# Essay on the Principles of Translation (Tytler)/Chapter 6

CHAP. VI.
After these examples of faulty translation, from a defect of taste in the translator, or a want of a just discernment of his author's style and manner of writing, I shall now present the reader with some specimens of perfect translation, where the authors have en​tered with exquisite taste into the manner of their originals, and have succeeded most happily in the imitation of it.
The first is the opening of the beautiful ballad of William and Margaret, translated by Vincent Bourne.
The second is a small poem by Prior entitled Chloe Hunting, which is likewise translated into Latin by Bourne.
The third specimen, is a translation by the Duke de Nivernois, of Horace's dialogue with Lydia:
If any thing is faulty in this excellent translation, it is the last stanza, which ​does not convey the happy petulance, the procacitas of the original. The reader may compare with this, the fine translation of the same ode by Bishop Atterbury, "Whilst I was fond, and you were kind," which is too well known to require insertion.
The next specimen I shall give is the translation of a beautiful epigram, from. the Anthologia, which is supposed by Junius to be descriptive of a painting men​tioned by Pliny, in which, a mother wounded, and in the agony of death, is represented as giving suck to her infant for the last time:
Thus happily translated into English by Mr Webb:
To these specimens of perfect translation, in which not only the ideas of the original are completely transfused, but the manner most happily imitated, I add the following admirable translations by Mr Cumberland, of two fragments from the Greek dramatists Timocles and Diphilus, which are preserved by Athenæus.
The first of these passages beautifully illustrates the moral uses of the tragic drama:
​The following fragment from Diphilus conveys a very favourable idea of the spirit of the dialogue, in what has been termed the New Comedy of the Greeks, ​or that which was posterior to the age of Alexander the Great. Of this period Diphilas and Menander were among the most shining ornaments.
Of equal merit with these two last specimens, are the greatest part of those ​translations given by Mr Cumberland, of the fragments of the Greek drama​tists. The literary world owes to that ingenious writer a very high obligation, ​for his excellent view of the progress of the dramatic art among the Greeks, and for the collection he has made of the remains of more than fifty of their comic poets.
* ↑ Hor. Donec gratus eram tibi, Nec quisquam potior brachia candidæ Cervici juvenis dabat; Persarum vigui rege beatior. Lyd. Donec non aliam magis Arsisti, neque erat Lydia post Chloen; Multi Lydia nominis Romanâ vigui clarior Iliâ. Hor. Me nunc Thressa Chloe regit, Dulceis docta modos, et citharæ sciens: Pro qua non metuam mori, Si parcent animæ fata superstiti. Lyd. Me torret face mutuâ Thurini Calais filius Ornithi; Pro quo bis patiar mori, Si parcent puero fata superititi. Hor. Quid, si prisca redit Venus, Diductosque jugo cogit aheneo? Si flava excutitur Chloe, Rejectæque patet janua Lydiæ? Lyd. Quamquam sidere pulchrior Ille est, tu levior cortice, et improbo Iracundior Hadriâ; Tecum vivere amem, tecum obeam libens. Hor. l. 3. Od. 9.
* ↑ Hujus (viz. Aristidis) pictura est, oppido capto, ad matris morientis e vulnere mammam adrepens infans; intelligiturque sentire mater et timere, ne emortuo lacte sanguinem infans lambat. Plin. Nat. Hist. l.35. c. 10.—If the epigram was made on the subject of this picture, Pliny's idea of the expression of the painting is somewhat more refined than that of the epigrammatist, though certainly not so natural. As a complicated feeling can never be clearly expressed in painting, it is not improbable that the same picture should have suggested ideas somewhat different to different observers.
* ↑ Observer, vol. 4. p. 115. and vol. 5. p. 145.
* ↑ The original of the fragment of Timocles:Ω ταν, ἂκασον ην τι σοι μέλλω λέχειν. Ανθρωπός ἐστι ζῶον ἐπίπονον φύσει, Καὶ πολλὰ λυπῆῤ ὸ βίος ἐν ἐαυτω φέρει. Παραψυχὰς ουν φροντίδων ανευρατον Ταυτας. ὁ γὰρ νoὕς των ἰδίων λήθην λαδὼν Πρὸς ἀλλοτριῳ τε ψυχαγωγηθεις πάθει, Μεθ΄ ήδονῆς ἀπῆλθε ωαιδενθείς ἃμα. Τοὺς γὰρ τραγῳδοὺς ωρῶτον ει βοὑλει σκόῶει, Ως ὠφελοῦσί παντας. ὁ μεν γὰρ ὤν πένης Πτωχότερον ὰυτοὓ καταμαθὼν τὸν Τήλεφον Γενόμενον, ἤδη την πενίαν ῤᾶον φέρει. Ο νοσῶν δὲ μανικῶς, Αλκμαίων᾽ εσκεψατο. Οφδαλμιᾶ τις; εἰσὶ Φινεῖδαι τυφλοί. Τέδνηκε τω παῖς; η Νιόβη κεκούφικε. Χωλός τίς ἐστι, τὸν Φιλοκτήτην ὀρᾶ. Γέρων τὶς ἀτυχεῖ; κατέμαθε τὸν ΟΙνέα. Απαντα γὰρ τὰμείζον᾽ ἤ πέωονθέ τις Ατυχήματ΄ ἄλλοις γεγονότ΄ ἐννοούμενος, Τὰς ἀυτὸς ἀυτοῦ συμφορας ῤᾷον φέρει. Thus, in the literal version of Dalechampius: Hem amice, nunc ausculta quod dicturus sum tibi. Animal naturâ laboriosum homo est. Tristia vita secum assert plurima: Itaque curarum hæc adinvenit solatia: Mentem enim suorum malorum oblitam, Alienorum casuum reputatio consolatur, Indéque fit ea læta, et erudita ad sapientiam. Tragicos enim primùm, si libet, considera, Quàm prosint omnibus. Qui eget, Pauperiorem se suisse Telephum Cùm intelligit, leniùs sert inopiam. Insaniâ qui ægrotat, de Alcmeone is cogitet. Lippus est aliquis, Phinea cæcum is contempletur. Obiit tibi filius, dolorem levabit exemplum Niobes. Claudicat quispiam, Philocteten is respicito. Miser est senex aliquis, in Oeneum is intuetor. Omnia namque graviora quàm patiatur Infortunia quivis animadvertens in aliis cùm deprehenderit, Suas calamitates luget minùs.
