METRICAL TRANSLATIONS OF A LATIN STANZA.
On the cover of the Magazine is a picture of old Governor Yale, with two lines of Latin poetry beneath it. These lines are part of an inscription sent to the College at an early period by the Governor, and are written beneath an engraving which now hangs in the Trumbull Gallery. The engraving, we understand, was for many years mislaid, and was at last discovered, so much injured that it could scarcely be deciphered. The inscription is as follows:
Effigies clarissimi viri D. D. Elihu Yale,
Londinensis Armigeri.
En vir! cui meritas laudes ob facta, per orbis
Extremos fines, inclyta fama dedit.
Aequor arans tumidum, gazas adduxit ab Indis,
Quas Ille sparsit munificante manu:
Inscitiæ tenebras, ut noctis luce coruscâ
Phoebus, ab occiduis pellit et Ille plagis.
Dum mens grata manet, nomen laudesque Yalenses
Cantabunt Soboles, unanimique Patres.
Here is a translation in the old Spenserian stanza:
Behold the man whose honored name enrolled
On Fame’s proud tablet ever ought to stand,
For deeds illustrious through the world extolled.
His riches, brought from India’s distant land,
He scattered widely with a liberal hand.
The night of Ignorance from the West he drove
As morning rays the clouds from Ocean’s strand.
While gratitude exists, still with their love
Yale’s generous deeds shall Sons and Sires unite to approve.
Again:
Behold the man to whom praise well deserved
Illustrious fame has given for actions wrought
In Earth’s remotest regions. Wealth, preserved
In India, o’er the boisterous seas he brought,
And lavished wide from hands with bounty fraught.
The shades of Ignorance, as the sun the night
From western climes he drove, by Justice taught.
While gratitude exists Yale’s glory bright,
And spotless name, shall Sires and Sons to praise unite.
We will bid farewell for the present to Spenser, for after all, the intricacies of his stanza are least of all adapted to the mere translator. We will now take the common ten syllable verse, and endeavor to give as accurate a line-for-line and word-for-word translation, as is consistent with the measure.
Behold the man whose deeds illustrious claim
Through Earth’s extremest bounds the meed of fame;
His Indian wealth o’er swelling seas he bore,
Then freely shared it, from this Western shore
To drive the clouds of Ignorance away,
As flies the night at Phœbus’ dawning ray.
Let Sires and Sons, till gratitude shall fail,
Together sing the praise and name of Yale.
Again:
Behold the man whose fame illustrious stands
For deeds performed in Earth’s remotest lands;
Ploughing the deep, from India wealth he bore,
And scattered widely from a bounteous store;
The clouds of Ignorance he banished far,
As flies the night before the morning star.
While grateful hearts remain, the name of Yale
Let Sons and Sires with praises join to hail.
There is a difference in the translation of a part of the first two verses in these two stanzas;
....er orbis
Extremos fines, * *
To what does this clause refer? We are rather inclined to give our preference to the former reading, though after all it must be a question of taste rather than of criticism. But have we succeeded the better for confining ourself to fewer lines and to the easier stanza? We think not. In particular, we have entirely omitted, in the second stanza, all mention of His munificent designs upon the Western shores; which in a son of Yale is indeed an unpardonable omission. We will e’en go back to Spenser, and try our luck again under the banner of this prince of versifiers.
Behold the man whose deeds with justice ring
Through Earth’s remotest bounds, deserving fame;
O’er boisterous seas did he his treasure bring
From India’s shore, and scattered round the same
With liberality where’er he came;
The clouds of Ignorance, like the shades of night
From morning rays, flee from before his name.
While gratitude exists, with luster bright
Yale’s praise and name shall Sons and Sires to sing unite.
Behold the man, whose deeds on every shore
Fame’s hundred tongues are whispering to the wind!
Asiatic wealth o’er boisterous seas he bore,
With just munificence to bless mankind.
The clouds of Ignorance which veiled the mind
Of this wide West, he burst; as Phœbus’ rays
Light up the night. Yale’s fame and name combined,
Till gratitude expires, shall fire our lays,
While Sons and Fathers join in sweet accordant praise.
This last translation has at least the merit of getting over the difficulty in the translation of the first and second verses. Reader, we have done. We have finished our chime. We have rung all the changes we could at present upon our little bell. We throw down the rope. Draw from it if you choose still sweeter music, and so brighten the love you bear to her who will hereafter be your Alma Mater.
For “praising what is lost makes the remembrance dear.”
G. H.