Translating structural pause in the Qur’an

This study aims to investigate the translation of syntactic pause as an under-researched linguistic observable feature from Arabic into English, with particular reference to Qur’anic examples. Due to the lack of studies in this area, and because the phenomenon has not been treated sufficiently in Qur’anic and non-Qur’anic discourses, Qur’anic verses illustrating the point are sampled, analyzed and discussed so as to uncover the difficulties and to suggest translation solutions. A handful of authentic and authoritative Qur’anic exegeses are consulted, in addition to three translations of the Qur’an, in an attempt to explore the role such interpretations can play in rendering the possible syntactic meanings into English. This makes it possible to provide a solid syntactic-translational ground for assigning syntactic-semantic value to the pause in the selected examples. This also allows the author to point out the problematic aspect of this linguistic phenomenon, where two acceptable readings of one syntactic structure can emerge. This study demonstrates that syntactic pause in the Qur’an presents certain challenges for the translator and requires great effort to render faithfully in the target language. The study also suggests how immediate and broader contexts can guide the translator in prioritizing one interpretation over another