The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-09-28
Recent Publications.

Recent Publications.
LoNGFELLow's TRANSLATION OF DANTE's d.
ViHA CoMMEDIA. 3vos. quarto: Ticknor s.
Fields.
ms magnificent work is not so much
translation as transplanting-a transplanting
oil root and branch, flower and fruit. we
know OF nothing in any language to be COM
pared with it, for downright faithfulness, IN
every particular, even to the number OF lines,
and to the counted words. There were, to be
sure, German translations of Walter Scctt, in
the day of his strength, so literal, and often so
faithful in their meaning, though rendered
word for word page after page, as to astonish
everybody. But compared with what Longfel
low has done, preserving the honest flavor and
rough energy of the original at the same time
that he transfuses into our homely English all
the precious and beautiful meanings of the au-
thor-as if Dante himself had been, after all,
but an offshoot of our old Saxon Heptarchy-
the German renderings of Scott were but childs
play; the genius of the two languages being
Identical there.
Men have piled up monuments for them
selves, and erected mausoleums for their ashes
ever since the Ptolsmies and the Pharaohs
walked the earth; but here we have man who
mas built himself into monumental monu-
ment which must be impershable- if the
language last, will outlast the pyramids them
selves.
Although it may be regarded as the labor of
years, much of it being the growth of that pc
rlod, when he was lecturing on Dante to the
students OF Cambridge; yet, as a matter of
fact, the last thirty-sx cantos were written by
him in thirtysx days! We have this from his
own lips.
And then, too, for justification of his
truthfulness, in giving us Dante without
change, or substitution, OF establishment, OF
paraphrase, IN other words Dante himself and
not the shadow of Dante, nor the penumbra of
Dante as Others have done and still may do
unless thev should come to their senses before
1t IS too late, and leave the glorious old Italian
with all his grandeur and richness and
strength and beauty uninterrupted. We
have the following: "a great: many
people says the translator, in a note
now before us, "a great many people think
that a translation ought not to be too faithful
and so say we; for how can it be too faithful?
THAT the writer should put himself into it,
as well as the original; that it should be Homer
& Co.. or Dante & Co., and that what foreign
author really says should be falsified OF modi-
fed, if thereby the smoothness of the verse can
be improved. On the contrary, / maintain,
and am delighted that you agree with me-
that Translator, like a witness on the stand,
should hold up his right hand, and swear to
tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing
| but the truth
| Here we have the whole question in a nut
| Shell. If a witness upon the stand NAV en-
urge, and embellish, and substitute equivalent
| phrases or change the instrument he is rem
| dering, then may the translator. How are we
to become acquainted with foreign writers II
| such translations are allowed? Talk about
| literal, or bald TRANSACTIONS are thew, af-
ter ALL but aflidavits which depend upon the
| intelligence, the understanding and the hon
esty of u witness? Compare Cowper's trans
alton of Homer with that of Alexander Pope
| and then say if the latter would be safe before
grand jury. But enous h-Longfellow has
done his work, and we, the people are now to
| do ours. in.
MINUTES OF THE GENERAL CONFERENCE OF
THE CoNGREGATIoNAL CHURCHES IN MAINE.
Forty-trSt Annual Meeting held with the
Pine Street Congregational Church, Lewis
ton, June 25-27, 1867. Portland: Brown
Thurston & Co.
We have received faom Deacon E. F. Duren
recording secretary of the General Conference
this excellent annual. The minutes of the
| General Conference, with the appended re-
| ports, and the careful references to the extend
cd reports of publielmeetings to be found in the
daily and weekly press, constitute an admira-
BILE summary of the history of Congregations
| alism in Maine for the year 1867. The ar
rangement of the matter is generally clear
and satisfactory, but it is to be regretted that
| IN the hurry OF publication several pages of
matter have been omitted at the proper place
and thrown into appendices. The feature
which lends especial interest to this volume
is the publication of list of the Min
listers of the Congregational churches
IN Maine. 1tEEoMga --1672 to 1S67-from
dained at York, Dec. 49, 1872, and killed by the
Indians twenty years later, to the Rev. Benz.
z. johnson, of the Oxford Conference, or
dained last April. The vote authorizing the
publication of this list. was passed in 1860
The work of preparation was found to be yery
great, but the list was prepared and printed in
lS66-only to be destroyed with Mr.. Thurs
tons printing office, on the night of July 4th
AT last 1t is completed as accurately as such
work can ever be done. 1t is desired that any
additions or corrections be sent to Mr.. Duren
at Bangor.