سید امتیاز علی تاج کی کہانی’’بیمار بیوی‘‘ کا تجزیاتی مطالعہ

An Analytical Study Syed Imtiaz Ali Taj’sShort Story ‘‘The Sick Wife’’

Abstract

Syed Imtiaz Ali Taj is a prominent figure in Urdu literature who made significant contributions to drama, humor, translation, and prose. While much research exists on his major works, this paper offers a stylistic and structural analysis of his short story "The Sick Wife”, adapted a translated from Christian Gellert’s German story "Die kranke Frau”. The study examines the linguistic, stylistic, syntactic, satirical, and structural dimensions of the text. Taj’s unique style is evident in his use of local idioms, Persian and Arabic vocabulary, direct address, conversational tone, hyperbole, antithesis, and satirical framing. Consequently, the work transcends literal translation and seamlessly assimilates into the cultural ethos and comedic sensibilities of Urdu.Structurally, the narrative is built around binary oppositions such as illness versus desire, medical theory versus lived experience, physical frailty versus inner vitality, life versus death, and gravity versus absurdity. By applying Roland Barthes’ narrative codes, the internal architecture of the text reveals that, despite its brevity, the story operates as a tightly integrated narrative system. Ultimately, this analysis shows that Taj's adaptation sheds valuable light on his translation techniques, comedic craft, and creative versatility dimensions often overshadowed by his more widely studied works.

     References in Roman Script:

1. Qamar Rais, Tarjume Ka Fan Aur Riwayat (Aligarh: Educational Publishing House, 2013), p. 11.
2. Taj, Syed Imtiaz Ali, “Bimar Biwi,” Risala Alamgir, Lahore, Vol. 13, No. 1 (July 1930), p. 14.
3. Ibid., pp. 14–15.
4. Ibid., p. 14.
5. Ibid., pp. 14–15.
6. Ibid.
7. Ibid.
8. Ibid.
9. Gopi Chand Narang, Sakhtiyat, Pas-Sakhtiyat Aur Mashriqi Sheriyat (Delhi: Educational Publishing House, 1993), p. 174.
10. Gopi Chand Narang, Sakhtiyat, Pas-Sakhtiyat Aur Mashriqi Sheriyat, p. 168.