I searched for the best of the numerous translations and found some good info that many of you may already know, but I thought I'd share it in case anyone is wondering which translation to get.
I found two sites especially helpful, and sometimes, as in the first, help comes from unexpected places. The first is a review on Amazon of a translation that mentions many translations, and the responses to that review. The review and responses can be found
here. While I disagree with some of the original reviewers opinions (to say that using the original Greek names is pedantic is silly in my opinion) he or she does give good info on translations and the responses to the review give good counterpoints and some additional info.
The other is a review of translations which can be found
here. This review is a bit more objective and helpfully includes samples of the first lines of the Iliad from five popular translations. Just perusing those samples make it clear how very different translations can be, and I especially recommend taking a look at them to get a feel for the different possibilities if you're still deciding.
(ETA - A third site that is also pretty insightful is a message board topic on the subject from another site that can be found
here.)
I'll summarise what I've found so far of some translations (and edited to add some info from posts below this one):
You can find prose or verse translations of the Iliad. Generally, verse translations are recommended, though if verse seems too daunting then a prose version may be a more accessible read.
- Chapman (free versions available) - Verse. First translation into English from 1611. Heavy, elaborate Elizabethan style rhyme, but some think it still holds up well. Called a masterpiece of its age for its poetic majesty. Inspired Keats.
- Pope (free versions available) - Verse. Translated in 1700s. Snappy rhyming couplets. Considered grand and beautiful, but not as plain and straightforward as the original. Some see it as more a work of the poet Pope than the poet Homer.
- Leaf, Lang and Myers (free versions available) - Prose. 1891.
- Butler (free versions available) - Prose. 1898.
- Rieu - Prose. 1950.
- Hammond - Prose. 1987.
- Lattimore - Verse, 1960s. Strict approach. Long verse lines like the original; attempts pattern and flow of the original Greek hexamter and as such the syntax can seem unnatural in English. Stays as close as possible to the original Greek and tries to retain the epic language. Apparently sometimes uses original Greek names (such as Akhilleus/Kyklops instead of Achilles/Cyclops) which annoy some and delight others, though sometimes uses Latin names as evidenced in the sample in the second link above. Possibly most prosodically precise translation. Sounds most like what Homer's listeners heard but makes for slower reading. Some say reading Lattimore is like reading a textbook. Some say his language may best capture the air of epic events. As close to the original Greek as any translation is likely to ever get. Considered one of the best translations. There is a companion commentary to this translation as an aid to understanding it for beginning readers of the poem, Malcolm Wilcock's Companion to the Iliad.
- Fitzgerald - Verse, 1974. More modern, shorter verse line and natural English syntax with more fluid phrasing. Easier and faster to read but still retains nobility. Sometimes uses original Greek names which annoy some and delight others. Possibly most poetically precise rendering. Considered one of the best translations.
- Lombardo - Verse, 1990. Lively and colloquial version, short lines, visceral. More "cutting edge" and a style the current generation can relate to and less concerned with a straightforward translation. Sometimes uses modern slang which may be jarring to some.
- Fagles - Verse, 1990. Blank verse, modern, rapid, simple, flowing. Uses Latin names (such as Achilles/Cyclops instead of Akhilleus/Kyklops). Some see it as "popcorn" Homer, others see it as one of the best translations; it is popular. Not the most literally accurate translation but its intensity and power may make it closer to the emotional experience of those who first heard it chanted a few thousand years ago. Some think that while others may have produced more faithful translations, Fagles has produced the better English epic poem. Includes notes about characters and cultural references.
- Merrill - Some say strikes a balance between Lattimore's fidelity to the rhythm and Fitzgerald's imaginative rendering of the words.
- Rouse - Prose. Per BenG, very accessible though translation is loose and colloquial (see post #7 below for more info).
- Mitchell - ?
Many opinions narrow it down to simply Lattimore vs Fagles. Those seem to be the two most popular translations of those who've read multiple translations, and they are almost opposites in translation approach. Fitzgerald and Pope are also popular.
After researching, I've personally decided to go with the Lattimore. I definitely tend to prefer more literal translations that are closer to the original language, even if it is harder to read or less vivid. I almost wish I could read Lattimore's, Fagle's and Fitzgerald's simultaneously to see all the differences, but that's just too much for now, so I'm just sticking to Lattimore alone, though if it seems excessively difficult I could possibly switch to another translation.
Happy reading everyone!
