Читать книгу On Anything онлайн

23 страница из 38

Two things are most noticeable in this character of the poet: first, that he has the capacity to put these words before his fellow-men for their use, and of the right sort and in the right order; and secondly, that neither does he know how he does it nor can mortal man in any place or under any influence explain how it is done. Consider these three lines—

Πἑμπε δε μιν πομροἱσιν ἁμα κραιπνοἱσι φἑρεσθαι

Ὑπνω καἱ Θανἁτω διδυμἁοσιν; ὁἱ ῥἁ μεν ωκα

Κἁτθεσαν ἑν Λυκἱης εὑρεἱης πἱονι δἡμω

[Greek: Pempe de min pompoisin hama kraipnoisi pheresthai

Hypnô kai Thanatô didymaosin; hoi rha men ôka

Katthesan en Lykiês eureiês pioni dêmô.]

Let us suppose this translated by some man who would put an English word for nearly every Greek word, not considering that such mere transformation was by no means a resurrection of the dead. It is from the Iliad, where the body of Sarpedon is ordered by a god to be taken to Lycia—to which place he belonged. This god orders the body of Sarpedon, fallen in battle, to be taken to his native place; and this is how the poet speaks of his transference from the place where he died to his own land, if you put word for word—

Правообладателям