Literary Translation: Between Pleasure and Mastery
The Difference Between Literary and Literal Translation,
By Asmaa Nada
Its Distinctive Features, and How to Master It**
Literary translation is considered one of the most refined and challenging forms of translation. It is not merely the transfer of words from one language to another, but rather the re-creation of a text with its spirit, beauty, and rhythm intact, while preserving its cultural and artistic identity. For this reason, literary translation always stands at a delicate balance point between pleasure, which the translator experiences during the process, and mastery, which demands the highest levels of precision and awareness.
First: Literary Translation Between Pleasure and Mastery
1. The Pleasure of Literary Translation
The pleasure of literary translation arises from:
Delving into the worlds of novels, short stories, and poetry.
Emotional engagement with characters and events.
Feeling like a “second author” who reshapes the work in a new language.
The joy of searching for the most beautiful word and the most harmonious sentence that reflects the spirit of the original text.
This pleasure makes literary translation a creative act that is no less valuable than writing itself.
2. Mastery as an Essential Requirement
However, this pleasure may turn into disorder if it is not governed by mastery, which includes:
Faithfulness to the original text without distortion or harmful omission.
A deep understanding of the cultural and historical context.
Preserving the author’s unique voice and tone.
Avoiding personal projections or subjective interference by the translator.
The literary translator is therefore required to enjoy the process while remaining fully aware of their responsibility toward both the text and the reader.
Second: The Difference Between Literary Translation and Literal Translation
1. Literal Translation
Literal translation relies on:
Transferring words and structures as directly as possible.
Focusing on the direct, surface meaning of words.
Neglecting rhythm, style, and aesthetic dimensions.
Its advantages:
Suitable for technical and legal texts.
Reduces the risk of factual distortion.
Its disadvantages in literature:
It strips the text of its soul.
Produces rigid or awkward sentences in the target language.
Fails to convey metaphors, imagery, and figurative expressions.
2. Literary Translation
Literary translation is based on:
Transferring meaning and spirit rather than words alone.
Recreating figurative language in a way that suits the target culture.
Paying close attention to rhythm and internal musicality.
The fundamental difference:
Literal translation asks: What does the text say?
Literary translation asks: How does it say it—and why does it say it this way?
Third: What Distinguishes Literary Translation?
Creative Sensibility: The literary translator is a writer as much as a translator.
Linguistic Flexibility: The ability to generate multiple linguistic alternatives and select the most fitting.
Cultural Awareness: Understanding customs, symbols, and implicit meanings.
Stylistic Preservation: Conveying the author’s style without replacing it with the translator’s own.
Adaptive Skill: Making the text accessible to a new readership without betraying the original.
Fourth: How Can Literary Translation Be Mastered?
1. Extensive Reading
Reading literature in both the source and target languages.
Comparing different translations of the same work.
2. Deep Command of Both Languages
Understanding subtle connotations and hidden meanings.
Recognizing stylistic differences, registers, and levels of language.
3. Studying Rhetoric and Style
Mastery of metaphor, simile, symbolism, and rhythm.
The ability to reproduce these devices effectively in another language.
4. Patience and Revision
Literary translation should never be rushed.
Repeated revision is a necessity, not a luxury.
5. Respect for the Original Text
Avoiding unnecessary abridgment or embellishment.
Refraining from imposing the translator’s personal vision over the author’s.
Conclusion
Literary translation is a dual journey between the pleasure of discovery and the rigor of mastery. It is an art that requires refined linguistic taste, broad cultural knowledge, and conscious creative sensitivity. While literal translation may succeed in conveying meaning, only literary translation can convey the life residing within a text, allowing it to be reborn in another language without losing its soul.