Translation Studies and Comparative Literature: New ideas in Maqamat-e Hamidi

The present study investigated the book Maqamat-e Hamidi by Hamid al-Din Balkhi in order to find the possible signs of the native ideas of the translation technique. The history of translation studies is divided into three periods: pre-linguistic (literal), linguistic (linguistic), and post-linguistic (cultural). Given the recent period (linguistic or cultural), it is now thought that cultures translate according to their needs. Given that the findings of the present study trace the existence of this idea in the preface of Maqamat-e Hamidi, it should be noted that Hamid al-Din Balkhi referred to multilingual and cultural issues in translation centuries before current scholars. In the post-linguistic stage, cultural expectation determines which text to be translated, why, and how and these elements moved the translation activity from lexical, meta-lexical, and textual levels to rewriting and recreating the translator’s ideas. In order to implement the idea of a translator-author, Hamidi, based on the principles of comparative literature, rewrote and recreated the Maqamat of Hamedani and Hariri’s ideas in Persian based on the principles of comparative literature. The present study is descriptive-analytical in terms of the method and nature, respectively. The results of the study showed that Hamidi in the introduction of his Maqamat has proposed the idea of discarding faithful translations in order to satisfy the users of the target language and to strengthen the language and literature of the target community. In this way, he paved the ground to rewrite and reproduce the source texts in the target language. It should be noted that the introduction of Maqamat-e Hamidi is based on the fundamental idea that the components of a literary polysystem are in constant competition for a dominant position in language and literature. Therefore, this system is always witnessing constant challenges and tensions between the center and its peripheral environment. In other words, literary genres that are located in the periphery of this literary polysystem are constantly trying to reach a dominant position in the center of the polysystem and other literary genres that are in the center of this system (in the face of rival species) are trying to establish their dominance. On this basis, so-called less valid genres such as translated literature can be considered effective factors in the dynamics of the literary system. Translated literature can help to invent new literary techniques in the target community and this is one of the main reasons for recreating Maqamat in Persian. Finally, it is necessary to ask a key question and answer it: What were the decisions made by Hamidi in rewriting and recreating Arabic Maqamat in Persian? His decisions and actions can be classified into the following categories: 1) Innovation in choosing the title of Maqamat; 2) innovation at the beginning and end of Maqamat; 3) innovation in the illustration of the narrator and the hero of Maqamat; 4) innovation in the journey of the hero of Maqamat; 5) innovation in the structure of Maqamat with extensive use of debates and arguments; and 6) innovation in the content of Maqamat.