Relevance and Iqbal’s Concept of Khudi: Analyzing English Translation of Selective Poems of Allama Iqbal from Zarb-E- Kaleem

Abstract

This study examines the translation of Allama Muhammad Iqbal's concept of ‘Khudi’ in selected English translations of his poems through the lens of Relevance Theory, a framework rooted in cognitive pragmatics developed by Gutt (1991). Relevance Theory posits that the relationship between a source text and its translation is determined by interpretive resemblance rather than strict equivalence. The sample has been comprised of three poems from Zarb-e-Kaleem (1936), translated by Syed Akbar Ali Shah as The Rod of Mosses (1983) and the sample has been taken by applying the purposeful sampling technique. The selected poems, Khudi ki Zindagi (The Life of Selfhood), Agahi (Awareness), and Hayat-e-Abdi (Eternal Life), serve as case studies to examine the extent to which the translator’s choices reflect cognitive and optimal relevance. The study finds that while the translation maintains a surface-level resemblance to Iqbal’s original metaphors and imagery, it somehow falls short of conveying the full cognitive and philosophical depth of ‘Khudi’. The findings indicate that while the translation align with Relevance Theory in terms of preserving general ideas, it lacks the deeper cognitive relevance and interpretive depth necessary to fully convey Iqbal's intricate philosophical ideas. The study concludes that translation is an interpretive act that involves balancing linguistic fidelity with the cognitive and cultural resonance of the original text.