It'd be great if someone could write a fresh translation of the wrestling part of Homer's The Iliad, specifically "Book 23: Funeral Games in Honour of Patroclus", wherein Achilles bestows on Nestor the unawarded fifth prize, the two-handled urn.
Below are the original alongside the Lattimore translation, followed by Alexander Pope's rendition, followed by Edward, Earl of Derby's.
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Here is the Latin with the Lattimore translation, found at
The Chicago Homer:
IL.23.612 ἦ ῥα, καὶ Ἀντιλόχοιο Îοήμονι [37δῶκεν ἑταίÏῳ37]
IL.23.612 He spoke, and gave Antilochos' companion, Noëmon,
IL.23.613 [38ἵππον ἄγειν:38] ὃ δ' ἔπειτα [39λέβηθ' ἕλε παμφανόωντα.39]
IL.23.613 the mare to lead away, and himself took the glittering cauldron.
IL.23.614 ΜηÏιόνης δ' ἀνάειÏε [40δύω [41χÏυσοῖο τάλαντα40]41]
IL.23.614 Fourth, in the order he had driven, Meriones took up
IL.23.615 τέτÏατος, ὡς ἔλασεν. πέμπτον δ' ὑπελείπετ' ἄεθλον,
IL.23.615 the two talents' weight of gold. But the fifth prize, the two-handled
IL.23.616 [42ἀμφίθετος φιάλη:42] τὴν [43ÎέστοÏι [44δῶκεν43] Ἀχιλλεὺς44]
IL.23.616 jar, was left. Achilleus carried it through the assembly
IL.23.617 ἈÏγείων ἀν' [1[2ἀγῶνα φέÏων,2] καὶ1] [3ἔειπε παÏαστάς:3]
IL.23.617 of the Argives, and gave it to Nestor, and stood by and spoke to him:
IL.23.618 τῆ νῦν, καὶ σοὶ τοῦτο γέÏον κειμήλιον ἔστω
IL.23.618 'This, aged sir, is yours to lay away as a treasure
IL.23.619 ΠατÏόκλοιο τάφου μνῆμ' [4ἔμμεναι: Î¿á½ Î³á½°Ï á¼”Ï„'4] αá½Ï„ὸν
IL.23.619 in memory of the burial of Patroklos; since never
IL.23.620 ὄψῃ á¼Î½ ἈÏγείοισι: δίδωμι δέ τοι τόδ' ἄεθλον
IL.23.620 again will you see him among the Argives. I give you this prize
IL.23.621 αὔτως: Î¿á½ Î³á½°Ï Ï€á½»Î¾ γε μαχήσεαι, οá½Î´á½² παλαίσεις,
IL.23.621 for the giving; since never again will you fight with your fists nor wrestle,
IL.23.622 οá½Î´á½³ Ï„' ἀκοντιστὺν á¼ÏƒÎ´á½»ÏƒÎµÎ±Î¹, οá½Î´á½² πόδεσσι
IL.23.622 nor enter again the field for the spear-throwing, nor race
IL.23.623 θεύσεαι: ἤδη Î³á½°Ï Ï‡Î±Î»ÎµÏ€á½¸Î½ [5κατὰ γῆÏας á¼Ï€Îµá½·Î³ÎµÎ¹.5]
IL.23.623 on your feet; since now the hardship of old age is upon you.'
IL.23.624 [6[7[8[9ὣς εἰπὼν [10[11[12á¼Î½ [13χεÏσὶ9] τίθει:8]12]13] [14ὃ δ'11] [15á¼Î´á½³Î¾Î±Ï„ο χαίÏων,7]10]14]15]
IL.23.624 He spoke, and put it in the hands of Nestor, who took it
IL.23.625 [16καί6] μιν [17φωνήσας [18[19ἔπεα17] πτεÏόεντα19] Ï€Ïοσηύδα:16]18]
IL.23.625 joyfully and spoke in answer and addressed him in winged words:
IL.23.626 [20[21[22ναὶ δὴ ταῦτά γε22] πάντα21] τέκος [23κατὰ μοῖÏαν ἔειπες:20]23]
IL.23.626 'Yes, child: all this you said to me was true as you said it.
IL.23.627 [24Î¿á½ Î³á½°Ï [25ἔτ' ἔμπεδα25] γυῖα24] φίλος πόδες, οá½Î´á½³ τι χεῖÏες
IL.23.627 My limbs are no longer steady, dear friend; not my feet, neither
IL.23.628 ὤμων ἀμφοτέÏωθεν á¼Ï€Î±á¿“σσονται á¼Î»Î±Ï†Ïαί.
