Although I was intimidated at the prospect of translating a Latin lyric poem, I was interested to see what I could come up with. I have chosen to translate “To Dellius” from Book Two, Ode Three. I began by reading a few different translations of the ode, the first by David Ferry, the second by Eugene Field, and the last by Paul Shorey and Gordon J. Laing. David Ferry’s translation makes Horace’s transition from second person to first person in the ode very clear, so I wanted to use the same tactic in my writing. Ferry’s translation also was my central resource for my translation, as Ferry is able to simplify the content of the odes while also adding beautiful language to it. This helped me to refine my word choice in my translation. There are some classical allusions in the ode, some of which I omitted: I did not explicitly mention Orcus or Falerian wine, but I kept the Fates and added Charon and Cerberus to my description of the underworld. …show more content…
I chose not to use a rhyme scheme, because I like the way my translation sounds without it. Although, Field’s rhyming is exemplary and creates a more lyrical song than Ferry’s translation. John Conington’s translation is a much older translation than the other two, and he uses several older English words that I did not recognize. His use of dramatic language inspired me to move out of my comfort zone and use combinations of words I had not tried before. All three of these translations helped to shape my understanding of the language and themes of Horace’s