It is important to remember that Bausani published his first edition in 1955, during a period of decolonization and intense Western reconsideration of the “Orient.” Italy, with its colonial past in Libya and the Horn of Africa, was grappling with its identity. Bausani’s translation was an act of intellectual decolonization. He rejected the Orientalist habit of dismissing Quranic repetitions as “monotonous” or its legal passages as “primitive.” Instead, he showed that the repetitive structure is a liturgical device: a verbal rhythm designed for recitation ( tajwīd ), not silent reading.
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Sansoni [1955]. LXXX, 784 S. 8°. L. 4000.-(= Classici ... - Brill Bausani Il Corano.pdf
However, previews and limited scans are often accessible via academic databases (like Torrossa or JSTOR) or the Internet Archive for out-of-copyright older editions (pre-1960s). Legitimate "preview only" versions exist, but a full, legal PDF is rare without a university license.
Bausani’s translation is widely praised for its precision and beauty. It was not merely a literal rendering but an attempt to convey the rhythm, the power, and the unique literary style of the Quranic Arabic into Italian. Academic sources describe his translation as "splendida e precisa" (splendid and precise), a standard that has ensured its enduring use in both academic and general settings for over half a century. It is important to remember that Bausani published
: Bausani utilized his expertise in Semitic languages to provide a literal yet fluid translation that respects the complex structure of the Arabic verses.
The Italian translation of the Quran by Alessandro Bausani, first published in the 1950s, remains a foundational, scholarly, and literary reference in Italian Islamic studies. This frequently updated edition, often found in BUR publications, provides comprehensive introductions and commentaries that bridge classical Islamic theology with modern accessibility. For purchasing the authoritative, updated edition, visit IBS.it . Share public link This public link is valid for 7 days
The PDF you find online could be a scan of any number of these editions. They can vary in page count and publisher details:
Bausani was not a theologian but a historian of religions and a scholar of Islamic mysticism (he also translated Persian poets like ʿUmar Khayyām and Rūmī). This dual lens allowed him to avoid two common pitfalls. First, he did not read the Quran through a Christian lens (unlike many earlier Catholic translators who looked for “types” of Jesus or “prophecies” of Muhammad as a heretic). Second, he did not reduce the Quran to a purely historical document of 7th-century Arabia.