Translating Traditional Folk Poetry: The Perception of Translators and Translation Students and the Reality in Saudi Society

Abstract

Despite the massive presence and influence of traditional folk poetry (TFP) within Saudi society, the efforts to translate such works remain very limited. While many authors and researchers have examined the impact of this literary genre and illustrated its prominence, academic investigations into the difficulties of translating TFP works are almost nonexistent. This is also true about studies that focus on the overarching sentiment regarding these efforts among those who are associated with the field of language and translation and among members of the general public. This paper thus aims at examining these perspectives and outlining the challenges translation trainees face when performing tasks in this field. The data for this study was collected through the dissemination of a questionnaire and the analysis of a translation task assigned to university students in an academic program for English language and translation. The qualitative and quantitative analysis of the data shows that the level of acceptance of TFP translation efforts is strongly connected to the degree of association with the field of languages and translation, with individuals from outside these circles being less supportive of initiatives in this domain. Additionally, the paper identified several obstacles and challenges encountered by translation students working on TFP texts. The paper concludes with a number of recommendations and suggestions that can, hopefully, contribute to the efforts to raise awareness about translating TFP and to the process of improving the current state of translation within this field.

Introduction

Despite the enormous popularity of traditional folk poetry (TFP) within Saudi society, attempts to translate works in this genre are limited. This can be attributed to the several misconceptions that exist about the role and value of Spoken Arabic varieties within the diglossic Saudi society. These misconceptions negatively affect the way people view these varieties (and the spoken code in general) and the arts associated with them. For example, many within Arabic-speaking societies view spoken Arabic as being a corrupted, simplified form of Fus’ha Arabic, that is less complex and not as eloquent (Suleiman, 2004; Versteegh, 2001). Additionally, while Saudis may believe that it is normal to have a spoken variety of the Arabic language, they demonstrate significantly low enthusiasm for any formal treatment of it (Bin Towairesh, 2020). The constant comparison between traditional folk poetry and Fus’ha (Standard/Classical, or MSA) Arabic literature, without understanding the linguistic context of a stable diglossia, can contribute to the negative attitudes against translating traditional folk poetry.

Traditional folk poetry is defined as “the poetry produced and spread by commoners throughout the Arabian Peninsula”Sowayan (1985, p. 156). This entails the use of the nonstandard spoken Arabic varieties, as opposed to Fus’ha Arabic. Traditional folk poetry is an integral part of the cultural life of local societies in Saudi Arabia, which is an issue that has been discussed and affirmed by several researchers and commentators, including Bin Khamies (1982), AlOtaibi (1986), and Sowayan (1985, 2006). One of the most prominent cultural figures in the Arabian Peninsula, Abdullah Bin Khamies described traditional folk literature as a fertile discipline with great effect and influence. He argued that this art form can sometimes be disregarded and left in the realm of oblivion (within the official cultural context) because of the several misunderstandings that surround it. He indicated that the responsibility to raise awareness about this art form’s significance and role in the nation’s culture, tradition, and legacy is on the shoulders of the local literary specialist (Bin Khamies, 1982).

This relative state of neglect extended to the efforts to translate the works of this genre and lasted for decades after these remarks by Bin Khamies. Until very recently, it was difficult to find any attempts to translate traditional folk literature or any recognition of its value among classical literary intellectuals. However, the appreciation and acceptance of this art form by members of the general public have consistently and exponentially grown over the years. This can be attributed to mass dissemination through social media and the introduction of several satellite TV channels that specialize in this art.

The official perspective on this issue, however, shifted strongly in the last few years as part of the many social and cultural changes that Saudi society is undergoing on both the social and the official levels. In 2018, the Ministry of Culture was established as a separate entity after being part of the Ministry of Media for several decades. Soon after, the Minister of Culture announced the creation of the Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission as the official government entity that oversees all translation and literary activities in the kingdom. The commission achieved a lot of success in supporting translation efforts and revitalizing the local literary scene. In 2020, the commission posted several local folk poetry verses and proverbs on its official social media accounts, on different occasions, encouraging its followers to translate these sayings into the languages they speak. These posts represented the first signs of official acceptance and support for translating folk literature and were indicative of the actions that the ministry and the commission aimed to take on this issue. The posts, however, were not welcomed by all, and some commentators expressed clear dissatisfaction at the emphasis placed on the role of spoken Arabic literature by an official organization. Another clear indication of the support for spoken Arabic culture and tradition is the Culture Minister’s 2021 announcement about a major research project funded by the ministry to preserve the heritage of local Saudi dialects and support linguistic diversity. This announcement was connected to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which implies that the project is part of the new perspective on language and culture that official organizations are adopting following the major progressive social and cultural changes taking place in the kingdom (AlMowaten, 2021).

