is Thorpes translation availible in the states?
--- Haukur Thorgeirsson <haukurth@...> wrote:

> > http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/havamal.html
> > Would you consider this a fair translation?
>
> Depends on what you mean by 'fair'.
>
> It has the same faults as Hollander's
> as regards accuracy and in my opinion
> Bray is a worse poet.
>
> Let's take an arbitrary example:
>
> I trow I hung on that windy Tree
> nine whole [days and] nights,
> stabbed with a spear, offered to Odin,
> myself to mine own self [given],
> [high] on that Tree of which none hath heard
> from what roots it rises [to heaven].
>
> Here I've put within brackets the words Bray
> has added to the meaning of the original.
>
> In addition "wounded" would be better for
> 'unda�r' than "stabbed". I'd also prefer
> "given" for 'gefinn'.
>
> Let's check Thorpe for comparison:
>
> I know that I hung,
> on a wind-rocked tree,
> nine whole nights,
> with a spear wounded,
> and to Odin offered,
> myself to myself;
> on that tree,
> of which no one knows
> from what root it springs.
>
> This is much more accurate.
> My only complaint is with the needless change of
> plural
> to singular in "r�tum; roots". [Unless that is a
> transcription error in the online edition.]
>
> - - -
>
> I haven't made anything like a detailed study of the
> translations
> but from what I've seen so far I'd go to Thorpe for
> accuracy and
> Hollander for poetry. Buy Dronke's work if you can
> afford it but
> avoid that of her student.
>
> Kve�ja,
> Haukur
>

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