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IO Islamic 2444. Mukâtabât-i-'allâmî, Official Letters and refined prose-writings of Abû- alfaḍl

IO Islamic 2444. Mukâtabât-i-‘allâmî, Official Letters and refined prose-writings of Abû- alfaḍl

IO Islamic 435 Mukâtabât-i-'allâmî, Official Letters and refined prose-writings of Abû- alfaḍl

IO Islamic 435 Mukâtabât-i-‘allâmî, Official Letters and refined prose-writings of Abû- alfaḍl

IO Islamic 008 (4). Mukâtabât-i-'allâmî, Official Letters and refined prose-writings of Abû- alfaḍl

IO Islamic 008 (4). Mukâtabât-i-‘allâmî, Official Letters and refined prose-writings of Abû- alfaḍl

IO Islamic 3361. Mukâtabât-i-'allâmî, Official Letters and refined prose-writings of Abû- alfaḍl

IO Islamic 3361. Mukâtabât-i-‘allâmî, Official Letters and refined prose-writings of Abû- alfaḍl

IO Islamic 008 (6). Mukâtabât-i-'allâmî, Official Letters and refined prose-writings of Abû- alfaḍl

IO Islamic 008 (6). Mukâtabât-i-‘allâmî, Official Letters and refined prose-writings of Abû- alfaḍl

IO Islamic 3269. Mukâtabât-i-'allâmî, Official Letters and refined prose-writings of Abû- alfaḍl

IO Islamic 3269. Mukâtabât-i-‘allâmî, Official Letters and refined prose-writings of Abû- alfaḍl

IO Islamic 2327. Mukâtabât-i-'allâmî, Official Letters and refined prose-writings of Abû- alfaḍl

IO Islamic 2327. Mukâtabât-i-‘allâmî, Official Letters and refined prose-writings of Abû- alfaḍl

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The Problem of Translating Style in African Prose Writing

This research investigated style as an elusive and difficult element to render in an African prose text. Using illustrations from Charles Tsimi’s Clandestinement votre, it identified elements of style in 15 randomly selected excerpts, highlighted possible constraints to the translation of style into English and proposed strategies that a translator could use in the event of its translation. The study applied Toury’s (1995) Descriptive Translation Studies (DTS) for qualitative data collection as it identified, described and explained pathways for the translatability of style in the corpus. The quantitative data collected for the study were analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The descriptive statistical tools used were frequencies and percentages. The quantitative data were analysed using SPSS 25.0, and the findings were presented using figures and tables. The research was underpinned by both translation and literary theories. Concerning translation theory, it made use of the Sociolinguistic and Skopos Theories. The literary theories that supported the work were formalism, post-colonial criticism, sociological criticism and new historicism.  The findings revealed that difficult-to-translate elements of style were found in the author’s diction (73.3%), voice (20.0%) and tone (6.7%). Regarding constraints, it was revealed that translators can face text-driven, translator-related, norm-imposed and extra-linguistic constraints in rendering African prose texts into English. Concerning macro translation strategies, the study proposed foreignisation (20%) and domestication (80%) for rendering style, while the micro strategies it identified were modulation (33.3%), literal translation (26.7), adaptation and equivalence, both of equal weights (13.3%) and deletion and transference also of equal proportions (6.7%). The study concluded that a successful translation of style would depend largely on the potential translator’s mastery of the source text culture, which will condition how they convey both its message (content) and the style (form).

Poetry and Elegant Prose [IO Islamic 2956]

<ul> <li>Poetry and Elegant Prose.</li> <li>This manuscript is now IO Islamic 2956 in the India Office collections.</li> <li>[metadata:<a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Loth"> Otto Loth, </a><a href="http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3923636">A Catalogue of the Arabic Manuscripts in the Library of the India Office</a>, (volume 1), no. 799 here with further notations and hyperlinks].</li> </ul> 799. 2956. Size 103/4 in. by 71/2 in.; foll. 102. Eight, fifteen, and twelve lines in a page. I.Foll. 1-75. Another copy of the Mu'allaḳât, evidently taken from the same MS. as the preceding. Well written in a large hand. The beginning is tastefully ornamented. Gold lines round the pages. II.Foll. 76v.-97. The Burdah of BÛṢÎRÎ (d. A.H. 694), with an interlinear translation and glosses in Persian. See below, no. 817. Plainly written. Foll. 76-86 are in a different hand. The glosses are written in a very good Nasta’liḳ. III.Foll. 97v.-99. A devout poem in ten verses. Begins: جُدْ بلطفك يا الهى من له زادٌ قليلُ IV.Foll. 100v.102. Some fragments of the Mu’allaḳât, the concluding verses of LABÎD, and verses 1, 2, 47-53 of ‘ANTARAH, with short explanations in Persian. Injured by insects. In a very elegant binding of red leather; gilt. Signature of Chas. Boddam, Calcutta, 1787.

