How did we manage to convey the meaning of this poetic scene, the magnum opus of poetry and lyrics, in the famous game, Disco Elysium?
It is a very beautiful scene where Harry, our protagonist, sings his heart out on the Karaoke in the local tavern, in a rough yet heartbreaking scene. Just as the character can either perform the song successfully or fail and give a miserable performance, we have successfully conveyed every word and every meaning in the Arabic version of the game.
Poetry is a special type of literature characterized by its musicality that stems mainly from scale and rhyme. Poetry, especially modern, is mainly meant to express emotion, evoking in the reader or listener more sensations and emotions than thoughts.
Poetry in the Arabic language falls into one category, equivalent to the English Lyric poetry, which Arabs classify according to its purpose into: Acclaim, Satire, Valour, Romance, etc.
In the English language, there are many types of poetry, such as Epic, Ballad, Drama, and Didactic, in addition to Satirical poetry.
As for the English Lyric poetry, it is divided into Praise, Pride, Elegy, Pastoral, and Song, and these latter genres are very close to Arabic poetry.
There are three approaches when translating poetry:
1- The first of which is the direct translation of words, known as “Metaphrase.”
2- The translation of meanings is “Paraphrase.”
3- The third approach, “Imitation,” is the creation of new poetry in the target language that contains all or most of the poet’s ideas, but with meter and rhyme as well as new poetic images that suit the target language.
We, at Loc & More, take pride in our linguists, who are not only native but also knowledgeable, creative, resourceful, and subject matter experts in their fields.
We’ve collected a few of our localized poetry in some of the titles we’ve worked on localizing into Arabic for the wide Arabic and Middle Eastern gamers and fans over the years.
She was an almost preternaturally magnetic and intelligent individual.
We *all* fell in love with her, head over heels.
Double-check? Triple-check. We’ve got editors who catch every last detail, so you don’t have to.
Even before she was declared an innocence her influence was tremendous.
.كانت ذكية آسرة، تتوهج بجاذبية تكاد تلامس حدود المعجزة
.رأى فيها معاصروها طيفًا قادمًا من زمن لم يحن أوانه، كأنها رسول من مستقبل البشرية
.وقعنا في شِراك سحرها *جميعًا*، وكُنا مُتيمين بها
.اتسمت بكونها ملهمة للغاية حتى قبل أن تُكلَف بمنصب البراء
This was a description of the first time our protagonist, Harry, saw the glass mural for the deity-like figure called “Dolores Day,” in the church dedicated to her. She was a very highly regarded individual, and the most revered “Innocence,” which is a title akin to a Holy Queen/King.
I’m particularly proud of our translation of that word into “البراء,” which was suitable from both a linguistic point of view and in a literary sense, as it conveyed the weight behind the word beautifully.
— Zeyad Mounir, EN-AR Translator and Subject Matter Expert
Cradled in her arms are a pair of glowing lungs,
Clearly visible from underneath her flowing dress.
You should kneel.
،رئتان متوهجتان مستقرتان بين ذراعيها
.يمكن رؤيتهما جليًا عبر فستانها الفضفاض
. يجب أن تجثو على ركبتيك
She is a very prominent and resonant female character, whose influence hovers completely over the entire game world, even though she isn’t alive during the events of the game. Such a character, who is considered to be “The mother of humanism,” coincides beautifully with this Women’s month, March, the month of International Women’s Day and Mother’s Day.
— Zeyad Mounir
AFTER LIFE -- DEATH; AFTER DEATH -- LIFE AGAIN.
AFTER THE WORLD -- THE PALE; AFTER THE PALE -- THE WORLD AGAIN.
This is the great leitmotiv of humanism, a summary of the effect of the discovery of this isola -- the Insulindian -- on human thinking. A tremendous sea change akin to finding life after death...
.بعد الحياة -- الموت، وبعد الموت -- الحياة مرة أخرى
.بعد العالم -- العدم، وبعد العدم -- العالم مرة أخرى
هذه هي الفكرة المهيمنة للبشرية، ملخص لتأثير اكتشاف هذه القارة -- القارة الإينسوليندية -- على التفكير البشري. تغير ضخم في البحر مشابه للعثور على الحياة بعد الموت
This is the mantra that basically guides the philosophy of the world of Disco Elysium. Since it’s a world of continents surrounded by a sea of “The Pale,” an inhospitable and incomprehensible vastness that replaces the oceans of our world in this fictional one. It is a bit nihilistic, but very representative of the game and its world as a whole.
— Zeyad Mounir
We’ve compiled some brilliant examples for translating poetry. While reading, you might notice that some translators are poets themselves.
