A to Z 2026 T: “Tell me, Muse…” Various translation of the opening of the Odyssey

T: “Tell me, Muse…” Various translation of the opening of the Odyssey

Bonus: 

Shaft!

Summary: I'm talkin' 'bout a wanderin' man.

Commentary: 

Something a little different today. "Tell me, Muse" is under the index for T, but I thought it'd be fun to look at some other translations.

The Butcher/Lang translation is the one in T5FSOB, and and has largely been superseded.

Fitzgerald and Fagles are broadly respected as readable, but accurate, Lattimore as the most faithful, and Wilson as the hip new choice.

 I did all of Fitzgerald translation two summers ago on the blog, and I enjoyed it. Looking at them side-by-side, there is a unique (which always makes me think mistranslated) element in "Sing in me, Muse, and through me tell the story" bold not appearing in other translations. I can see how it works in the singer/storyteller sense.

Lattimore feels a little stilted to me. I believe he's mimicking the Greek here, but it's not clicking for me. I might get into it if I read another 20 pages.

Fagles is rocking some fun repetition/alliteration: 

Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns
 driven time and again off course, once he had plundered
 the hallowed heights of Troy. 

Wilson is sticking out to me with calling Troy a "town." I like the break after the first line: Tell me about a complicated man.

It's a nice direct intro. 

A to Z 2026 S: "Symmetrical and square in shape…” Buddhist Writings (Translated by Henry Clarke Warren, 1896)

"Symmetrical and square in shape…” Buddhist Writings (Translated by Henry Clarke Warren, 1896)

Bonus: 

 

Hell is a square-ring.      

Summary: Hell is a scary square.

Commentary: 

Another short one, so here's a full drop:

  Symmetrical, and square in shape,
Four-gated, into parts laid off.
Of iron is its bounding wall,
An iron roof doth close it in;
And of its glowing iron floor
The light with dazzling brilliancy
Spreads for a hundred leagues around,
And ever and for ay abides.

This is, "the chiefest of the hells"

Four appears a number of time in Buddhism (the four noble truths, the four sublime attitudes...). In many east Asian cultures, four is associated with death, due it being a near homophone of "death" (si and sei). It would make sense to make hell square in this context. 

A to Z 2026 Poetry R: “Ranged thus for battle on the sacred plain” The Bhagavad Gits (Translated by Sir Arnold Edwin, 1885)

“Ranged thus for battle on the sacred plain” The Bhagavad Gits (Translated by Sir Arnold Edwin, 1885) 

Bonus: 

 

Ranged thus for battle on the sacred plain... 

Summary: On a plain that is sacred, they're ranged for battle.

Commentary:

Full text:

DHRITIRASHTRA: RANGED thus for battle on the sacred plain—
On Kurukshetra—say, Sanjaya! say
What wrought my people, and the Pandavas?

As a lit critic, I have concerns about four proper nouns in the first four  lines.

On the other hand, I'm a big fan of the epic poetry tradition of opening with an active call for the story/dialogue. I like knowing where the story is coming from (I'll watch any trash if you change it to found footage). It makes it feel more believable, and helps you to understand the world. More on this tomorrow, actually. 

A to Z 2026 Poetry Q: “Queen and Huntress Chaste and Fair” (From Cynthia's Revels by Ben Johnson, 1600)

A to Z 2026 Poetry Q: “Queen and Huntress Chaste and Fair” (From Cynthia's Revels by Ben Johnson, 1600) 

Bonus: 

Official Poem of Night Elf Mohawks! 

Summary: Diana comes out when the sun is down. 

Commentary:  Other than being a great choice for your Night Elf WoW character...

7 feet, 6 lines, ABABCC

It's fine? I wonder what the context within the larger play is. Otherwise, I think this is an interesting poem if you're into the theme, pretty skippable if not. 

Some Fruits of Solitude By William Penn (1682) Part 17: 149-158 (Complacency, Shifts, Interest, Inquiry)

 Some Fruits of Solitude By William Penn (1682) Part 17: 149-158 (Complacency, Shifts, Interest, Inquiry)

Bonus:

Summary:

Commentary:  OH MY GOD THIS DIDN'T POST WHY IS EVERYTHING SO ETTERIBLE

A to Z 2026 P: “Poets, like Disputants…” by John Dryden (from All for Love, 1677)

 P: “Poets, like Disputants…” by John Dryden (from All for Love, 1677)

 Bonus: 

No one would call these poets fops.

Summary: Poets get mad if you don't like their poems. Authors think they're all hat and no cattle.

Commentary: AA... rhyme scheme. 10 feet per line.

 Since the goal this month is for me (a prose writer) to better appreciate poetry, this one seemed appropriate. It's not really doing much for me. Functional, but nothing really jumps out. I like: "Fop, Coxcomb, Fool, are thunder’d through the Pit," but nothing here is blowing me away with imagery, or profundity, or anything.

A to Z O: “O Captain! My Captain!” By Walt Whitman (1865)

“O Captain! My Captain!” By Walt Whitman (1865)

Bonus: 

Pretty sure I already used the Robin Williams one for this, so here's the first Youtube hit for "Captain".

Summary: Abe Lincoln died.

Commentary:  This was in the original 15MAD set two years ago, but I think it was sandwiched with a few others. For today, just the famous poem by itself.

Syllable count is all over the place, but there is a fixed rhyme scheme: AABBCDEC

I think the thing that stands out about this poem the most is the historical context. It's cool to have this first hand artistic account of a famous historical event. I don't want to say there aren't any about more modern events like 9/11, the fall of the Berlin Wall, etc., but this is certainly the most famous. I'd argue they're valuable as a window into how people felt at/about the time.

Second, the face that there was a famous poet who cared enough about the president to write a popular poem about his death. No one would bother for Biden. Trump might get some, but they'll probably fade. Maybe Obama could've gotten one. Probably not Bush. 

4/5, I hate slant rhymes.