THE UNTRANSLATABLE SOUL: A CULTURAL AND MYSTICAL LOSS IN TRANSLATING GHANI KHAN INTO ENGLISH: A STUDY THROUGH THE LENS OF CULTURAL TRANSLATION THEORY

Abstract

This study explores the challenges of translating the mystical and cultural essence of Ghani Khan’s Pashto poetry into English, focusing on the inevitable phenomenon of cultural and mystical loss. Drawing upon Cultural Translation Theory as articulated by Homi K. Bhabha (1994) and supported by Berman’s (1992) concept of deforming tendencies and Venuti’s (1995) domestication–foreignization model, the research investigates how translation functions as both a linguistic and cultural negotiation. Through a qualitative, descriptive, and interpretive analysis, selected poems from The Pilgrim of Beauty and The Caravans of Life were examined to identify patterns of linguistic, aesthetic, and spiritual transformation. The findings reveal that Ghani Khan’s philosophical and mystical worldview—rooted in Pashtun identity, Sufi tradition, and humanist reflection—undergoes significant distortion when rendered into English. However, translation also opens a “Third Space” (Bhabha, 1994) where new hybrid meanings emerge. The study concludes that while untranslatability persists at the level of spiritual depth and cultural specificity, translation remains a valuable act of intercultural dialogue. It recommends culturally conscious translation strategies and collaborative approaches to preserve the mystical resonance and poetic integrity of Pashto literature.