The Lighthouse Journal of Literature & Linguistics

Preserving the Poetic Soul: A Comparative Study of Native and Non-Native Translations of Faiz Ahmed Faiz

2025-07-01T11:08:37+00:00

This comparative study analyzes the translated works of Faiz Ahmed Faiz's poetry to manifest how natives and non-natives as well as poets and non-poets differ in their approach towards translation of Faiz's poetry. Faiz Ahmed Faiz's poetry is highly regarded and has been translated into many languages due to its themes. Both native and non-native translators have tried their hand at translating the verses of Faiz, and both have advantages and disadvantages concerning the use of language and social and cultural milieu. Translating works from one language to another is always challenging, and it becomes doubly difficult when it comes to poetry. For this purpose, out of a large variety of works, seven translations have been chosen to analyze the differences between various translated works. The translators include Naomi Lazard and Victor Kiernan from the natives, whereas the non-natives include Daud Kamal, Shoaib Hashmi and Shahid Ali Agha. Close textual qualitative analysis has been done. Analysis of Faiz’s translations shows that, despite great effort, translators only partially capture the original spirit. Poet-translators outperform non-poets. Additionally, non-native translators like Kamal, Hashmi, and Ali—sharing Faiz’s socio-cultural background—better grasp cultural nuances, giving them an advantage over native translators. Conversely, natives excel in language proficiency and lexical choices but sometimes struggle with cultural gaps in their renditions.

د سيده حسينه ګل د افسانو ي مجموعې «نيمګړی کتاب» موضوعاتي جاج

2025-07-01T10:18:40+00:00

Sayyeda Hasina Gul (1966) is a renowned Pashto poet, novelist, playwright, travelogue writer, and literary critic. She has also written numerous short stories, which were published in various magazines and journals. Unfortunately, due to unfavourable circumstances, she was unable to preserve many of her works, and a significant portion of her short stories have been lost over time. However, some (almost 45) were collected and published in her three short story collections, ‘Nimgarey Kitab’(2010) ,‘Da Ukhko Maarghaan’ (2015) and ‘Kesey Da Kusey’ (2025), all readily available today. These three collections demonstrate that Gul addressed a wide range of topics, focusing on themes relevant to the Pashto language, Pashtun society, and particularly Pashtun women. Gifted with a sharp intellect and keen observational skills, Gul was able to deeply analyse, notice, and evaluate every event, incident, and societal nuance around her. She skilfully captured these in her writing, employing a unique and captivating literary style. In today’s fast-paced world, it is often challenging for the average reader to delve into and fully explore all of Gul’s short stories in one sitting. This research article aims to provide readers with an analytical overview of the central themes present in Sayyeda Hasina Gul’s short story collection ‘Nimgarey Kitab’.

The Art of Persuasion: A Cognitive-Linguistic Analysis of Diplomatic Discourse in a Trump-Zelensky Oval Office Meeting

2025-07-01T08:47:19+00:00

This study presents a cognitive-linguistic analysis of persuasive strategies of Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky in their meeting on February 28, 2025. Integrating Cognitive Linguistics (Langacker, 2013; Talmy, 2000) and Framing Theory (Entman, 1993; Matthes, 2023), the analysis examines how each president constructs narratives through their linguistic choices. The methodology involves qualitative discourse analysis of their dialogue during Oval Office meeting, focusing on construal operations (categorization, metaphorization, and granularity) and framing techniques (for example, "America First," blame attribution, appeals to shared values). Findings reveal Trump's preference for binary categorization, combat metaphors, and a transactional frame, aligning with transactional nationalism. In contrast, Zelensky employs existential categorization, higher granularity, and value-based appeals, emphasizing sovereignty and loss. The study contributes to understanding the cognitive mechanisms underlying diplomatic persuasion and the linguistic construction of international relations in high-stakes encounters.

