The Tale of the Fisherman and the Jinnie: A Comparative Study of Five Different Translations

This article compares five translations of “The Tale of the Fisherman and the Jinnie,” which is a key tale in The One Thousand and One Nights. The researcher’s argument is based on Jorge Borges’ approach to translation, which advocates free and creative handling of, as opposed to utter faithfulness to, the SLT. The paper investigates the stylistic, thematic, and linguistic implications of the different ways in which the translators manipulate the SLT. It concludes that, while every translation has its own merits, the most faithful translation is not necessarily the best. What matters most to the audience of the TLT in translation is the beauty of the end product resulting from the enriching creativity of the translator.