There are no studies investigating the difficulties associated with translating traditional folk poetry in Saudi society or the attitudes held by the public towards funding or starting projects in this field. Literary works of this genre represent a core component of the local culture and serve as a symbol of the traditional heritage of all the regions that constitute Saudi society. Thus, there is a pressing need to convey the characteristics of this rich cultural heritage to the outside world, especially with the new era of openness and inclusion that Saudi society is witnessing. The kingdom currently aims at becoming a major tourist destination and many Saudi cities are now welcoming visitors from all over the world. Translated traditional folk literary works can, for instance, introduce tourists and visitors to local Saudi culture by painting an authentic picture of Saudi Arabia’s beautiful customs and rituals.

Although some Arab researchers have discussed the issue of translating traditional folk poetry (TFP) on a limited scale, including AlShareef (2020) and AlRowis (2010), a full academic investigation into this topic within the Arabian Peninsula region is still lacking. Nonetheless, this issue has been raised in the media by those who believe that there is an obligation to harness the potential unrealized benefits of translating works in this genre (Bader, 2017). Furthermore, some editorials have tried offering diagnoses of the biggest obstacles on the path of translating TFP (within the UAE context, for example) (AlRoeya, 2015).

Research Objectives

This paper aims at investigating the possibilities for, and the difficulties in, translating traditional Saudi folk poetry. To achieve this goal, the researcher collected data from translation students (trainees), career translators/language specialists, and members of the general public. The objective is to determine the acceptability of translating this literature among these social and professional groups and the perceived complications associated with it. The second objective is to gather information on the reasons why people accept or reject such translation efforts and the factors that may influence their decision on this matter. Finally, it is hoped that the translation students’ attempts at translating traditional folk literary works will provide a firsthand account of the linguistic obstacles that translators may face when working on these kinds of texts. The results of this research can be helpful to many stakeholders in this field, including funding agencies, translators, and publishers.

Translating Traditional Folk Literature Around the World

Translating traditional literature is currently very limited in the Saudi context. Foley (2002) described a similar situation in the case of South Slavic oral poetry where another form of literature (western works) has an overwhelming prominence and limits the possibilities of translating oral poetry. In the Arab world, the priority is given to translating standard Arabic literature because of the perception of inferiority that is commonly associated with spoken Arabic literary production. Foley (2002) further pointed out the problem of translating the meanings of oral traditional works. The idiomatic character of these works, which is connected to their historical framework and temporal circumstances, makes any attempt at translation an extremely fraught process. The challenge of conveying the cultural context of these works can be achieved, to a certain extent, by adopting several conventional styles. These could include adding introductory information or accompanying notes to the final translation. Nonetheless, the author noted that what he described as “traditional referentiality” requires additional measures that have the potential to deconstruct “the value-added layer of idiomatic meaning” that is incorporated into these oral works (Foley, 2002, p. 5). On this specific issue, the author stated that “we must devise a new kind of presentation, one that uses the resonance of the tradition.”

An important difference between modern written literary works and traditional oral literature is the fact that the latter is a form of oral performance that is fundamentally inseparable from its live, dynamic delivery. One of the suggested methods to compensate for the lost effects in translating this verbal art is presenting audio recordings of performances to accompany the final translation. While this was described as “promising” by Foley (2002, p. 8), he stated that the additional cost of this measure “may present a problem for publications.” Another suggested solution involves providing the reader with a detailed description of the oral performance’s setting and its surrounding circumstances with an added emphasis on distinguishing between written literature and the verbal art of oral literary works (Foley, 2002). The aim is to encourage the reader to consider all the factors in this description of the work to foster the level of appreciation for the original text to which the translator aspires.

In the Arab world, translating traditional folk literature has always been confronted with the challenge of competing with Fush’a standard literature. However, another challenge of translation is permanently losing the intended effect of the oral art of telling stories and reciting poems. In discussing this issue, Muhawi (2004, p. 75) indicated that the concept of translatability features prominently in the discussions on translating Palestinian Arabic folktales. These tales are usually “performed in the Palestinian dialect within the social context of the Arab extended family.” This requires the translator to render them into a printed form in a foreign language while focusing on two tasks. The first is the linguistic task of translation from one language into another and the second is transforming these tales from “one semiotic system into another – from oral narrative into text.” Translating traditional folk literature in the Saudi context requires the same perspective due to the similarities in circumstances and situations. The literary works produced in spoken Arabic dialects are primarily intended for oral narrations and include all the effects associated with this form of literature. Translators should be aware of the possible loss in meaning and impact that can result from switching both the language and the medium of delivery of such works.

