ابوالفضل حری

Translating poetry has always been a challenging issue for some reasons. Firstly, it is accompanied by cultural challenges. Secondly, it is considered untranslatable due to its unique qualities. Thirdly, the poet’s style, if not fully captured in translation, becomes a pale substitute for the original. Fourthly, issues related to Artificial Intelligence (AI) also arise. This article tried to analyze some of these issues in the light of the Persian translations of the literary techniques of Shakespeare's Sonnet 62 in a qualitative-explanatory way and with the help of human and machine intelligence tools. The main goal was to pay attention to the upcoming challenges in the translation of literary techniques. Farzad provided a fluent translation, Moghadam provided a relatively free translation, Shafa provided a translation faithful to the content, and Tabibzadeh provided an accurate and accepted translation of the sonnet. Among the AI tools, Google Translate provided a literal translation close to the original text, Telegram Bot provided a more complete and fluent translation, and OpenAI GPT provided a more accurate and human-like translation of the sonnet. It seemed that literary translation, especially poetry, required human intelligence creativity in order to bring its "alternative" presence closer to the "original".

This article investigates Bijan Najdi's story, “The Day of Horse-Falling,” in light of ecofeminist criticism and narratology. It explores how Najdi’s narrative portrays the oppression of women and nature within a patriarchal framework. The key questions addressed in this study are as follows: How does Najdi employ narratological techniques to link women and nature? And how do these methods relate to the power structures within feudal and tribal societies? This study aims to analyse Najdi’s narrative techniques in highlighting the double oppression of women and nature, and to present a comprehensive analysis of the patriarchal power relations in a traditional society. This study underscores the significance of Najdi’s story as an example of Iranian ecofeminist literature, which contributes to the awareness of women’s and environmental issues in Iran’s cultural context. Informed by ecofeminist and narratological approaches, the research presents a qualitative analysis of the story. It demonstrates how the solidarity between women and nature is portrayed through the perspectives of the horse and Asieh. Additionally, it examines Najdi’s poeticity and symbolic imagery in depicting identities and emotional connections. The findings reveal that by telling the narrative from the horse’s first-person point of view, Najdi challenges the patriarchal structure of the village. The disappearance of the horse and Asieh, followed by the horse's capture as well as by identity distortion, symbolises the persistent oppression of women in a patriarchal society. The study shows that power relations in such contexts are deeply entrenched, and attempts to evade them are often futile.

This article seeks, through a qualitative-explanatory approach and using available library tools based on the proposed translation norms by Toury, to demonstrate how the target language and culture readers receive, understand, and accept writers and works of the source language and culture. Two main questions are addressed: 1. How do translators perceive and understand the linguistic and especially cultural elements of source texts? 2. What happens if a single text in the source culture is decided to be translated into a single language in the target culture by more than two translators? It seems that readers of the target culture interpret and accept the contents of translated texts in a communication pattern and discourse significantly different from the pattern and discourse of the source culture. This article attempts to examine the understanding and acceptance of Sa’adi by five Western translators through the prism of how taboos are translated in a selection of stories from Gulistan in nineteenth-century England. The results show that Gladwin, Ross, and Eastwick prefer to relocate, soften, or remove taboos, while Platts prefers to translate taboos exactly or into Latin. Rehatesck, unlike other translators, tries neither to remove nor to soften or relocate taboos, nor to translate into Latin but rather translates all taboos like the original text and, through the strategy of fidelity and loyalty to the original text, presents Gulistan as it is to English-speaking readers, believing that previous translations of Gulistan are overly refined and sanitized.

