Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!crackers!m2c!wpi.WPI.EDU!shari
From: gwydion@tavi.rice.edu (Basalat Ali Raja)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.islam
Subject: Re: Good and bad English translations/interpretations of the Qur'an
Message-ID: <1990Nov5.005727.29879@wpi.WPI.EDU>
Date: 5 Nov 90 00:57:27 GMT
References: <1990Nov1.205630.13179@nntp-server.caltech.edu>
Sender: shari@wpi.WPI.EDU (Shari Deiana VanderSpek)
Organization: Rice University, Houston, Texas
Lines: 32
Approved: shari@wpi.wpi.edu


In article <1990Nov1.205630.13179@nntp-server.caltech.edu> bakken@cs.arizona.edu (Dave Bakken) writes:

>I second this question.  I have heard bits and pieces here and there
>of how some Muslims don't like this translation and do like this one.
>I (and probably many others) would appreciate it if some knowledgable
>Muslims would help enlighten us on this.  Specifically, could you list
>2--3 translations that are among the best, and maybe a few of the
>more popular (in terms of printed copies) versions that are considered
>poor translations.  

In my personal opinion, the translation by Marmaduke Pickthall is
the best translation I have seen.  Another good translation is
one by Yusuf Ali.  These translation are good because the authors
made a decent attempt at transmitting the true meaning and flavour
of the Quran.  

>More importantly, why are these translations good
>or bad?  In general, what sort of things makes a good or bad translation
>of the Qur'an from Arabic to English?  Some examples, especially where
>a bad translation botched it, would be most illuminating.  Thanks!

A bad translation is one which has little or nothing to do with what
the Quran says.  By this criteria the Dawood translation is not a good
one.  By far, the worst translation I have seen is one that seems
to be Padraig Houlihan's [sp?] favourite (in that he used to quote
that at me when I was passing thru talk.religion.misc).  I do not 
have references for it, but I am sure he will be glad to supply you
with them.

Basalat Ali Raja,
gwydion@tavi.rice.edu