Poetry and Elegant Prose [IO Islamic 2113]

<ul> <li>Poetry and Elegant Prose.</li> <li>This manuscript is now IO Islamic 2113 in the India Office collections.</li> <li>[metadata:<a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Loth"> Otto Loth, </a><a href="http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3923636">A Catalogue of the Arabic Manuscripts in the Library of the India Office</a>, (volume 1), no. 818 here with further notations and hyperlinks].</li> </ul> 818. 2113. Size 8 in. by 43/4 in.; foll. 19. Nine lines in a page. An elegant copy of the Burdah. Well written, with all the vowel-points. The first, middle, and last lines written in Thulth. An ornament at the beginning. Gold and coloured lines round the pages. [College of Fort William, 1832.]

Poetry and Elegant Prose [IO Islamic 2314]

<ul> <li>Poetry and Elegant Prose.</li> <li>This manuscript is now IO Islamic 2314 in the India Office collections.</li> <li>[metadata:<a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Loth"> Otto Loth, </a><a href="http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3923636">A Catalogue of the Arabic Manuscripts in the Library of the India Office</a>, (volume 1), no. 820 here with further notations and hyperlinks].</li> </ul> 820. 2314. Size 8 in. by 41/2 in.; foll. 14. Ten and twenty lines in a page. The Burdah, with Persian interlineation, preceded by an introduction, also in Persian, which enumerates the properties of each verse as far as v. 56.2 The text is legibly written in Naskh, with all the vowel-points added. The Persian portion is written in a small Nasta’liḳ. Seal of Nuṣrat Jang, dated A.H. 1174. [College of Fort William, 1825.]   1 So according to 'Asḳalânî, but Maḳrîzî says that he died A.H. 696 or 697. Both these statements are mentioned in Ibn Ḥajar Haithamî's Commentary on the Hamzîyah, see below, no. 824. 2 Cf. Ralfs, die Burda, p. 23.

Poetry and Elegant Prose [IO Islamic 2110]

<ul> <li>Poetry and Elegant Prose.</li> <li>This manuscript is now IO Islamic 2110 in the India Office collections.</li> <li>[metadata:<a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Loth"> Otto Loth, </a><a href="http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3923636">A Catalogue of the Arabic Manuscripts in the Library of the India Office</a>, (volume 1), no. 817 here with further notations and hyperlinks].</li> </ul> 817. 2110. Size 71/2 in. by 53/4 in.; foll. 7. Thirteen lines in a page. Muḥammad b. Sa’îd BÛṢÎRÎ’S (d. A.H. 6941) celebrated Ḳaṣîdah in praise of the Prophet, called البُرْدة. Cf. the editions of Von Rosenzweig (Wien, 1824), and Ralfs (Wien, 1860); Catal. Mus. Brit. 76 ; etc. Well written, with vowel-points. The signature of the copyist on the title-page is effaced. Injured by damp. [College of Fort William.]

Poetry and Elegant Prose [IO Islamic 2114]

<ul> <li>Poetry and Elegant Prose.</li> <li>This manuscript is now IO Islamic 2114 in the India Office collections.</li> <li>[metadata:<a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Loth"> Otto Loth, </a><a href="http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3923636">A Catalogue of the Arabic Manuscripts in the Library of the India Office</a>, (volume 1), no. 819 here with further notations and hyperlinks].</li> </ul> 819. 2114. Size 71/4 in. by 41/2 in.; foll. 20. Eight lines in a page. Another copy of the Burdah. Well written, on tinted paper, ornamented and gilt, but incorrect. Ends: تمت تمام شد روز جمعه . [College of Fort William, 1825.]