* ↑ The original of the fragment of Diphilus:Τοιοὕτο νόμιμόν ἐστὶ βέλτις᾽ ενθαδε Κορίνθίοις, ἴν᾽ έαν τιν᾽ όψωνοῦντ᾽ ἀεί Λαμπρῶς ὀρωμεν, τοῡτον ἀνακρινείν ῶόθεν Ζἤ, καὶ τί ῶοιῶν. κἄν μεν οὐσίαν εχη. Ης ἀι ῶροσοδοι λυουσι τ᾽ ἀναλώματἀ, Εᾶν ἀπὸλαὐειν. ἤδε τοῦτον τὸν βίον. Εαν δ΄ ὐῶὲρ την ἐοίαν δαπανῶν τύχη, Απειπον ἀυτῶ τοῦτο μὴ ποιειν ἔτι. Ος ἂν δὲ μή πείδητ᾽, ἐπέβαλον ζημίαν. Εάν δἒ μηδε ὀτιοῦν ἔχων ζῇ ῶολυτελῶς, Τῷ δημιῳ ῶαρέδωκαν ἀυτον. Ηράκλεις. ΟΥκ ένδἔχεται γὰρ ζῃν ἂνευ κακοῦ τινὸς Τοῦτον. συνίης; ἀλλ᾽ ἀναγκαίως ἔχει Ηλοποδυτεῖν τὰς νύκτας, ἣ τοιχωρυχεῖν, Η τῶν ποιουντων ταῦτα κοινωνεῖν τισιν. Η συκοφαντεῖν κατ᾽ ἀγορὰν, ἢ μαρτυρεῖν Ψευδῆ, τοιοῦτων ἐκκαδαίρομεν γενος. Ορδῶς γε νὴ Δί, ἀλλά δὴ τί τοῦτ᾽ ἐμοί; Ορῶμεν ὀψωνοῦνθ᾽ ὲκάστης ήμέρας, ΟΥχι μετριως βέλτιστέ σ᾽, ἀλλ᾽ ὐπερηφάνως· ΟΥχ ἔστιν ίχδυηρὸν ὐπὸ σοῦ μεταλαβεῖν· Συνῆκας ἠμῶν εἰς τὰλὰχανα την πόλιν, Περὶ τῶν σελινων μαχόμεδ΄ ὥσπερ Ισδμίοις· Λαγώς τις εἰσελὴλυδ᾽· ευθὺς ἥρπακας· Πέρδικα δ᾽ ἤ κιχλην; καὶ νὴ Δί᾽ οὐκ ἔτι Εστιν δί ὐμᾶς οῦδὲ πετομενην ίδεῖν, Τὸν ξενικὸν οινον ἐπιτετίμηκας πολύ· Thus in the version of Dalechampius: A. Talis istic lex est, ô vir optime, Corinthiis: si quem obsonantem semper Splendidiùs aspexerint, ilium ut interrogent Unde vivat, quidnam agat: quòd si facultates illi sunt Quarum ad eum sumptum reditus sufficiat, Eo vitæ luxu permittunt frui: Sin amplius impendat quàm pro re sua, Ne id porrò faciat interdicitur. Si non pareat, mulctâ quidem plectitur. Si sumptuosè vivit qui nihil prorsus habet, Traditur puniendus carnisici.B. Proh Hercules. A. Quod enim scias, fieri minimè potest Ut qui eo est ingenio, non vivat improbè: itaque necessum. Vel noctu grassantem obvios spoliare, vel effractarium, parietem suffodere, Vel his se furibus adjungere socium, Aut delatorem of quadruplatorem esse in foro: aut falsum Testari: à talium hominum genere purgatur civitas. B. Rectè, per Jovem: sed ad me quid hoc attinet? A. Nos te videmus obsonantem quotidie Haud mediocriter, vir optime, sed fastuosè, et magnificè, Ne pisciculum quidem habere licet caussâ tuâ: Cives nostros commisisti, pugnaturos de oleribus: De apio dimicamus tanquam in Isthmiis. Si lepus accessit, eum extemplo rapis. Perdicem, ac turdum ne volantem quidem Propter vos, ita me Juppiter amet, nobis jam videre licet, Peregrini multùm auxistis vini pretium.
* ↑ It is to be regretted that Mr Cumberland had not either published the original fragments along with his translations, or given special references to the authors from whom he took them, and the particular part of their works where they were to be found. The reader who wishes to compare the translations with the originals, will have some trouble in searching for them at random in the works of Athenæus, Clemens Alexandrinus, Stobæus, and others.
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Errata
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