider a couplet (sher) from a famous Urdu Ghazal by Mirza Ghalib:

دل ہی تو ہے نہ سنگ و خشت درد سے بھر نہ آئے کیوں

روئیں گے ہم ہزار بار کوئی ہمیں ستائے کیوں

Translation:

The heart is but a mere heart, not stone or brick, so why should it not fill with pain?

We shall cry a thousand times, why should anyone torment us?

This translation, while conveying the literal meaning, fails to capture several poetic elements. It’s visible that the original Urdu couplet has a musical quality due to its meter and rhyme. But, the translation does not replicate this musicality, losing the poem’s auditory appeal.

The metaphor of the heart being compared to stone or brick carries cultural significance that is not fully conveyed in English. And, the imagery of crying a thousand times also loses its intensity without the cultural context.

The original couplet’s emotional depth, conveyed through the choice of words and their arrangement, is diminished in the translation.

Now, let’s consider an example from Faiz Ahmed Faiz. His poetry is known for its profound themes and emotive language, adding another layer of complexity to translation:

گلوں میں رنگ بھرے باد نو بہار چلے

چلے بھی آؤ کہ گلشن کا کاروبار چلے

Translation:

Let the flowers be filled with color, the breeze of new spring flows,

Come back, so the affairs of the garden can continue.

Again, while the literal meaning is clear, several poetic elements are lost. For example, the original Urdu verse has a lyrical flow that the English translation lacks. The interplay of consonants and vowels in Urdu creates a musicality that is difficult to replicate in English.

Resultantly, the imagery of spring and flowers (a common motif in Urdu poetry symbolizing renewal and beauty) loses some of its cultural resonance when translated. The notion of a garden (gulshan) as a symbol of the poet’s inner world is less impactful without the cultural context.

The plea for a beloved’s return to restore the garden’s beauty has a profound emotional resonance in Urdu, tied to the cultural significance of the garden. But, this emotional depth is somewhat diminished in the English translation.

To further illustrate the challenges of translating Urdu poetry, let’s consider another example from a free verse (azaad nazm) poem by Faiz Ahmed Faiz:

بول کہ لب آزاد ہیں تیرے

بول زباں اب تک تیری ہے

تیرا ستواں جسم ہے تیرا

بول کہ جان اب تک تیری ہے

Translation:

Speak, for your lips are free,

Speak, for your tongue is still your own,

Your upright body is yours,

Speak, for your life is still your own.

In this translation, several elements are again compromised. Faiz’s free verse in Urdu has a certain cadence and flow that is disrupted in the English translation. And, the original’s rhythm, created by the natural pauses and emphasis in Urdu, is hard to mirror in English without losing fluidity.

The metaphor of speaking out and owning one’s body and life carries rich historical and cultural connotations, particularly in the context of Faiz’s advocacy for social justice and freedom, which might not resonate as deeply with English readers unfamiliar with Faiz’s cultural and poetic context.

We see that the empowering tone and resolute mood of the original poem are tied to its language. While the English translation captures the surface meaning, the depth of emotional resonance and the urgency of the original can feel diminished.

________________

Striking a balance between staying faithful to the original text and injecting creativity to preserve its poetic merits is challenging.

________________

Thus, the role of the translator is crucial but also a source of potential loss in translation. A translator must make interpretive choices that can alter the poem’s meaning and impact. Whereas, translators often have to choose between literal translations and those that capture the poem’s essence. And, these choices can lead to different interpretations, sometimes diverging significantly from the original poem’s intent.

Hence, striking a balance between staying faithful to the original text and injecting creativity to preserve its poetic merits is challenging. Overly literal translations may sound awkward, while overly creative ones may stray too far from the original meaning.

Translating an Urdu poem into English while keeping all its poetic merits intact is a formidable task. The differences in linguistic structure, sound patterns, cultural and historical context, literary devices, and emotional impact present significant obstacles. While translations can convey the basic meaning of a poem, they often fall short of capturing the full richness and depth of the original.

________________

Some aspects of Urdu poetry, particularly its musicality, cultural beauty, and emotional resonance, are inherently untranslatable.

________________

The essence of poetry lies in its ability to evoke emotions, paint vivid imagery, and resonate with readers on a deep level. These qualities are intricately tied to the language in which the poem is written. As a result, some aspects of Urdu poetry, particularly its musicality, cultural beauty, and emotional resonance, are inherently untranslatable.

Therefore, while translations are valuable for cross-cultural understanding and appreciation, they are often a shadow of the original, unable to fully capture the unique beauty and power of the original verse.

:::

Nasir Karim

Born on September 3rd, 1970, in Mianwali, Punjab, Pakistan, is a poet and educationist. He holds a Master’s degree in English Language and Literature from Punjab University, Lahore. And, after teaching as a Lecturer of English Language at Pakistan Embassy College in 1997, an Instructor at Vocational Training Institute Bahawal Nagar in 2000, and Communication Skills at Islamia University Bahawal Pur, he founded Springtide School in 2005. He has published collection of Urdu poems “Yaha’n Bas Ret Udti Hy” (Naught, But the Sands Dance Here”) in 2000. Moreover, he has also translated poems and short stories from Urdu to English. He received the Best Emerging Poet Award from BBC London in 1989. Furthermore, his work has been featured in various publications, and he’s going to publish his second book of poems this year.

___________