Poetry and Elegant Prose [IO Islamic 2959]

<ul> <li>Poetry and Elegant Prose.</li> <li>This manuscript is now IO Islamic 2959 in the India Office collections.</li> <li>[metadata:<a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Loth"> Otto Loth, </a><a href="http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3923636">A Catalogue of the Arabic Manuscripts in the Library of the India Office</a>, (volume 1), no. 806 here with further notations and hyperlinks].</li> </ul> 806. 2959. Size 10 in. by 6 in.; foll. 212. Twenty-three lines in a page. ديوان ابى تمام الطائى The Dîwân of ABU TAMMÂM Ḥabîb b. Aus Ṭâ’î (d. A.H. 231), as arranged by Abu Bakr Ṣûlî (d. A.H. 335 or 336). Cf. Cat. Bodl. i. 259; Cat. Mus. Brit. 276 sq.; Cat. Lugd. ii. 45 sq. It is divided into eight chapters, as follows: I. (foll. 1-133) المديح , the first poem in praise of Ibn Yûsuf Ta’izzî ; II. (foll. 133-151) المراثى ; III. (foll. 151-171) الغزل ; IV. (foll. 171-180) المعاتبات ; V. (foll. 180-185v.) الاوصاف ; VI. (foll. 185v. – 190v.) الفخر ; VII. (fol. 191) الزهد , only two poems : VIII . (foll. 191-211v.) الهجاء . Conclusion: تم الهجاء من شعرابى تمام و به كل الديوان الخ . The poems in each chapter are arranged alphabetically. Explanatory and critical notes by Ṣûlî are added, especially in the latter portion. Well written, but almost without diacritical points. The copy was made for Saiyid Muḥammad b. Manṣûr, of the house of ‘Aḳîl (b. Abu Ṭâlib) آل عقيل , by Ṣaḳr b. Faḍl Allah Ḥimyarî. Date , Friday , 19th Rabî ‘ I., 1088. Injured by insects, especially at the beginning and at the end. Seal and signature of Chas. Boddam, Calcutta, 1787.

Poetry and Elegant Prose [IO Islamic 1307]

<ul> <li>Poetry and Elegant Prose.</li> <li>This manuscript is now IO Islamic 1307 in the India Office collections.</li> <li>[metadata:<a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Loth"> Otto Loth, </a><a href="http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3923636">A Catalogue of the Arabic Manuscripts in the Library of the India Office</a>, (volume 1), no. 810 here with further notations and hyperlinks].</li> </ul> 810. 1307. Size 93/4 in. by 6 in.; foll. 287. Eleven lines in a page. Another copy of the Maḳâmât. Well written, with vowel-points and various glosses in Persian and Arabic. It was transcribed, collated, and furnished with the original (Persian) glosses, in Rajab, 1069 = first year of 'Âlamgîr, by order of Niẓâm al-dîn Ṣiddîḳî. Ornamented and gilt. To this has been added (fol. 284) a mystic treatise, which begins: نْ وَ اْلْقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسْطُرُونَ ‘ انّ هذه تذكرة لقوم يعقلون . Plainly written, by one Sirâj al-dîn. [Johnson.]

Poetry and Elegant Prose [IO Islamic 2043]

<ul> <li>Poetry and Elegant Prose.</li> <li>This manuscript is now IO Islamic 2043 in the India Office collections.</li> <li>[metadata:<a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Loth"> Otto Loth, </a><a href="http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3923636">A Catalogue of the Arabic Manuscripts in the Library of the India Office</a>, (volume 1), no. 812 here with further notations and hyperlinks].</li> </ul> 812. 2043. Size 11 in. by 71/2 in.; foll. 132. Nineteen lines in a page. مقامات السروجى Another copy of the same work. Plainly written; titles very large. Dated Thursday, 17th Ṣafar, 1051. Vowel, and both interlinear and marginal notes, have been added as far as fol. 122. Red line round the pages. All the vacant leaves before and after the text – the title-page included -are filled with various poems, stories, etc., in different hands. Some of them are dated A.H. 1119. [College of Fort William, 1825.]

