A Comparative Study of the Transfer and Indigenization Process in Translations of Ṣaḥīfa Sajjādīya (Ansarian, Ayati, Balaghi, Fooladvand, and Fayḍul Islam) Based on Newmark's Model

Ṣaḥīfa Sajjādīya is one of the most prominent and valuable prayer works that has a profound spiritual, psychological, and educational impact on its readers. The importance and position of this valuable book necessitate attention to its accurate translation and critique of the translations carried out so that the best translations can be identified and introduced to readers for better understanding of its lofty concepts. Therefore, in the present study, the translation of this book has been examined based on a descriptive-analytical approach and relying on Newmark's theory, in two components of transfer and indigenization. The results indicated that Ayati and Balaghi have had the highest level of transfer, while Fayḍul Islam has utilized the transfer process to a lesser extent. The highest level of indigenization is observed in Balaghi's translation, and the lowest in Fayḍul Islam's translation. The results of these two analyses also show that Ayati and Balaghi have used the highest level of transfer and indigenization, while Fayḍul Islam has the lowest level of transfer and indigenization, making Fayḍul Islam's translation more appropriate. The types of indigenization strategies employed by translators in translating Ṣaḥīfa Sajjādīya include: 1. Converting the rounded "Tāʼ" to an extended "Tāʼ"; 2. Adding a Persian plural marker to an Arabic word; 3. Using other derivatives of Arabic words; 4. Reversing the order of the noun and adjective; 5. Adding a Persian suffix to an Arabic word; 6. Converting the plural form of a word to singular; 7. Using a different form of the plural word; 8. Removing Arabic diacritics from the word; 9. Converting the rounded "Tāʼ" to "Hā" in Persian, and 10. Constructing a compound Persian verb using the root of an Arabic verb.