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
- 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
- Babayev, Ekber. Yaşamı ve Yapıtları ile Nazım Hikmet. Translated by Ataol Behramoğlu. Cem Yayınları, 1976. google scholar
- Bassnett, Susan. Translation. Routledge, 2014. google scholar
- Bailey, Paul. “Review.” Independent. November 23, 2002. google scholar
- Benjamin, Walter. “The Task of the Translator.” In Illuminations, edited by Hannah Arendt. Schocken, 1969. google scholar
- Berman, Antoine. Toward a translation criticism: John Donne, edited and translated by Françoise Massadier-Kenny. Kent State University Press, 2009. google scholar
- Boase-Beier, Jean. “Poetry.” In Routledge Encyclopedia of Translation Studies, edited by Mona Baker and Gabriela Saldanha. Routledge, 2019. google scholar
- Christie, Ruth. Personal Communication. 2003. google scholar
Ayrıntılar
Birincil Dil
İngilizce
Konular
Türkiye Sahası Yeni Türk Edebiyatı
Bölüm
Araştırma Makalesi
Yazarlar
Ayşe Ayhan
*
0000-0002-5997-5385
Türkiye
Yayımlanma Tarihi
30 Nisan 2026
Gönderilme Tarihi
9 Eylül 2025
Kabul Tarihi
24 Şubat 2026
Yayımlandığı Sayı
Yıl 2026 Cilt: 66 Sayı: 1