Hey guys, I'm from /tv/ and wanted to talk to you guys about the best translation for the odyssey to read before I watch the movie. Do I also need to read the illiad as well or can I skip that one, I've heard its sort of a prequel but surely isn't that important if they're not making a movie of it. I've done a a bit of digging and heard that Fitzgerald, Wilson and Fagles are among the best translations but wanted to know what you guys think. I know these might be stupid questions but please go easy on me guys, I don't really read books with translations (or books in general) but wanted to give it a shot.
>>24975070Only read Wilson and Fagles. Fagles if you want it to be epic sounding, Wilson for the poetic simplicity. Don't fall for the Pope trap.
>>24975070Robert Fitzgerald, to keep in poem form or to read it in prose, Robert Fagles. Emily Wilson is fucking terrible don't waste your time.
>>24975070>I don't really read books with translations (or books in general) but wanted to give it a shot.By far the easiest version to read is a prose translation.The Odyssey is a poem, so you're not getting the full "poem experience" if you don't read it as a poem, but you'll get the fullest "story experience" if you read it as prose.https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Odyssey_(Butler)https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/1727https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Iliad_(Butler)https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/2199Compare poetry>Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns >driven time and again off course, once he had plundered >the hallowed heights of Troy. >Many cities of men he saw and learned their minds, >many pains he suffered, heartsick on the open sea, >fighting to save his life and bring his comrades home. >But he could not save them from disaster, hard as he strove— >the recklessness of their own ways destroyed them all, >the blind fools, they devoured the cattle of the Sun >and the Sungod wiped from sight the day of their return. >Launch out on his story, Muse, daughter of Zeus, >start from where you will—sing for our time too. And prose>Tell me, oh Muse, of that ingenious hero who travelled far and wide after he had sacked the famous town of Troy.>Many cities did he visit, and many were the nations with whose manners and customs he was acquainted; moreover he suffered much by sea while trying to save his own life and bring his men safely home; but do what he might he could not save his men, for they perished through their own sheer folly in eating the cattle of the Sun-god Hyperion; so the god prevented them from ever reaching home.>Tell me, too, about all these things, oh daughter of Jove, from whatsoever source you may know them.
>>24975070I recommend to you Fagles, followed by Fitzgerald.
>>24975070Lattimore
>>24975070I like Pope, Fitzgerald, Lattimore and Merrill. Not a fan of Fagles. Avoid Wilson at all cost.>Alexander PopeAchilles' wrath, to Greece the direful springOf woes unnumber'd, heavenly goddess, sing!That wrath which hurl'd to Pluto's gloomy reignThe souls of mighty chiefs untimely slain;Whose limbs unburied on the naked shore,Devouring dogs and hungry vultures tore.Since great Achilles and Atrides strove,Such was the sovereign doom, and such the will of Jove!>FitzgeraldAnger be now your song, immortal one,Akhilleus' anger, doomed and ruinous,that caused the Akhaians loss on bitter lossand crowded brave souls into the undergloom,leaving so many dead men—carrionfor dogs and birds; and the will of Zeus was done.Begin it when the two men first contendingbroke with one another— the Lord MarshalAgamémnon, Atreus’ son, and Prince Akhilleus.>FaglesRage—Goddess, sing the rage of Peleus’ son Achilles,murderous, doomed, that cost the Achaeans countless losses,hurling down to the House of Death so many sturdy souls,great fighters’ souls, but made their bodies carrion,feasts for the dogs and birds,and the will of Zeus was moving toward its end.Begin, Muse, when the two first broke and clashed,Agamemnon lord of men and brilliant Achilles.>LattimoreSing, goddess, the anger of Peleus' son Achillesand its devastation, which put pains thousand-fold upon the Achaians,hurled in their multitudes to the house of Hades strong soulsof heroes, but gave their bodies to be the delicate feastingof dogs, of all birds, and the will of Zeus was accomplishedsince that time when first there stood in division of conflictAtreus’ son the lord of men and brilliant Achilleus.>ChapmanAchilles’ baneful wrath resound, O Goddess, that impos’dInfinite sorrows on the Greeks, and many brave souls los’d.From breasts heroic; sent them far to that invisible caveThat no light comforts; and their limbs to dogs and vultures gave;To all which Jove’s will gave effect; from whom first strife begunBetwixt Atrides, king of men, and Thetis’ godlike son.>GreenWrath, goddess, sing of Achilles Pēleus’s son’scalamitous wrath, which hit the Achaians with countless ills—many the valiant souls it saw off down to Hādēs,souls of heroes, their selves left as carrion for dogsand all birds of prey, and the plan of Zeus was fulfilled—from the first moment those two men parted in fury,Atreus’s son, king of men, and the godlike Achilles.>MerrillSing now, goddess, the wrath of Achilles the scion of Peleus,ruinous rage which brought the Achaians uncounted afflictions;many the powerful souls it sent to the dwelling of Hades,those of the heroes, and spoil for the dogs it made their bodies,plunder for all of the birds, and the purpose of Zeus was accomplished-sing from the time when first stood hostile, starting the conflict,Atreus' scion, the lord of the people, and noble Achilles.
>>24975489>Emily WilsonGoddess, sing of the cataclysmic wrath of Peleus’ son Achilles,cause of so much suffering for the Greeks,that sent many strong souls to Hades,making men a feast for birds and prey for dogs:the plan of Zeus was moving to its end –beginning when those two argued first:lord Agamemnon and glorious Achilles.>VeritySING, goddess, the anger of Achilles, Peleus’ son,the accursed anger which brought the Achaeans countlessagonies and hurled many mighty shades of heroes into Hades,causing them to become the prey of dogs andall kinds of birds; and the plan of Zeus was fulfilled.Sing from the time the two men were first divided in strife—Atreus’ son, lord of men, and glorious Achilles.
Wilson is good, actually. Keeps the driving plot going instead of trying to translate the untranslatable. Translation involves two languages do not invent a third.
>>24975070I never knew her dad was A.N. Wilson. I was surprised as i thought he had sugar in his britches. He made some good poetry docs for the BBC. T.S. Eliothttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGrk3L16HjYand Larkinhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBmFCBXh7RgI might actually read the Emily Wilson translation now. My interest has been piqued.
>>24975070Assuming that I am not being baited by le epic retardation: use the catalog, nigger. >>24973023
>>24975589Thank you anon. I made the other thread then saw this and was like what dumb nigger made a whole new thread instead of just using a perfectly fine one.
>>24975070Fagles or nothing
>>24975489Lattimore for accuracy, so you can properly understand what's being said.Fitzgerald for the poetic experience, so you can appreciate it after you understand it.
I recently heard someone describe Green's translation as "the modern revision of Lattimore's more faithful translation of the Illiad". Any anons able to confirm or deny the validity of this claim? I wanted to like Lattimore but he has some real odd word choices here and there that really pull me out of it. I want to read something a little more faithful to the original Greek text before reading a more poetic version that takes artistic liberties.