Another challenge in translating traditional folk poetry is posed by the connections to cultural assumptions in the original work that are only understood by natives within the speech society and are not readily accessible to the translation’s target readers. For example, in one famous local poem, the poet says, “If I live, I will don the emamah (turban/headdress).” If the translator fails to convey the local cultural connotations of wearing the turban, the translation will be devoid of meaning and will portray an indecipherable literary image. Translators should thus always capture these subtle cultural notions to accurately portray the implicit meanings of the imagery contained in such verses.

Gogol (1969, p. 77) stated that Melville Jacobs, who wrote about oral folklore translation, was of the opinion that non-western oral literature may sound foreign to some readers. The reasons for this include the fact that “the personalities of actors in the stories are unfamiliar, the humor feels bizarre” and that the “narrators usually delivered relatively bare bones of their stories while the native audience immediately filled in with many associations and feelings.” These additional assumptions would not always be accessible to the Western reader, further contributing to potential detachment from the original texts. These were thus the basis for the call to produce more vivid and intelligible renderings of these stories than the simple bare translations.

Gogol (1969, p. 78) also presented some of the literary problems that accompany the attempts to translate oral folk literature, including choosing the variety into which a work should be translated. In some cases, for example, there can be a choice between translating into “a dialect of the target language, the literary language, or an archaic form of the literary language.”

In his investigation of the attempts to translate the oral literature of the indigenous societies of Northwest California, O’Neill (2013, p. 218) echoed the concerns about the literary elements that could be lost in the process of translation. Such situations may involve lifting words and other segments of discourse from one social context into others that may be distant or disconnected from the original subjects and performers. O’Neill described the art of “performing oral literature before an audience” as a “heightened aesthetic realm” significantly different from basic social interactions, which adds to the complexity of translation. Some of the characteristics that can be lost in any attempt to translate oral literary works include the “symbolism” and the “underlying cultural expectations” held by participants of the original event, including the author, the performer, and the audience (O’Neill, 2013, p. 220). The researcher also emphasized the loss of the transient moment to which an oral performance is unusually connected. In many cases, the context of the moment may not be repeatable even in the verbal form.

Translating traditional folk poetry in Iraq (an Arab context not dissimilar to the Saudi experience in this regard) is constrained by the same restrictions that are found in other Arab societies. Abdul-Aziz (2020) argued that despite the popularity of traditional folk poetry in Iraq, this art form continued to face several hurdles on the path to formal recognition. He indicated that even the name itself, Shaʕbi (folk), can be understood by some as demeaning. Many also view it as ruinous to Fus’ha (classical/standard) Arabic and as a factor of division among members of the greater Arab nation. Nonetheless, the author stated that this genre contains extremely valuable masterpieces that are irreplaceable by anything that can be produced in Fus’ha, because of the difference in focus and domains. Another factor suggested by Abdul-Aziz (2020) for the hesitation toward translating traditional folk poetry in Iraq is the increase in recent low-quality additions to this genre. Some accuse these works of being part of the vulgarity with which oral literature has been plagued and a representation of the trivial themes contained in it.

The author lamented the fact that Iraqi traditional folk poetry is not celebrated in the same manner that Lebanese–Arabic speakers celebrate their traditional poetry, concluding that an important difference between the two situations lies in the cultural circumstances. The strong cultural presence of the Lebanese spoken dialect has played a significant role in this regard, specifically in the fields of media, entertainment, and tourism. He added that even the educated elite, who usually reject the inclusion of spoken Arabic in the cultural scene and view it as a destructive force towards Fus’ha, embrace Lebanese spoken Arabic, citing the established reverence for the Lebanese-Arabic singer Fairuz. Abdul-Aziz (2020) thus recommended that Iraqi traditional folk poetry be translated into Fus’ha Arabic first in order to make it more accessible to other Arabic speakers and potential translators. This could then lead to translating this art to other languages, that is, starting with intralingual translation. The author emphasized that this should be done regardless of any losses that may occur in meaning and beauty through this process.

Methodology

The data used in this study was collected through the dissemination of a questionnaire and the analysis of a translation task. The questionnaire was completed by 104 participants, including 40 translation students, 24 career translators and language specialists, and 40 members of the general public. The translation task was assigned to the university translation students. The aim was to gauge the level of acceptance for translating TFP and to determine the social factors that may drive the varying sentiments on this topic. The questionnaires have also provided explicatory information on the types of oral literary works that are understood by the participants to be suitable for translation. Additionally, the data covered the perceived difficulties that might be associated with the unconventional task of translating works that are not part of the classically recognized standard Fus’ha literature. On the other hand, analyzing the translation task given to the students provided actual linguistic data on the difficulties that arise from translating traditional folk poetry.

The students who participated in the data collection were all enrolled in the English Language and Translation program at King Saud University’s College of Language Sciences. Their ages ranged between 19 and 21, and they have all completed between 5–7 semesters in the program’s plan. In these semesters, the participants took courses in English language skills, linguistics, and translation studies in addition to specialized practical training courses on interpretation and translation.

