Translating into sense or translating metaphor into the same vehicle with addition of the topic are the compatible techniques for this verse.
b. Chapter al-Furqaan 47
1 Translations
a Yusuf Ali: And he it is who makes the night as a robe for you, and
sleep as repose, and makes day as it were a resurrection. p. 937 b
Pickthall: And He it is Who make the night a covering for you, and sleep repose, and make the day a resurrection. p. 112.
c Hilali and Khan: And it is He Who makes the night a covering for
you, and the sleep as a repose, and makes the day Nushûr i.e. getting up and going about here and there for daily work, after ones
sleep at night or like resurrection after ones death. p. 484. d
M Asad: And He it is who makes the night a garment for you, and [your] sleep a rest, and causes every [new] day to be a resurrection. p.
556. 2
Context of the Verse Allah has made the night as a cover or protection from its dark.
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3 Types of Metaphor
The word libas is used to analogize the condition of the night. This is type of original non-lexicalized metaphor, because the concept of the
77
Al Muntakhab fi Tafsiri al Qur’an 1968, op.cit. p. 537
word libas as a night is not available in the Arabic.
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The topic of this metaphor is the night as protector and covering for the human, where the
ground is the function of garment as a covering or protection of the body. 4
Translation Analysis The phrase „as a robe” is chosen by Yusuf Ali in this verse. The
meaning of that word is “a long loose outer piece of clothing”
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. The technique of English translation is translating metaphor of the source
language into kind of simile in the target language. The next two translations by Pickhtall and Hilali are coming with a different technique,
where they render the source metaphor into ground or sense. These two translators use the word “covering”.
The last translator produces the same vehicle in TL, where the word garment is chosen. Yusuf Ali and Asad translations do not present a
direct understanding for target readers. However, they must check the intended meaning of robe. The other translations of this metaphor keep
the term of meaning, although it involves losing source metaphor.
c. Chapter al-Baqarah 223
