The Koran is a book apart, not only as Holy Scripture for Muslims, but as the supreme classic of Arabic literature. In its 114 Suras, or chapters, it comprises the total of revelations believed to have been communicated to the prophet Muhammad as a final expression of God's will and purpose for man. The revelations were received over a number of years, the first dating from AD 610, the last shortly before Muhammad's death in AD 632, and the definitive canon was established some twenty years later. The Koran is neither prose nor poetry but a unique fusion of both. In his attempt to convey the sublime rhetoric of the original, Professor Arberry has carefully studied the intricate and richly varied rhythms which - apart from the message itself - serve to explain the Koran's undeniable claim to rank among the greatest literary masterpieces of mankind.
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About the Author
Arthur John Arberry (1905-1969) was a respected scholar of Arabic, Persian, and Islamic studies. Formerly Head of the Department of Classics at Cairo University in Egypt. He was also the Sir Thomas Adams's Professor of Arabic at Cambridge University from 1947 until his death in 1969.
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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
OK translation from outsider's point of view,
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This review is from: Koran (Worlds Classics) (Paperback)
The Koran is a classic of Arabic prose and poetry and a key religious texts. However, it has yet to be introduced to the west in an accessible and accurate way (at least on a large scale). This translation does some of the work. It was made I believe in the 30's so some of the language is a bit archaic for today. Nevertheless, it often employs good expression. The author himself admits his work is poor echo of the original.The book is typeset like poetry, with various changes of tone indicated by changing the layout from a more prose-like one to one with more narrow stanzas. There's also much white space. This is a very positive point as most texts, especially translations, ignore white space as a crucial feature in understanding. A noticable defect is total lack of commentary. Unlike other religious texts, the Koran is structured around a context that isn't present in the text (whereas say the Bible provides many historical accounts as opposed to just reflections on them without the stories). The Suras are arranged roughly in descending order of length, not by topic or time. As a result, reading from cover to cover you jump around in time and place hundreds of times. So a bare, unannotated translation means a lot will be missed. Even a simple introduction to each of the 114 Suras would have done well, but alas. A good bottom-line version for those who aren't Muslim and want to read the Koran from a secular point of view and don't have time to get into the details. If you want anything more, look for another translation.
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Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs):
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humbling chastisement, reward most fair, thou good tidings, evil homecoming, woe that day, painful chastisement, thoughts within the breasts, manifest foe, mighty chastisement, godfearing shall, whoso disbelieves, mighty wage, evil chastisement, earth magnifies, dwelling forever, thou mayest warn, thee good tidings, affliction visits, thou patient, whoso desires, cried lies, terrible chastisement, waxed proud, bearing good tidings, wax proud Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Day of Resurrection, Children of Israel, Our Lord, People of the Book, One God, Holy Mosque, Day of Doom, Resurrection Day, Messenger of God, Gardens of Eden, Moses the Book, Manifest Book, Whomsoever God, God's Name, Last Abode, Children of Adam, Compassionate Say, God's Messenger, Lord of the Throne, Compassionate Praise, Book of God, Gardens of Bliss, Arabic Koran, Compassionate All, Companions of the Right Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
humbling chastisement, reward most fair, thou good tidings, evil homecoming, woe that day, painful chastisement, thoughts within the breasts, manifest foe, mighty chastisement, godfearing shall, whoso disbelieves, mighty wage, evil chastisement, earth magnifies, dwelling forever, thou mayest warn, thee good tidings, affliction visits, thou patient, whoso desires, cried lies, terrible chastisement, waxed proud, bearing good tidings, wax proud Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Day of Resurrection, Children of Israel, Our Lord, People of the Book, One God, Holy Mosque, Day of Doom, Resurrection Day, Messenger of God, Gardens of Eden, Moses the Book, Manifest Book, Whomsoever God, God's Name, Last Abode, Children of Adam, Compassionate Say, God's Messenger, Lord of the Throne, Compassionate Praise, Book of God, Gardens of Bliss, Arabic Koran, Compassionate All, Companions of the Right Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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