Sign Language Poetics and Bible Translation: A Multimodal Social-Semiotic Perspective

Signed languages are not only full linguistic systems but also powerful artistic media in Deaf communities. This paper explores how sign language poetics—visual rhythm, handshape patterning, spatial composition, movement quality, and non-manual expression—can inform and strengthen sign language Bible translation. Building on multimodal social semiotics (Kress & van Leeuwen; Kress) and Jakobson’s poetic function, the study argues that meaning is produced through coordinated semiotic resources rather than words alone. The paper surveys key poetic devices described in Deaf literature scholarship and integrates insights from Deaf poets and translators regarding performance, identity, and community reception. Two main examples are used to illustrate the argument: Clayton Valli’s ASL poem Dandelions and the Magnificat in Peruvian Sign Language (LSP). The LSP translation demonstrates that faithful translation is not “signed Spanish” but embodied Scripture. The paper concludes with implications for translator training, evaluation, and Deaf-led hermeneutics.