Goddess, sing me the anger, of Achilles, Peleus’ son, that fatal anger that brought countless sorrows on the Greeks, and sent many valiant souls of warriors down to Hades, leaving their bodies as spoil for dogs and carrion birds: for thus was the will of Zeus brought to fulfilment. Bk I:1-21 Invocation and Introduction . The bright sea-cave was filled with nymphs, beating their breasts, and Thetis led the lament: ‘Sisters, listen all, so you may hear and know the sadness in my heart. I do hope Emily Wilson has plans to translate the Iliad. Thank you very much. Although my background is engineering gotten from The Sheffield University long ago, I am more of a student of ancient classical writings and collections if you will. Sappho I brought a mighty and peerless son into this world, greatest of warriors. Richmond Lattimore, 1951. The only repetition here is “ranks” in the fifth and sixth lines, and we get virtually none of those alliterations and sea-sounds, which the earlier translators grappled with. Adventures Beyond the Body: How to Experience Out-of-Body Travel. Lawrence's prose, translation of The Odyssey. At this rate, it would take about seven years to translate the Iliad—assuming you worked on weekends. Hi Emily Caroline Alexander’s book is not a new translation of “The Iliad” but an attempt at a fresh reading of it, one that focuses on what it has to say about the conduct and meaning of war. . and Flaxman's Designs. He also discusses the translation and his piece in this week’s Out Loud podcast. Since it was first published more than twenty-five years ago, Robert Fitzgerald's prizewinning translation of Homer's battle epic has become a classic in its own right: a standard against which all other versions of The Iliad are compared. March 2016 Translation proliferation is certainly not among the 10 worst of the anxieties afflicting the modern world, but it is of a piece with others higher up the list. Is your translation of The Iliad published? ©1951 by The University of Chicago. The Iliad, Book I, Lines 1-16 Anger be now your song, immortal one, Akhilleus' anger, doomed and ruinous, that caused the Akhaians loss on bitter loss and crowded brave souls into the undergloom, leaving so many dead men--carrion for dogs and birds; and the will of Zeus was done. Women, September 2016 1899 This PDF was scanned from the first impression of the 1962 illustrated edition (with drawings by Leonard Baskin). You might even omit it entirely, as Christopher Logue does in. Get book recommendations, fiction, poetry, and dispatches from the world of literature in your in-box. Sign up for the Books & Fiction newsletter. Many consider it the greatest English Iliad, and one of the greatest translations of any work into English. In the following video we will listen to verses 578-643 of the last book of the Iliad in Pope's translation. 1559–1634, dramatist, poet, classicist. Amazon com: the iliad (9780140275360): homer robert fagles bernard knox: books (9781439163382): mitchell stephen: translating ? But simply to convey what Homer’s words mean gives no sense of the real challenge that the translator faces, which is to think of ways to reproduce the wonderful sound effects Homer contrives here to evoke the sounds of the sea. The Odyssey has been constantly rewritten by centuries of writers, but like so much of Greek myth, it's always already open to revising its own narrative. Fagles’s sensitivity to the alliteration of “l” is clear, especially in his first two lines (“squall of brawling gale-winds” is really good), and it’s nice that he tries to suggest Homer’s line-ending alliterations with his end-rhyming “roaring” and “closing”. With that in mind, let’s compare some notable translations of this vivid passage. