Εννημαρ μεν ανα στρατὸν ωκετο κῆλα θεοῖο.
Il. l. 1, l. 53.
“For nine days the arrows of the god were darted through the army.” The elliptical brevity of Mr. Macpherson’s translation of this verse, has no parallel in the original; nor is it agreeable to the English idiom:
“Nine days rush the shafts of the God.”
CHAPTER VIII
WHETHER A POEM CAN BE WELL TRANSLATED INTO PROSE
From all the preceding observations respecting the imitation of style, we may derive this precept, That a Translator ought always to figure to himself, in what manner the original author would have expressed himself, if he had written in the language of the translation.
This precept leads to the examination, and probably to the decision, of a question which has admitted of some dispute, Whether a poem can be well translated into prose?
There are certain species of poetry, of which the chief merit consists in the sweetness and melody of the versification. Of these it is evident, that the very essence must perish in translating them into prose. What should we find in the following beautiful lines, when divested of the melody of verse?