The Iliad of Homer
A Translation
(with Greek Text)
by
J. G. Cordery
British Resident at Hyderabad
London 1870
[Sample from the Opening of the Poem]
Iliad I.
SING, Goddess, of Achilles, Peleus’ son,
The
Wrath that rose disastrous, and the cause
Of woes
unnumber’d to Achaia’s host,
Casting
full many a hero’s mighty ghost
Too
soon to Hades—but the men themselves
Prey to
the dogs and all the fowls of heaven!
Yet was
the will of Zeus fulfill’d thereby
;
Then
first, what time asunder stood in strife
Godlike
Achilles from the King of men.
What heavenly Power inspired them to this strife ?
The
Child of Zeus and Leto. He in wrath
With
Agamemnon sent an evil plague
Amongst
them, and Achaia’s nations fell
For
that dishonour dealt by Atreus’ Son
To Chryses, his high priest. For Chryses
came
To
their swift galleys, bearing priceless gifts
The
ransom of his daughter, in his hands
Showing
the garland of Apollo twined
About a
golden sceptre, and besought
All the
Achaians, yet address’d his
prayer
Most to
the brother-chieftains, Atreus’ sons:
“Hear me, O
Atreus’ Sons, and ye their host!
May the
Gods on Olympus grant to you
The
sack of Ilion and return to home;
But
render back to me mine own dear child,
Accepting
ransom, honouring so the name
Of Him
who smites from far, the Child of Zeus.”
He spoke; to
whom the Achaians gave applause,
Bidding
revere the priest, and take the gifts
Of her
redemption; but ill-pleased the soul
Of
Agamemnon, who despiteful sent
Empty,
with violent words, the priest away:
“Beware, old
man, lest near these hollow barks
I find
thee lingering now or ever again
Returning;
else but little shall avail
Thy
sceptre, or the garland of thy God.
I will
not loose my hold from off thy child
Ere far
in Argos from her fatherland
She
hath worn old in service of our house,
Task’d at the loom,
or partner of my bed.
Depart,
nor move me unto anger; so
Shall
thy return be safer—get thee hence!”
He spoke; the
elder, all in awe, obey’d.
On the
full-sounding ocean’s echoing shore
He
passed in silence to a place apart,
And
there to great Apollo made his prayer,
Apollo,
whom fair Leto bore to Zeus:
“Hear me, O
Bender of the silver bow,
Who dwell’st in Chryse, or the
fruitful dales
Of Cylla, or in Tenedos enthroned,
Sminthian Apollo! If
that e’er I wreath’d
About
thy fragrant altar crowns of flowers,
Or e’er have made to thee sweet sacrifice
Of
bulls and goats, fulfil me my desire:
Venge with thy
darts these tears upon their host.”
He spoke;
whose prayer Apollo heard, and straight
Strode
wrathful o’er the Olympian peaks sublime,
Bearing
his close-capp’d quiver and his bow
Swung
round his shoulder; loud the arrows rang,
Hurtling
in motion of the anger’d God.
Like
unto Night, he came, and sate him down
Short
space from off the fleet, and ’gan discharge
His
arrows thence. Dire sung the silver bow;
Whilst
first against their sumpters and their hounds
He aim’d, but after shot a bitter shaft
Upon
themselves; thenceforward ceaseless rose
The
flames of funeral piles throughout the host.
Cordery’s text has the Greek and
English on facing pages. One assumes, therefore, that the text is meant
primarily for those who wish to read the Greek and get some assistance from the
English (although Cordery seems to suggest the
reverse in his preface, as if readers would only consult the Greek in order to
check the English). In any case, the blank verse here has no particular
merit and is decidedly inferior to the blank verse translations of Bryant and Caldcleugh. Cordery explains
that his choice of blank verse stems from his view that the Greek hexameter
“lies beyond the reach of the English tongue. . . .”(qu.
Young 134). One wonders, too, if the translation is sufficiently
faithful to Homer to be a useful crib for the reader going through the Greek
text.
Cordery’s dual-language edition was republished in 1886. And Cordery seemed pleased that his work merited a new edition:
I will not refer to authority on a point
concerning which every reader of the work can judge for himself, beyond saying
that I have received good and wide encouragement to believe that whoever
commences any part of it becomes inclined to continue. The critics who noticed
my first edition were unanimous in their approval of my choice of English, and
I have now removed, or corrected, many and serious blemishes. (Preface to the
edition of 1886)
The reader who would like to access the
text of Volume I of Cordery’s translation should use
the following link: Cordery Iliad.
Cordery also published his translation without the Greek. To view Volume II of
this edition (published in 1871), please use the following link: Cordery Iliad (no
Greek)
For contemporary reviews of Cordery’s
Iliad, use the following links: Saturday
Review, Volume 32 (1871) Spectator
Archive (1886).
.
[List of Published Translations of Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey]