The Odyssey: Rendered into English prose for the use of those who cannot read the original — Page 4
In the preface to my translation of the "Iliad" I have given my views as to the main principles by which a translator should be guided, and need not repeat them here, beyond pointing out that the initial liberty of translating poetry into prose involves the continual taking of more or less liberty throughout the translation; for much that is right in poetry is wrong in prose, and the exigencies of readable prose are the first things to be considered in a prose translation.
Im Vorwort zu meiner Übersetzung der "Ilias" habe ich meine Ansichten zu den Grundprinzipien dargelegt, von denen sich ein Übersetzer leiten lassen sollte, und brauche sie hier nicht zu wiederholen, außer darauf hinzuweisen, dass die anfängliche Freiheit, Dichtung in Prosa zu übersetzen, das fortwährende Nehmen von mehr oder weniger Freiheit während der gesamten Übersetzung mit sich bringt; denn vieles, was in der Dichtung richtig ist, ist in der Prosa falsch, und die Anforderungen lesbarer Prosa sind die ersten Dinge, die bei einer Prosaübersetzung zu berücksichtigen sind.
That the reader, however, may see how far I have departed from strict construe, I will print here Messrs. Butcher and Lang's translation of the sixty lines or so of the "Odyssey."
Damit der Leser jedoch sehen kann, wie weit ich von einer strengen Auslegung abgewichen bin, werde ich hier die Übersetzung der ungefähr sechzig Zeilen der "Odyssee" von den Herren Butcher und Lang abdrucken.
Their translation runs:
Ihre Übersetzung lautet:
Tell me, Muse, of that man, so ready at need, who wandered far and wide, after he had sacked the sacred citadel of Troy, and many were the men whose towns he saw and whose mind he learnt, yea, and many the woes he suffered in his heart on the deep, striving to win his own life and the return of his company.
Erzähl mir, Muse, von jenem Mann, so bereit in der Not, der weit und breit umherwanderte, nachdem er die heilige Zitadelle von Troja geplündert hatte, und viele waren die Männer, deren Städte er sah und deren Sinn er kennenlernte, ja, und viele die Leiden, die er in seinem Herzen auf der Tiefe erlitt, ringend darum, sein eigenes Leben und die Heimkehr seiner Gefährten zu gewinnen.
Nay, but even so he saved not his company, though he desired it sore.
Nein, aber dennoch rettete er seine Gefährten nicht, obwohl er es sehr begehrte.
For through the blindness of their own hearts they perished, fools, who devoured the oxen of Helios Hyperion: but the god took from them their day of returning.
Denn durch die Blindheit ihrer eigenen Herzen kamen sie um, die Toren, die die Rinder des Helios Hyperion verschlangen: aber der Gott nahm ihnen ihren Tag der Heimkehr.
Of these things, goddess, daughter of Zeus, whencesoever thou hast heard thereof, declare thou even unto us.
Von diesen Dingen, Göttin, Tochter des Zeus, von woher du auch immer davon gehört hast, verkünde sie auch uns.
