Translation as disruption : the medieval Arabic translation of Aristotle's poetics

Abstract EN

Translation has often been described as a vehicle, a means, and a bridge between nations, bringing new modes of thinking to the receiving culture.

Unfortunately, there are a few instances when a poor translation damages those bridges and renders the source text inaccessible.

The most representative example in Arabic is the translation of Aristotle's Poetics into Arabic by Abu Bishr ibn Mattā (d.

939).

Two centuries later, Averroes [Ibn Rushd] made an abridgement in Arabic that became important for understanding Aristotle in the West.

Both translation and abridgement had negative consequences on Arabic criticism.

Because the translator was unfamiliar with Greek poetic genres and traditions of poetry, he imposed Arabic poetic traditions, genres, and values onto the Greek text.

The result was that the Poetics has not been understood by Arabs nor assimilated into their literary studies.