Translations of Punjabi Poetry into English: An Analysis of Loss of Cultural Meaning in English Translation of Heer Waris Shah

Abstract

The present study aims at analysing the loss of cultural meaning and investigating strategies used by the translator in translating culturally bound words and expressions in the English translation of Heer Waris Shah by Sant Singh Sekhon. While translating cultural specific words and idiomatic expressions, the translators encounter many challenges that include a lack of equivalence between the SL and TL cultures. To overcome these difficulties, they use different strategies, including translation by paraphrasing, using a generic word, and using less expressive words. For this purpose, strategies proposed by Mona Baker (1992) and the typology of equivalence at world level were employed as a theoretical framework. The study is qualitative and analytical in design. The findings of study show that cultural loss is inevitable when a text is translated from one language to another. The findings also reflect that different kinds of non-equivalence require different strategies; it is the context and nature of translation that favour some strategies over others; otherwise, culturally bound concepts or expressions may lose their contextual significance and beauty of expression.