New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-07-08
EURIPIDES IN ENGLISH.
A COMPLETE TRANSLATION IN VERSE.
THE TRAGEDIES OF EURIPIDES. ~ ENGLISH
VERSE. By Arthur :. Way, NJ T. IN lhTe 90
volumes. Volume /. Pp. XIX. i2t Macmillan &


volumes. Volume /. Pp. XIX i2t Macmillan &
co.
1t is over a century since complete translA-
ton was made Of Eurpdes into English verse.
Fragments often and occasionally whole dramas
or groups of dramas have come from one hand
or another But these were rather tentative than
otherwise in tn, light OF the changes that have
affected the rotlons Of scholars and poets the
subject of Transitions. Within the last hundred
years English poetry has been enriched with an
unhcard-of variety in metrcal forms. The an
Gent bondage to blank verse and the heroic cou-
plet is broken. Meanwhile there has been deep
study Of Greek metres. Though nobody. as Mr.
Way says. knows exactly how Greek was pro-
nounced at Athens in the time Of Eurpidcs, vt
enough IS known to make moderns look with
gool-natured contempt on the haphazarl pin
darics" Of the times OF Anne and the first George
Not that all these eccentric pieces lacked poetic
value. Some Of them will live as long as the
language. Bat they We're constructed after
model which was lost the moment Il was seri-
ously examined It is possible that many opinions
Of the present day respecting the Greek choral
olcs will be cast aside by the learning 81 the fl
turc; but meanwhile 'he world is pleased wiki
these opinions and willingly acts upon them.
.
Ing Of great artists in words Ike Shelley ami
Swinburne. But. strangely enough. the surc 49,
with metrIca novelties in English has reacted
but slightly upon the translaters Of Greek
tragedy. Tor the obvious reason that they w,r-
apt - BE- masters u English metre rather in
theory than in practice. IL both rhythm and
rhyme. the revolution in the last Few decades has
been remarkable In pryIcn's time tae question
was II subJc,ting whole plays e, rhyme That
proved only q short-Nycl fashion, II Is u1, GER
tain that Mr. Way has taken the winning side IN
his advocacy ~ rhyme llr the ch0rusos ~ Eur.pl-
dcs. lie has undoubtedly come nearer satisfying
the taste u his contemporaries with rhyme than
he could do without H. bur the question Is
one on which the future mus, have word
Mr.. Way is right IN saving that "thc
translator who. not from his experience
in the management ~ IT, but in c,mpil-
ance with theory, rejects rhyme I'm lyrical
passages. s. in danger - making tho task ~
worthy presenting bis author n.r rather than
loss ardu0us." That g. not "A darr, rous. Lut q
welcome fact. II has become as easy - rhyme in
English as Aye-iach said 10 was in German. III
that direction iru" p .sy has %, new laurc.s p
win. But the Il ,ri 90 adapt the language {, tne
Iurcst verse forms. wher- 81 shall depend only on
It's own must" and perfect. - rhythm without.
the ancient ulcis - ALTERATION ~ 'he u i,rn
Oh" Of Ike cnding- g. worthy u coming poets
Without new difficulties To- conquer. English
poetry. which has been rcjuveuatcI GID mIny
times from Chaucor'e day q, th.t o. renr,.-,
Will soon iausc into e~ui..ty
The poets Il the future VII harUv nnl a
better schop. for training Themselves ia thc ART
OF maang verses with no arun-~ beyond The
musical swing and illt - ;hc words Joined t.
T,,''.,aA ''
.,,,..,, ,, ,,..,,
49,. q. ,...'..
,ybcr. str.ss t.r and ,,,.-.. d. .,..' .,.'. c-,
d,,,.,,, - ,1.s. ,.r.s ,.... ,,... ...,'''.
matter p,sslliy q, ,..,...- .,r,...t D., t.,,~,.,
tha, any division was rc..-..ry st-o,.h. ami
sir1phe arp.p.le y,-. .t~h "a c.,,..,.. ,,,t...
SUM- fro. ,,l 70 .nl ,.tb.ut , t-.,, 10.
,o. ,...,o.,. ,i.r-h. go a.,t. T. .
music could D.. ,...,..r.1 .,, .....-,,., H..
,,,,,-, ..,,,, 3d., ..rt.,,, ,. i,, e., 60,
words running .,ou, u,l.r 3D.. ,,.,,y,c ,..,.fl
satisfy the coruposcr exactly All s,,a,,. - Gre
lvrlcs have this yl,al u.lt, ,y,n tb. e,,f,bt.
whore The triple rendition II the ,a-u. ri..y,u,s
IS so obvious Whom S,,-h, Lr d.. a ,...rl ,.
the end OF = lin. r. was b..,.,.. .h. ,.,.r
thought Of Iis being the end II a I'm. Tho dlo.r-
cncc is obvious between her view II the rnctr.
she was handling and the conception tina, Horace.
had Of II IN his limitations When De br,al, a
word and carries a fragment 81 n back Z, th..
beginning II a now Iinc-a thing a.. q ., often
with malice af0rcthought- the effect differs only
I'm degree from that which makes tho sar. H. ,l..
humorous in English. as iu the familiar couplct.
Her checks were r1q-
ana 50 was her nose.
If English translation II an ode from Fu-
~. ..,,,,|... 49,, 49, 1919,
'"a'' "i'''"' my "'' W ''i"'' "''''S' Pilii''i
the merely technical ,robl.n, If rar,r,luci,,., -
60 80
''''N '"o'd III "''"''" "'''s VIII p' solved.
Tho advant Igc which the odcs Of Eurnidcs have
o,..r fb,so' - c.,b.ol,s Up ,..b,ir, - ,,-
I'S'S " S'"uS y '""' my "'F' '"' F''"' ~ III