Bridging East and West through Dynamic Equivalence: A Study of Hadi Hussain's Translation of Iqbal's Poem Einstein

Abstract

This study identifies the bridging of East and West through Hadi Hussain’s English translation of Iqbal’s Persian poem Einstein. It examines the poem through the lens of Eugene Nida’s Dynamic Translation Theory. The research explores how Hussain’s translation presents unique challenges due to its deeply embedded Islamic metaphysics, historical allusions, and complex poetic structures. Through a close analysis of the poem, this study investigates the revolutionary scientific ideas of the 20th century, highlighting how effectively Hussain—himself an Eastern intellectual—negotiates linguistic fidelity and cultural transfer in rendering Iqbal’s message for an English-speaking audience. The analysis offers a comparative study of the source and target texts, emphasizing shifts in tone, imagery, and philosophical content within Nida’s framework. The research situates this translation within broader discourses of East-West dialogue, poetic translatability, and the agency of postcolonial translators who operate within both worlds. Finally, the study argues that in his translation Hussain skillfully balances fidelity to the ST with natural expression in TT, highlighting the communicative gains achieved through translation. Hussain’s approach not only attains readability for English-speaking audiences through domestication, yet it successfully conveys the philosophical and spiritual essence of the Persian original. In this regard, his translation encompasses the nuanced evaluation that contributes to translation studies by illustrating how classical frameworks like Nida’s remain relevant to contemporary translingual encounters that are culturally layered and ideologically complex.