The career translators and language specialists were recruited to participate in this study by contacting the translation departments at several government organizations located in the city of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. They all graduated from English language and translation colleges from around Saudi Arabia and are actively working in the field of languages and translation.

Members of the general public were recruited in this study with the goal of understanding the perspective of individuals outside the translation-specialists circles on translating TFP. The male and female participants were from different age groups, with varying educational levels.

The questionnaire consisted of five open-ended and multiple-choice items, in addition to the demographic information questions about age, gender, and educational background. The goal of the questionnaire was to elicit responses from participants that can provide information on several issues connected to the topic of this study. These include:

• (1) The general perspective on translating traditional folk poetry.

• (2) The reasons for accepting or rejecting these efforts.

• (3) The views on the juxtaposition between classical Fus’ha Arabic poetry and TFP literary works in the context of translation.

• (4) The perceived differences between modern and old (traditional) folk poetry in this regard.

• (5) The willingness to support initiatives to found the translation of non-Fus’ha Arabic literary works.

For the translation task, final-year translation students were first asked to choose a short section from a poem that is part of their own cultural or linguistic background and then translate this section into English. In the second phase, the students were asked to write down the difficulties they faced while performing this task. Participants chose the source text themselves to eliminate any difficulties that may have risen from designating a specific text that may not be part of each student’s cultural background. The students at KSU come from different regions within the broader Saudi society, including the South, the North, Hijaz, Najd, and the Eastern province. Diversity in cultural traditions, dialects, and literary heritage would have prevented some participants from understanding a text that does not stem from their own culture or that comes from a culture with which they are unfamiliar. The opportunity to choose their own TFP source texts was thus given to students for these reasons.

Students’ responses to this task were analyzed to determine the types of mistakes they made and the difficulties reported in translating a nonstandard TFP work. The same task was not given to career translators, however, because of the limitations on the availability of participants and on the time allocated to perform such an arduous task.

The questionnaire and translation tasks were sent to participants electronically with detailed information about the purpose and method of participation. All participants consented to the anonymous use of their data and were informed about their options during and after participating in the data collection process. Before commencing the translation task, students were introduced to some examples of traditional folk poetry translation, with a focus on the efforts of the Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission in this regard. The open-ended items in the questionnaire and students’ comments on the translation task were analyzed using qualitative content analysis in accordance with Mayring (2014). The questionnaire was sent to three specialists in the field of language and translation (associate professors) who commented on the design of this method and approved its suitability to the task.

Results and Discussion

Analyzing the Translation Task

The translation task assigned to students resulted in 26 completed translations of selected verses of traditional folk poems. The translations and the accompanying comments were analyzed to determine the difficulties and obstacles that the students faced throughout the process. These issues were then categorized and linked to the specific illustrative sections of the translations in order to create a clearer picture of these difficulties.

The first significant issue observed in these translations is the weakening of the strong, expressive language found in some of these works. This loss of impact can result from choosing mundane or less emotive terms in the target language that do not equate to the deep, passionate expressions of the original work. For example, in one translation, a student chose to work on a very famous poem that has always been considered to be an anthem celebrating Saudi patriotism. The first two verses of the poem, composed by Prince Bader Bin Abdulmohsen, a pre-eminent spoken Arabic poet, were translated by one of the participants as follows:

First Allah. Second, homeland glory. Peace be upon you island people, and to the King the obedience. We are the protection soldiers to our home builder and leader. The Sheikh’s spear, shield, hand, and arm.

The loss of impact in the translation of this highly respected poem primarily stems from the poor choice of equivalents and the literal translations of metaphoric expressions. The issues begin with the word-for-word, uncreative manner in which the translator expressed the notion of the “order of loyalty” (i.e., God, then the love of country). The translator then mistranslated the term “Aljazerah,” using the literal English word, “island.” The Arabic original expression “Aljazerah” metaphorically refers to a peninsula (from the Arabian Peninsula). The use of the expression “home builder” also weakens the intended impact of the poem as it offers a less glorious understanding than other expressions that hold the same meaning, such as “leader of the nation” or “founding leader.” In addition, the translator did not clarify that the last sentence represents the collective whole of the Saudi people.

In another instance, a student provided the following translation of a section of a local, traditional folk poem:

People will seek the approval of the rich… even if he was corrupt, they will say he is honest

But they will also avoid the poor… even if he is the kindest man.

