A Critical Analysis of the Arabic Translation of Qeysar Aminpour’s Poems by Mousa Bidaj Based on Gideon Toury’s Norm Theory

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 M.A. Graduate, Kosar University of Bojnord, Bojnord, Iran

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Arabic Language and Literature, Kosar University of Bojnord, Bojnord, Iran

10.22054/rctall.2026.89470.1820

Abstract

Poetry translation—particularly between the Persian and Arabic languages and their distinct literary traditions—constitutes a complex field of linguistic, cultural, and aesthetic interactions that can only be examined through rigorous theoretical frameworks. Adopting an analytical–critical approach, the present study investigates Musa Bidaj’s translations of a selected corpus of poems by Qeysar Aminpour within Gideon Toury’s three-level framework of translational norms. In this research, translation is not viewed as a mechanical transfer of meaning, but rather as a culturally embedded, norm-governed act shaped by the literary system of the target culture. Accordingly, the analysis is conducted across the three levels of preliminary, initial, and operational norms, aiming to identify the translator’s behavioral patterns in text selection, strategies of re-creation, and the degree of adherence to the aesthetic structures of Persian poetry. The findings reveal that Bidaj’s translational orientation represents a synthesis of two poles: “fidelity to the source text” and “alignment with Arabic literary norms.” This synthesis manifests at the operational level in lexical, semantic, musical, and metaphorical shifts. The results indicate that while Bidaj succeeds in re-creating the internal rhythm, emotional atmosphere, and certain key images of Aminpour’s poetry, his renderings exhibit a tendency toward simplification and standardization in conveying multilayered meanings and metaphorical structures—an inclination rooted in dominant literary norms of the target context. In line with Toury’s theory, literary translation is a dynamic, intercultural process in which the translator is not merely a transmitter of meaning but an active re-creator and regulator of meaning within the target literary system.

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Main Subjects

Translation Researches in the Arabic Language And Literature

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 13 April 2026

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