Quran Translations Lack the Original Eloquence

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Quran Translations Lack the Original Eloquence

-- Translation of the Quran into other languages is achievable, as it has been done before; however, translations lack the eloquence of the original text.

This is according to Abolfazl Bahrampur, a Quran interpreter and translator and founder of the Office for Translation and Interpretation.

Speaking about prerequisites for translators of the Holy Book, he said a Quran translator should be familiar with interpretation o the verses and know the content and nuances of the meaning of the verses.

A Quran translator should be a committed and faithful Muslim in order to be committed to accurate rendering of the Holy Scripture, he added. “Some Quran translators pursue political purposes and, therefore, fail to provide an accurate and authentic rendering. For example, in a translation of the Quran into English done in the US, a verse regarding Jews has been omitted. Of course, most Quran translators are not like this. They have good intentions and intend to serve the Quran.

He urged Islamic governments to encourage translation of the Quran into different languages and said, “As Islam is a universal religion, its Holy Scripture should be available to everyone and translation helps speakers of other languages who are not familiar with Arabic to read the Quran.”

Asked about his idea about translation of the Quran by a team of scholars and translators, Bahrampur said it is a good idea provided that a consistent approach is adopted by all the team members.

The Quran scholar also talked about contemporary translations of the Quran and regarded them as better renderings compared to those done in the past.

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