Stylistic Features of Adaptations of Rumi’s Masnavi for Children and Adolescents at the Linguistic, Literary, and Content Levels

Abstract

The Masnavi-ye Ma'navi is one of the most important literary and mystical works in the Persian language. Owing to its diverse narratives, ethical and educational themes, and considerable narrative potential, it has consistently attracted the attention of authors of children’s and young adult literature. Despite the importance of this work, the linguistic and cultural distance between the original text and young readers highlights the necessity of rewriting and adapting it. Accordingly, examining the quality and stylistic characteristics of such adaptations can contribute to evaluating the extent to which they successfully transmit the concepts of the Masnavi to new generations. Using a descriptive-analytical method and drawing on selected adaptations of the Masnavi, the present study analyzes the techniques employed in recreating these narratives. The findings indicate that, at the linguistic level, the most important characteristics of successful adaptations include the use of simple vocabulary, fluent syntactic structures, natural dialogue, and the elimination of linguistically difficult elements. At the literary level, attention is given to the quality of employing literary devices such as simile, antithesis, hyperbole, humor, symbolism, and allegory. At the content level, the greatest emphasis is placed on ethical and educational concepts such as honesty, humility, rationality, kindness, and self-knowledge. The results demonstrate that successful adaptations have been able to preserve the semantic core of the Masnavi narratives while simultaneously aligning them with the cognitive and emotional needs of children and adolescents. Overall, the quality of adapted works depends primarily on achieving a balance between fidelity to the original text and adaptation to the characteristics of the target audience.