Example
q Now when translating a song, as a form of musical drama, for example, the translator needs to approach the task as a written text, for page and for stage and even for vocal translation as well.
q So how would you translate the following Arabic song into English? Would you translate the first part of the song below as A, B, C, D, or something else?

A. Wash your face, moon, with some soap and stone
Where are you moon?
I’m washing my face!

B. Have you washed your beautiful face my moon?
Have you washed it with some soap and stone?
Where are you my cheeky moon?
I’m washing my face!

C. Wash your face, little moon!
With soap and with stones.
Where are you little moon?
‘Washing my face!’

D. Wash your face, sweet love;
With soap and stone
With a hey, and a ho,
Where are you sweet love?
Washing my face with a hey and a ho!



q In addition to linguistic and cultural translation of the song content and form, the translator needs to work on the translation of style normally adopted in song writing, whether it is archaic, dialectical or idiosyncratic to the writer, for example- to encode their attitude towards the text content, to mark out different voices.
q Furthermore, the translator has to really visualise the text and imagine how it is performed whether it is theatrical or radio musical.