The mundane depictions of the powerful verses in the source text are again caused by a weak choice of words and instances of mistranslations. For example, the translator uses the expression “seek the approval” to convey the meaning of “saro al-nas berð‘ah,” which carries a broader meaning of “following/responding to someone’s wishes” in addition to “doing things to their satisfaction.” The cases of mistranslation in this text, on the other hand, include using the term “corrupt” to translate “naqes‘” instead of the more accurate equivalent “inferior,” using “honest” to translate “wafi” instead of “superior/generous,” and using “avoid” to translate “tashnah” instead of “dislike/disregard.” These mistranslations reflect the difficulties that accompany the task of conveying meanings and concepts that are inherently verbal and traditional to a foreign language that does not share the same cultural connotations and assumptions.

Lost symbolism is also apparent in many of the translations that were submitted by the participants. In these cases, the translator would usually gloss over important cultural notions, which would result in a shallow representation of the original text. For example, one of the participants translated the expression “s‘akat baqʕa” (life’s calamities) into the term “in need.” The original term, however, has its own symbolism in local Saudi culture. It has deep-rooted connections to a defeat in a historical battle with a strong denotation of extreme suffering. The dilution of such a symbolic term thus reflects poorly on the translated verse’s impact on the reader/listener and the depth of the message carried by the source text.

Translating traditional folk poetry requires the translator to be extremely knowledgeable about the source culture of the work they are translating. Otherwise, they need to conduct intensive research to prevent any misunderstandings or confusion that could lead to cases of mistranslation. For example, misunderstanding cultural symbols might produce translations that distort or alter the poets’ or the storytellers’ metaphors or intended effects. In one of the translations provided through the task assigned to students, a participant chose a verse from a traditional poem that included the expression “qal alleði washmah ʕala alkabd ʕerqat,” which he translated as “the man with a stamp on his liver said.” However, the poet was referring to the tribal signs that usually mark the sides of the tribe’s camels to distinguish them from other camels and assert ownership of the herds and the power and prestige that comes with that. In Classical Arabic and many spoken dialects in the Arabian Peninsula, the word “kabd” (liver) denotes the side of an animal. The famous Arabian saying “nað‘reb akbad al-ibl” (we strike the sides of camels) comes from this term, which means, “we travel on camelbacks for very long distances.” The translator in this instance thus did not recognize the fact that the poet was talking about himself as the owner of a herd of camels that have a well-known marking located on their sides. The significance, therefore, of what the poet is saying comes from his status and prominence amongst his people and within broader society.

Students’ Comments on the Task

After providing their translations, the students were asked to comment on the difficulties they faced while performing this task. Many of the opinions mentioned in these comments were common among the participants, which corroborates the observations and further illustrates the similarities found in this new experience that involves translating traditional folk literary works into a foreign language.

One of the recurring ideas in these comments is the emphasis on the cultural disconnect between the participants and the language used in traditional folk poetry. The students stated that in order to translate such works accurately, they first needed to understand them themselves. This led many to seek help and assistance from elders within the family to understand these works. It is worth mentioning, however, that the students were given the choice to translate modern folk poetry if they wished to, but the majority opted for traditional (heritage) folk works. This implicitly indicated a preference that was later explicitly discussed in the questionnaire: favoring the latter form of literature over the former when choosing a more appropriate, representative work to translate. Thus, even though the participants chose these traditional works themselves, they faced difficulties in deconstructing the meanings and intentions associated with them.

For instance, the students commented that many of the cultural notions and conventions associated with this type of literature required a deeper knowledge of local customs and traditions and had to be researched or explained by elders first before moving into the translation phase. In another comment, a student highlighted the fact that there are no spoken-to-standard local Arabic dictionaries available, which makes it very difficult for the younger generation to understand the terms used in traditional folk poetry. The participant gave the example of the word “γadi,” which can have several different meanings within the local spoken varieties including “lost,”“away,”“confused,” and “gone.” Thus, the introduction of language guides and dictionaries that have clear contexts for the use of traditional language would provide a much-needed resource for translators in this field. Another student described the situation where younger speakers are facing difficulties interpreting and conveying the literary works of the older generation as a “gap” that can only be fixed with a focused effort to document and explain these works. Another comment emphasized how local cultural concepts that are missing from the target language either need to be described in detail by the translator or creatively reinvented in a way that avoids the rigidity and confusion of literal translation. Additionally, the participants also noted that many of the themes common in traditional folk poetry are more connected to the oral art of delivering traditional poetry, with many of the effects and emotions in these works being conveyed by the poets’ performances while reciting their work.

Analyzing the Questionnaire Data

As discussed earlier in the methodology section, the questionnaire contained five items that cover the issue of translating traditional folk poetry in addition to the demographic information questions. In the first two questions, the participants were asked about their general perspectives on translating this type of literature and their reasons for accepting or rejecting such efforts. In all three groups, a majority of participants supported the efforts to translate traditional folk poetry, however, at varying levels. The strongest support came from the translation students, with 95% of them being in favor, followed by the career translators and language specialists, with 83%, and then the general public participants, with 63.5%.

