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KHALED MATTAWA Such a standard bearer! When it comes to modern Arabic literature available in English, it’s hard to think of anything that Denys Johnson-Davies has not done. And one must think in dozens rather than single digits when speaking of Denys’s translations.They include a dozen or more anthologies of Arab short fiction, almost two dozen or so novels and collections of short stories by masterful writers, and several books of Islamic texts, including Hadith and religious treatises. Denys is also the author of a number of children’s books. In his autobiography, Denys tells of a conversation he had with Naguib Mahfouz just before the great novelist was about to grant the translations rights to all his books to AUC Press. Denys urged Mahfouz to reconsider and to try to find a more established press in the West. Mahfouz’s reply was essentially “But why not, Denys? What have you done for me lately that should dissuade otherwise?” Denys managed to make up for that faux pas, and in short order translated several of Mahfouz’s late books. The numbers speak for themselves, and they suggest that Denys is as seminal to modern Arab literature as any of its great writers, having provided a good chunk of the modern Arab canon in English. The short story has been Denys’s genre of choice, making up about half of his output. He – too early I believe – gave up on translating poetry; his translations of the early Darwish are as good as any to be found of the great poet. However, to me Denys’s masterpiece remains his incandescent translation of Tayeb Saleh’s Season of Migration to the North. No doubt the novel has deserved its esteemed place in Arabic letters. But would it have become a world classic had it been translated by a less talented translator than Denys? Certainly not. Denys did more than simply provide English readers with a text they could enjoy. Rendering this work at a time when translations of Arabic classical literature threatened to ruin the reputation of all Arab literary output, Denys managed to give literary Arabic a form of English it could thrive in. His works continue to be great models for translators of Arabic, and we should be grateful for his being such an excellent standard bearer. 56 BANIPAL 43 – CELEBRATING DENYS JOHNSON-DAVIES
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Khaled Mattawa and Denys Johnson-Davies In interviews and conversations, Denys never theorizes or complicates his description of his process.The books he produced in English are ones he liked, written by people he grew to like. No presumptions, no other-ing, no historical burdens involved. Oldfashioned as sometimes seems, Denys appears to live in the multicultural utopia that all cosmopolitan sophisticates dream of establishing. So, as Denys puts down his translator’s pen, we should salute him an any master artist whose has done much more than duty to his craft had called. But there is something Denys has not done enough of. His memoir was so rich and evocative that I read it twice – in one evening, I may add, because it was that short.The book seemed like a lush movie preview of what would certainly to be one of the great chronicles of our modern Arab literature. I certainly did not have enough of his stories and wish to read more. Dear Denys, we can forgive your decision to quit translation.You have done more than what a hundred gifted translators could have done. But do write down your stories, for as much you have made your English translations part of our literature, your stories and memories will find a welcome home in our appreciate hearts. A thousand healths to you, maestro, and a billion salams! PS . . .And dear scholars of Arab literature, dear literary biographers, why is there not one among edging to write Denys’s biography? Khaled Mattawa is Associate Professor of Creative Writing, University of Michigan, a poet and award-winning poetry translator. BANIPAL 43 – SPRING 2012 57

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KHALED MATTAWA

Such a standard bearer!

When it comes to modern Arabic literature available in English, it’s hard to think of anything that Denys Johnson-Davies has not done. And one must think in dozens rather than single digits when speaking of Denys’s translations.They include a dozen or more anthologies of Arab short fiction, almost two dozen or so novels and collections of short stories by masterful writers, and several books of Islamic texts, including Hadith and religious treatises. Denys is also the author of a number of children’s books.

In his autobiography, Denys tells of a conversation he had with Naguib Mahfouz just before the great novelist was about to grant the translations rights to all his books to AUC Press. Denys urged Mahfouz to reconsider and to try to find a more established press in the West. Mahfouz’s reply was essentially “But why not, Denys? What have you done for me lately that should dissuade otherwise?” Denys managed to make up for that faux pas, and in short order translated several of Mahfouz’s late books. The numbers speak for themselves, and they suggest that Denys is as seminal to modern Arab literature as any of its great writers, having provided a good chunk of the modern Arab canon in English. The short story has been Denys’s genre of choice, making up about half of his output. He – too early I believe – gave up on translating poetry; his translations of the early Darwish are as good as any to be found of the great poet.

However, to me Denys’s masterpiece remains his incandescent translation of Tayeb Saleh’s Season of Migration to the North. No doubt the novel has deserved its esteemed place in Arabic letters. But would it have become a world classic had it been translated by a less talented translator than Denys? Certainly not. Denys did more than simply provide English readers with a text they could enjoy. Rendering this work at a time when translations of Arabic classical literature threatened to ruin the reputation of all Arab literary output, Denys managed to give literary Arabic a form of English it could thrive in. His works continue to be great models for translators of Arabic, and we should be grateful for his being such an excellent standard bearer.

56 BANIPAL 43 – CELEBRATING DENYS JOHNSON-DAVIES

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