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast. Agreed. And it’s easy to understand why. I am thankful to you for giving me a basis of choosing between versions of the Iliad.I had collected one translated by Stephen Mitchel and the other by Robert Fagles. Here is Richmond Lattimore’s 1951 rendering: They went on, as out of the racking winds the stormblastthat underneath the thunderstroke of Zeus-Father drives downwardand with gigantic clamour hits the sea, and the numerousboiling waves along the length of the roaring waterbend and whiten to foam in ranks, one upon another;so the Trojans closing in ranks, some leading and othersafter them, in the glare of bronze armor followed their leaders. Hi Emily, This week in the magazine, Daniel Mendelsohn reviews a new version of Homer’s Iliad, translated by Stephen Mitchell. This is the insight I've been seeking - to have a translation as close to the rhyme and rhythm of the Greek poetry. In Homer, those two gurgling adjectives, paphladzonta and polyphloisboio slow the line down mightily—you have to chew on them a bit, roll them around in your mouth, make the surf-noises. If you repeat those languidly unspooling words, you’re making the noises of the surf. Emily. A t sandy Pylos (as Homer calls it) on the western coast of Greece it’s still possible to see the bathtub of Nestor, who figures in the Iliad as an ancient, well-meaning but rather long-winded hero. The big mistake, to my mind, is the way Fagles blurs the line between the two parts of the simile: the waves and the battle-lines of Trojans. About Iliad Translations. . We have selected this product as being #9 in Best Prose Translation Of The Iliad of 2021 View Product #10 . Here is a list of things to consider when looking for a new dentist. It is available from the Guardian bookshop for £20, including free p&p . I say this because the literal translation of Πάν μέτρον Άριστον is “all measure the best.” But Fagles’ translation feels more dynamic and vibrant. But as his rendering of our passage shows, there’s virtually no attempt here to reproduce the sound effects in the Greek: The Trojans attacked like a blast of a sudden squallthat swoops down to earth with lightning and thunder, churningthe dark sea into a fury, and countless wavessurge and toss on its surface, high-arched and white-capped,and crash down onto the seashore in endless ranks:just so did the Trojans charge in their ranks, each battalionpacked close together. The Iliad, a major founding work of European literature, is usually dated to around the 8th century BC, and attributed to Homer. London, Rich. Put simply, this is the best translation of the Odyssey I have read. So the sixth line is packed behind the fifth, imitating its sound cluster precisely the way in which the Trojan ranks, packed together in battle formation, are massed one behind the other. The first English translation of The Iliad by a woman (Alexander) came out last year. For modern translations my favorite is Lattimore. Nonetheless, it’s a strong, successful rendering, with an energy and verve appropriate to the lines themselves. [#image: /photos/590953df2179605b11ad3b9d], [#image: /photos/590953de019dfc3494e9e587], [#image: /photos/590953e0c14b3c606c10432a], [#image: /photos/590953e01c7a8e33fb38af0e], [#image: /photos/590953e1019dfc3494e9e59b], [#image: /photos/590953e22179605b11ad3bb2], Three Rings: A Tale of Exile, Narrative, and Fate. This is one of the dozens of extended similes that Homer uses to convey how a given event looks and feels—in this instance comparing the massed ranks of Trojan troops preparing for battle to waves breaking on a shore during a wild storm at sea. I don't say this as a Greek scholar, because I am not; I'm just someone who loves good literature. A t sandy Pylos (as Homer calls it) on the western coast of Greece it’s still possible to see the bathtub of Nestor, who figures in the Iliad as an ancient, well-meaning but rather long-winded hero. Goddess, sing me the anger, of Achilles, Peleus’ son, that fatal anger that brought countless sorrows on the Greeks, and sent many valiant souls of warriors down to Hades, leaving their bodies as spoil for dogs and carrion birds: for thus was the will of Zeus brought to fulfilment. What I like best about Mitchell’s version is its strong five-beat rhythm—arguably the best yet in English. – A guide to the translations of Homer’s Iliad . Best translation of the Iliad and the Odyssey? The Iliad is sometimes a struggle to get through -- I much prefer the Odyssey -- but Mitchell's translation (which I'm currently reading) is a pleasure. The verses are dramatically read by Sarah Wingo, graduate student at the School of Information (University