Mays Ibrahim (ABU DHABI)
The Library of Arabic Literature (LAL) is on a mission to make the rich and diverse world of pre-modern Arabic literature accessible to English-speaking readers.
Launched by New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) in 2010, the series offers bilingual editions of classic works across genres- from poetry and philosophy to history and science - providing modern, readable translations alongside the original Arabic.
In an interview with Aletihad, Chip Rossetti, the Editorial Director of LAL, delved into the story behind the series' inception and the philosophy guiding its translations.
The Genesis of the Library of Arabic Literature
The Library of Arabic Literature was launched in 2010 under the leadership of Philip Kennedy, Vice Provost for Public programming at the NYUAD Institute, General Editor of the LAL, and Professor of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies and Comparative Literature.
Rossetti explained that the idea for the series came out of a desire to fill a significant gap in the way Arabic literature was presented to English-speaking audiences.
"The idea was to create a bilingual series that would showcase the vast literary tradition of the Arab world," said Rossetti. "The project was inspired by similar facing-page editions of ancient Greek and Latin texts, but with a focus on Arabic literature, which had long been under-represented in English."
The series includes a wide range of genres, from pre-Islamic poetry to medieval philosophical works, and covers the entire spectrum of Arabic literary output - religion, law, history and more.
Rossetti added: "Our goal is not only to introduce these texts to students and scholars, but also to a general audience who might not be familiar with the depth and variety of the Arabic literary tradition."
Filling the Gap in World Literature
One of the key motivations behind the series was to address the lack of comprehensive translations of Arabic works.
Rossetti pointed out that while many people in the English-speaking world are familiar with famous works such as "One Thousand and One Nights", the broader corpus of Arabic literature remains largely unknown.
"A lot of well-read people might be familiar with Rumi or Dostoevsky, but they would be surprised to know about the major figures in Arabic literature who were just as influential in their time," he explained.
Rossetti noted that translations of Arabic literary texts were often partial or outdated, many of which were produced by 19th- or early 20th-century scholars.
One of the defining features of LAL is its commitment to publishing full texts rather than selected excerpts.
"We wanted to make sure that when we translated a work, we presented it in its entirety," Rossetti said. "The idea was to give readers the full experience of the text, not just cherry-pick sections we thought were most important."
The editing process, according to Rossetti, is highly collaborative.
"Translation is not a solitary endeavour; it's a group effort. We work closely with scholars, reviewers and other translators to ensure that the final product is both accurate and readable," he said. "Our translations are meant to be modern and lucid, so that anyone, not just experts, can engage with these works and appreciate their literary value."
Translating across Time and Culture
Translating works from Arabic into English is no easy task, especially when dealing with texts that span centuries.
Rossetti elaborated on the challenge of conveying not just the meaning but the essence of a text in a new cultural and linguistic context.
"Translation is an art," he said. "It's not just about finding equivalent words; it's about capturing the spirit of the text, which can be difficult when you're dealing with literature that's over a thousand years old."
Rossetti acknowledges that all translation is interpretation.
"It's never going to be an exact replica of the original," he said. "But our goal is to bring out the beauty and power of these texts, so that they resonate with modern readers."