Adopting a qualitative-explanatory approach and drawing upon available library resources, this study aims to delve into the tragedy of Karbala, with a focus on the concept of Dianoia/Thought as proposed by Aristotle. In Islamic perspectives, death is not viewed as the ultimate end, especially when it is seen as a martyr's sacrifice for truth in the face of oppression. One could propose that the divine Siavash transforms into Hussein, and the mourning associated with Siavash evolves into Ta’ziyeh. However, neither the historical-human persona of Hussein resembles the mythical or Aristotelian hero, nor does the underlying ideology of this event mirror Aristotle's concept of Dianoia, which is predominantly myth-based. On the contrary, Ta’ziyeh is deeply rooted in the religious and national myths of Iran through which the perpetual conflict between good and evil transcends the common time and space. Imam Hussain's (AS) actions during his uprising against the tyrants of his era align with the quest for human salvation as taught in the Quran as well as the Prophet's and the infallible Imams’ traditions. Initially, the commemoration of this uprising involved recitations of eulogies in gatherings, evolving over time into what is now recognized as mourning or lamentation ceremonies. These ceremonies serve as a representation, reenactment, and portrayal of the tragedies within the Quranic narrative of the Prophet's family. In Christian discourse, there are also performances about the suffering and pain of Jesus (AS). However, determining the exact origin and nature of what we now know as mourning, especially in Shia discourse, is a difficult task. Some consider its origin to be solely the Karbala uprising, some see it as influenced by ancient rituals, and others view it as similar to Christian rituals or even modern drama.  Nonetheless, the religious underpinnings derived from Quranic teachings significantly shape the religious essence of mourning. In conclusion, mourning exhibits fundamentally distinct foundations and principles compared to Aristotelian drama. Key findings include the similarities in origin and lineage between Ta’ziyeh and tragedy: 1) both Ta’ziyeh and tragedy are similar in origin and ancestry, but have completely distinct goals. 2) In Ta’ziyeh, "Thought" is based on the eternal conflict between absolute good and evil, while in tragedy, "Thought" is devoted to the conflict between individuals. 3) In Ta’ziyeh, the hero is aware of his inevitable fate, while in tragedy, the hero has no escape from death. 4) In Ta’ziyeh, the hero has no tragic flaw and is free from error, while in tragedy, the hero is flawed. 5) However, in Ta’ziyeh, the wretched is not flawed but sinful. 6) Both Ta’ziyeh and tragedy try to arouse fear and mercy, called catharsis, but each in its own specific way: In Ta’ziyeh, catharsis resulting from the audience's emotional empathy with the Imam-khans and their aversion to the Mukhalif-khans. In tragedy, catharsis resulting from the human fear and compassion for the action that is performed before their eyes. However, the similarities and differences between Ta’ziyeh and tragedy are not only related to Dianoia/Thought, but also include the components of ethos, lexis, and opsis, which need to be examined and analyzed separately.

This article analyzes The Last Step by Ali Mosaffa, an Iranian cinematic piece that creatively appropriates and parodies elements from James Joyce's "The Dead" and Leo Tolstoy's "The Death of Ivan Ilych". Employing a qualitative-explanatory approach, the study explores the film's intertextual relationships with the source texts, juxtaposing it with parodies of the works by Joyce and Tolstoy. The analysis not only dissects the film's playful reinterpretation of themes and motifs from these literary works but also situates this subtextual parody within the rich tapestry of Iranian culture, incorporating traditional music and architecture. Nostalgia emerges as a central theme, bridging the subtexts of the film's written, cinematic, musical, and architectural elements. The study reveals how the film, as a work in progress, establishes intricate intertextual relationships with the original stories, offering a fresh and engaging perspective on the source material. Through a nuanced exploration of parodying intertextuality, the article sheds light on the film's postmodern narrative style and its unique contribution to the cinematic landscape.

Rhetorical figures are the artistic use of language that, through the selection of specific linguistic and grammatical structures, assist poets in expressing their ideas and thoughts. These figures are highly structure-oriented and are lost in translation to another language. The loss of literary devices in the translation of poetic texts becomes even more perplexing because, in poetry, not only the meaning but also the form is important. And, since what is lost most in the translation of poetic language is the form, it is clear that poetic devices are also lost to a great extent. However, there are translators who are fully aware of the style, context, and form of both source and target languages and skillfully recreate these specific forms in the target language. Among English poets, Shakespeare has ingeniously and efficiently used literary devices in his theatrical and poetic works. Among Shakespeare's non-theatrical works, the two poems Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece, which have recently been translated into Persian, have significantly utilized literary devices. A general evaluation of the Persian translation of these selected devices in these two poems, based on functional equivalence, shows that the Persian translator has made great effort to translate these devices into Persian in an efficient manner and within the framework of a functional equivalence. This article aims to examine and evaluate a selected number of these devices in the Persian translation of the two poems within the framework of functional equivalence.

