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| Author | Message | | | Posted on Wed Dec 08, 2004 03:10:12 | |
| | Forgive me, but this is not an question solely on Carmen 1, more so, it is a beginning to what I hope will be a discussion (or something resembling one).
I was looking for arguments for/against the preservation of meter throughout translations, the act of having a translation be in the same meter as the original poem. Is it worth our time? What is lost or kept while preserving meter? | |  | Finio
-Temptavi |
| | | Posted at Fri Dec 10, 2004 21:55:14 | Quote |
| | In my humble opinion, its a huge waste of time to try and preserve the meter. Firstly, english meter works on rhythm and stress, and latin metre worked on vowel length (like a piece of music).
Secondly, the latin metre was aligned with certain words, so that it was really cool. To do the same in english would be excruciating both to read and write.
You can write in verse (or with metre) to give some sense of rhythm, but the latin metre is often inappropriate for the length of english. Iambic pentameter blank verse (as in Shakespeare) would be traditionally appropriate, though I'm sure you could cook up something yourself.
When I translate I usually read the original and my translation aloud and see if there are any tricks I've missed, and more importantly, the translation makes linguistic sense (doesn't sound like someone reading a disertation). This includes assonance, alliteration, and contrasting consonants between contrasting words!
Its a rather subjective business anyway, but thats my $0.02. | | | | Non cogito ergo non sumus. |
| | | Posted at Sat Dec 11, 2004 19:01:40 | Quote |
| | I can't help but agree with you about the translating in meter, and yes, I do understand why it is important to preserve other poetic devises, such as alliteration.
Thanks. | | | Finio
-Temptavi |
| | | Posted at Sat Feb 04, 2006 03:08:57 | Quote |
| | I have a question Rudy and friends:
Poem 11: I do not know how to scan "Hyrcanos", as it starts with an "h", followed by a "greek u". This poem is "saphhic".
I would appreciate some feedback!
(I have seen the comments of several HS students and I can sympatjisewth them: it seems that their "licensed" school teachers "didn't know" what they were doing, to quote a few. I have myself, witnessed a few of these teachers who just answered, when I asked them "how do you teach the students to scan in latin poetry?".
Reply: "we just do it.." Some pedagogy here! Student need structure, mentoring and help. (this goes for college students as well).
Thank you again colleagues and friends!
Elisabeth | | | | Elisabeth |
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