A Narratological Analysis of Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart”

2025-07-09T08:20:47+00:00

This article analyzes Edgar Alan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” from a narratological perspective, investigating the construction of meaning through the narrative pattern. Although, Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” has been the focus of much literary criticism since its publication, that is, some researchers have focused on the morality aspect of the story, whilst others have focused on the psychological and stylistic analysis of the short story, yet a comprehensive scholarly research has not been carried out on its narratological aspects. This paper aims to fill this gap by putting the short story in the narratological framework and unfolding the narrative patterns through which meaning is constructed and effects created. This study takes Peter Barry’s ‘Joined-up’ narratology (Story/Plot distinction, Aristotle’s three key elements in the plot, Gérard Genette’s steps of Narrative Discourse) as a theoretical framework and uses the textual analysis technique to interpret the narrative patterns in the story. The study is qualitative and utilizes the textual analysis technique to decode the meaning of the text and find narrative patterns, and argues that approaching “The Tell-Tale Heart” through these mainly technical narratological categories offer new paradigms that shows how meanings are constructed in narratives and how audience/readers are engaged in the narratives through these technicalities The study draws the primary source material from Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” with secondary sources from research articles and books.

د غني خان په شاعرۍ کښې مادي فولکلور

2025-07-01T10:46:03+00:00

Folklore refers to the collective body of cultural knowledge, traditions, customs, beliefs, myths, legends, tales, proverbs, and practices that are transmitted across generations within a particular community. It embodies the lived experience of a people and serves as a repository of shared identity, memory, and value systems. Folklore is commonly classified into three interrelated forms: material folklore, encompassing tangible cultural expressions such as clothing, architecture, crafts, and weaponry; semi-material folklore, comprising cultural forms that blend physical objects with performative or ritualistic functions—such as folk music, dance, and ceremonial practices; and non-material folklore, which includes intangible elements like oral narratives, beliefs, customs, and linguistic traditions. Together, these dimensions offer a comprehensive understanding of how cultural meaning is preserved and transmitted through both physical and symbolic mediums. This research paper examines the presence and function of material folklore, with a particular emphasis on traditional weapons and weaponry, in the poetry of Ghani Khan, an eminent Pashto poet and philosopher.

Navigating Linguistic Diversity: English as a Lingua Franca in Peshawar's Multilingual Landscape

2025-07-01T09:33:12+00:00

This research explores the impact of English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) on the linguistic and cultural dynamics of Pashtoon society, with a focus on the Peshawar region. Using qualitative interviews, the study examines how English influences language practices, identity formation, and socio-economic opportunities within Pashtun communities. Findings show that English proficiency facilitates access to higher education, employment, and transnational mobility, yet it also deepens urban-rural inequalities due to uneven distribution of quality education and English language resources. While English is often pursued for upward mobility, especially by urban youth, Pashto remains a powerful symbol of cultural heritage—reflecting shared history, oral traditions, values, and communal solidarity. The research underscores the tension between these two linguistic forces and highlights the urgent need for balanced multilingual policies that foster bilingual education, preserve indigenous cultural expression, and expand equitable access to language learning. By capturing the dual impact of ELF, the study offers contextually grounded insights to inform inclusive and culturally sustainable language planning.

Aesthetics as a Web of Anxieties in the Postmodern American Literature

2025-07-01T08:04:01+00:00

Aesthetics can be defined as the responsiveness to appreciate and understand nature in its uncontaminated form. However, the existing form of nature has become more ‘toxic’ rather than ‘aesthetic’. The study approaches toxicity by focusing on the aesthetics and ethics of the toxic in Postmodern American literature. Qualitative in nature, it uses Gare’s book Postmodernism and the Environmental Crisis as a theoretical support to explore the connection between toxicity and aesthetics, focusing on the cultural and environmental dimensions. A thematic analysis using close reading technique focuses on how postmodern American literature implies the anxieties of contemporary life and the interplay between narratives and toxicity, to reveal a strong connection between human experiences and ecological realities. The discussion illustrates that the postmodern literature blurs the boundaries between toxicity and aesthetics. It depicts ‘aesthetics’ as a nasty web of ambiguities and tensions. It also illuminates the dual status of aesthetics when apparent beauty often conceals impairment and destruction, leading to apprehension.