(January 28, 2013 at 5:29 pm)Confused Ape Wrote: Thanks for the clarification. I just checked the word for word translation and it really means an expanse.
You're welcome.
So unfortunately - as demonstrated in my previous post - the greatest problem with a translation of the Quran is that sometimes the real meanings become lost and/or distorted. Sometimes people do this intentionally, and sometimes unintentionally.
In addition to that, almost all the linguistic beauty of the Quran is lost in the process of translation as well. The unique choice of wordings, the syntax of the verse, the powerful rhythm of the passages, the complex metaphors and the layers of meanings that go well beyond the surface, and the manners of eloquence displayed by the Arabic, are virtually all destroyed. The Arabic language is an extremely rich and powerful language and it is simply not possible to convey in another language all the meanings that are conveyed in Arabic.
Even the famous Orientalist, Professor H.R. Gibb, said,
"An English translation of the Quran must employ precise and often arbitrary terms for the many-faceted and jewel-like phrases of the Arabic, and the more literal it is, the greyer and more colorless it must be."