of Michigan) and Ralph Williams, Professor Emeritus of English (University of Michigan). . I found this also with the reading of the Five Books of Moses, by Everett Fox. Nestor’s bath is a substantial piece of decorated terracotta fixed into a weighty base. Beating Back Death: Achilles Throws Down with the River God. Four decades after Lattimore, Robert Fagles’s 1990 translation took the field, establishing itself as the preëminent English translation. [#image: /photos/590953e1019dfc3494e9e59b]KUHR-ta phah-LAY-ree-oh-OAN-tah, pro MEN T’AHLL’, OW-tahr ep’ ALL-ah: Curved white-capped (in front) some, (but) (hard behind) others, [#image: /photos/590953e22179605b11ad3bb2]HOSS TROE-EHS pro men ALL-oy ah-RAY-roh-tehz, OW-tahr ep’ ALL-oy, (just so) (the Trojans) (in front) some (were packed together) (but)( hard behind) (others). I like how you verify the fidelity of your version by showing the original Greek. Ideal for: Beginners Buy here Lattimore’s translation, originally published in 1951 and republished in a new edition in 2011 with an introduction by the classicist Richard Martin, is a classic (it was also the translation I read at school). For sixty years, that's how Homer has begun the Iliad in English, in Richmond Lattimore's faithful translation—the gold standard for generations of students and general readers. With her virtuoso translation, classicist and bestselling author Caroline Alexander brings to life Homer’s timeless epic of the Trojan War. [#image: /photos/590953de019dfc3494e9e587]HAY rha th’oo-POH BRON-TAYZ PAH-TROS Di-os AY-si peh-DON deh, that beneath (the thunderbolt) (of Father) Zeus goes earthward, [#image: /photos/590953e0c14b3c606c10432a]THEH-speh-see-OY d’oh-mah-DOY ha-li MIZ-geh-tai, EN deh teh POLL-ah, (with an inhuman) (din) (the salt sea) (churns), and many, [#image: /photos/590953e01c7a8e33fb38af0e]KU-mahtah PAH-PHLAH-DZON-tah poh-LEE-PHLOYZ-BOY-oh thah-LASS-ays, Waves roiling (of the loudly-roaring) sea. I find, too, that there is a general heightening of diction—“attacked” for “went in,” “swoops” for “goes,” “countless” for “many,” “battalion” for “rank”—and a loss of some fine points (“fury” misses the fact that Homer’s thespesioi homadoi, “with an inhuman din” is meant to evoke a sound). Below is a line-by-line transliteration of the Greek text—with the stressed syllables in ALL CAPITALS—with translations of each word or phrase just beneath. Since it was first published more than twenty-five years ago, Robert Fitzgerald's prizewinning translation of Homer's battle epic has become a classic in its own right: a standard against which all other versions of The Iliad are compared. 0 thoughts on “ Book Review – The Iliad by Homer (Robert Fagles Translation) ” John W. Howell October 20, 2014 at 2:56 pm Well Phillip, you took one for the team. Fitzgerald, Lombardo and Fagles are well known for extravagant versions of Homer’s words, but you reveal that Lattimore, who has a reputation for being scrupulously faithful to the original, is actually no better, at least in these two verses. But Caroline Alexander, whose new translation of the classic work by Homer comes out Nov. 24, … In The Iliad, the outcome of the nine-year Trojan War rests on whether or not Achilles, the best warrior of the Greek army, can put aside his quarrel with Agamemnon in Book 1 and resume battle. Ad Choices. February 2014 Because I don't understand Greek language, and also because these collections are going to be in the library, I will add the other two. Classics There’s a lot of energy here, but Homer knows better how to pace himself and mete out his effects. September 2013 THE ILIAD OF HOMER Richmond Lattimore’s introduction to his translation of The Iliad of Homer appeared in editions published from 1951 to 2011. Homer uses a simile to describe the flow of Patroclus’ tears (I’ve given you the transliterated Greek, and then a literal translation below): dakrua therma cheón hós te kréné melanudros, hé te kat’ aigilipos petrés dnoferon cheei hudór. We have selected this product as being #8 in Best Prose Translation Of The Iliad of 2021 View Product #9 . No two dentists are exactly the same and no two people are exactly the same, so the decision you make should be a