Poetry and Elegant Prose [IO Islamic 2700]

<ul> <li>Poetry and Elegant Prose.</li> <li>This manuscript is now IO Islamic 2700 in the India Office collections.</li> <li>[metadata:<a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Loth"> Otto Loth, </a><a href="http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3923636">A Catalogue of the Arabic Manuscripts in the Library of the India Office</a>, (volume 1), no. 804 here with further notations and hyperlinks].</li> </ul> 804. 2700. Size 103/4 in. by 6 in.; foll. 40. Nineteen lines in a page. The Poems of MAJNÛN ‘AMIRÎ (Ḳais b. al-Mulawwaḥ), accompanied by the history of the loves of Majnûm and Laila. This collection is probably identical with the ديوان قيس بن عامر المجنون , mentioned in Ḥ. Kh. iii. 302.1 It is chiefly founded on the authority of Abu Bakr Wâlibî, who is mentioned at the beginning as follows: قال ابوبكر الوالبى كان من حديث مجنون العامرى وليلى العامرية الخ. As appears from fol. 33v., Wâlibî got his information from the famous Isḥâḳ b. Ibrâhîm Mauṣilî (d. A.H. 235). Conclusion : هذا ما تناهى الينا من اخبار المجنون و اشعاره و ما كان خارجاً عمّا لم نكتبه فانّها منحولةٌ عليه من قصيدة او خبر. Quite a modern copy, clearly written, but very incorrect. It was apparently taken from a mutilated MS. On foll. 15v., 19v., and 20 are lacunas. [Bibl. Leydeniana.]     1 It is, however, entirely different from the article on Majnûn in the كتاب الاغانى (Bûlâḳ edition, i. ۱۶۷۰).

Poetry and Elegant Prose [IO Islamic 1155]

<ul> <li>Poetry and Elegant Prose.</li> <li>This manuscript is now IO Islamic 1155 in the India Office collections.</li> <li>[metadata:<a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Loth"> Otto Loth, </a><a href="http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3923636">A Catalogue of the Arabic Manuscripts in the Library of the India Office</a>, (volume 1), no. 813 here with further notations and hyperlinks].</li> </ul> 813. 1155. Size 10 in. by 53/4 in.; foll. 135. Twenty-five lines in a page. كتاب كمامة الزهر و صدفة الدرر فى شرح القصيدة البسّامة ( sic ) الملقّبة بطوق الحمامة و شارحها الفقيه الكاتب الاريب الاديب ابى ( ابو . r ) مروان عبدالملك ابن عبدالله بن بدرون الحضرمى السلبى ( sic ) شكر الله سعيه الخ. ‘Abd al-malik b. ‘Abdallah IBN BADRÛN’S Historical Commentary on the Ḳaṣîdah of ‘Abd al-majîd b. ‘Abdallah Ibn ‘Abdûn (d. A.H. 529). Cf. Professor Dozy’s edition (Leyden, 1846). Well written, by Hâdi b. Sa’îd b. ‘Abdallah الصياى الصعدى (sic). Dated Monday, 24th Rabî’ I., 996. Although this MS. is revised throughout , it appears to be not more accurate than other copies of this work.1 Moreover, in the passages referring to ‘Alî, Ḥusain, etc., there are many interpolations, which are apparently due to a Shî’ite copyist. The exordium is also different from the common one. It begins as follows: الحمد لله الملك القديم المعبود ‘ الصمد القدير المقصود. The beginning is ornamented, and the other pages are within coloured lines. On the title-page is a round ornament in gold, with an inscription, which latter is, however, nearly effaced.   1 Cf. Dozy’s edition, Introduction, pp. 9-23.

Poetry and Elegant Prose [IO Islamic 918]

