TRANSLATING MYSTICISM: SOCIO-CULTURAL VARIANCE IN BULLEH SHAH’S POETRY

Abstract

Mystical poetry presents unique challenges for translators due to its cultural and spiritual depth. This study compares two English translations of five poems by Bulleh Shah, undertaken by Kartar Singh Duggal, a postcolonial Punjabi native speaker, and Reynold A. Nicholson, a colonial non-native speaker. Using Eugene Nida’s (1975) and Christiane Nord’s (2018) translation theories, the analysis highlights distinct approaches: Duggal favors sense-for-sense rendering, while Nicholson adopts a word-for-word method aligned with target audience expectations. These strategies, though altering aspects of the original mystical meaning, reflect the translators’ differing socio-cultural contexts. The findings suggest that Nicholson demonstrates clearer loyalty to both source and target texts, while Duggal emphasizes cultural resonance. The study offers insights for translators and scholars engaged in the interpretation of mystical poetry across linguistic and cultural boundaries.