Take this verse from a famous Arabic poem:
“مَا لي سِوَى رُوحي وباذِلُ نفسِهِ – في حُبِّ مَن يَهواهُ ليس بمُسرِفِ”
عُمر بن الفارض —
It is brilliantly translated by this talented Egyptian composer into English as such:
“In my love I have nothing as a wealth but my living soul
To my love I dedicate it seeing myself not spendthrift at all”
— Baleegh Hamdy
And this excerpt from the poem “Chess,” written by Abdel Razzaq Abdelwahid, is amazingly translated by E.M. Naguib like so:
A king you looked
Surrounded by pawns
Small and brave
Killed but always to the fore
And you, like a king
With tiny step
Shrinking each and every way amidst the crowd
وكنتَ كالملك
تحفّهُ البيادق
باسلةٍ صغيرةٍ
تُـقتل، لكن أبداً تمضي الى الأمام
وأنت كالملك
خطواتك صغيرة
تجفل في كل اتجاه وسط الزحام
From William Shakespeare’s song, translated by the famous Arabic poet Ibrahim Al-Mazini:
Take, oh take those lips away
That so sweetly were forsworn
And those eyes: the breake of day
Lights that do mislead the Morn
But my kisses bring again, bring again
Seals of love, but sealed in vain, sealed in vain
أبعدوا عني الشفاه اللواتي
كنّ يُطفئنَ من أوار الصادي
وأبعدوا عني العيون اللواتي
هن فجرٌ يُضل صُبح العبادِ
واسترِدوا إن استطعتم مردّاً
قبلاتي من الخدود النوادي
The Deserted Village, by Oliver Goldsmith, translated by Dr. Zakher Gabrial:
Near yonder thorn, that lifts its head on high
Where once the sign-post caught the passing eye
Low lies that house where nut-brown draughts inspired
Where grey-beard mirth and smiling toil retired
ههنا حيث قتادٌ قد زكا واستأسدا
كانت اللوحة تحمل أسماء الحواري والدروب
قد توارى من هنا
مقصف القرية وانفض الرفاق
فهنا كانت تدار القدح الغبراء ما بين الصحابِ
تبعث الخفة في النفس وتزكي الطربا
كانت البسمة تعلو كل وجه فيه شيباً أو شباباً
Translation is essential in the life of humanity and has existed since time immemorial, through which science, knowledge and cultures intersect. It is true that part of the original text is lost when translating into another language, no matter how plain and easy the text is.
As for poetry translation, some readers consider it an impossible mission, and that the poetic text will be completely lost and dissipated when translated into another language.
After all, it is a relative standpoint, which varies from one person to another. The important thing, for those who read the translation, is not to read it in light of their original poetry taste and standards rooted in their conscience, but rather to read that translated poetry in a spirit teeming with curiosity to discover and understand part of their poetic language and culture.
Here, we will address only 5 of such obstacles:
Poetry often follows strict metrical patterns (such as iambic pentameter in English or the alexandrine in French) or relies on a structured rhyme scheme. These patterns create a musicality that enhances the poem’s beauty and emotional impact.
However, different languages have different natural rhythms, and sounds that rhyme in one language may not rhyme in another.
For example, translating a Shakespearean sonnet into Japanese, a language that does not emphasize rhyme, requires major adjustments. The translator might have to sacrifice rhyme in favor of meaning, or prioritize musicality while altering the exact words.
This balance is difficult to maintain, and any deviation can significantly change the reader’s experience.
Poetry often relies on puns, homophones, or ambiguous phrasing that may not have direct equivalents in another language. A word in the original poem might have multiple meanings, creating layers of interpretation that are hard to replicate.
For instance, in Chinese poetry, a single character can hold multiple meanings depending on context. Translating it into English, which usually requires more words to express the same idea, risks losing the compactness and subtlety of the original.
Translators must decide whether to emphasize one meaning, add explanatory notes, or attempt a creative equivalent, each of which alters the poem in some way.
Many poems draw on cultural symbols, mythology, or historical events that are deeply familiar to native readers but obscure to others. A direct translation might leave foreign readers confused, while an explanation can disrupt the poem’s flow.
For example, a Persian poem referencing the nightingale and the rose carries symbolic meaning in Persian literature, representing love and longing.
An English-speaking reader, unfamiliar with this symbolism, might interpret it literally rather than metaphorically. The translator must decide whether to keep the original imagery, replace it with a culturally equivalent metaphor, or add footnotes, each choice affecting the poem’s accessibility and impact.
Poetry is often highly condensed, packing deep meaning into a few carefully chosen words. Different languages, however, vary in how much information a single word can convey.
For example, in Japanese haiku, much meaning is implied rather than directly stated, leaving room for the reader’s interpretation. Translating these brief poems into English often requires adding extra words to clarify meaning, which can disrupt the delicate balance of brevity and openness.
Similarly, some languages use grammatical structures that allow for flexible word order, while others (like English) require more rigid syntax. This means that keeping a poem’s original word arrangement might result in an awkward or unnatural translation.
Poetry’s emotional and aesthetic impact comes from its sound, rhythm, and imagery, which evoke deep feelings in readers.
Different languages create emotion in unique ways through phonetics, word order, and cultural connotations. A poem’s musicality, like alliteration or assonance, may not carry over naturally in translation. Metaphors and symbols may also lose their emotional weight if they lack equivalent meaning in the target language.
A translator must balance accuracy with artistry, recreating the poem’s essence rather than just its words. Ultimately, translating poetry is an act of reinterpretation, where emotional resonance is often prioritized over literal fidelity.
Because of these challenges, translating poetry isn’t just about finding equivalent words, it’s about recreating the poem’s spirit in a different linguistic and cultural framework. That’s why poetry translators often function as both linguists and poets themselves.
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