Translating Aural Aesthetics in Contemporary African Narratives: A Case Study

Translating melopoeia in contemporary African narratives is grounded in a complex theoretical landscape (Pound 1945). In this specific context, aural features can hardly be conceptualized without calling upon the oral literary heritage of the writer(s). Yet the very attempt to establish links between oral and written literatures in a postcolonial framework is a risky move in itself. This paper examines possible rationales for translating (or not translating) melopoetic features in two East African narratives written in English and French, respectively, and translated into French and English, respectively. These translations shed light on the individual perception of poetic components and raise the question of genre in the shaping of translational projects, as well as broader issues pertaining to the responsibilities of postcolonial translators.