{"id":305,"date":"2012-05-17T10:06:00","date_gmt":"2012-05-17T17:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.scholarsonline.org\/Blog\/?p=305"},"modified":"2012-05-17T10:07:19","modified_gmt":"2012-05-17T17:07:19","slug":"homer-its-all-greek-to-me-and-its-better-that-way","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scholarsonline.org\/Blog\/?p=305","title":{"rendered":"Homer: It’s All Greek to Me (And It’s Better That Way)"},"content":{"rendered":"

In any translated work of literature, much of the artistry is lost. There is simply no way to capture all the nuances of the original language in a translation. Works of poetry especially suffer in translation, because it is very difficult, and in many cases impossible, to preserve the original work’s meter, rhyme scheme, and other poetic devices. Homer\u2019s Odyssey<\/em> is no exception. Producing an accurate, readable English translation of the Odyssey<\/em> in dactylic hexameter (The poetic meter of the Iliad<\/em> and the Odyssey<\/em>) would be next to impossible. Anyone capable of such a feat probably deserves to have an epic written about him.<\/p>\n

Here are the first ten lines of the Odyssey<\/em>:<\/p>\n

\u201c\u1f04\u03bd\u03b4\u03c1\u03b1 \u03bc\u03bf\u03b9 \u1f14\u03bd\u03bd\u03b5\u03c0\u03b5, \u03bc\u03bf\u1fe6\u03c3\u03b1, \u03c0\u03bf\u03bb\u03cd\u03c4\u03c1\u03bf\u03c0\u03bf\u03bd, \u1f43\u03c2 \u03bc\u03ac\u03bb\u03b1 \u03c0\u03bf\u03bb\u03bb\u1f70
\n\u03c0\u03bb\u03ac\u03b3\u03c7\u03b8\u03b7, \u1f10\u03c0\u03b5\u1f76 \u03a4\u03c1\u03bf\u03af\u03b7\u03c2 \u1f31\u03b5\u03c1\u1f78\u03bd \u03c0\u03c4\u03bf\u03bb\u03af\u03b5\u03b8\u03c1\u03bf\u03bd \u1f14\u03c0\u03b5\u03c1\u03c3\u03b5\u03bd:
\n\u03c0\u03bf\u03bb\u03bb\u1ff6\u03bd \u03b4\u1fbd \u1f00\u03bd\u03b8\u03c1\u03ce\u03c0\u03c9\u03bd \u1f34\u03b4\u03b5\u03bd \u1f04\u03c3\u03c4\u03b5\u03b1 \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03bd\u03cc\u03bf\u03bd \u1f14\u03b3\u03bd\u03c9,
\n\u03c0\u03bf\u03bb\u03bb\u1f70 \u03b4\u1fbd \u1f45 \u03b3\u1fbd \u1f10\u03bd \u03c0\u03cc\u03bd\u03c4\u1ff3 \u03c0\u03ac\u03b8\u03b5\u03bd \u1f04\u03bb\u03b3\u03b5\u03b1 \u1f43\u03bd \u03ba\u03b1\u03c4\u1f70 \u03b8\u03c5\u03bc\u03cc\u03bd,
\n\u1f00\u03c1\u03bd\u03cd\u03bc\u03b5\u03bd\u03bf\u03c2 \u1f25\u03bd \u03c4\u03b5 \u03c8\u03c5\u03c7\u1f74\u03bd \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03bd\u03cc\u03c3\u03c4\u03bf\u03bd \u1f11\u03c4\u03b1\u03af\u03c1\u03c9\u03bd.
\n\u1f00\u03bb\u03bb\u1fbd \u03bf\u1f50\u03b4\u1fbd \u1f63\u03c2 \u1f11\u03c4\u03ac\u03c1\u03bf\u03c5\u03c2 \u1f10\u03c1\u03c1\u03cd\u03c3\u03b1\u03c4\u03bf, \u1f31\u03ad\u03bc\u03b5\u03bd\u03cc\u03c2 \u03c0\u03b5\u03c1:
\n\u03b1\u1f50\u03c4\u1ff6\u03bd \u03b3\u1f70\u03c1 \u03c3\u03c6\u03b5\u03c4\u03ad\u03c1\u1fc3\u03c3\u03b9\u03bd \u1f00\u03c4\u03b1\u03c3\u03b8\u03b1\u03bb\u03af\u1fc3\u03c3\u03b9\u03bd \u1f44\u03bb\u03bf\u03bd\u03c4\u03bf,
\n\u03bd\u03ae\u03c0\u03b9\u03bf\u03b9, \u03bf\u1f33 \u03ba\u03b1\u03c4\u1f70 \u03b2\u03bf\u1fe6\u03c2 \u1f59\u03c0\u03b5\u03c1\u03af\u03bf\u03bd\u03bf\u03c2 \u1f28\u03b5\u03bb\u03af\u03bf\u03b9\u03bf
\n\u1f24\u03c3\u03b8\u03b9\u03bf\u03bd: \u03b1\u1f50\u03c4\u1f70\u03c1 \u1f41 \u03c4\u03bf\u1fd6\u03c3\u03b9\u03bd \u1f00\u03c6\u03b5\u03af\u03bb\u03b5\u03c4\u03bf \u03bd\u03cc\u03c3\u03c4\u03b9\u03bc\u03bf\u03bd \u1f26\u03bc\u03b1\u03c1.
\n\u03c4\u1ff6\u03bd \u1f01\u03bc\u03cc\u03b8\u03b5\u03bd \u03b3\u03b5, \u03b8\u03b5\u03ac, \u03b8\u03cd\u03b3\u03b1\u03c4\u03b5\u03c1 \u0394\u03b9\u03cc\u03c2, \u03b5\u1f30\u03c0\u1f72 \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u1f21\u03bc\u1fd6\u03bd.\u201d<\/p>\n

