IḤSĀN ʿABBĀS’S TRANSLATIONS IN THEIR HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL CONTEXT:

A STUDY THROUGH GHURBAT AL-RĀʿĪ

Abstract

Iḥsān ʿAbbās (1920–2003) was a leading Palestinian literary critic, historian, and translator whose works shaped modern Arab intellectual thought. His translations, produced across decades of scholarship, mirror the cultural, intellectual, and political contexts of his time. In Ghurbat al-Rāʿī (The Shepherd’s Estrangement), ʿAbbās reflects on his life and work, offering valuable insights into the circumstances, motivations, and intellectual commitments behind his translation projects.This study explores ʿAbbās’s translations through the lens of Ghurbat al-Rāʿī, focusing on the historical and cultural factors that influenced his choices. The research is organized into sections corresponding to the major works he rendered into Arabic, with each section examining the specific context, purpose, and impact of a translation.By combining bibliographic analysis with readings of Ghurbat al-Rāʿī, the study highlights how ʿAbbās’s translation practice was shaped by his personal experiences and the broader intellectual climate of the Arab world. This work seeks to contribute to a deeper understanding of ʿAbbās as a translator and to situate his translations within the wider cultural landscape of twentieth-century Arab thought