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Journals / Türk Dili ve Edebiyatı Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 66 Sayı: 1

To Be Literal or Not: On English Translations of Hikmet’s Saman Sarısı

Sözcüğü Sözcüğüne Olmak ya da Olmamak: Nazım Hikmet’in Saman Sarısı Şiirinin İngilizce Çevirileri Üzerine

Ayşe Ayhan(YILDIZ TEKNİK ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0000-0002-5997-5385
Pages
217–237
Publication Date
2026-04-30
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

In doing so, it also contributes to ongoing debates in translation studies by showing how even seemingly opposed strategies can coexist within the same text, complicating strict binaries of “literal” versus “free.”

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:This study examines two distinct English translations of Nazım Hikmet’s poem “Saman Sarısı” within the frame of literal and free translation.
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Key Findings & Data:By analyzing the strategies employed in each version, the study seeks to determine the extent to which the translations align with either approach, as suggested by prior critiques.
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Conclusion & Impact:In doing so, it also contributes to ongoing debates in translation studies by showing how even seemingly opposed strategies can coexist within the same text, complicating strict binaries of “literal” versus “free.”
🔬Design:Araştırma Makalesi
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:şiir çevirisi · alımlama · Nazım Hikmet

Abstract

This study examines two distinct English translations of Nazım Hikmet’s poem “Saman Sarısı” within the frame of literal and free translation. The framework for this analysis emerges from critical debates among translators, who have evaluated one another’s renditions for being either excessively literal or insufficiently faithful to the source text. Based on this discourse, the article adopts a descriptive comparative approach to examine the translations, situating the discussion within the broader theoretical concepts of literal and free translation as well as translation criticism. By analyzing the strategies employed in each version, the study seeks to determine the extent to which the translations align with either approach, as suggested by prior critiques. This focus enables an understanding of how translators strike a balance between fidelity to the source text and interpretive freedom. Ultimately, the study aims to shed light on the methods and decisions underlying the translation of Hikmet’s poetry and to synthesize these findings into a coherent assessment of the practical applications and relative merits of literal and free translation strategies. In doing so, it also contributes to ongoing debates in translation studies by showing how even seemingly opposed strategies can coexist within the same text, complicating strict binaries of “literal” versus “free.”

Özet

Bu çalışma, Nazım Hikmet’in Saman Sarısı şiirinin iki farklı çevirisini sözcüğü sözcüğüne çeviri ve serbest çeviri kavramları çerçevesinde incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Çalışmanın çıkış noktasını, şiirin iki farklı çevirisinin çevirmenleri arasında, sözcüğü sözcüğüne çeviri ekseninde ortaya çıkan çeviri anlayışına yönelik eleştiri ve tartışmalar oluşturmaktadır. Bu bağlamda makale, iki çeviriyi betimleyici ve karşılaştırmalı bir yaklaşımla ele almakta; çevirileri sözcüğü sözcüğüne ve serbest çeviri yaklaşımları ile çeviri eleştirisi ekseninde tartışmaktadır. Çalışma, hem çevirilere hem de bu çeviriler üzerine yapılan eleştirilere odaklanarak, farklı çeviri stratejilerinin Nazım Hikmet’in Saman Sarısı şiirinin iki farklı çevirisinde nasıl uygulandığına ışık tutmayı ve sözcüğü sözcüğüne ve serbest çeviri yaklaşımlarının uygulamadaki işleyişine dair bir anlayış sunmayı hedeflemektedir. Söz konusu iki çeviri stratejisinin göreli yararları ve sınırlılıkları da karşılaştırmalı bir bakış açısıyla değerlendirilmektedir. Bununla birlikte, çalışma, görünüşte zıt stratejilerin aynı metin içinde bir arada bulunabileceğini ortaya koymakta; şiir bağlamında sözcüğü sözcüğüne ve serbest çeviri ikileminin sınırlarını sorgulayarak, çevirmenlerin kaynağa sadakat ve yaratıcı yorumlama arasında nasıl bir denge kurduklarını da gözlemlemektedir. Tartışmanın amacı, mevcut eleştirilerde öne çıkan noktalar doğrultusunda çevirilerin hangi stratejiye yakın durduğunu belirlemeye çalışmak ve bulguların, Nazım Hikmet’in şiirlerinin çevirisinde kullanılan yöntem ve yaklaşımlar hakkında yeni çıkarımlar sunmasına katkı sağlamaktır.

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Cite This Article

Ayhan, A. (2026). To Be Literal or Not: On English Translations of Hikmet’s Saman Sarısı. Türk Dili ve Edebiyatı Dergisi, Cilt: 66 Sayı: 1, 217–237. https://doi.org/10.26650/TUDED2026-1780628

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