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Document Type

Original Study

Subject Areas

Language/Linguistics and Literature

Keywords

Firdausi, Shahnameh, translations, Modern European languages

Abstract

This paper is an attempt to offer an investigation on the influence of Firdausi, the 10th century poet, and his great work “The Shahnameh” on the West regarding the translations of this book; more than sixty translations are discussed here with the names of the translators. Sir William Jones was the first translator of the “Shahnameh” to English (1774).Afterwards, there were other more or less prominent translators to take on and furnish the job of translating the great work of Firdausi’s “Shahnameh”. Dick Davis (1992 & 2006) as well as other scholars whose names are brought in the paper made translations of the book, lately. Worthy of mention as translators to other European modern languages are: Jules Mohl (1831-1868) into French,Count Adolf Friedrich von Schack into German (1851) and I. Pizziinto Italian in 8 volumes. They are among world-renowned translations of Firdausi’s epic. Translations into other languages as Danish, Bulgarian, Romanian and Russian are also discussed.These translations made Firdausi known to the West ever more than before, not only among English-speaking countries but also in several other European nations.

Publication Date

2013

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