Analysis of the Cohesive Devices in the Persian Translation of the Play “Al‑Husayn Shaheedan”

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Associate Professor, Department of Arabic Language and Literature, Faculty of Literature, Al-Zahra University, Tehran, Iran

2 alzahra university lecture universtiy tehran, iran

10.22054/rctall.2026.92018.1841

Abstract

This research analyzes the textual cohesion in the Persian translation of the play "Al‑Husayn Shaheedan" by Abdel Halim Mahmoud, based on Halliday and Hasan's theory of cohesion. This theory, introduced in 1978 by Halliday and Hasan in their book "Cohesion in English," is a cornerstone of systemic functional linguistics for examining a text's semantic continuity. The study aims to identify and analyze the patterns of lexical cohesion, grammatical cohesion, and semantic coherence in the translation of the aforementioned play. The research employs a qualitative content analysis method, examining examples from various parts of the translation based on Halliday and Hasan's theoretical framework. The findings indicate that the translators, through the skillful application of cohesive mechanisms—particularly the appropriate use of reference, deliberate ellipsis, and measured repetition—have effectively conveyed the semantic continuity of the original work. The data analysis confirms that the repetition of key vocabulary plays a pivotal role in conveying the concepts related to Ashura, while calculated omissions have contributed to the syntactic cohesion and fluency of the target text.

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