Languages are much like living beings. They grow, and as time passes they slightly change form while maintaining their core essence. Languages require constant nourishment; otherwise, they die. Arabic is no exception. Even at a time that was labeled the 'period of ignorance' (of divine guidance), or as is known in Arabic as al-Jahiliyyah, people used language to duel before they drew a sword. And the sharpest of all forms of language was poetry.
Jim Al-Khalili says “... classical Arabic, being the language of the Qur'an, has not changed at all in fourteen centuries, making the writings of the early Islamic scholars as accessible today as they were then.” One can only fathom how a language so well preserved may have beautifully aged. Although its beauty may get lost in everyday speech, poets have guarded the true value of Arabic. It is through their selective choice of words that the language maintains its unrivaled depth, strength and elegance. As Ahmed Deedat says, “Language is the key to the heart of people.” But how can one’s heart realize the beauty of anything unless it’s exposed to it? Now the English speaking world can discover wonderful Arabic poetry that was never translated before.
Meet Sarah Maguire, founder of the Poetry Translation Centre at London University's School of Oriental and African Studies, who was raised in a family that didn’t travel much. It wasn’t until her late thirties that she set foot out of her hometown, West London. In 1996, Maguire was the first writer to be sent to Palestine by the British Council. This was followed by another trip to Yemen in 1998. This exposed Maguire to new cultures and their poetry. “I think there has been something quite stultifying about certain aspects of English poetry. What's needed is an injection of fresh blood. I think it is very important that poets in this country [the UK] now have access to poets of all different cultures, poets beyond the European. It's very difficult for us to understand the creative perspectives of anyone who has been brought up in an Islamic society for example. Poetry in Islam is the most important art form, a central part of life,” she expressed .
In 2004, Maguire founded the Poetry Translation Centre (PTC) which was a result of the poetry translation workshops she held from 2001 to 2003. “In 2001, I was on a placement with the Royal Literary Fund to teach writing skills, and what I realized was that there were people at SOAS who had access to some of the most phenomenally wonderful poetry in the world. I started running poetry translation workshops to bring some of these people together and to make some of this poetry more accessible,” Maguire shares . “We've translated poetry from over 15 languages, from many poets who had never been translated before. From the success of the workshops I set up a Poetry Translation Centre at SOAS, where I have a directorial role. From doing all this I realize how much poetry thrives on translation.”
With 400 translated poems to date on the PTC website, contemporary poetry from Africa, Asia and Latin America are available in English in 3 versions (the original poem, the literal translation and the translated poem).
With languages being quite context oriented, the approach seems rather smart as it gives poetry enthusiasts the opportunity to examine the poem on different linguistic levels. As with all translations, the original always has a particular unique beauty to it, even if the words are accurately translated. But even though the essence of a language may not be captured through translation, it is nevertheless a great initiative to spread different poetic traditions across the globe.
In an attempt to maintain standards and ensure quality poetry is being shared, Sarah Maguire does not accept poems that are promoted by the poets themselves, or their families for the matter. “No real poet ever asks to be translated,” she stresses .
If poetry is your thing, we highly advise you explore the gems on poetrytranslation.org and if you know a contemporary poet whose works are worth translating and sharing with different cultures, get in touch with Maquire.