Thursday 7 April 2011

Ovid - translated from Latin Dactylic Hexameter and then reimagined into English Dactylic Hexameter

As a pre-emptive defence for this - Dactylic Hexameter in English is nigh on impossible and unwieldy.

Athens has been threatened - Tereus saves it from barbarians and marries the king's daughter. But the gods have cursed it.

Thracian Tereus routed, with men procured from elsewhere, those
foreigners, gaining a name so distinguished in the conqering air,
Tereus, born of the line of our Ares, because of forceful,
powerful action, from Pandion, foolish Athenian, received as
wife Procne. Hera, nor even Hymen would act as her bridesmaid,
those blessed Graces stayed away: Furies held snatched torches from
funerary marches; Furies prepared the bed marked out for lovers,
over the roofs of their marriage chambers, a hideous screech owl
perched, oppressing. With this bird omen, Tereus was forged together
with her, Procne, with this bird omen they were made parents of Itys.





Meter wise:

Thracian/ Tereus/ routed,/ with men pro/cured from else/where, those
-^^ -^^ -- -^^ -^^ --
foreigners,/ gaining a /name so dis/tinguish’d /in the conq’/ring air,
-^^ -^^ -^^ -- -^^ --
Tereus/, born of the/ line of our/ Ares/, because of/ forceful,
-^^ -^^ -^^ -- -^^ --
powerful/ action, from/ Pandion/, foolish A/thenian, re/ceiv’d as
- ^^ -^^ -^^ -^^ -^^ --
wife Procne./ Hera, nor /even/ Hymen would /act as her/ bridesmaid,
- ^^ -^^ -- -^^ -^^ --
those blessed /Graces stayed/ away:/ Furies held/ snatched tor/ches from
-^^ -^^ -- -^^ -^^ --
funerar/y marches; /Furies pre/pared the bed/ marked out for/ lovers,
-^^ -^^ -^^ -^^ -^^ --
over the/ roofs of their/ marriage /chambers, a /hideous /screech owl
-^^ -^^ -- -^^ -^^ --
perch’d, oppress/ing. With this/ bird omen,/ Tereus /was forg’d to/gether
- ^^ - ^^ -- -^^ -^^ --
with her, Proc/ne, with this/ bird omen /they were made/ parents of/ Itys.
-^^ - ^^ -- -^^ -^^ --


Could anyone who does english or classics tell me if there are any flaws in this?

No comments:

Post a Comment