Occasional Lecture Series: The ϳܰ’a in English Verse
Prof. Bruce Lawrence (Duke University) and Prof. Rafey Habib (Rutgers University)
The Qur’an is often viewed as being resolutely Arabic, whereby any translation can only deliver its meaning, not its tone and timbre in Arabic. To broaden an understanding of the ϳܰ’aMuslims believe that the Holy ϳܰ’a contains divine revelations to the Prophet Muhammed received in Mecca and Medina over a period of 23 years in the early 7th century CE. More, many scholars are researching and producing English translations that will invoke a sense of curiosity for further exploration in the beauty and sublimity of the original — a poetic translation with a distinctive yet subtle voice.
To this end we will review three ϳܰ’aic suras that embody our approach: Sūrat al-Fātiḥa (Q. 1), Sūrat Yā Sīn (Q. 36) and Sūrat al-Raḥmān (Q. 55).