This qualitative article employs an analytical-explanatory approach and is based on library resources to examine the relationship between World Literature, Global Literature, and Cosmopolitan Literature through the lens of Comparative Literature. The study aims to clarify the distinctions and connections between these three concepts to better understand the position of Iranian literature within Global Literature. Several questions are raised: “Are World Literature and Global Literature synonymous, or are they distinct?” “How do they relate to Cosmopolitan Literature?” “What connections do they share with Comparative Literature?” Some scholars consider World Literature and Global Literature interchangeable. Others view World Literature as comprising outstanding works from local literature that have achieved recognition either through translation or in their original language at transnational and international levels. The findings reveal that World Literature is retrospective, focusing on canonical historical works, while Global Literature is contemporary and a product of modern globalization processes. Additionally, the concept of Cosmopolitan Literature, which emphasizes a sense of global belonging and cultural interactions, closely aligns with these two. Comparative Literature serves as a framework for analyzing these relationships and strengthening the connection between Persian literature and global currents.

This article offers a comparative analysis of Shakespeare’s and Iraj Mirza’s adaptations of a Greek myth, examined through the lens of André Lefevere’s translation strategies. Iraj Mirza, either through French translations of Shakespeare's works or via Lotfali Souratgar’s prose and verse translations, attempts a poetic adaptation of the Greek myth of Venus and Adonis in his unfinished poem Zohreh and Manouchehr. In all three works, the core narrative revolves around the main characters, Venus/Zohreh and Adonis/Manouchehr, where the heroine persistently pursues the hero, who resists her advances. From Ovid to Shakespeare, the heroine's romantic entreaties become more pronounced, and in Iraj Mirza's version, these feminine desires acquire a distinct earthly sensibility. The key transformation, particularly in Iraj Mirza’s adaptation, lies in his integration of Iranian tradition and culture, infusing the narrative with a distinctly Iranian atmosphere. In conclusion, through its journey from the English Renaissance to the Iranian Renaissance, including a free translation from another free translations, the Greek myth undergoes several forms of metamorphosis. This article explores and explicates these transformations through the framework of Lefevere’s translation strategy of adaptation.

This article examines the intertextual relations and conceptual chaining among punishment and merciful narratives in the four stories of Surah An-Naml. The is to identify and analyze the conceptual and semantic links between the stories in this chapter of the Quran. A qualitative method and thematic analysis of the narratives in terms of conceptual and textual chaining at both micro and macro levels are employed. The research data includes verses related to the four stories of Surah An-Naml, which are examined comparatively. In this study, key concepts such as intertextual relations and conceptual chaining are initially defined, and then the relevant theoretical background is presented. Comparative analysis of the narratives in this chapter reveals that these stories have strong intertextual links and multiple conceptual chaining that contribute to Surah's coherence and semantic order. The findings indicate that intertextual relations and conceptual chaining among the stories in this Surah not only aid in a better understanding of the concepts but also support a more precise and comprehensive interpretation of these narratives, aligning with the purposes and objectives of Surah An-Naml, which are to admonish and warn the people. The main conclusion of the research emphasizes the importance of examining intertextual relations and conceptual chaining in Quranic studies. It shows that this approach can lead to the discovery of new semantic and interpretive patterns in religious texts. Additionally, the results of this study can improve educational methods and the interpretation of Quranic texts, providing new insights for researchers and Quranic commentators.

