This study aims to specify the translation problems encountered in the translation of former Turkmen President Saparmourat Türkmenbashi’s ‘Ruhnama’ from the source language into French. In addition to the basic translation problems encountered in the transfer from a source to a target language and the additional problems resulting from the lack of overlap between cultures there are other problems specific to the text typology and languages in this specific translation process: the ‘intralingual’ linguistic problems resulting from the use of varieties/ dialects of the same language and the issue of subcultures within a single language group; syntactic/semantic problems resulting from variation between dialects; sociolinguistic problems resulting from the lack of overlap between different varieties of the same sub culture; and also ideological problems resulting from the author’s style in his effort to convey certain symbols and ideologies. The study exemplifies problems encountered and explains categorization of problem genres and groups through these offering solutions and strategies to guide the translator in the act of translation of such works while stressing the reasons/ reasoning behind the choices.