1
PhD in Translation Studies, Department of English Translation Studies, Faculty of Persian Literature and Foreign Languages, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran
2
BA in English Translation Studies, Department of English Translation, Faculty of Persian Literature and Foreign Languages, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran
This study examines how paratextual features contribute to the construction of legitimacy in Omid Majd’s (2000) Persian Versified Translation of the Holy Qur’an. Drawing on Genette’s (1997) theory of paratext and Bourdieu’s (1993) conceptualization of legitimacy as socially constructed recognition, the study qualitatively analyze the translation’s peritextual apparatus. The analysis examines key peritextual features and how they frame the translation in relation to the Qur’anic source, translator, readership, and religious and literary traditions. The findings indicate three forms of paratextual positioning: religious and cultural association, authorial and literary positioning, and institutional and scholarly recognition. Facing-page presentation of the Arabic source and Persian versified translation maintains a visible relationship with the sacred source, while introductory materials and external endorsements provide complementary literary, religious, scholarly, and institutional recognition. The study argues that paratexts actively frame, position, and present the translation as a credible and culturally acceptable engagement with the Qur’anic text. The study demonstrates the value of a paratextual perspective for examining legitimacy in translating and presenting sacred texts.
Maddahi, M. & Shams Motlagh, Z. (2026). Constructing Legitimacy Through Paratext in Omid Majd’s Versified Qur’an Translation. Translation and Interpreting Research, 3(9), 45–60. https://doi.org/10.22054/tir.2026.95002.1076
MLA
Maddahi, M., & Shams Motlagh, Z. "Constructing Legitimacy Through Paratext in Omid Majd’s Versified Qur’an Translation", Translation and Interpreting Research, 3, 9, 2026, 45–60. doi: 10.22054/tir.2026.95002.1076
HARVARD
Maddahi, M., & Shams Motlagh, Z. (2026). 'Constructing Legitimacy Through Paratext in Omid Majd’s Versified Qur’an Translation', Translation and Interpreting Research, 3(9), pp. 45–60. doi: 10.22054/tir.2026.95002.1076
CHICAGO
Maddahi, M. & Shams Motlagh, Z., "Constructing Legitimacy Through Paratext in Omid Majd’s Versified Qur’an Translation." Translation and Interpreting Research, 3 9 (2026): 45–60, doi: 10.22054/tir.2026.95002.1076
VANCOUVER
Maddahi M., Shams Motlagh Z. Constructing Legitimacy Through Paratext in Omid Majd’s Versified Qur’an Translation. TIR. 2026;3(9):45–60. doi: 10.22054/tir.2026.95002.1076