A Study of English Translations of a Hafez's Ghazal based on accurate understanding of the poem

Translating Hafez's poems into English language has attracted myriad of translators. However, in translating Hafez's poems, there are two important points translators have to take into account: the need for an accurate understanding of the poems, and the need for a thorough and in-depth knowledge of the words, expressions and structure of the target language used. Even if the translator is familiar with both the source and target language, the language of poetry and literature in any culture has always demanded the translator to have special expertise. In the present study, one of Hafez's Ghazals, openning with "I saw a green field and..." has been selected to compare the translations carried out by Persian and English-speaking translators, namely Shahriyar Shahriari, Abbas Arianpour, Wilberforce Clarke, Paul Smith, Robert Bly and Leonard Lewisohn. Following Berman's translation model, the present study has sought to analyze the translations to see if any deviations happened during the course of translation. Although the prevailing view is that Persian translators must have a better understanding of Hafez's poetry, after examining the translations of these translators, it is found that they, despite their language, have had some flaws in translation, mainly due to their imperfect literary knowledge and insufficient understanding of Hafez's poetic language. English-speaking translators, on the other hand, have often been more adherent to the source text, but in translating the poems, they tend to substitute some of the poetic components, revealing their inclinations toward the culture of the target language.