- Paperback: 358 pages
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster; 1st Touchstone Ed edition (23 Dec 1996)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0684825074
- ISBN-13: 978-0684825076
- Product Dimensions: 21.3 x 13.9 x 3.9 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
-
Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
159,256 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #53 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Islam > Koran
- See Complete Table of Contents
| ||||||||||||
 Trade In this Item for up to £0.25
Get an extra £5 when you trade in books worth £10 or more until June 30, 2012. Trade in The Koran Interpreted: A Translation for an Amazon.co.uk gift card of up to £0.25, which you can then spend on millions of items across the site. Trade-in values may vary (terms apply). Find more products eligible for trade-in.
|
Product details |
Product Description
Product Description
No other book ever written, with the possible exception of the Bible, has so dramatically influenced the course of civilization as the Koran. Yet this important text remains little understood in the West. Since its first publication in 1955, Professor A.J. Arberry's translation has been the finest one available, its magnificently written verse making the Koran accessible to a Western audience. Professor Arberry has rendered the Koran into clear and lyrical English while carefully preserving the incomparable artistry of the Arabic original. "The Koran Interpreted" is universally recognized as not only the most authoritative translation but also the most beautiful one in the English language.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
First Sentence
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate Praise belongs to God, the Lord of all Being, the All-merciful, the All-compassionate, the Master of the Day of Doom. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate Praise belongs to God, the Lord of all Being, the All-merciful, the All-compassionate, the Master of the Day of Doom. Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organise and find favourite items. |
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I own many versions of the Quran and I can safely say that A. J. Arberry's translation is the most poetic Quran in English. Arberry is full of passion for the non-Arabic speaker and his 'interpretation' is a plea for the truth of Islam. As well as being beautiful in English, the feel of Arberry's Koran is impressive too. To use one example, the Penguin and Oxford are printed on grey paper with a small print, making the text feel squashed inside a cold textbook, rather than the fingerprints of God. Most books these days have this cheap flavour to them. Thank God then that Arberry's is printed on luxurious yellow paper that makes page feel warm and the word of God is printed in a beautiful font; also, Arberry's Koran Interpreted is now considered and old translation, it is very affordable. This book is an absolute gem and a bargain!
3 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The other reviewer is a follower of Rashad Khalifa and his non-muslim cult of 'Submitters' based in Tucson Arizona USA.
Arberrys translation is much more accurate than Rashad Khalifas.
But it is best to get a translation by a Muslim and many others are available. (Marmaduke Pickthal, T. B. Irving, Yusuf Ali etc)
Please disregard what the first viewer said. Ask Muslims if you do not understand anything.
Peace.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
15 reviews
90 of 91 people found the following review helpful
Most Worthy of Reading in English
5 Feb 2006
Format:Paperback
If someone wants to read a version of the Koran in English, s/he ought to read one that has some literary qualities, and reads like a book ought to, rather than some kind of reference text full of odd punctuation, awkward and unusual expressions, brackets etc. To be sure, no one can give us a translation into English that will capture every nuance or connotation of the original Arabic, and no amount of bracketed dictionary entries inserted next to words will really help. These kinds of things detract more from the reading than add to it. I am very dismayed by the awkwardness of many of the other translations available for us, including that of Yusuf Ali, whose popular work, while praised for it accuracy, leaves a lot to be desired in the realm of style, enjoyment and ease of understanding.
Arberry's work, however, is simple, direct, formal and hits a mid-point between poetry and prose; in other words, tries as much as possible to present the Koran for English speakers the way the Koran would have functioned for listeners of Arabic.
To enhance the clarity of the translation, Arberry distinguishes between the second person plural and second person singular by making use of the word 'thou' and its accompanying grammar for the singular. This distinction is critical for determining when God is speaking about others and when He is speaking to the Prophet directly. This is surely the only sensible way to render the distinction, in a translation that wishes itself to be readable. Arberry does not use any other archaic words, such as 'ye' or archaic grammar such as 'he hath', but uses fully modern English throughout.
It should be noted that people who are bilingual and have actually taken the time to read through Arberry's translation have found it to be very accurate.
The fact that Arberry has no religious axe to grind makes the translation more reliable than the many sectarian translations put out more for the sake of publicizing particular beliefs than for the sake of producing accurate, well-written texts.
The educational value of this book is far greater than that of the awkward translations, since it presents a style worthy of emulation rather than one unnatural or strange.
Reading a good translation such as this one can help us not only gain wisdom, but also articulate this wisdom for others. The Koran is a work of divine rhetoric, and the more we can apply its lessons into our own lives and language, the more useful it will be for us.
I encourage you to read this translation above all others, if English is your native tongue.
Arberry's work, however, is simple, direct, formal and hits a mid-point between poetry and prose; in other words, tries as much as possible to present the Koran for English speakers the way the Koran would have functioned for listeners of Arabic.
To enhance the clarity of the translation, Arberry distinguishes between the second person plural and second person singular by making use of the word 'thou' and its accompanying grammar for the singular. This distinction is critical for determining when God is speaking about others and when He is speaking to the Prophet directly. This is surely the only sensible way to render the distinction, in a translation that wishes itself to be readable. Arberry does not use any other archaic words, such as 'ye' or archaic grammar such as 'he hath', but uses fully modern English throughout.
