The Iliad of Homer
Translated into English Blank Verse
by James Morrice
London 1809
[Selection
from the Opening of the Poem]
Book I.
SING, Muse, the fatal wrath of Peleus’ son,
Which to the Greeks unnumb’red evils brought,
And many heroes to the realms of night
Sent premature; and gave their limbs a aprey
To dogs and birds: for such the will of Jove. 5
When fierce contention rose between the chiefs,
Achilles, and Atrides, king of men.
Say
first who caus’d this most perenicious
feud.—
Latona’s son; who, with the king enrag’d,
Sent pestilential sickness through the host, 10
Avenging the dishonour of his priest
Chryses, a suppliant at the Grecian fleet,
With ransom large his daughter to release:
The sceptre of Apollo in his hand
He bore; and to the Greeks address’d his pray’r; 15
To Atreus’ sons, chief captains of the host.
“Ye
sons of Atreus, and ye Grecian chiefs,
“May the gods favour your victorious arms,
“And grant you safe return! Yet hear my pray’r:
“Restore my daughter, and her ransom
take; 20
“And reverence Apollo, sprung from Jove.”
The
Greeks with one consent their wish declar’d
The priest to honour and accept the gifts:
Not such the mind of Atreus’ warlike son,
Who with reproach dismiss’d, and threat
severe. 25
“Let
me not find thee loitering at our ships;
“Nor shall thy age, shouldst thou return again,
“Nor sceptre of they god, protect thee here;
“I will not let her go, till worn with age,
“In Argos, in our house, she ply the loom, 30
“The partner of my bed: hence then, begone,
“Nor wake my anger, wouldst thou safe depart.”
He
spake; when Chryses
trembled, and obey’d:
Silent, he hast’ned to the boisterous shore,
And thus to Phœbus, from Latona
sprung
Bright-hair’d, preferr’d
his pray’r: “Thy servant hear,
“God of the silver bow; whom Cylla
fair
“And Tenedos obey: if, with pure hands,
“To thee I’ve paid the grateful sacrifice;
“And with just rites thy sacred altars crown’d,
“Hear me, O hear! soon may the Grecian host
“Deeply regret my unavailing tears!”
Thus
Chryses; and Apollo heard his plaint,
And swift descended from Olympus’ height;
His bow and arrows rattled at his side:
Downward he bent his way; as night he mov’d
Baneful, and sent his fatal arrows forth:
Dire was the clangor of the silver bow.
First
the contagion, to inferior beasts
Confin’d, the dogs and mules alone destroy’d;
Then men a prey to his relentless ire
Fell; and incessant burnt the funeral pile.
REVIEW
COMMENT
Morrice provides a
very gracious Preface, offering no comments on why he has chosen his particular
style and hoping (with a commendable modesty often missing in the prefaces of modern
translators) his efforts will not be entirely in vain:
If from this attempt others should
be incited to look into and study the original with more minute attention, he
[the translator of the present work] shall not think his pains altogether
thrown away, or his labour misapplied: and if any one more competent should
from hence be induced to employ his superior acquirements in giving a more
faithful and correct, and at the same time a truly poetical version of the
Iliad, no inconsiderable advantage will thence accrue to English literature in
general, and to poetry in particular; since from the immortal work of Homer,
poetry, both the art and the spirit of it is, by the concurring opinion and
acknowledgement of mankind, almost wholly and solely to be derived. (ix)
His translation is direct, fast,
and very clear, qualities that many other nineteenth century translations
lack. However,
one can still trace some of the less welcome effects of Milton’s
style here and there. This translation, incidentally, is still in print and
available in some e-bookstores.
For a look at the opening page of Morrice’s handwritten manuscript, please use the following
link: Leeds
Morrice
Link to complete text: Morrice Iliad
Contemporary reviews of Morrice’s Iliad: The
British Critic, and Quarterly Review, Vol. 35; The
Critical Review; Monthly
Review (April 1810).
[Link to List of Published English Translations of Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey]