The Art of Fidelity and Creativity in Literary Translation
Era Bucpapaj1, Prof. Asoc. Dr. Etleva Koni2The intricate balance between fidelity and creativity in literary translation underscores the essence of the translator’s craft, highlighting its dual nature as both a linguistic and artistic endeavor. Literary translation transcends the mere substitution of words and phrases; it involves preserving the original text’s aesthetic, cultural, and emotional nuances while simultaneously adapting them for a new linguistic and cultural audience. This process demands a nuanced understanding of both the source and target languages, as well as a deep appreciation for the cultural contexts in which these languages exist. Fidelity, often equated with loyalty to the source text, is vital for maintaining the integrity of the original work. It ensures that the themes, tone, and stylistic features are accurately conveyed, allowing the target audience to experience the text as the source audience would. However, strict adherence to fidelity alone may result in translations that feel rigid or inaccessible, failing to resonate with readers in a different cultural or linguistic context. Creativity, by contrast, empowers translators to navigate cultural and linguistic disparities, adapting the source text in ways that retain its essence while making it accessible and engaging for the target audience. This creative process involves reimagining poetic structures, idiomatic expressions, and cultural references, transforming them into forms that are meaningful within the target culture. This article explores the dynamic interplay between fidelity and creativity, examining their significance in literary translation and the tensions that arise in balancing them. Drawing on key theoretical frameworks and practical examples, it highlights how translators skillfully mediate between these two forces. Ultimately, this study argues that literary translation is not only an art of faithful reproduction but also a creative act of reinterpreting and reimagining texts, making them relevant and impactful in new cultural and linguistic landscapes.