Before completing the questionnaire, the students had participated in translation tasks that involved traditional folk poetry as part of their literary translation college course. There, they openly discussed the issue of introducing these translations to the broader society. These activities may have demonstrated the importance of translating TFP and illustrated its potential benefits. The career translators and language specialists, on the other hand, graduated from programs that offer linguistics courses and are aware of the spoken–standard dichotomy that results from living in a diglossic society. This awareness also comes with an understanding of the different roles of these varieties and the value and status associated with them (including the appreciation for the spoken varieties’ cultural value). This may have contributed to the favorable responses towards translating TFP. The lack of a clear understanding of the diglossic nature of the society among members of the general public as discussed by Bin Towairesh (2020) may have negatively affected the responses to this item in the questionnaire, which is confirmed by the added comments provided by participants.

The responses to the second item in the questionnaire reveal more of the general sentiment towards translating traditional folk poetry and explain the varying levels of support between the surveyed groups. In this item, the participants explained their reasons for supporting or rejecting the efforts to translate TFP. The comments by the general public group illustrate the views that led to the lower levels of support for these efforts. For example, in one response, a participant stated that this kind of literature is “an affront to the Arabic language,” which is a sentiment that is connected to the widespread misconceptions about the origins and roles of spoken Arabic as discussed in the introduction. In another comment, a participant indicated that such literature “does not represent Fus’ha Arabic and the language of the Quran and violates the grammatical rules in many cases.” Similar claims about the ungrammaticality of spoken varieties have been regularly repeated around the world about local vernaculars and have been extensively refuted by linguists. For instance, the linguist Geoffrey Pullum demonstrated that African American Vernacular English (AAVE) is not simply Standard English with mistakes but a variety that has its own structures and lexical concepts (Pullum, 1999). The same explanation applies in the case of spoken Arabic varieties, and the increased awareness about this issue will change many misconceptions about them.

Strong negative views towards translating TFP are not found in the responses provided by the other two groups (career translators/language specialists and translation students). However, the slight opposition to the efforts to translate TFP is explained in the comments. They primarily constitute factors that have to do with the quality of translation and the ability to convey the deep, underlying meanings and emotions embedded in the use and the structures of local, traditional language. In one comment, a participant from the career translators and language specialists group stated that the translation of TFP requires a process of meaning interpretation rather than a translation, which, he added, would result in a text that does not resemble a traditional poem. In another comment, a participant indicated that the loss of the verse’s rhyme and the differences in cultural paradigms and assumptions between the languages may negatively affect the intended impact of the poetry.

Similar comments were found in the responses of translation students in this context. In one response, a student raised the issue of the lack of Fus’ha-spoken dictionaries that can help translators in this regard. He noted that the difficulties in rendering the meanings in many of the TFP works and in providing accurate translations are compounded by the scarcity of resources such as dictionaries. This is extremely pertinent due to the likelihood of a single term referring to a broad range of meanings; a phenomenon caused by the diverse spectrum of regional dialects.

On the other hand, the themes contained in the positive comments about translating TFP were shared among all three participating groups, with several similarities in the reasons provided for supporting such efforts. One of the most recurring themes in this regard is the desire to convey local Saudi culture to the wider world and the belief that TFP is an excellent method to achieve this task. In the responses provided by the translation students, this view was expressed by several participants in different ways. Many comments emphasized “the beauty in these works” and that they “reflect the great Arabic culture” and portray authentic local values, heritage, and customs. Other comments focused on the role of TFP in “presenting a true picture of the local society that can counter many of the incorrect stereotypical views and help in clarifying the misunderstandings that result from these views.” The participants further stated that this can be done by translating works that include wisdom or poems about Arab generosity and fairness. They also highlighted the importance of translating works that document historical events and the lives of great individuals in a way that can offer a positive image of society.

In the translators and language specialists’ group, the positive comments about translating TFP echoed those expressed by the students, but the number of positive comments was lower. This is consistent with the responses by the same group to the preceding question about whether or not the efforts themselves are acceptable. Nonetheless, there were no strong negative opinions about translating TFP, and the expressed concerns were all about the quality of the translations and the difficulties that translators may face while working on this type of literature. On the other hand, the positive comments focused on the notion that TFP represents real life in local societies, and that the values and traditions associated with TFP deserve to be presented to non-Arabic-speaking readers and celebrated internationally.

In comparison with the other two groups, the general public participants provided the lowest number of positive comments supporting the efforts to translate TFP, which parallels the same group’s responses to the question about supporting or rejecting these efforts. The views in the positive comments, however, did not vary significantly from those offered by the other two groups. In many cases, they contained a statement that was consistently repeated about “spreading the culture connected to folk poetry globally.”

