LE NUMÉRIQUE AU SERVICE DE LA TRADUCTION DES TEXTES ORTHODOXES HYMNOGRAPHIQUES
DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY IN THE TRANSLATION OF ORTHODOX HYMNOGRAPHIC TEXTS

Summary/Abstract: Digital technology plays an increasingly essential role in contemporary philological research, particularly in the translation and analysis of Orthodox hymnographic texts. In recent years, the rapid development of digital tools, including translation software, electronic corpora, corpus management platforms, and various forms of artificial intelligence, has significantly transformed the way scholars approach textual material belonging to the liturgical and theological domain. These innovations have not only expanded access to primary sources but have also reconfigured research methodologies in the humanities, enabling more efficient and systematic investigations of large and complex datasets. However, despite these technological advances, the translation of hymnographic text remains a highly complex and demanding task due to its dense theological content, layered symbolism, poetic structure, and rich discursive organization.Digital instruments can greatly facilitate the work of researchers by accelerating access to sources, offering terminological suggestions, supporting concordance analysis, and improving the management of extensive textual corpora. Nevertheless, they cannot fully replace human intellectual activity, particularly critical reading, contextual interpretation, and hermeneutic judgment, which are indispensable for grasping the semantic, symbolic, and spiritual dimensions of these texts. The specificity of Orthodox hymnography, characterized by the close interrelation between doctrine, poetry, and liturgical function, requires a level of sensitivity and cultural awareness that remains beyond the capabilities of automated systems.This study aims to examine how digital technology constitutes a valuable tool for the translation of Orthodox liturgical texts within both Romanian and French cultural and linguistic contexts, while also emphasizing its practical contributions to textual preservation and dissemination. At the same time, it seeks to highlight the methodological and epistemological limits of machine-assisted translation when confronted with the depth, complexity, and theological density of Orthodox hymnographic discourse.

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