New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-02-20


the return voyage, aud the amorous endearments Oh
its nvmphs and the sailors Of Cana this is curious
reading. no doubt, but it is by no means enhvenine
in the present year of grace. Captain Burton is Oh
| a different opinion however. or he would not nave
taken the trouble to make the ninth English trans
| lation of the Lusiad. We say the trouble Tor MIS-
Burton assures us that he has had 1t IN hand Ior
| nineteen and a half years, during which time tue
has been set apart the bOnneooacne OF
the dag, and she has been daily aud hourly COD
suited as to the expression, IN this or that chauEe
word, or this or that popularity OF Camoens. ~
has accompanied him in his explorations Oh WcSF
ern Africa and of the lake regions OF Centra Africa
| and in his mission the King of Dabomey; "her-
| ever he has gone Camoens has gone with him.
His guide, philosopher and friend.
Co,eridge saws that uoue but poet can translate
poet and Captain Burton holds that none but
| traveller can dojustico to traveller " And 1t 30
| happens that most OF my wanderings unconsciousN
/ formed running and realistic commentary upon
| the Lusiads have not only visited almost every
| place named in the Epos of Commerce. IN many
hayespent months and even years. The arch-poeCol
Portugal paints from the life he has also the ins4n'
we call introvison he sees with exact eyes "neio
| Others are purblind or blind Only they VINO ha'e
personally studied the originals OF his pictures eau
apprecate their perfect combination OF ndeilty anu
1
travellert translator may do good service with his
| snacioltvn Precisely; but if Camoens is poet as
we'll as n traveller his translator should be poet
"a we'll as a traveller and this Captain Burton IS
| not Less than Mickle aud much less than ran
shave he is no poet at ali. Aud this leads US BACK
| to the question with which we started-What con-
stitutes translation Let US hear what Mrs. Burton
hos IN say on this point "In this translation, when
ever my husband has appeared to coin words or 10
use impossible words they are the exact Vi
| Camoens in every singuarty or seeming eccoh-
trcity the disciple has faithfully followed his mas
ter his object having been not simply to write goou
verse; but TO give literal wOrd-for-word rendering
of his favorte hero And he has done 1t TO the leu
! ter not only in the words. but in the meaning
| and intention of Camoens." Captain Burton may
have given MS the meaning of Camoens as Mrs. Bur
top insists but it does follow therefore that he
has given us his intention (which he has no better
means of knowing than we have, unless he can call
spirits from the vastly deep, nor that that was inc
best thing for him to do. We find the same fault
with his versien of the Lusad that Bayard Taylor
found with Mr. Brookss version OF taust-the
use of words which are literal but which are not
equivalent He has rendered the form oil CainOens
but he has not rendered his spirit. for the fortu-
euese of CamOens, however mannereu' cannoI
surely be as hammered as the English of Captain
it is marked by singularity and eccentricty; 1t Is
rude archaic barbarOus. selection from its Vo-
cabulary of impossible words will sufficiently ndl-
cate its general character. Here are some of them
and by no means the worst Rutllant, peregrlne.
yagusing Incident. sangulnoent, nefand, ryerlne'
toforn rory ndgn. fOne, iniame facund, prepoteht'
amene, asperOus. havOus, piscous, ovant, aebel'
snuadded feral advoutries, wappened. nitid I'M
mened, attisonous furibund, crepeant gravid,
feltred argute uudivagous crastine, crepitating,
mesquin, ignave, inclyt'
" What! will the line stretch out TO the crack O. doom u
A small percentage of these words NAV possibly be
found in the dictionaries. archaic or otherwise but
no reader of Captain Burton Is lAely to look them
M Why should they be looked upl Why should
an English translation of Portuguese poet render
an English dictionary necessary Captain Burton
is a linguist. He knows great many languages
and dialects, but English is not among the NUMBER.
The Lusiad abounds with descriptions, one OF
which, the embodiment of the evil spirit OF Adamas-
tor which sought to prevent the Portuguese rom
doubling the Cape of Good Hope, has been very
much admired by European critics. Here is the
monster he struggles through the version ana the
Typography of Captain Burton:
shape in air, enormous. the view o. II;
Form dlsforned of giant size; ,..o., o,,,.
it's men dire menacing lts eayefn n eyes So
gared CHASTITY req the nOuldy muouy nue. y II
| stane u clayey head Its erispy hair
And coaLblack lips its yellow tusks lay bare
| 50 vast its eerie members, well can
assure thee, all the double seemed 10 dight
| ofRhodes' Colossus, whose lnordinate span ,.
one OF the worlds Seven Wonders once was hight.
Su SOUND % as sarSed from oceas deepest night
| All, orept the flesh, and stood the hair OF me
| and all. that gruesome TnlnR TO bear, ana see
Better than this Is the description of the crowd
tina assembled at Beem to witness the departure of
tbo Hera ia n Ii.
Captain Burton's typography:
Tae city proper on that saddest day
(These for their bosOm friends and those for Kin,
And others but spectators) througed the way,
Sad and own-hearted ut the dreary scene:
We, winding through the virtuous array -,
A thousand monks and priests OF reverend mien,
Praying in solemn pageant 10 the Lord
AfOOt set forth the ready barques TO beard
On such long dubious courses sent to steer
Us deemed the people denizens OF the tomb;
The wailng women shed the piteous tear.
Aud sadly sighed the men TO sight our DOOM:
Whose love is foremOsD added TO the gloom
Despair; and shud1ered with freezing fright
Lest we, their loved ones. aye he lost 10 sight.
Better still is the limited description of the sea
nymphs and navgatOs in the magical island of
Venus:
Others seek other places where the stream
Reveals of bathing nymphs the secret charms;
Who startled gin tn fy with shrek aud scream,
AS though surprised by rude assault OF arms.
While Others feigning 10 feel less esteem
For fear and shame tLan force. veil false alarms,
Piunge IN the brake and give 10 greedy eyes
Denied 70 grasping hands the gOodly prze.
That, who IN hurry resume cOntriyes
Tue mOdesty that marked the Hunter-maid,
Hide8 In the wave her limbs another strives
TO snatch the garment on the stream bank laid
Younglng there is who in the river dives
all clad and batbei Qest too long delayed
By dofing garments he should miss the Rame)
10 quench Ia water Loves consuming fame.
We note one serious defect in Captain BurtonD
translation of the Lusad-the absence of the COM
men tary which he promises at tho beginning Of the
first volume. and which for some reason other
does not appear. AS planned by him it would have