During the past few weeks, the main tasks that I worked on were writing, reading and speaking. Zari assigned a few songs to listen and watch. The second task that I completed was translating those songs from Persian to English. Then we spent most of our time discussing why literal translation of one language into another would not depict the real meaning behind something in its native language. The three songs that I watched were of Aryana Sayeed, Siavash Ghomeishi and Jamal Mubarez. The third task that I completed was reading poetry in Farsi.
What I hoped to accomplish during the past few weeks was to critically analyze translation from one language to another. One of the major ways that I did this form of analysis was reading Persian poems and then trying to convey a similar meaning in English. The second way that I approached this task was to closely listen to Persian (Farsi/Dari) songs and try to translate it to English. The approach that I took into translating these items was by imagining that I would have to tell what this song says to a non-native Persian speaker. I have attached below one of the poems that were sung by Siavash Ghomeishi. What I learned from this experience was that it doesn’t make sense to translate word to word but rather one has to translate in a way that (sometimes) it requires summarizing or using other phrases to convey the true meaning of a song or a poem. For example, take a look at the stanza below which is taken from a Persian poem. If I were to translate word to word, it would not make much sense, however, to show what that would sound like, I am going to do that here.
Which mountain are you that sun Sheds light through your eyes Fountain fountain the cloud of sacrifice Sleeps on your chest Which green gulf are you That is deep but its clear It’s clean and bright like a mirror It's kind like a fantasy |
تو کدوم کوهی که خورشید از تو چشم تو می تابه چشمه چشمه ابر ایثار روی سینه ی تو خوابه تو کدوم خلیج سبزی که عمیق ، اما زلاله مثل اینه پاک و روشن مهربون مثل خیاله |
So when you read the word to word translation in English of the poem, it sounds a bit awkward and lacks the actual meaning that the poem conveys in Persian. So there are two things that need to be done in order to truly understand the meaning and value behind this poem. One is to summarize the poem in a way that brings the true meaning of what it says in the native language. Second, for those interested in Persian poetry, you have to dive into this aspect of the culture to understand the history behind Persian poetry and why certain types of words are used. Words like fountain, mirrors, fantasy and clear have many meanings that are beyond the common meaning in English. Persian poetry is truly an art.
In a similar manner, I listened to the song by Aryana Sayeed (link below) and went through a similar process as the poem. All these were great exercises of the use of language in Persian. At the end of the week, Zari and I discussed the importance of these songs and poems in the native countries and how it plays a role in everyday life. I think once a non-native speaker starts understanding what songs mean in another language, that is one of the highest levels of proficiency in learning a language that can be achieved. It shows that you know what words mean, you can listen, understand and interpret it into your own language.
Overall, we are on a great path with our learning goals. The strategies that we used during this week were mainly through listening, writing and speaking. We used videos, poetry and songs for our lessons. These items can be found on Persian poetry websites and the youtube channel. For homework, I spent a couple of hours listening to more songs and took the time to reflect on what I heard.
Here is a funny example of what literal translation can do.
Link to Aryana Sayeed's Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-ZQ1PFTaCA
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