Arabic

Qur’an translation of the week #41: The Rhyming Cadences of Shawkat Toorawa

The Qur’an is “not the word of a poet” but aspects of structure, rhythm and rhyme certainly evoke aspects of Arabic poetry. Can any of that carry over into translation? Should it? Shawkat Toorawa is Professor of Arabic at Yale, and his approach to teaching and translating the Qur’an draws from his broader interests in …

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Qur’an translation of the week #30: The Gracious Quran: A modern-phrased interpretation in English

We noted previously that official efforts by Egypt’s religious establishment – represented by Al-Azhar University – have been eclipsed by translations by men associated with the institution. Today’s post concerns one of those. The 1st edition (2007) of “The Gracious Quran: A modern-phrased interpretation in English” is particularly fine, in two volumes: one with the …

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Qur’an translation of the week #29: The Qur’an for children and adults by Lamya Kaddor and Rabeya Müller

Qur’an translations often play a part in familiarizing children with the scripture. Many of them are based on traditional pedagogical approaches, e.g. as a backdrop to teaching the recitation of the shortest surahs in Arabic. In contrast, “The Qur’an for children and adults” (“Der Koran für Kinder und Erwachsene”) by Lamya Kaddor and Rabeya Müller …

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Qur’an translation of the week #08: Kur’oni Karim. Uzbekcha izoxli tarjima

It is not unusual that a Qur’an translation becomes a source for translations into further languages, but what about a single translator who produces his work in five languages?That is the fascinating story behind the “Kur’oni Karim. Uzbekcha izoxli tarjima” (“The Noble Qur’an: Annotated Translation into Uzbek”) by Alouddin Mansur. Born in 1952 in Qorasuv …

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