and has been sent to the nations to foretell- wearing inappropriate coarse woolen garment- the arrival of

the great Shadwell, as has done John the Baptist- Prophet Yaḥyā in Islam, the forerunner of Jesus. Dryden
alludes to the deceased Flecknoe who boasted about the patronage of the Portuguese King, then back in
lines the monarch Flecknoe catches sight of Shadwell rowing a boat down River Thames. Referring to
Shawdell's Epsom Wells and to the farcical scene in his Virtuoso, Flecknoe contends that Shadwell has
had when sighted such matchless qualities that will never subject him to be tossed in a blanket. Flecknoe
also believes he has witnessed a new Arion, a legendary Greek poet who is saved from drowning by a
dolphin who has fallen for his music.

Problematic Account

Several considerable problems are manifest in the lines: the culturally bound expression "coarsely clad in
Norwich Drugget", the allusive reference to the Bible (Was sent before but to prepare thy way/ To teach
the nations in thy greater name; line 32 and line 34 respectively), the reference to the king of Portugal
(line 36), the geographic reference to the River "Thames" (line 38), the figurative expressions "well-timed
oars" (line 39) and the word "charge" (line 40), the reference to one of Shadwell's comedies, Epsom
Wells (line 42), and the Greek allusion to the legendary poet "Arion" (line 43).

First, Norwich is Shadwell's place of origin and is foreign geographical referent to Arab audience. The
translator is therefore assigned with enlightening the Arab reader about the satirical relationship between
the drugget and the English city of "Norwich" to which the word "drugget" is adjacent.

Second, line 32 and line 34 draw a parallel between the Biblical idea that Flecknoe is a forerunner of
Shadwell in the way that John the Baptist has been a forerunner of Christ, and for the parallel Dryden has
copied words from the Bible. The translator should thus provide a Arabic translation for the lines that bear
the Biblical denotation, and since the latter is used in the ST to produce an intended literary effect (i.e. to
intensify the satire on Shadwell) the translator cannot do without imparting to the Arab reader the literary
impact of the Biblical allusion. Otherwise, the attempted translation will be improper.

Third, Dryden refers to the fact that Flecknoe has had real-life relationship with the Portuguese king and
has boasted of the association, and the translator has thus to inform the Arab reader about the implied
historical fact. Fifth, that the River Thames is to be unknown to the Arab reader entails the problem that
the translator has to bridge the Arab reader's knowledge gap, but should additionally take care to find an
Arabic equivalent to the preceding word "silver" and therefore to the expression "sliver River Thames" as
a whole.

Fourth, "oars" intends the activity of rowing a boat that is associated with the oar rather than the physical
wooden structure, an associative meaning that consequently lacks Arabic lexicalization. Fifth, the word
"charge" is polysemous and the context suggests a poetic meaning that does not have direct Arabic
equivalent, namely charge signify a figure borne on a heraldic field- or in Arabic "‫"رﻣﺰ ﻣﻤﯿﺰ ﻟﺸﻌﺎر اﻟﻨﺒﺎﻟﺔ‬
(Merriam; Ba'labki, 2016, 216). The translator should then be cautious when portraying an equivalent
Arabic image.

Sixth, a more challenging problem is the reference to the scene in Shadwell's Virtuoso when Sir Samuel
Hearty is tossed in a farcical way in a blanket. In Mac Flecknoe, Dryden has on more than one occasion
referred to English dramatic works and playwrights that are foreign to the Arab reader, and the references

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