Araştırma Makalesi

To Be Literal or Not: On English Translations of Hikmet’s Saman Sarısı

Cilt: 66 Sayı: 1 30 Nisan 2026
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To Be Literal or Not: On English Translations of Hikmet’s Saman Sarısı

Öz

This study examines two distinct English translations of Nazım Hikmet’s poem “Saman Sarısı” within the frame of literal and free translation. The framework for this analysis emerges from critical debates among translators, who have evaluated one another’s renditions for being either excessively literal or insufficiently faithful to the source text. Based on this discourse, the article adopts a descriptive comparative approach to examine the translations, situating the discussion within the broader theoretical concepts of literal and free translation as well as translation criticism. By analyzing the strategies employed in each version, the study seeks to determine the extent to which the translations align with either approach, as suggested by prior critiques. This focus enables an understanding of how translators strike a balance between fidelity to the source text and interpretive freedom. Ultimately, the study aims to shed light on the methods and decisions underlying the translation of Hikmet’s poetry and to synthesize these findings into a coherent assessment of the practical applications and relative merits of literal and free translation strategies. In doing so, it also contributes to ongoing debates in translation studies by showing how even seemingly opposed strategies can coexist within the same text, complicating strict binaries of “literal” versus “free.”

Anahtar Kelimeler

Kaynakça

  1. Adil, Alev. “Review: Nazım Hikmet, Beyond the Walls: Selected Poems.” Review of Beyond the Walls: Selected Poems, by Nazım Hikmet. Accessed November 9, 2015, https://www.scribd.com/document/22306152/Nazim-Hikmet-Beyond-the-Walls-Selected-Poems-Chosen-by-Ruth. google scholar
  2. Babayev, Ekber. Yaşamı ve Yapıtları ile Nazım Hikmet. Translated by Ataol Behramoğlu. Cem Yayınları, 1976. google scholar
  3. Bassnett, Susan. Translation. Routledge, 2014. google scholar
  4. Bailey, Paul. “Review.” Independent. November 23, 2002. google scholar
  5. Benjamin, Walter. “The Task of the Translator.” In Illuminations, edited by Hannah Arendt. Schocken, 1969. google scholar
  6. Berman, Antoine. Toward a translation criticism: John Donne, edited and translated by Françoise Massadier-Kenny. Kent State University Press, 2009. google scholar
  7. Boase-Beier, Jean. “Poetry.” In Routledge Encyclopedia of Translation Studies, edited by Mona Baker and Gabriela Saldanha. Routledge, 2019. google scholar
  8. Christie, Ruth. Personal Communication. 2003. google scholar

Ayrıntılar

Birincil Dil

İngilizce

Konular

Türkiye Sahası Yeni Türk Edebiyatı

Bölüm

Araştırma Makalesi

Yayımlanma Tarihi

30 Nisan 2026

Gönderilme Tarihi

9 Eylül 2025

Kabul Tarihi

24 Şubat 2026

Yayımlandığı Sayı

Yıl 2026 Cilt: 66 Sayı: 1

Kaynak Göster

APA
Ayhan, A. (2026). To Be Literal or Not: On English Translations of Hikmet’s Saman Sarısı. Journal of Turkish Language and Literature, 66(1), 217-237. https://doi.org/10.26650/TUDED2026-1780628
AMA
1.Ayhan A. To Be Literal or Not: On English Translations of Hikmet’s Saman Sarısı. Journal of Turkish Language and Literature. 2026;66(1):217-237. doi:10.26650/TUDED2026-1780628
Chicago
Ayhan, Ayşe. 2026. “To Be Literal or Not: On English Translations of Hikmet’s Saman Sarısı”. Journal of Turkish Language and Literature 66 (1): 217-37. https://doi.org/10.26650/TUDED2026-1780628.
EndNote
Ayhan A (01 Nisan 2026) To Be Literal or Not: On English Translations of Hikmet’s Saman Sarısı. Journal of Turkish Language and Literature 66 1 217–237.
IEEE
[1]A. Ayhan, “To Be Literal or Not: On English Translations of Hikmet’s Saman Sarısı”, Journal of Turkish Language and Literature, c. 66, sy 1, ss. 217–237, Nis. 2026, doi: 10.26650/TUDED2026-1780628.
ISNAD
Ayhan, Ayşe. “To Be Literal or Not: On English Translations of Hikmet’s Saman Sarısı”. Journal of Turkish Language and Literature 66/1 (01 Nisan 2026): 217-237. https://doi.org/10.26650/TUDED2026-1780628.
JAMA
1.Ayhan A. To Be Literal or Not: On English Translations of Hikmet’s Saman Sarısı. Journal of Turkish Language and Literature. 2026;66:217–237.
MLA
Ayhan, Ayşe. “To Be Literal or Not: On English Translations of Hikmet’s Saman Sarısı”. Journal of Turkish Language and Literature, c. 66, sy 1, Nisan 2026, ss. 217-3, doi:10.26650/TUDED2026-1780628.
Vancouver
1.Ayşe Ayhan. To Be Literal or Not: On English Translations of Hikmet’s Saman Sarısı. Journal of Turkish Language and Literature. 01 Nisan 2026;66(1):217-3. doi:10.26650/TUDED2026-1780628