It should be noted that people who are bilingual and have actually taken the time to read through Arberry's translation have found it to be very accurate.
The fact that Arberry has no religious axe to grind makes the translation more reliable than the many sectarian translations put out more for the sake of publicizing particular beliefs than for the sake of producing accurate, well-written texts.
The educational value of this book is far greater than that of the awkward translations, since it presents a style worthy of emulation rather than one unnatural or strange.
Reading a good translation such as this one can help us not only gain wisdom, but also articulate this wisdom for others. The Koran is a work of divine rhetoric, and the more we can apply its lessons into our own lives and language, the more useful it will be for us.
I encourage you to read this translation above all others, if English is your native tongue.
39 of 39 people found the following review helpful
Possibly the best and most faithful
28 Aug 2006
Format:Paperback
A.J. Arberry's translation of the Koran has taken pre-eminence among religious and world literature scholars. Although Abdullah Yusuf Ali's translation of the Koran has pride of place in many English-speaking Islamic households, Arberry's work above all others renders the Koranic language in suitably appropriate, easily-comprehended, English.
Unlike any other translation before or since, Arberry's work adheres closely to the original Arabic syntax, meaning that this translation can easily be used in tandem with a recitation in Arabic of the Koran. Arberry's language is striking and beautiful, comparable to more recent offerings from N.J. Dawood and Thomas Cleary. Note, for example, the striking immediacy and rhythmic flow of this passage:
"He is God;
the Creator, the Maker, the Shaper.
To Him belong the Names Most Beautiful.
All that is in the heavens and the earth magnifies Him;
He is the All-mighty, the All-wise."
(Surah 59 'Hashr' v. 24)
Arberry eschews the Elizabethan intricacies of Abdullah Y. Ali and the reader will not find themselves fighting a river of parenthetical entries, as are found in Muhammad Asad and the infamous "Wahhabi Koran" of Muhammad Muhsin Khan.
All that being said, there are problems with the presentation of the translation. The verses are not numbered individually, although the paragraphing on each page helps in determining where verse divisions are. Arberry opts to adjust the layout of the text in accordance with the action or commands in the words themselves. This is a unique approach, but does tend to make difficulties for the reader hunting down a particular verse. Also, especially in the longer chapters ('Baqara' and 'Imran'), the numbering of the verses is off by about four.
The introductions to the two sections of the volume are fine discourses from the translator on the actual act of translating this book, but don't offer the first-time reader any introduction to the Koran itself--what it is, the purpose it serves, etc. There are also no footnotes at all in the text.
Overall, Arberry's work is a magnificent achievement, but one that is more suitable to the scholar than the casual reader. He is especially useful as a second Koran (with Oxford's Abdel Haleem offering being the first) or as a reference in English for one studying either the original text itself or the recitation of the Koran. For sure, Arberry's work belongs on the bookshelf of all who are interested in digging deeper into Islam, the Koran, or the great works of world literature.
Unlike any other translation before or since, Arberry's work adheres closely to the original Arabic syntax, meaning that this translation can easily be used in tandem with a recitation in Arabic of the Koran. Arberry's language is striking and beautiful, comparable to more recent offerings from N.J. Dawood and Thomas Cleary. Note, for example, the striking immediacy and rhythmic flow of this passage:
"He is God;
the Creator, the Maker, the Shaper.
To Him belong the Names Most Beautiful.
All that is in the heavens and the earth magnifies Him;
He is the All-mighty, the All-wise."
(Surah 59 'Hashr' v. 24)
Arberry eschews the Elizabethan intricacies of Abdullah Y. Ali and the reader will not find themselves fighting a river of parenthetical entries, as are found in Muhammad Asad and the infamous "Wahhabi Koran" of Muhammad Muhsin Khan.
All that being said, there are problems with the presentation of the translation. The verses are not numbered individually, although the paragraphing on each page helps in determining where verse divisions are. Arberry opts to adjust the layout of the text in accordance with the action or commands in the words themselves. This is a unique approach, but does tend to make difficulties for the reader hunting down a particular verse. Also, especially in the longer chapters ('Baqara' and 'Imran'), the numbering of the verses is off by about four.
The introductions to the two sections of the volume are fine discourses from the translator on the actual act of translating this book, but don't offer the first-time reader any introduction to the Koran itself--what it is, the purpose it serves, etc. There are also no footnotes at all in the text.
Overall, Arberry's work is a magnificent achievement, but one that is more suitable to the scholar than the casual reader. He is especially useful as a second Koran (with Oxford's Abdel Haleem offering being the first) or as a reference in English for one studying either the original text itself or the recitation of the Koran. For sure, Arberry's work belongs on the bookshelf of all who are interested in digging deeper into Islam, the Koran, or the great works of world literature.
48 of 54 people found the following review helpful
The best translation by far
11 May 2004
Format:Paperback
Arberry's interpretation is both elegant in its expression and quite literal with respect to the original Arabic. The only other translation I would recommend is that of Pickthall, also excellent, but much less readable; in fact, most people I know who started Pickthall gave up on it because the language was so dry and tedious. Arberry's is a work of art by comparison.
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
|