personal one. October 2013 In The Iliad, the outcome of the nine-year Trojan War rests on whether or not Achilles, the best warrior of the Greek army, can put aside his quarrel with Agamemnon in … The Iliad: A New Translation by Peter Green by Peter Green (2016-04-08) 7/10 We have selected this product as being #8 in Best New Translation Of The Iliad of 2021 Bk I:1-21 Invocation and Introduction . I am an english major so I like reading classics which are close to their originals and provide plenty of notes. His “drives downward” in line 2 nicely gets the “d” and “n” sounds in the Greek eisi pedo_n d_e, “goes earthward”; and I particularly like the way he reproduces all those liquid “l” sounds in his line “boiling waves a long the length of the roaring water.” He also strives to reproduce the “some … other” construction of the Greek in his “one upon another … some leading and others after them.” You’ll notice, too, that Lattimore favors a long, six-beat line that mimics the six-beat line that Homer uses—one of the ways he tries to conjure the grandeur and expansiveness of Homeric verse. Lombardo even switches from comparing tears with a spring to comparing a face with a rock. In short, the ancient texts were usually in poetry - literacy was not common but it was easier to remember the stories in poetry - through rhyme and rhythm all citizens were able to share in the fields and in their homes. Gender Theodore Alois Buckley, M.A., F.S.A. and so far Stanley Lombardo is my favorite version, btw. To my mind, the sensitivity to sound effects shown by both of those translators isn’t strongly present in the new translation by Stephen Mitchell. It is available from the Guardian bookshop for £20, including free p&p . The Iliad is sometimes a struggle to get through -- I much prefer the Odyssey -- but Mitchell's translation (which I'm currently reading) is a pleasure. . © 2021 Condé Nast. Reception Pope manages this in English by dragging the line out with the many s sounds— “deeps,” “tumultuous,” “mix”; and by placing “deeps” before “tumultuous,” he forces your tongue to drag a bit as it searches for the helpful “t” in “tumultuous” to latch onto again before you can move on. In addition, the Chicago Homer includes English and German translations, in particular Lattimore's Iliad, James Huddleston's Odyssey, Daryl Hine's translations of Hesiod and the Homeric Hymns, and the German translations of the Iliad and Odyssey by Johan Heinrich Voss. The “Iliad” and “Odyssey” are composed in a long dactylic line (tumpety-tumpety-tum) that’s poorly suited to the natural rhythms of English. Troy In the following video we will listen to verses 578-643 of the last book of the Iliad in Pope's translation. I’ve done a translation myself (of a modern Greek poet), and my guess is that you could spend an entire working day solving the problems presented in this six-line passage—nailing down the meaning in a first draft, perhaps, and then spending several hours working out how to get the sound effects, to say nothing of the rhythm. So on the Trojans came,waves in the vanguard, waves from the rear, closing. Jul 6, 2011, 7:50pm . January 2014 And a dehumidifier; always useful for the cave condensated. Nestor’s bath is a substantial piece of decorated terracotta fixed into a weighty base. And, as if to make the analogy concrete, the sixth line—which reconnects the imagined world of the sea to the narrated world of the Trojans at war—repeats the “some before … others hard behind” language of the fifth: the waves are all’ … ep alla; the Trojans are alloi … ep’ alloi. August 2013, It can be disorientating to say the least when you walk into a bookshop and see the sheer numbers of different translations of the, … wept warm tears, like a spring dark-running, … wept warm tears like a dark spring running down, ​You might say it doesn’t matter very much whether you compare the tears streaming down Patroclus’ face to a spring running down ‘a sheer rock where the goat trails end’ or ‘a rock-ledge’. The Iliad of Homer Translated by Alexander Pope, with notes by the Rev. June 2014 With each translation you notice new or different things; Mitchell's reveals the vast number of similes that I hadn't noticed before.