This article compares four Persian translations of Shakespearean sonnets, analyzing selected verses in light of Holmes's proposed translation strategies. The study aims to identify prevailing translation strategies. According to Holmes, the translated poetry is a "meta-poetry," and the translator, a “meta-poet”, attempts to recreate the verbal identity within a more or less similar structure to the original poem. The methodology is qualitative-analytical and aligns with the translation studies map. The four types of meta-poem—imitative, analogical, organic, and deviant—are categorized into two approaches: "form-derivative" for the first two and "content-derivative" for the latter two. The results show that Tabibzadeh's translation follows an analogical strategy, producing translations that resemble the meta-poetry of Shakespearean sonnets in Persian. Tafazzoli's translation is form-derivative, Moghadam's translation employs a deviant strategy, and Abjadiyan's translation adopts a middle path. Overall, this study highlights the importance of translation strategies in creating effective and faithful translations of poetry.

This article delves into the transformative journey from formal literature to folk literature, scrutinizing the diverse forms and content that storytelling assumes during this transition. The theoretical underpinning of this exploration is grounded in the dichotomy between orality and literacy, as well as the concepts of presence and absence in oral storytelling elucidated by Walter Benjamin in "The Storyteller." Additionally, Marzolf's classification of literature into “formal”, “popular”, and “folk” genres provides a conceptual framework for understanding this literary evolution. Employing a qualitative-explanatory approach and relying on library research methods, this article conducts a comparative analysis of two renditions of the "Fair Division" folktale, classified under the Arné-Thompson type 510. The selected versions hail from both classical and folk sources: a moralistic interpretation found in the Javamehʻ al-ḥikāyāt by Ufi, and a humor-laden rendition from an Arakī folktale. The analysis concentrates on the thematic, linguistic, and structural attributes of these two versions. The moralistic tone of ʻUfī's version and the satirical tone of the Arakī version are discussed, highlighting the need to consider the political agency of vernacular literature. The linguistic and structural features of the two versions are also examined.

This article delves into the definition, performative lineage, and, notably, the three origins—mythical, religious, and socio-political—of ta'ziyyeh. The primary inquiry is the roots of ta'ziyyeh and the reasons behind its formation within the Shi'a discourse. The research employs a qualitative-explanatory approach, utilizing available library tools and drawing from diverse Iranian and non-Iranian primary sources. From a mythological perspective, ta'ziyyeh is associated with ancient Iranian rites, including the "lamentations of Mithra", "the legacy of Zoroastrian Zerir" and, notably, "the mourning of Siavash", all falling under the overarching title of "Divine Martyrdom." From a religious standpoint, the article explores the ties between ta'ziyyeh and Islamic teachings, particularly the fundamental ideology of the dichotomy of good and evil.Additionally, the potential connection between ta'ziyyeh and the representation of the sufferings of Christ in medieval Christian traditions is discussed. From a socio-political perspective, the article examines how the Shi'a discourse, driven by the belief in the usurpation of divine governance by oppressors, has historically endeavored to assert its rights through uprising. It explores how ta'ziyyeh, as a religious performance, intertwines with its Iranian national traditions and rituals to emphasize the eternal confrontation between good and evil. These three mythological, religious, and socio-political origins lay the groundwork for establishing the connection between ta'ziyyeh and tragedy in further research.

This article explores the semiotic approach, as a post-structuralist method, for analyzing folktales, with a specific focus on the story of "Haji Luva'as." In contrast to the structuralist approach, which primarily examines fixed and variable elements, as well as the thirty-one functions and seven spheres of action, the semiotic approach, particularly rooted in Greimas-2, delves deeper by considering the underlying meanings and concepts. This approach illustrates how the semiotic square becomes evident in the narrative syntax on the surface level. Subsequently, these deep and surface structures are realized in discourse syntax, contributing to the development of discursive meaning. Greimas-2 aims to construct discursive meaning through semiotic analysis while acknowledging the limitations of structuralist semiotics, viewing them as "meaning deficiencies." This article seeks to provide an analytical and explanatory response to the question of what unique characteristics the semiotic approach brings to the examination of folktales and how it differs from a purely descriptive and structuralist approach.