(Dr. Bruce McMenomy has kindly provided a recording of these lines for his Greek IV students, which can be listened to\u00a0here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

Here is E. V. Rieu\u2019s prose translation (revised by D. C. H. Rieu) of those first ten lines of the Odyssey<\/em>:<\/p>\n

\u201cTell me, Muse, the story of that resourceful man who was driven to wander far and wide after he had sacked the holy citadel of Troy. He saw the cities of many people and he learnt their ways. He suffered great anguish on the high seas in his struggles to preserve his life and bring his comrades home. But he failed to save those comrades, in spite of all his efforts. It was their own transgression that brought them to their doom, for in their folly they devoured the oxen of Hyperion the Sun-god and he saw to it that they would never return. Tell us this story, goddess daughter of Zeus, beginning at whatever point you will.\u201d<\/p>\n

D. C. H. Rieu writes in the preface of E.V. Rieu\u2019s revised translation that his father\u2019s vision \u201cwas to make available to the ordinary reader, in good modern English, the great classics of every language\u201d.<\/p>\n

Here is Richmond Lattimore\u2019s verse translation of the first ten lines of the Odyssey<\/em>:<\/p>\n

\u201cTell me, Muse, of the man of many ways, who was driven
\nfar journeys, after he sacked Troy\u2019s sacred citadel.
\nMany were they whose cities he saw, whose minds he learned of,
\nmany the pains he suffered in his spirit on the wide sea,
\nstruggling for his own life and the homecoming of his companions.
\nEven so he could not save his companions, hard though
\nhe strove to; they were destroyed by their own wild recklessness,
\nfools, who devoured the oxen of Helios, the Sun God,
\nand he took away the day of their homecoming. From some point
\nhere, goddess, daughter of Zeus, speak, and begin our story.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lattimore, in the introduction to his translation, says, \u201cI have tried to follow, as far as the structure of English will allow, the formulaic practice of the original\u201d.<\/p>\n

Here is my own translation of those first ten lines:<\/p>\n

\u201cMuse, tell me of a much-travelled man, who wandered very much, after he sacked the holy city of Troy: he saw the cities of many men and he knew their mind, and he suffered many troubles in his heart at sea, while striving to win his own life and the homecoming of his companions. But he did not save his companions, although he was very eager (to do so): for they perished by their own wickedness, the childish fools, who gobbled down the cattle of Helios Hyperion: but he took away the day of homecoming from them. O goddess, daughter of Zeus, beginning at any point tell us of these things also.\u201d<\/p>\n

The purpose of my translation is merely to show that I have understood what the Greek says and how it says it. It is accurate, but the English is stilted and unidiomatic in some places.\u00a0 For instance, \u201che knew their mind\u201d is not a typo. The word for mind used in this passage, \u03bd\u03cc\u03bf\u03bd, is singular. Greek frequently ascribes a collective singular mind or heart to groups, whether they are cities, armies, or companions of Odysseus. It is not idiomatic English, but it is what the Greek says.<\/p>\n

