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Translation: Sophrosyne and Eros - Impressions and Expressions of Ijon

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December 10th, 2006
09:02 am

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Translation: Sophrosyne and Eros
After a sleepless night working on the December update to Project Ben-Yehuda, inspiration struck (much aided by poldy), and I have translated a Greek epigram into Hebrew. I post it as an image, below the cut, because of font and diacritics issues.

Comments welcome.

Current Mood: excited
Current Music: The Smiths -- I Won't Share You
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(6 comments | Leave a comment)

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From:lilacsinmarch
Date:December 10th, 2006 10:32 am (UTC)
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Damn, now I miss the Homer seminar :S.
From:poldy
Date:December 10th, 2006 01:21 pm (UTC)
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Glad you enjoyed this epigram. I cannot read Hebrew, but I am sure your version is more elegant than mine. I am not 100% sure that wlesan is really gnomic.
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From:ijon
Date:December 10th, 2006 01:36 pm (UTC)
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It's in (the Hebrew syllabo-tonic approximation of) elegiac couplets, for what it's worth. :)

I am inclined to agree with you that wlesan is gnomic -- although the author mentions this one particular event, clearly a more general statement about the destructive potential of Eros clashing against Sophrosyne is intended.

And thanks again! This is in fact my very first artistic translation of Greek poetry! I've previously only translated into (rough) prose.
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From:goliard
Date:December 11th, 2006 06:12 am (UTC)
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I like most of it - but I think you weaken the last line by giving "innocent" to the boy instead of to Prudence, and by substituting a gentler verb for "slew" (at least, that's Liddell and Scott's translation of pheino).
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From:goliard
Date:December 11th, 2006 06:12 am (UTC)
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I mean, pephne.
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From:ijon
Date:December 12th, 2006 12:23 pm (UTC)
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Hey, quite right! I didn't notice this more-specific (but here absolutely and unambiguously correct) meaning when I looked it up. Good catch! I'll rethink that line.
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