I first translated the Jabberwocky in 2010. This is a rewrite of that version.
This is the first and only Arabic translation of Lewis Carroll’s nonsense poem Jabberwocky (Through the Looking-Glass, 1871). The structure of Arabic, with its fluid interplay of consonant and vowel, makes it ideal to render the Jabberwocky. It was fun inventing Arabic words to incarnate the spirit of the original. The secondary inspiration for this translation came from Al-As̥maˁī’s 8th century nonsense poem S̥awtu S̥afīru l-Bulbuli (The Bulbul’s Song), which is full of expressive alliteration within individual words and across verses. The title of the Arabic version is الملحمة الجبروقية al-malḥama al-Jabarwaqīyah.
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العربية Arabic |
Arabic transliteration |
Original English |
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جراذلُ الوابي ضحى تدربحت تدربُحا مُفرفرٌ تَنَحنَحا وبُربُرٌ تَفَحفَحا |
jarādhilu l-wābi ḍuḥā tadarbaḥat tadarbuḥā mufarfirun tanaḥnaḥā wa burburun tafaḥfaḥā |
’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves |
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اِحذرَرِ الجبروقا وفكّه المُطَرطِقا! واحذر طُييرَ الجُبجُبِ وغنضباً مُزندقا
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iḥdhariri l-jabarwaqā wa fakkahū l-muṭarṭiqā! w-aḥdhar ṭuyayri l-jubjubi wa ghanḍaban muzandiqā! |
“Beware the Jabberwock, my son! |
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قُلّد سيفَ الفَنصلى يريدُ صيدَ العَنضلى في فيّ نخلِ الطُمطُمِ متكئً مستأملا |
qullida sayfa l-fanṣalā yurīdu ṣayda l-ˁanḍalā fī fayyi nakhli ṭ-ṭumṭumi muttaˀikan mustaˀmilā |
He took his vorpal sword in hand: |
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وبينما تأملا جَبَروقٌ تحنقلا! عيناه جمرٌ غلغلا في الغابِ يسعى بَربَلا! |
wa baynamā taˀammalā jabarwaqan taḥanqalā ˁaynāhu jamrun ghalghalā fil-ghābi yasˁā barbalā! |
And as in uffish thought he stood, |
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قطع قطا ضرب ضرا أسقطه مُجَندلاً! برأسِه تقهقرا مُبختِراً مُهرولاً |
qaṭaˁ qaṭā ḍarab ḍarā asqaṭahū mujandalā! bi raˀsihi taqahqarā mubakhtiran muharwilā |
One, two! One, two! and through and through |
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يا من قتلتَ الجروقا! وُليلدي المنبثقا! أراهُ يوماً عبقرا أقولها مُضرحِقا! |
yā man qatalta l-jarwaqā wulaylidī l-munbathiqā! arāhū yawman ˁabqarā aqūluhā muḍarḥiqā! |
“And hast thou slain the Jabberwock? |
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جراذل الوابي ضحى تدربحت تدربُحا مُفرفرٌ تَنَحنَحا وبُربُرٌ تَفَحفَحا |
jarādhilu l-wābi ḍuḥā tadarbaḥat tadarbuḥā mufarfirun tanaḥnaḥā wa burburun tafaḥfaḥā |
’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves |
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Dear Wael
Am enjoying your translation of Jabberwocky.
I am a singer/composer currently working on musical version of this poem, initially in English but also in ‘translation’. Could we discuss it?
If you would like to see some of my work please google ‘Susheela Raman’. I have worked mostly in English and various Indian languages but have also sung in French, Greek, and Syriac!
Best regards
Susheela Raman
Sounds great! Let us know how it comes out.
Hello- As editor of the Knight Letter, the magazine of the Lewis Carroll Society of North America, I find this of great interest. Would you be so kind as to drop me an email so we can further discuss it?
Many thanks.