There is a clear difference between the three translations I have provided. The translators all achieved their stated purposes, but none of their translations manages to maintain the same rhythm as the original Greek. The ease of reading the translations also varies. Certainly my translation is not one that would be the easiest to read. It is not meant to be a publishable translation, anyway. Of the two published translations, Lattimore\u2019s more closely follows the style of the Odyssey<\/em>, but it is not as easy to read as Rieu\u2019s. All three fail to capture the nuance and the poetic charm of the Odyssey<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Just five words into the Greek of the Odyssey<\/em> translators run into some difficulty. The fifth word, \u03c0\u03bf\u03bb\u03cd\u03c4\u03c1\u03bf\u03c0\u03bf\u03bd (\u03c0\u03bf\u03bb\u03cd, \u201cmuch, many\u201d, + \u03c4\u03c1\u03cc\u03c0\u03bf\u03c2, \u201cturn, direction; way, manner, fashion, guise\u201d), can in this context mean \u201cmuch-travelled, much-wandering\u201d or \u201cshifty, versatile, wily\u201d. Both senses certainly apply to Odysseus; he travels much and is quite cunning. (In fact, another word Homer frequently uses to describe him is \u03c0\u03bf\u03bb\u03cd\u03bc\u03b7\u03c4\u03b9\u03c2, \u201cof many devices, crafty, shrewd\u201d.) Which sense are we supposed to understand here, though? I would argue that we are meant to understand both senses here; Odysseus is both a wily and a much-wandering man. None of the translations I provided have attempted to translate \u03c0\u03bf\u03bb\u03cd\u03c4\u03c1\u03bf\u03c0\u03bf\u03bd to capture both meanings; Lattimore chose to translate it as \u201cof many ways\u201d, Rieu chose \u201cresourceful\u201d, and I chose \u201cmuch-travelled\u201d. There simply is no single English word that can capture all the senses of the word \u03c0\u03bf\u03bb\u03cd\u03c4\u03c1\u03bf\u03c0\u03bf\u03bd.<\/p>\n

Puns also do not survive in translation. In Book IX of the Odyssey<\/em>, when the Cyclops Polyphemus asks Odysseus what his name is, Odysseus answers that his name is \u201cNobody\u201d. The Greek word he uses is \u039f\u1f56\u03c4\u03b9\u03c2, which, aside from the slight difference in accent, sounds like \u03bf\u1f54\u03c4\u03b9\u03c2, \u201cnobody\u201d.\u00a0 The word \u03bf\u1f54\u03c4\u03b9\u03c2 suggests another word meaning \u201cnobody\u201d, which is \u03bc\u03ae\u03c4\u03b9\u03c2 (sometimes split into \u03bc\u03ae \u03c4\u03b9\u03c2). In turn, \u03bc\u03ae\u03c4\u03b9\u03c2 suggests \u03bc\u1fc6\u03c4\u03b9\u03c2, which means \u201cwisdom, skill, craft\u201d.<\/p>\n

Later, after Odysseus and his trusty companions blind Polyphemus, Polyphemus cries out to the other Cyclopes in the area. Hearing the racket, they come to his cave and stand outside the door, which is sealed by a large rock. They stand outside and ask him, \u201cWhat in the world is so great, Polyphemus, that overwhelmed you thus during the holy night and made us sleepless? Truly, is not someone of mortal men driving away your flocks against your will? Truly, is not someone killing you yourself by deceit or force?\u201d<\/p>\n

Polyphemus replies, \u201c\u1f66 \u03c6\u03af\u03bb\u03bf\u03b9, \u039f\u1f56\u03c4\u03af\u03c2 \u03bc\u03b5 \u03ba\u03c4\u03b5\u03af\u03bd\u03b5\u03b9 \u03b4\u03cc\u03bb\u1ff3 \u03bf\u1f50\u03b4\u1f72 \u03b2\u03af\u03b7\u03c6\u03b9\u03bd.\u201d This can be understood in a couple of ways. Polyphemus means, \u201cO friends, this-guy-named-Outis is killing me by deceit, and not by force.\u201d However, because \u039f\u1f56\u03c4\u03af\u03c2 sounds like \u03bf\u1f54\u03c4\u03b9\u03c2 (the pain-ridden Cyclops was probably not too concerned with proper accentuation, anyway), and because \u03bf\u1f50\u03b4\u1f72 here can mean either \u201cor\u201d or \u201cand not\u201d, the other Cyclopes understand it as \u201cO friends, nobody is killing me by deceit or by force\u201d.<\/p>\n