Real Saʾdi Versus Implied Sa’di in the Prologue of Golestân AbstractIn narratology, the discussion of the six components of the narrative communicative model has given rise to heated debate. The author discusses the six components of the narrative communicative model and how they relate to the external and internal voices of the narrator. The real Saʾdi Shirazi is the composer of the works, but there is also an implied author who mediates between the real Sa’di and the narrator. The narrator's voice conveys the Prologue of Golestân to the reader/narrator, while Saʾdi Shirazi's voice can indicate his ideology as a real author. However, the works are not a direct reflection of the real Sa’di's positions, but rather he expresses his point of view through textual tools. The article examines the real and implied position of Saʾdi in the Prologue of Golestân, using the authorial Saʾdi as a solution to discuss contradictions and paradoxes attributed to the real Sa’di. From this position, Golestân and Bustân are the works by this authorial Saʾdi rather than the real Saʾdi mentioned in the tazkiras.

Based on qualitative-explanatory research grounded in the concept of "rewriting" within the "School of Manipulation", this article  demonstrated how Fitzgerald rewrote the poem of Jamī based on the two types of poetic and ideological rewriting. The former followed the rules of the era, while the latter referred to the role of supporters among others. The findings showed that Fitzgerald's numerous manipulations were due to not only facing linguistic and poetic differences, but also adapting to the culture and ideology of his time. The most important results included representation of Iranian cultural and literary elements, particularly those related to Sufi literature, in Fitzgerald's rewritings. He created a different and sometimes imaginary representation of Iranian culture and literature, which was more in line with Western expectations. Additionally, Fitzgerald rewrote the text to conform to the cultural capital in English networks and social circles. These adaptations included selecting new words, changing sentence structures, and even deleting or adding parts of the original text to make the final product more appealing to English readers. The overall conclusion was that Fitzgerald's rewritings of Jamī's poems were not just simple translation, but a complex process of cultural rewriting and representation that involved ideology, poetics, and social expectations. These findings helped to better understand cultural interactions between East and West in the modern era and demonstrated how literary translations and rewritings could be a means of cultural transmission and transformation.

This article examines the grammar of narration in a selection of Qur’an’s punishment-oriented stories. The general structure of these stories is based on the fact that God sends a Prophet to guide a nation or a group; the deniers oppose the call of the Prophet; the Prophet endures many hardships and sufferings; the opponents keep on being stubborn and opposing; the Prophet asks God for help; God answers the Prophet's prayers and punishes that nation and group in different ways. The question is whether it is possible to provide a general model of the analysis of the narrative deep structures of these stories? The main events of these stories are based on the three main structures of monotheism, denial, and justice, which are performed by the three practitioners: God, the Prophet, and the people. According to the semiotic square of Greimas, monotheism (life) comes against disbelief (non-life): from disbelief come oppression and injustice, and subsequently, oppression turns into non-oppression or justice. In the light of the revelation context, the inter-narrative relationship between the story of the Prophets of the past times and the biography of the Prophet (S.A.W.) can also be seen. These stories have the criterion for measuring the actions of the addressees. Therefore, these stories leave mere history and, in terms of discourse, enter the continuous flow of time.

This article demonstrates how Persian and English translators have recreated the simile marker "k'ann", as one of the most prevalent words of resemblance, in a total of 25 verses of the Quran. Simile markers are considered one of the four componants of simile, and simile is one of the literary techniques that falls under the science of meanings in Islamic rhetoric. Recent studies have used figurative images instead of simile itself, which include sensory and imaginary elements. These two types of images are among the building blocks of rhetorical images that mainly serve the Quran's religious goals. This article aims to provide a descriptive and comparative analysis of selected translations, focusing on similes using "as if" as the most common form of comparison. Persian and English translators have mostly equated these images with textual images, and therefore, have translated them into a similar image in the target language. Translators have translated this simile marker as "گویی" in Persian and "as if/though" in English at the word level. Persian translators have used present or future tense verbs after this phrase, and English translators have used past tense verbs. However, it is necessary to pay attention to the textual features of similes in translating images. Overall, Persian and English translators have translated similes into similar but sometimes more explicit similes in accordance with Yarmohammadi's classification taken from Newnark. The acceptability of the translations by the readers on the one hand and the time, and the chronological order of translation, especially regarding the English ones, on the other hand have been the basis for selecting translations. On the whole, all translators have translated this simile marker literally.

