The Elixir for the Redemption of Captives, a little known account of late 18th century Spain through the eyes of Moroccan Ambassador Muhammad ibn ‘Uthman al-Miknasa

Abstract

This article presents some of the characteristics and difficulties faced by the translator in the translation of an important, although little-known travel account authored by Muh.ammad ibn cUthman al-Miknasi, Ambassador to the sultan of Morocco and later Minister, when he travelled across Spain to meet King Carlos iii in 1789. The text is a colourful portrait of the people and customs of late 18th century Spain, with its technological innovations and cultural contrasts, as well as the constant allusion to the end of the Muslim presence in the Iberian Peninsula. It is in itself an essential text in the history of intercultural relations between both countries, but it also poses a great challenge to the translator who attempts to render a Spanish translation, where foreignness becomes familiarity and vice versa. This article summarizes several aspects of the author’s PhD dissertation, based on a complete Spanish translation of the Elixir for the Redemption of Captives, describing some of the difficulties encountered in what is an outstanding example of cultural translation.