The other Cyclopes then reply, \u201cIf nobody is overpowering you, who are alone\u2014there is no way to avoid an illness from great Zeus; but pray to your father, lord Poseidon.\u201d (There also seems to be an implied \u201cNow shut up and let the rest of us get some sleep!\u201d here as well.) They reply using the words \u03bc\u03ae \u03c4\u03af\u03c2, \u201cnot anyone\u201d, which again calls to mind the word \u03bc\u1fc6\u03c4\u03b9\u03c2, \u201cwisdom, skill, craft\u201d. Thus Odysseus\u00a0 gives Polyphemus a false name, which saves him from death, and which also reminds us what a clever fellow he is\u2014and nobody reading a translation would know that this pun existed unless it were footnoted. Even if it is footnoted (Rieu\u2019s translation notes the \u03bf\u1f54\u03c4\u03b9\u03c2\/\u03bc\u03ae\u03c4\u03b9\u03c2 pun; Lattimore\u2019s does not. Neither translation notes the double meaning of the word \u03bf\u1f50\u03b4\u1f72.), the experience is not the same as understanding the joke as one is reading.<\/p>\n

Many other aspects of the Odyssey<\/em> also are lost in translation. Although the names of Homer\u2019s characters are transliterated, without knowing Greek, one would not know that many of the characters\u2019 names often also describe their characters. One of the suitor\u2019s names, Antinoos, is a compound of \u1f00\u03bd\u03c4\u03af, \u201copposite, against\u201d, and \u03bd\u03cc\u03bf\u03c2, \u201cmind, understanding, thought\u201d. The good Phaeacian king\u2019s name is Alkinoos, which means \u201cBrave-minded\u201d or \u201cMinded to help\u201d. Calypso, the nymph who kept Odysseus on her island for several years, has a name that comes from \u03ba\u03b1\u03bb\u03cd\u03c8\u03c9, \u201cI will hide\u201d. Thus Homer not only shows us the behavior and actions of his characters, but he even gives many of them names according to their most important characteristics.<\/p>\n

In translation, one also misses instances of alliteration and assonance, such as the assonance of \u201c\u03b7\u201d in IX. 439, \u201c\u03b8\u03ae\u03bb\u03b5\u03b9\u03b1\u03b9 \u03b4\u1f72 \u03bc\u03ad\u03bc\u03b7\u03ba\u03bf\u03bd \u1f00\u03bd\u03ae\u03bc\u03b5\u03bb\u03ba\u03c4\u03bf\u03b9 \u03c0\u03b5\u03c1\u1f76 \u03c3\u03b7\u03ba\u03bf\u03cd\u03c2\u201d (\u201cBut the unmilked females were bleating around the pen\u201d). The repetition of \u201c\u03b7\u201d (pronounced like the \u201cai\u201d in \u201cwait\u201d or \u201cbait\u201d) also mimics the sound of bleating sheep.<\/p>\n

Although the examples above are hardly exhaustive and only draw on a few small portions of the Odyssey<\/em>, they should serve as proof that Homer is much better in the original Greek. However, I would also like to point out one final thing that perhaps hasn\u2019t been made clear in this post. Homeric Greek (all Greek, actually) is really fun\u2014even more fun than reading Homer\u2019s works in translation. I realize that \u201cfun\u201d is a subjective experience, but I offer two solid, objective facts to support this:<\/p>\n

The Greek IV 2011-2012 class (which I am a part of) finished all the assignments for the class on April 27th<\/sup>. We were given the option of either stopping there and having a few weeks off before the exam was sent out, or continuing to meet and translate more of the Odyssey<\/em>. This extra translating would not show up on the exam and would not affect our grades in any way whatsoever. If some students did not want to continue, but others did, that would be fine, and Dr. McM would be available for those who wanted to keep translating. All six students chose to continue translating.<\/p>\n

Dr. Bruce McMenomy thinks that teaching Greek IV is so fun that it is even worth being awake at 6 AM for him to teach it on Tuesdays and Fridays\u2014even after all the assigned work is finished and we are only translating for the fun of it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In any translated work of literature, much of the artistry is lost. There is simply no way to capture all the nuances of the original language in a translation. Works of poetry especially suffer in translation, because it is very difficult, and in many cases impossible, to preserve the original work’s meter, rhyme scheme, and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":446,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,8],"tags":[47,37,38],"class_list":["post-305","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-greek","category-lit","tag-greek","tag-homer","tag-the-odyssey"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scholarsonline.org\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/305","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scholarsonline.org\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scholarsonline.org\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scholarsonline.org\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/446"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scholarsonline.org\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=305"}],"version-history":[{"count":63,"href":"https:\/\/www.scholarsonline.org\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/305\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":368,"href":"https:\/\/www.scholarsonline.org\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/305\/revisions\/368"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scholarsonline.org\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=305"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scholarsonline.org\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=305"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scholarsonline.org\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=305"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}