Assessing the Translation Methods Followed: English Versions of Kazi Nazrul Islam’s Bangla Rhyme “Prabhātī”

Abstract

This study makes a comparative analysis of the features of the Bangla rhyme “Prabhātī” by Kazi Nazrul Islam and those of its English translations, namely “Sleep No More, Baby” by Kabir Chowdhury and “Song of Dawn” by Sajed Kamal, to assess how far the features of the source text are preserved in the translated versions. The findings are then expressed in terms of the methods of translation suggested by Peter Newmark: word-for-word, literal, faithful, semantic, communicative, idiomatic, free, and adaptation. The findings indicate that both translations maintain some key aspects of the source text, such as genre, theme, tone, mood, personification and epizeuxis but they also exhibit such individual features as are indicative of the translation methods followed in those versions. Chowdhury’s version employs a rhyme scheme, occasionally sacrificing meaning to uphold this scheme, and includes expansions and additions that reflect a flexible approach. In contrast, Kamal’s version retains the number of lines and typography of the source text, prioritizing meaning over rhyme and exhibiting foreignization by incorporating culture-specific source-language words. The results suggest that Chowdhury’s translation aligns with Newmark’s semantic translation category, whereas Kamal’s version fits the faithful translation category.