IL.23.628 do my arms, as once they did, swing light from my shoulders.
IL.23.629 [26[27[28εἴθ' ὣς [29[30ἡβώοιμι βίη28]30] τέ μοι ἔμπεδος εἴη29]
IL.23.629 I wish I were young again and the strength still unshaken within me
IL.23.630 ὡς27] á½Ï€á½¹Ï„ε26] κÏείοντ' ἈμαÏυγκέα θάπτον Ἐπειοὶ
IL.23.630 as once, when great Amaryngkeus was buried by the Epeians
IL.23.631 ΒουπÏασίῳ, παῖδες δ' ἔθεσαν [31βασιλῆος ἄεθλα:31]
IL.23.631 at Bouprasion, and his sons gave games for a king's funeral.
IL.23.632 ἔνθ' οὔ τίς μοι á½Î¼Î¿á¿–ος [32á¼€Î½á½´Ï Î³á½³Î½ÎµÏ„',32] οὔτ' ἄÏ' Ἐπειῶν
IL.23.632 There there was no man like me, not among the Epeians
IL.23.633 οὔτ' αá½Ï„ῶν Πυλίων οὔτ' [33Αἰτωλῶν μεγαθύμων.33]
IL.23.633 nor yet of the Pylians themselves or great-hearted Aitolians.
IL.23.634 πὺξ μὲν á¼Î½á½·ÎºÎ·ÏƒÎ± Κλυτομήδεα [34Ἤνοπος υἱόν,34]
IL.23.634 At boxing I won against Klytomedes, the son of Enops,
IL.23.635 Ἀγκαῖον δὲ πάλῃ ΠλευÏώνιον, á½…Ï‚ μοι ἀνέστη:
IL.23.635 at wrestling against Angkaios of Pleuron, who stood up against me.
IL.23.636 Ἴφικλον δὲ πόδεσσι παÏέδÏαμον á¼ÏƒÎ¸Î»á½¸Î½ á¼á½¹Î½Ï„α,
IL.23.636 In the foot-race, for all his speed, I outran Iphiklos,
IL.23.637 δουÏá½¶ δ' ὑπειÏέβαλον Φυλῆά τε καὶ ΠολύδωÏον.
IL.23.637 and with the spear I out-threw Polydoros and Phyleus.
IL.23.638 [35οἴοισίν μ' ἵπποισι35] παÏήλασαν ἈκτοÏίωνε
IL.23.638 It was only in the chariot-race that the sons of Aktor
IL.23.639 πλήθει [36Ï€Ïόσθε βαλόντες36] ἀγασσάμενοι πεÏá½¶ νίκης,
IL.23.639 defeated me, crossing me in the crowd, so intent on winning
IL.23.640 οὕνεκα δὴ τὰ μέγιστα παÏ' αá½Ï„όφι λείπετ' ἄεθλα.
IL.23.640 were they, for the biggest prizes had been left for the horse-race.
IL.23.641 [37οἳ δ' ἄÏ' ἔσαν37] δίδυμοι: ὃ μὲν [38ἔμπεδον ἡνιόχευεν,38]
IL.23.641 Now these sons of Aktor were twins; one held the reins at his leisure,
IL.23.642 [39ἔμπεδον ἡνιόχευ',39] ὃ δ' ἄÏα [40μάστιγι κέλευεν.40]
IL.23.642 held the reins at his leisure while the other lashed on the horses.
IL.23.643 ὥς ποτ' ἔον: νῦν αὖτε [41νεώτεÏοι ἀντιοώντων41]
IL.23.643 This was I, once. Now it is for the young men to encounter
IL.23.644 á¼”Ïγων τοιούτων: á¼Î¼á½² δὲ χÏá½´ [42γήÏαϊ λυγÏá¿·42]
IL.23.644 in such actions, and for me to give way to the persuasion
IL.23.645 πείθεσθαι, τότε δ' αὖτε [43μετέπÏεπον ἡÏώεσσιν.43]
IL.23.645 of gloomy old age. But once I shone among the young heroes.
IL.23.646 [44ἀλλ' ἴθι καὶ σὸν44] ἑταῖÏον ἀέθλοισι κτεÏέϊζε.
IL.23.646 Go now, and honour the death of your companion with contests.
IL.23.647 τοῦτο δ' á¼Î³á½¼ Ï€ÏόφÏων [1[2δέχομαι, χαίÏει2] δέ1] μοι ἦτοÏ,
IL.23.647 I accept this from you gratefully, and my heart is happy
IL.23.648 ὥς μευ ἀεὶ μέμνησαι á¼Î½Î·á½³Î¿Ï‚, οá½Î´á½³ σε λήθω,
IL.23.648 that you have remembered me and my kindness, that I am not forgotten
IL.23.649 τιμῆς ἧς τέ μ' ἔοικε τετιμῆσθαι μετ' Ἀχαιοῖς.
