Research Questions

How the cultural aspects and elements are rendered in English translation of Umrao Jan Ada by
Mirza Muhammad Hadi Ruswa.

How the ideological and socio-political context govern the English translation of Umrao Jan Ada

What are the translation techniques and strategies used by translator to represent source text
culture in target language context.

Data

‫ واہ واہ بس حان ہللا‬:‫حض ار ج لسہ‬

This met with approval from the whole company.

The source text reflects the particular cultural aspect of the Lucknow. As in 19th century, poetry,
music, literature and art were the essence of Lucknow. When Umrao recites a ghazal, all the
listeners appraise him by saying ‘wah, wah’. The translator has omitted this particular reply by
the people. He has manipulated this cultural aspect and literary taste of the people of Lucknow.
The translator has subverted the particular image of the source text culture in target culture. This
shows the conscious manipulation by the translator according to socio political and cultural
context of the target language. It seems that the norms of the target culture acts as a governing
force in transference of the meanings of this particular expression.
‫ش‬
‫ہ م اسی ران ع ق کو ص ی اد‬
‫ت‬ ‫ن‬
‫ہ وس ب ال و پر ہی ں ہ و ی‬
‫ت‬
‫ عریف‬:‫اح ب اب‬
‫ت‬
‫س‬
‫ لی م‬:‫امراؤ‬
‫ن‬ ‫غ ن‬
‫لط ا داز ہ ی س ہی وہ ظ ر‬
‫ت‬ ‫ن‬
‫یک وں مرے حال پر ہی ں ہ و ی‬
‫خ‬ ‫ن‬ ‫خ‬
‫ے۔‬
‫ہ‬ ‫کہا‬ ‫وب‬ -‫ے‬ ‫ی‬ ‫ہ‬ ‫ا‬ ‫ ہ اں ہ و چ‬:‫ان صاحب‬
‫ا‬
‫ق‬
‫ م طع ال حظ ہ و‬:‫امراؤ‬
‫ہ‬ ‫م‬
Ah, hunter! We, your prey ensnared by love,
 Have no desire for wings to help us fly

A misfired glance strayed from the goal it sought

And never reached my own poor heart. But why?

Indeed, it should have done, said khan sahib, inviting the final verse

The above extract is an example of deletion of a highly cultural expression by the translator. The
cultural expression ‘ahbab: tareef, Umrao: tasleem is omitted. On the other hand, the praise to the
Umrao poetry by the Khan Sahib as ‘Khob kha ha’ is also omitted in the target culture. The
translator has omitted these expressions by consciously intervening in the act of transfer. The
translator does not care for these details of the source text. These realities of the source text
culture are omitted in the target text. It seems that the translator has ignored the literary and
aesthetic beauty as well as beautiful cultural realities of the source text in translation.
ُ ‫ت‬
‫خل ن‬ ‫ن‬ ‫ض‬ ‫ئ‬ ‫ن‬
‫ے دیے۔ ج‬ ‫ت‬ ‫ خ ر اب ع‬:‫ڑے ن واب‬
‫ے۔ ورن ہ آپ کے عیش می ں ل ا داز‬
‫ہ‬ ‫ا‬ ‫کر‬ ‫عرض‬ ‫رور‬ ‫امر‬ ‫ک‬ ‫ا‬ ‫ے‬
‫ھ‬ ‫م‬ ‫ہ‬ ‫ر‬ ‫کو‬ ‫م‬ ‫کری‬ ‫و‬ ‫م‬ ‫ی‬ ‫ظ‬ ‫ی‬ ‫ب‬
‫ی ن ت‬ ‫ج‬
‫ہ وا‬‫ہ‬
‫ن‬
‫ ارش اد‬:‫واب‬

‘Leave the formalities and ceremonies. I have something important to say to you’

The Nawab begged him to speak

The translation reflects the deletion of two culturally significant expressions. The translator does
not care for the culturally significant realities of the source text. He has simply omitted the
gestural and cultural expression of the source text in translation. The translation reflects the
presence of the translator in intervention process.

‫قق‬ ‫ق ف ئ ف ت‬
‫ورن ہ می ں ک ی ا می ری ح ی ت ک ی ا‬:‫ آپ سب صاحب در ا زا ی رماے ہ ی ں‬:‫امراؤ‬
Umrao was touched. ‘thank you gentlemen’, she said. You are really too kind. But for your
generosity. I am nothing.

This is the conversation between Umrao Jan and the people in Mushaira setting. All were
praising the ghazal of Umrao Jan ada. The translator has used the strategy of addition while
translating this extract. It reflects the interventions by the translator. The reality of the source text
is explicated in the target culture due to the need of the target audience and cultural norms of the
target text. The translator has substituted it and domesticate it according to particular mechanism
of the target culture. The translator as a mediator of the source culture filters and transfers
meanings according to his own context.
‫ن‬ ‫ن‬ ‫ن ت‬ ‫بخ‬
‫ می ں ے و ب ہت سجم ھای ا می رے سالے ے ن ہ ما ا‬-‫ می ں ک ی ا کروں‬:‫پ یر ش‬
What can I do about it? I told this bloody fellow. He wouldn’t listen.

In this extract, the translator has used the strategy of substitution. The translator has changed the
reality of the source text in the target text. He has translated the word ‘Sala’ as ‘bloody fellow’
which is misrepresentation of this identity of the source text culture in target language. This
intercultural transfer shows that translator misrepresented and manipulated the identity which is
not at all an innocent move. The realization is different in both texts which reflects the socio
political context of the translator i.e. he is not well aware of the cultural aspects of the source
text.
‫ش ت ن ت‬ ‫ش‬ ‫ٹ ش‬ ‫ت‬ ‫ت ش‬ ‫ت‬ ‫خن‬
‫ن‬
‫ے کے آالت ج و ے ھی ادر ھی۔‬ ‫ے‬
‫ک‬ ‫ں‬
‫ب ی پ ی‬‫م‬ ‫اڑہ‬ ‫امام‬ ‫ھی‬ ‫کے‬ ‫ڑھ‬ ‫چ‬ ‫ڑھ‬ ‫ب‬ ‫سے‬ ‫وں‬‫ی‬‫ڈ‬ ‫ر‬ ‫کی‬ ‫ہر‬ ‫مام‬ ‫داری‬ ‫ہ‬ ‫ی‬‫عز‬ ‫کی‬ ‫م‬ ‫ا‬
The ceremony for the mourning of Hussain, organized by Khanum was one of the finest in the
city.

Here, the unique cultural image is lost in translation. The translator has discarded the expression
which reflects the beauty of ‘Imam Bara’. He has simply omitted it. On the other hand, the
phrase ‘shehr ki randiya’ is also deleted by the translator. The translation presents the different
image of the source text reality in target text. The translator’s removal of such expressions shows
the socio cultural and ideological context of the translation.