Vocabulary
- Vorwort
- Preface or foreword of a book
- Übersetzung
- Translation of a text from one language
- Ilias
- The Iliad, Homer's ancient Greek epic poem
- Ansichten
- Views, opinions, or perspectives on a topic
- Grundprinzipien
- Fundamental principles or basic guiding rules
- dargelegt
- Past participle of 'darlegen'; explained or set forth
- Übersetzer
- Translator; person who translates between languages
- leiten
- To guide, lead, or direct someone or something
- lassen
- To let, allow, or have something done
- wiederholen
- To repeat or reiterate something previously stated
- außer
- Preposition or conjunction meaning except, besides, apart from
- darauf
- Adverb meaning thereon, on that, or thereafter
- hinzuweisen
- To point out or draw attention to something
- anfängliche
- Initial or beginning; pertaining to the start
- Freiheit
- Freedom or liberty; independence of action or choice
- Dichtung
- Poetry or literary work; imaginative written composition
- Prosa
- Prose; ordinary non-metrical written or spoken language
- übersetzen
- To translate from one language into another
- fortwährende
- Continual, ongoing, or perpetual; without interruption
- während
- Preposition or conjunction meaning during or while
- gesamten
- Entire, whole, or total; of the complete whole
- denn
- Conjunction or particle meaning because or for
- vieles
- Much or many things; a great deal
- richtig
- Correct, right, or proper; accurate or appropriate
- falsch
- Wrong, false, or incorrect; not right
- Anforderungen
- Requirements, demands, or criteria to be met
- lesbarer
- More readable; easier to read comparatively
- Prosaübersetzung
- Prose translation; rendering a text into prose form
- berücksichtigen
- To take into consideration or account something
- Damit
- Conjunction or adverb meaning so that, with that
- Leser
- Reader; a person who reads texts or books
- jedoch
- Conjunction or adverb meaning however or nonetheless
- weit
- Far, wide, or to what extent; broad
- strengen
- Strict, rigorous, or severe; inflexible in application
- Auslegung
- Interpretation or exegesis of a text or law
- abgewichen
- Past participle of 'abweichen'; deviated or departed from
- ungefähr
- Approximately or roughly; about a certain amount
- Zeilen
- Lines of text in writing or poetry
- Odyssee
- The Odyssey; Homer's epic about Odysseus's journey home
- abdrucken
- To print or reproduce text in a publication
- lautet
- Third person singular of 'lauten'; reads or goes as follows
- Erzähl
- Imperative of 'erzählen'; tell or narrate
- Muse
- Muse; divine source of artistic or poetic inspiration
- bereit
- Ready, prepared, or willing to do something
- Not
- Distress, hardship, or dire need
- breit
- Wide or broad; extending far in measurement
- umherwanderte
- Past tense of 'umherwandern'; wandered around extensively
- nachdem
- Subordinating conjunction meaning after something occurred
- heilige
- Holy, sacred, or divine; adjective of sanctity
- Zitadelle
- Citadel; a fortress protecting or dominating a city
- Troja
- Troy; the ancient city central to Homeric epics
- geplündert
- Past participle of 'plündern'; plundered or sacked
- Städte
- Cities or towns; plural of Stadt
- Sinn
- Mind, sense, meaning, or spirit
- kennenlernte
- Past tense of 'kennenlernen'; got to know or learned about
- Leiden
- Suffering, hardship, or pain endured by someone
- Herzen
- Dative of 'Herz'; heart; emotional or vital center
- Tiefe
- Depth or profundity; the deepness of something
- erlitt
- Past tense of 'erleiden'; suffered or endured
- ringend
- Present participle of 'ringen'; struggling or wrestling for
- darum
- Adverb meaning therefore, for that reason, around that
- Heimkehr
- Return home; homecoming after a long absence
- Gefährten
- Companions or comrades; those who travel together
- gewinnen
- To win, gain, or secure something desired
- dennoch
- Adverb meaning nevertheless, yet, or still
- rettete
- Past tense of 'retten'; rescued or saved someone
- obwohl
- Subordinating conjunction meaning although or even though
- begehrte
- Past tense of 'begehren'; desired or craved eagerly
- Denn
- Conjunction or particle meaning for, because, or indeed
- Blindheit
- Blindness; inability to see, literal or figurative
- Toren
- Fools or foolish people; those lacking wisdom
- Rinder
- Cattle; plural of Rind, bovine animals
- Helios
- Helios; Greek god personifying the sun
- Hyperion
- Hyperion; a Titan god, father of Helios in mythology
- verschlangen
- Past tense of 'verschlingen'; devoured or swallowed greedily
- Göttin
- Goddess; a female divine being
- Tochter
- Daughter; a female child of a parent
- Zeus
- Zeus; king of the Greek gods on Olympus
- woher
- Adverb meaning from where or from which source
- immer
- Adverb meaning always or ever; at all times
- davon
- Adverb meaning of it, from it, or about it
- verkünde
- Imperative of 'verkünden'; announce or proclaim to us
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