This paper explores the typology of speech and thought representation in selected Quranic stories, utilizing narrative discourse to establish a theoretical and practical framework. It primarily focuses on renowned models such as Toolan (2001) and McHale's (1978) models, among others. After a thorough examination of these theoretical models, this paper aims to apply them using examples extracted from the Quranic stories. A notable finding suggests that the representation of speech and thought in the Quran ranges from a directly diegetic mode to an indirectly mimetic mode. This range contributes to the Quranic discourse being a vibrant and dynamic form of communication. The primary purpose of these aspects is to establish a dynamic and engaging interaction between the Quranic discourse and its audience. In general, the typology of speech and thought representation is closely linked to the oral nature of the Quranic discourse.

This paper assesses the content as well as the Persian Translation quality (TQA) of Fables of the Ancients by A. Dundes. Dundes tried to show that Qur'an, and especially its stories, is rooted in the stories of other religious books, and hence, it can be viewed from the perspective of oral literary theories. But for some reasons, Dundas does not succeed in examining the Qur'an as folklore. This essay, on the one hand, tries to study Dundes' views and opinions about the Quran as a book, especially his research methodology, in the light of the the other Quranic scholars' opinions, and on the other hand, is  a kind of assessment of the quality of its Persian translation at the lexical, syntactic, and semantic levels. Dundes' analysis and explanation of the the Qur'anic tales is considered superficial. Generally, Dundes has paid much attention to the unique stylistic features of the Quranic discourse, and how these features are employed as a vehicle for a specifically religious message. However, the more the translator comes to the end of the book; the more her translation becomes coherent, acceptable, and communicative. However, the translation still needs to be edited once again.

Richards believes that the phoenix in Attar's poetry is a guide for the soul's return to God. The present study discusses how accurate Richard’s words about Shakespeare's poetry are. Shakespeare's poem is about a mourning gathering where birds have prepared for two lovers and their beloved, turtle-dove and the phoenix, which have recently passed away. What connects Shakespeare's poetry to the tradition of Persian mysticism is a type of mystical knowledge that comes through discovery and intuition, not through conscious awareness and logical reasoning. The most important similarity between the two works is the merging of the phoenix in Attar's poem and the turtle with the phoenix in Shakespeare's poetry. The most important difference is that in Attar's poem, the birds embark on a mystical journey to unite with the phoenix, but in Shakespeare's poetry, it is not a journey or spiritual practice, but rather pure and platonic love between the phoenix and turtle. Another point is that both works pay attention to the concept of reason: reason is amazed by this mystical journey and the unity and indescribability of the lover and the beloved. However, the most common point is that both the phoenix and turtle and the Simurgh must perish in order to achieve immortality. The turtle and the phoenix see their survival in the newly-born phoenix. In the end, the unity of existence in Islamic mysticism corresponds and resembles Platonic love: both transcend the sensory world and enter the ideal world.

The main point is how translation as a system plays a role in the emergence and transformation of the Persian pre-Constitutional literary poly-system. As a tool, translation makes a change not only in the social and political sectors of the community but also in the development of the cultural and literary systems of society. In the pre-Constitutional era, the prevalence of translation led to the emergence of new patterns that have not previously been prevalent in the community. Meanwhile, Even-Zohar’s poly-system theory can offer illuminating insights into the literary and cultural poly-system prevalent in the pre-Constitutional era. Overall, the translation system brings with it some new literary genres into the repertoire of the Persian literary and cultural poly-system. Therefore, the translation system, along with other systems, plays an important role in producing newly-born genres in the pre-modern Iranian literary poly-system.

