Professional paper
»Has omnes difficultates… amor peruicit«: the Trials and Triumphs of the First English Translation of the Dauidias
Edward Mulholland
; Sheridan Chair of Classics, Benedictine College, Atchison, Kansas, USA
Abstract
This article recounts the experience of translating the Dauidias into English. It highlights two types of difficulties: a) those specific to translating Latin hexameters into English heroic verse (iambic pentameter) and b) those shared by both Marulić and the translator, particularly the rendering of Hebrew names within the confines of metrical constraints. Marulić himself spoke of these difficulties in his letter to Cardinal Grimani. Different solutions to these problems are discussed. A passage from Dauidias Book One is used as an example of how the different solutions to a) are operative within the translation. These solutions include using one syllable synonyms, transferring a noun or adjective metaphor into a verbal image, and using enjambment. Next, some solutions to the b) are shown. The translation of Dauid. xiii. 145–172 is included as an example of an especially frustrating passage. The motivation for persevering despite the difficulties was appreciation for Marulić’s genius and gratitude toward the community that has kept his works and memory fresh.
This article stems from a presentation given in April 2023 when the first English translation of the Dauidias was being prepared for publication. It was published, with a newly edited Latin text and a full apparatus fontium in April 2024 by Lysa Publishers.
Keywords
Dauidias; translation; meter; Cardinal Domenico Grimani
Hrčak ID:
321704
URI
Publication date:
25.10.2024.
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