IL.23.649 for the honour that should be my honour among the Achaians.
IL.23.650 σοὶ δὲ θεοὶ τῶνδ' ἀντὶ χάÏιν [3μενοεικέα δοῖεν.3]
IL.23.650 May the gods, for what you have done for me, give you great happiness.'
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Here it is translated by Alexander Pope:
Achilles this to reverend Nestor bears.
And thus the purpose of his gift declares:
“Accept thou this, O sacred sire! (he said)
In dear memorial of Patroclus dead;
Dead and for ever lost Patroclus lies,
For ever snatch'd from our desiring eyes!
Take thou this token of a grateful heart,
Though 'tis not thine to hurl the distant dart,
The quoit to toss, the ponderous mace to wield,
Or urge the race, or wrestle on the field:
Thy pristine vigour age has overthrown,
But left the glory of the past thy own.â€
He said, and placed the goblet at his side;
With joy the venerable king replied:
“Wisely and well, my son, thy words have proved
A senior honour'd, and a friend beloved!
Too true it is, deserted of my strength,
These wither'd arms and limbs have fail'd at length.
Oh! had I now that force I felt of yore,
Known through Buprasium and the Pylian shore!
Victorious then in every solemn game,
Ordain'd to Amarynces' mighty name;
The brave Epeians gave my glory way,
AEtolians, Pylians, all resign'd the day.
I quell'd Clytomedes in fights of hand,
And backward hurl'd Ancaeus on the sand,
Surpass'd Iphyclus in the swift career,
Phyleus and Polydorus with the spear.
The sons of Actor won the prize of horse,
But won by numbers, not by art or force:
For the famed twins, impatient to survey
Prize after prize by Nestor borne away,
Sprung to their car; and with united pains
One lash'd the coursers, while one ruled the reins.
Such once I was! Now to these tasks succeeds
A younger race, that emulate our deeds:
I yield, alas! (to age who must not yield?)
Though once the foremost hero of the field.
Go thou, my son! by generous friendship led,
With martial honours decorate the dead:
While pleased I take the gift thy hands present,
(Pledge of benevolence, and kind intent,)
Rejoiced, of all the numerous Greeks, to see
Not one but honours sacred age and me:
Those due distinctions thou so well canst pay,
May the just gods return another day!â€
~~~~~
And here it is translated by Edward, Earl of Derby
Achilles this to Nestor gave,
Before th' assembled Greeks, as thus he spoke:
"Take this, old man, and for an heirloom keep,
In mem'ry of Patroclus' fun'ral games,
Whom thou no more amid the Greeks shalt see.
Freely I give it thee; for thou no more
Canst box, or wrestle, or in sportive strife
The jav'lin throw, or race with flying feet;
For age with heavy hand hath bow'd thee down."
He said, and plac'd it in his hand; th' old man
Beceiv'd with joy the gift, and thus replied:
"All thou hast said, my son, is simple truth:
No firmness now my limbs and feet retain,
Nor can my arms with freedom, as of old,
Straight from the shoulder, right and left, strike out.
Oh that such youth and vigour yet were mine,
As when th' Epeians in Buprasium held
The royal Amarynceus' fun'ral games,
And when the monarch's sons his prizes gave!
Then could not one of all th' Epeian race,
Or Pylians, or AEtolians, vie with me.
In boxing, Clytomedes, OEnops' son,
I vanquished; then Anchaeus, who stood up
To wrestle with me, I with ease o'erthrew;
Iphiclus I outran, though fleet of foot;
In hurling with the spear, with Phyleus strove,
And Polydorus, and surpass'd them both.
The sons of Actor in the chariot-race
Alone o'ercame me; as in number more,
And grudging more my triumph, since remain'd,
This contest to reward, the richest prize.
They were twin brothers; one who held the reins,
Still drove, and drove; the other plied the whip.
Such was I once; but now must younger men
Engage in deeds like these; and I, the chief
Of heroes once, must bow to weary age.
But honour thou with fitting fun'ral games
Thy comrade: I accept, well-pleas'd, thy gift,
My heart rejoicing that thou still retain'st
Of me a kindly mem'ry, nor o'erlook'st
The place of honour, which among the Greeks
Belongs to me of right; for this, the Gods
Reward thee with a worthy recompense!"
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