The Role of Translation in Preservation of Balochi Language, Culture and Identity: A Critical study of Fazal Baloch’s Translations in Poetic verses of Akbar Barakzai
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55737/rl.2025.43114Keywords:
Translation, Balochi Literature, CDA, Language and CultureAbstract
Baloche is a language with a rich literary history, it has never enjoyed much academic exposure, particularly in the field of translation (Jahani, 2013). This paper purposes the matter of translation in pragmatic formation of meaning in the Balochi Literature and the correlation of the dynamics of linguistic equivalency and cross-cultural mediation. It is intended to discuss the role of translation in preserving the Balochi language and cultural heritage based on the critical review of a poetry book, Akbar Barakzai, translated into English by Fazal Baloch (2023). It is based on a qualitative methodology and explores the interaction of translation techniques with the social discourses of identity, culture, and resistance in consideration of the theory of Dijk ‘language and power’. The content-analysis however focuses on re-construction of the thematic expression of language, culture, and identity in English translation by Barakzai in his poems. The paper underlines the importance of the role of translators as linguistic activists and cultural mediators who have to compromise in terms of accessibility to the global reader and fidelity to the original texts. It is suggested by the results that not only does translate Balochi poetry help preserve literature, but it is also used as a practical tool to undermine dominant linguistic ideologies and bring Balochi voices to a broader community. Translation helps preserve linguistic diversity, amplifies marginalized voices, and fosters intercultural understanding, making it vital in today’s multilingual, multicultural world. This research explores translation's role in preserving Balochi language, culture, and identity by translating its literature into English.
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