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Abstract
This dissertation presents a critical and annotated translation of the previously untranslated Ireke-onibudo by Daniel Olorunfemi Fagunwa from Yoruba into English. D.O. Fagunwa, a Yoruba writer of repute succeeded at becoming the first among others to publish Yoruba novels. In his notable book, Decolonizing the Mind, Ngugi wa Thiong’o asserts that translation provides a dialogue between works of literature, languages, and cultures of different nationalities. In Comparative Literature, translation remains cardinal to actualizing the essence of comparing literary works from various places across the globe. This dissertation explores the theories and chapter summaries of the novel, and then, the annotated translation of the novel. Ireke-onibudo, translated in this dissertation as The Meandered-Hero: A Novel of Resilience and Fortitude, is the fourth of Fagunwa’s five classic novels, all of which enthralls readers with narratives of adventures of warriors, and have been studied at different levels of academic engagement. While four out of the five novels have been translated into other languages, Ireke-onibudo remains Fagunwa’s only novel yet to be translated into English. Therefore, this work completes the cycle of the cannon of these Yoruba novels by translating the text into English with annotations. The dissertation draws on a combination of theories of translation, including communicative theory, semantic theory, and equivalence theory. It employs a paraphrastic method of translation to capture the notion that the scholars on Fagunwa’s body of work have referred to as “Fagunwa’s essence.” With the annotations, the study elucidates on ambiguities associated with specific words and expressions as they have been put into use in the novel. The work bridges the gaps between Yoruba language and English language, two mutually unintelligible languages by making sure that the translated novel becomes easily accessible and comprehensible in English. I hope that the various translation theories explored in this dissertation have helped to shape the “dialogue” between kinds of literature, languages, and cultures of both English and Yoruba.