A CROSS-CULTURAL STUDY OF IMPLIED METAPHOR TRANSLATION IN THE MUALLAQAT OF AMR BIN KULTHOUM AND ANTARA BIN SHADDAD

Abstract The goal of this research is to find the best methods for translating implied metaphors in Arabic poetry, particularly in the Muallaqat of Amr Bin Kulthoum and Antara Bin Shaddad’s. Moreover, this research investigates the linguistic and cultural barriers influencing translation of implied metaphors. The research incorporates linguistic analysis by employing Al-Garrallah (2016) and the functional analysis by embracing Nord (1991). The study conducts a comparative analysis of ten implied metaphor translations done by Arberry, Johnson, and Jones. Al-Zawzani and Al-Tabreezi's explanatory books are invaluable for understanding pre-Islamic Arabic poetry. Besides, Arabic and English dictionaries are consulted to compare the semantic and connotative layers of the source and target languages. This helps understand the vocabulary which makes up the implied metaphors and their translation. The study reveals that although some metaphors retain their meaning and form, most of them become distorted or are subject to semantic change. Considering the complexity and the challenge of translating implied metaphors, the study compares literal translation and personification and illustrates that both approaches are able to keep the form and meaning of the implied metaphors in some instances. This research focuses on the difficulty of translating implied metaphors and stresses linguistic and cultural significance. Literal translation, personification, and utilizing Al-Garrallah's model can assist to achieve more effective translation through the preservation of meaning and form. The novelty of this research is its application of Al-Garrallah's model in addressing implied metaphor translation in Arabic poetry to offer new insights on effective translation techniques. It explores to what extent the language and culture contexts influence implied metaphor translation, hence theoretically and practically contributing to implied metaphor translation.