Investigating the Notion of Translation within Arabi-malayalam: Tarjama Tradition and Mappila Literary Formation

Abstract

This paper is an attempt to highlight the multiplicity of translation practices and engagements that took place among the Muslims in Kerala. This paper aims to form a theoretical base for the multiple activities of translation particularly the tarjama tradition, a prevalent and customary way of writing/composition among the Muslims in Malabar. The attempt through the present paper is to investigate what is meant by tarjama practices in Arabimalayalam. By making an attempt to contextualize them historically and culturally, the paper negotiates with what did the term tarjama meant in the literary culture of Malabar during the period between the seventeenth century and early twentieth century and how that helped in the literary formation of Mappila Muslims in Malabar. Even though Arabimalayalam literature is replete with numerous works that were trans-created/translated from many other languages, most of these texts in general do not highlight the fact that they are translations. In many cases, these texts are written or published afterwards leaving out important details such as the name of translator, her/his intentions, the source language, and the year and place of translation. At this juncture, it would be interesting to explore the reasons behind the aspects that made these texts devoid of details regarding its textual production. If any person makes an attempt of locating the reasons behind this omissions the possibilities are not much far in front of her/him to get a hold of the meanings of translation in Arabimalayalam. A close reading of the term tarjama, the local terminology utilized by the authors in Arabimalayalam for their compositions in prose would help her/him in this venture.