This paper lays emphasis on the role of interdisciplinary and cultural studies in explaining comparative literature. Here, some issues are raised. First, literature is not limited to written texts and all types of written and non-written texts are possible. Second, we do not have a precise definition of comparative literature as a "discipline," that is, a system of study. Third, in addition to disciplinary studies, there is also discussion of interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, postdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary studies. The debate is when and how can comparative literature become a cultural study? This paper tries to briefly point out some issues related to the connection between cultural studies, interdisciplinary, and comparative literature and explain the relationship between them. Hence, first the background is mentioned, and then the theoretical foundations of the discussion are explained. Different definitions of culture are also mentioned, and interdisciplinary discussions related to cultural studies and comparative literature are reviewed. An attempt is then made to review the interdisciplinary issues of comparative literature as a discipline. This paper is an introduction to the discussion of the relationship between comparative literature and other arts.

This article examines the connection of national literature with the concept of world literature. From Goethe's point of view, national literature is the opposite of the literature that he calls "world literature". But are national literatures in general and other literatures "against", "opposite", or "contrary" to the view of "world literature" or "next to" and “complementary" to world literature? It is obvious that world literature owes its life, maturity and development to national literature, if a work does not first enter the domain of national literature of a country, it is less likely that it can become the domain of world literary works. Of course, there is no direct connection between national literature and world literature, that is, there is no requirement that the work must be national in order to be included in the cycle of world literature. However, being national means achieving the necessary indicators and qualities at the national level, may provide the ground for the national effect to enter the national and international level. In fact, the richness of world literature may depend on the richness of national literature and vice versa. However, if there is no mention of national literature, there will be less news about world literature. This article tries to examine the relationship between national and world literature from a theoretical perspective.

This article analyzes the words and types of humor and sarcasm represented in the Qur’an. Humor in the Qur’an is not similar to the comic situations in human worldly life, rather the subtle (naghz) words and warnings or the pleasant and painful remarks are among the mostly indirect Qur’anic expressions, which include many metaphorical, analogical, and allegorical types. These types contain subtle points that sometimes cause exhilaration and sometimes bewilderment of the listener. The main questions are: What kind of typology do these species have? “What procedure do they enjoy? And what are their theological and aesthetic functions?” This article first refers to the background of the discussion and then to the words representing humor and the types and patterns of satire, and analyzes them in terms of typology and the way each genre functions by giving examples of Qur’anic verses. These types range from subtle statements to allegorical short stories, and aggressive humor such as sarcasm, snide remarks, vituperation, satire, and parody. With the help of these genres, the Qur’an creates a kind of situation that is sometimes pleasant and humorous, sometimes satirizing the evil-minded and caricaturing the face of hypocrites, and sometimes it is allegorical and especially ironic. Of course, these species have been intermingled in such an efficient way that it is sometimes difficult to distinguish among them.

This paper aimsto reveal how the universals of translation (henceforth, UsT) can beregarded as a manner to examine the translator'sstyle in the TL. In doing so, this paper examines how Saleh Hosseini, as an Iranian literary translator,  made his style through the changes he completed at each micro-and macro-levels shift to result in his discursive presence and/or style in the novels he has translated into Persian. After having reviewed the main theories on shifts  including Nida, Catford, Leuven-Zwart, and Baker, this paper takes Baker’s definition of style as the translator’s ‘thumbprint’ as a way to approach the UsT in Hosseini’s Persian translations. Having occurred with the translated texts than with the original, the UsT are: ‘explicitation’, ‘normalization’, ‘levelling out’, and ‘simplification’ (Baker, 1996). Having selected 44 sentences from the three translated novels into Persian by Hosseini as a corpus, this paper indicates that the ratio of ‘normalization’ is much higher than the other three universals, meaning that Hosseini, through adhering to the norms of the Persian language, came to this universal as one of the signposts of his discursive presence, voice, and style in his translations.