One of the important reasons for the reservations about translating TFP is the worry that it would negatively influence people’s focus on translating Fus’ha Arabic literature or that it would take away resources that should be dedicated to Fus’ha Arabic studies. It was thus important to include an item in the questionnaire that raises this issue to examine the participants’ views on this topic. The participants were asked whether or not Fus’ha Arabic literature should have priority in the translation efforts over TFP. The responses were consistent with the opinions expressed in the first item, with levels of support for translating TFP correlating with rejecting such a proposition. For example, in the translation students’ group, with high levels of support for translating TFP, 82.5% rejected prioritizing the translation of Fus’ha Arabic literature, stating that both types of literature should be translated equally. In the career translators and language specialists group, 79.8% rejected this idea and within the general public group, the level of opposition was at 60%.

The comments provided by the participants explain the sentiments behind these responses. Those who rejected giving priority to Fus’ha Arabic literature translation stated that both Fus’ha and TFP should be equally translated as they both represent different aspects of the culture. They added that the translation efforts should not favor one over the other and that each type has its own significance and cultural impact. Other comments emphasized the fact that while Fus’ha literature acts as a unifying factor between all Arabs and deals with themes and topics connected to various Arab societies, TFP reflects a more local side of the culture and contains knowledge about specific customs and traditions within these societies. Thus, the conclusive view here was that both types of literature are important and should be treated equally when it comes to translation.

On the other hand, the comments from the participants who supported prioritizing Fus’ha Arabic literature mostly revolved around the idea that it is more worthy of the attention and effort of translators as it is, in their view, “a better representative of the culture.” These views are mostly based on outdated, approaches to looking at language and require raising awareness about the significance of all linguistic varieties, the concept of diglossia, and other concepts that constitute modern linguistics.

The juxtaposition of modern versus old (traditional) folk poetry has been a topic of discussion and debate within Saudi society for a very long time. The comparison between these two types of folk poetry leads many commentators to accuse the modern forms of being superficial, less authentic, and of focusing on marginal topics that do not represent the richness and values of the local culture. AlBazee (2017) discussed this dichotomy of modern and old folk poetry in his book, “The Traditional Poem, the Features of Modernization and the Challenges of Renewal” and elaborated upon the aspects that distinguish the old forms of folk poetry from the modern ones, drawing on several examples from different poets.

It was, therefore, imperative for this study to examine the impact of this contrast on people’s perception and acceptance of translating TFP. The next item in the questionnaire focused on this issue and elicited participants’ views and comments on the difference it makes in the context of translation. In all three groups, the participants either supported the inclusion of both types in the translation efforts or favored traditional folk poetry for a variety of reasons, with no comments or responses exclusively favoring modern folk poetry. In both the translation students’ and the translators’ and language specialists’ groups, a majority of respondents supported the inclusion of both modern and old (traditional) folk poetry in the translation efforts (67.5% and 66.6% respectively). Those who adopted this view stated that despite the reputation of modern folk poetry having low quality, some modern poets have produced works that were critically and popularly acclaimed and that it would be a great loss if these works were not translated. Some examples of these works were provided by the participants from these groups and included the works of poets such as Ibn Jadlan and AlFaraenah. Other reasons for including modern folk poetry in the translation efforts focused on the notion that new works narrate recent national events and may involve beautiful contemporary metaphors and styles worthy of analysis and translation. The quality of works, however, was an important condition set by the participants to accept the translation of any work, whether old or modern.

Those who supported only translating the traditional (heritage) poems indicated that these works are distinguished by the authenticity and purity that can be lacking in more recent poetry. They added that modern folk poetry is characterized by an overwhelming focus on the genre of romance and is marred by the absence of serious and noble objectives and values. In the general public group results, the responses can be divided into three types: Those who support the inclusion of both modern and old (traditional) folk poetry in the translation efforts (47.5%), those who reject any attempt to translate any type of folk poetry (37.5%), and those who favored traditional folk poetry in this process (15%). The percentage of those who outright rejected the translation of TFP in the first item of the questionnaire (37.5%) is the same percentage recorded in this item, which confirms these views. The percentage of participants who accept both traditional and modern folk poetry in the general public group is the lowest among all other groups, which is also consistent with the results seen in the other items. This indicates a certain hesitance and reluctance to accept ideas that contradict the prevalent, deeply-rooted conservative views about language that adopt a more prescriptive understanding when it comes to translating or studying a language or a variety.

The level of openness to accepting the translations of both modern and traditional folk poetry increases with association with the field of translation and language studies. This association allows individuals to understand and embrace linguistic concepts such as linguistic equality and the notions of respect and acceptance of diversity and differences when it comes to language. These principles and values positively influence individuals’ views and create an environment that supports examining and translating works produced in local/nonstandard varieties.