<ul> <li>Poetry and Elegant Prose.</li> <li>This manuscript is now IO Islamic 918 in the India Office collections.</li> <li>[metadata:<a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Loth"> Otto Loth, </a><a href="http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3923636">A Catalogue of the Arabic Manuscripts in the Library of the India Office</a>, (volume 1), no. 803 here with further notations and hyperlinks].</li> </ul> 803. 918. Size 9 in. by 51/4 in.; foll. 137. Eight, seventeen, and nineteen lines in a page. I.Foll. 1-5. Mu’în al-dîn Aḥmad b. ‘Abd al-razzâḳ ṬANṬARÂNÎ’S Ḳaṣîdah in praise of Niẓâm al-mulk (d. A.H. 485). It was published by De Sacy in his Chrestomathic, vol. ii. Plainly written, by Muḥammad ‘Ârif Mangalkûtî, A.H. 1134, at Dehli ( في بلدة دار الخلافة ) . Marginal notes. The MS. is much injured by damp, and has partly become illegible. II.Foll. 7-12. A short Commentary on an erotic Ḳaṣîdah, called اليتيمة , or the Orphan ; by ‘ABD AL-ḤAḲḲ B. ‘ABD AL-LAṬÎF ZUBAIRÎ. The Ḳaṣîdah begins: اراك طروباً والهاً كالمتيَّمِ تطوف باكناف السجاف المخيَّمِ It is stated at the beginning of the commentary, that the poem was called the Orphan, because the author of it was not known. It is also mentioned there that two verses of it are quoted in Ḥarîrî’s preface to his Maḳâmât. Now in the commentary on that work, 1 these verses are attributed to ‘ADÎ B. AL-RIḲÂ ‘, ‘Âmilî, a contemporary of Jarîr,2 and to the same the whole Ḳaṣîdah is ascribed in a note at the end of this MS. But the two verses given in the said commentary as those immediately preceding the quotation do not agree with the present text. It is probable, therefore, that the Ḳaṣîdah is supposititious, and only framed on the metre and rhyme of the old verses found in Ḥarîrî, which have been put at the end of the composition. III.Foll. 16-136. ZAUZANÎ’S Commentary on the Mu’allaḳât, with glosses. The Mu’allaḳâh of ‘Amr stands here after that of ‘Antarah. Some of the verses have been omitted; hence arose some confusion in the text (fol.125). On the few leaves which precede this piece are added a list of contents and various notes. Written in Nasta’liḳ, partly on red paper; the text of the poems in a large Naskh. This is the copy of one Muḥammad Yûsuf. It was transcribed A.H. 1133, during the reign of Muḥammad Shâh, at Dehli (در دار الخلافة) . The seal of Muḥammad Yûsuf is impressed on nos. II. And III. [Johnson.]     1 p. ۱ . of De Sacy’s edition. 2 See Hammer-Purgstall, Literaturgesch. ii. 334.

Poetry and Elegant Prose [IO Islamic 2280]

<ul> <li>Poetry and Elegant Prose.</li> <li>This manuscript is now IO Islamic 2280 in the India Office collections.</li> <li>[metadata:<a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Loth"> Otto Loth, </a><a href="http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3923636">A Catalogue of the Arabic Manuscripts in the Library of the India Office</a>, (volume 1), no. 802 here with further notations and hyperlinks].</li> </ul> 802. 2280. Size 71/2 in. by 51/2 in.; foll. 85. Twenty-one lines in a page. I.Foll. 1-77. ZAUZANÎ’S Commentary on the Mu’allaḳât. II.Foll. 78-84. A Commentary on Ka’b b. Zuhair’s Ḳaṣîdah in praise of Muḥammad, بانت سعاد . This commentary is different from that published by Lette and Freytag. Tabrîzî (d. A.H. 502) is quoted at the beginning of the introduction, on the authority of his pupil Jawâliḳî (d. A.H. 539); اخبرنا الشيخ الامام الاجل الاوحد ابو منصور موهوب 1 بن احمد بن محمد بن الخضر وفّقه الله تعالى لمرضاته الخ. The relation of Tabrîzî is founded on the following Isnâd: Abu Muḥammad Ibn al-Ḥasan Jauharî (d. A.H.454) , Abu ‘Omar Muḥammad b. al-’Abbâs b. Zakarîyâ b. Ḥaiyawaih (date, 1st Ṣafar, 327), al-‘Abbâs b. Zakarîyâ b. Ḥaiyawaih, ‘Abdallah b. ‘Amr, Ibrâhîm b. al-Mundhir, al-Ḥajjâj Muzanî,2 son of al-Raḳîbah b. ‘Abd al-raḥmân b. Ka’b, and great-grandson of the poet. This commentary, therefore, may be the work of Tabrîzî, or rather an abridgment of it. Cf. Cat. Mus. Brit. 316, DCXLV., no. lii. Closely written in Nasta’liḳ; the first ten foll. By a different hand. On the last fol. are two facetious poems, describing woman in various ages, from ten to a hundred years. The first of these poems begins: متى تلق بنت العشر قد بان ثديها. Written in a clumsy Naskh hand. [College of Fort William, 1832.]     1 MS. بن هوب . 2 MS. المرى .