A Comparative Study of the Translations of " Mathnavi"

Since the eighteenth century, Rumi's Mathnavi has been translated into several different European languages, especially into English. This process along with the translation of other poems byRumi has accelerated in the last two decades. Therefore, Rumi's poetry, both in terms of quantity and quality, has a unique position around the world, and has fascinated multitudes of Rumi's enthusiasts. The translations, of course,are not of the same authority. The first translations of the Mathnavi, such as those by Winfield, Wilson and Nicholson, enjoyed more accuracy and trustworthiness; contemporary translations,however, are looking to attract more readers through verbal beauty rather than precision in meaning, to the extent that some of them, such as Barks’ and Helsinki’s, are rewritings of the previous translations. One of the newest translations is a poetic one by Mojaddedi; because of both its trustworthiness and maximum transmission of concepts and the observance of poetic techniques, it provides a better communication between Rumi and the English-speaking audiences. In spite of this, Coleman Barks, an American poet, has provided the best-selling English translations of Masnavi. Without any acquaintance with Persian language,and with the help of older English translations, has translated Rumi's poems − especially many sections of Mathnavi −into contemporary English.