The issues about funding the translation efforts and the grants available in this field have always been obstacles in the path of translating TFP. Despite the presence of numerous funding agencies and translation prizes and grants for literature in the region (including those based in Riyadh, Doha, and Abu Dhabi), the focus of these organizations and institutions is exclusively on the translation of Fus’ha Arabic works. Thus, for there to be a vital translation movement involving TFP, there has to be a shift in the perception of the significance of this type of literature along with a targeted, focused effort to support and fund TFP works. These steps can eventually foster an environment where the translation of these works is not just accepted but also supported. Funding these translations should be through specialized grants that can help such efforts remain continuous and sustainable. The problem of lack of funding is not specific to this region only but can be witnessed in other parts of the world as well, specifically in situations where different linguistic varieties exist within a geographical or political border with varying levels of power and prestige. Castro and Linares (2021), for example, discussed this issue in the context of translating the literature of stateless cultures in Spain. In their study, they indicated that the lack of funding has negatively affected the translation efforts of literary works in the Basque Country, Catalonia, Galicia, and Valencia because of the competition with literature written in Spanish and the different translation policies in these regions.

In the questionnaire, the responses to the item about funding the efforts to translate TFP were consistent with the responses to the item about accepting or rejecting these efforts, except in the general public group. In the other two groups (students and translators/language specialists), those who expressed positive attitudes towards the proposition to translate TFP also supported funding these efforts through official organizations (95% in the students’ group and 87.5% in the translators and language specialists’ group). The general public participants, however, were more reluctant to support funding the translation of TFP than they were in accepting the effort itself. While 62.5% of the participants in this group were in favor of translating TFP, only 57.5% of them supported the idea of providing official funding for these efforts. In the comments section, this group indicated that this financial funding would be a “waste of money” and that Fus’ha Arabic literature is more deserving of this type of support than TFP. In the other two groups, the negative comments were very limited while the positive comments included reasons for supporting the proposition such as improving the quality of the translations, recruiting dedicated translators for this effort, and encouraging translators to participate in relevant translation competitions and events.

Conclusion

The significance of TFP can be seen in the strong connection between members of society and this genre as illustrated by its overwhelming presence in people’s conversations in both the social and mainstream media and its consistent association with national, cultural, and social events. This is a reflection of its role as a living record of local traditions, rituals, customs, social norms, and cultural characteristics. Nonetheless, TFP is not given proper translation attention because of the commonly held views on the dichotomy of spoken-Fus’ha within Arabic-speaking societies. Although many authors and researchers have explained the significance of TFP, this form of literature does not receive the level of translation attention that matches its impact on societies. The results of this study show that the level of acceptance of translating TFP increases with the level of association with the fields of language and translation. The reason is that individuals within this major recognize traditional literature as a normal part of language use within a typical diglossic society.

The difficulties faced by translation students in translating TFP works are caused by several factors. These include a lack of resources and a clear disconnect from the language used in these works. The fact that there are no major language resources readily available for translators in this field, specifically spoken Arabic dictionaries and language guides, negatively impacts translators’ efforts. Additionally, because of the disconnect between today’s spoken language users and the traditional heritage varieties of spoken Arabic, many translators face difficulties in rendering these works into a foreign language without first processing them intralingually into a more accessible variety.

The initiatives required to bolster the efforts directed at supporting the translation of TFP can be on different levels and from different entities. For example, in addition to its established support in documenting and examining TFP, the Saudi Ministry of Culture can also contribute to creating resources for TFP scholars and translators, which can include dictionaries and handbooks on language varieties. The training aspect of the support initiatives can be conducted through the foreign language departments at local universities with the aim of providing translation graduates with the required knowledge, skills, and competencies to allow them to successfully translate not only standard Arabic literature but also TFP. The institutions that provide funding can also play an important role in advancing the efforts to translate TFP. This genre has always been absent from translation competitions and prizes, and its inclusion in these events would defiantly strengthen its presence among professionals in the field. Finally, the goal of raising awareness about the significance of TFP and spoken varieties, in general, should be a priority for all individuals and entities involved in language and translation studies, local culture preservation and revitalization, and cultural education and research. These entities include the Ministry of Culture, heritage centers, and cultural societies and associations.

Future studies in this field can focus on assessing society’s attitudes towards the achievements in translating TFP, especially after introducing the proposed initiatives and support driven by the Ministry of Culture for the preservation and revival of local spoken varieties. It is important to examine how much of this unprecedented backing by an official organization is reflected on the translation of TFP and to evaluate local sentiments on these developments, specifically after these efforts come to fruition and after society members start to see the actual, published TFP translations.