Chris DeFilipp ! Latin Tutorial!! !

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! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Baucis and Philemon Translator"s Statement

May 31, 2013 Stephen Shapiro

Baucis and Philemon is a story of love and piety. The two have been together for

years and have given what they don"t have to those who seek hospice. Even when everyone else around them would not take in two strangers, they took them in and treated them like family. They gave them food they didn"t have, and used what they normally had reserved for special occasions. As a reward, they were transformed by the gods into an oak and linden tree, to forever be remembered for their piety, and to live forever without having to see the other one die. ! This story is a moving story, and I felt that a translation of it would be

contemplative and inspiring. After the initial literal translation, I looked at two prose and one poetic translation of the story. In the prose translations, I was able to conrm much of my translation, while also looking at how the story was told. When I looked at the verse translation, I saw what things the translator decided to take artistic liberty with. I felt that, while much of it conned to the iambic pentameter that the translator chose to work with, a lot of the initial story was told slightly differently, and I felt that the limitation of iambic pentameter caused a much different telling of the story. ! In my translation, I felt that I would look at it from a free verse perspective. I

wanted to keep much of the original telling of the tale, while utilizing the verse format to mimic some of Ovid"s poetic structures. For example, when Jupiter and Mercury are searching for hospice, Ovid writes: ! ! ! ! ! ! mille domos adiere locum requiemque petentes, mille domos clausere serae; tamen una recepit, ! ! ! Metamorphoses.VIII.628-29

I wanted to mirror that, so in the three lines of my translation, I wanted each line to start with a thousand homes, and then I started the following line with one home in order to continue the idea. A similar attempt at maintaining some of Ovid"s structure was made at the moment of Baucis and Philemon"s transformation, when each of them notices the other one growing leaves. I made each of their noticing part of one line, so that each line mirrored the other, mirroring their realizations. ! I also wanted to explore in this the way that I could make some of the imagery

really vivid. In my literal translation of the story, I felt that a lot of the vividness of the preparation and creation of the feast was lost, and I wanted to make really vivid images with my word choice and my choice of how I want those images to resonate with readers. I feel that much of the original translation shines through through my verse translation, and I took some of the places where I was less sure of the accuracy of my translation to create images that I felt mirrored what Ovid was trying to say, but may not be the exact image he was producing. ! In my translation, I recognize that there may be errors that I made, and part of

that may be due to the time frame in which I gave myself to do the translation, and the rush to complete it and the verse translation once I had exceeded the time I had given myself. However, I feel that I have a much greater understanding of this tale now that I have gone through and translated it, and I feel that at the very least, the verse translation of the story is vivid and ows through the story in a way that I would not have expected it to be able to do before tackling the translation of this story.

A nal note before you go on to read the literal and poetic translations (they

follow this preface in that order), is that the edition I was translating from omitted lines 652-654 of the story due to questionable authenticity of the lines. These lines are the lines of the tale following the passing of time by means of discussions and the explication of the couch of willow wood, and typically are of the introduction of the washbasin which Baucis and Philemon bring out so that Jupiter and Mercury may wash themselves after their travels. ! I hope that you nd the beauty in this tale that I found, and that the images I was

able to craft from Ovid"s words are as vivid as I wish them to be.

-Chris DeFilipp, 2013, Bennington College Latin Tutorial

Baucis and Philemon: A Literal Translation ! All the men are astonished, nor do they sanction such words, and before all,

Lelex mature with respect to his spirit and his lifetime, thus said: There is innite power and it does not have the limit of the sky, and whatever wills the gods, it will be performed, you too will not doubt, an oak and a lime tree nearby a moderate wall surrounded by Phrygian hills; I saw that very place; now Pittheus sent me into the Peloponnesian territory once having been ruled over by his own father. Not far from here there is a pool, a land habitable once, now crowded with gulls and with marshy waterfowl of waves, Jupiter in the appearance of a mortal and Mercury with the caduceus having put aside his wings came here with his father. They approached a thousand homes seeking a place and rest, the crossbars closed a thousand homes; nevertheless one received them, a small one it is true, with stubbles and with reed ceilings of marshy places, but Baucis, a pious old woman, and Philemon, of a similar age, are joined with respect to youthful years in this house, they grew old in this house and they accomplished slight poverty which is to be acknowledged nor discontented with their mind which is to be reported; nor is it of importance, that you may require masters or attendants: there are two in the whole house, likewise they both provide and order. Therefore when the inhabitants of heaven touch the small household gods and enter the humble doors with their height having been lowered, the old man has ordered them to relieve their limbs in a seat having been placed; to which attentive Baucis has thrown a fabric over the surface with a stick and has moved about the warm ashes in the hearth and restored yesterday"s res and has nourished them with leaves and with dried bark and the breath of the old woman has extended toward the ames and she has carried the splintered torches and dry twigs and she has chopped them up and moved the small bronze cauldron, and because the husband himself had gathered the well-watered garden, he stripped off the vegetable with respect to its leaves; the fork of two prongs eases the poor back of the pig hanging from the blackened timber and trims for a long time a meager part from the preserved back and he boils soft the cut in the boiling waves. Meanwhile they beguile the intermediate hours by means of conversations and they shake the cushion, from the supple marsh grass of the river,

having been placed on the couch with a willow wood frame and feet. They cover this with blankets, that are not accustomed to spread over an area unless in festive time, but these and their clothing were both ordinary and aged, not undignied on the willow wood couch. The gods reclined at the table. Having bound up her clothing and with trembling hands she placed a table, but there were three uneven feet of the table: with a shard of pot it was made equal; after she has raised the incline with that situated beneath, the green mints have wiped clean that having been made level. The two color olive of unblemished Minerva and the preserved autumnal cherries in liquid dregs and both the chicory radish and lump of curdled milk and eggs having been turned in not burning ashes, all are placed here in earthenware. After these an embossed bowl of the same silver is placed and a cup fabricated from the beech tree is placed, and whereby they are hollow, having been coated by yellow wax; small is the delay, and the feast is warm with respect to the poor replace, nor are the wines of long old age renewed and they give a little place to the second meals having been divided: here a nut, here there is carian having been mixed with wrinkled dates and plums and fragrant apples in broad baskets and grapes having been collected from purple vines, a white honeycomb is in the middle; above all things the expression of a blessing nor the timid and meager inclination are added. ! Meanwhile so often they see that the bowl having been consumed is replenished through its own will and they see their own wine to be supplied anew: astounded they are frightened by the strange phenomenon and Baucis and timid Philemon produce prayers with their hands palm upwards and they speak prayers and indulgence for the feast and for nonexistent food and utensils for the dinner table. There was only one goose, a guard of the smallest house: which the masters prepared to be sacriced for the guest gods; this swift wing slows her slow with age and it avoids capture for a long time and nally it seems to have had ed to those very gods for safety: the gods forbid it to be killed and they said We are gods, and the nearby impiety will pay just punishments; it will be given that you are exempt from these words of evil; soon you relinquish your roofs and will follow your pace and go at the same time into the high mountains! They both prepare, and lifted by sticks they strive to place footsteps on the steep incline. When they were away from the summit, where a swift

arrow is able to reach it: they turn their eyes and watch the ooded swamp around them, as their own canopies remain, and while they wonder at this, while they bewail the fate of their friends and neighbors, and now the former small house turned into a temple by the two gods: they replaced the pitchforks with columns, the straw thatch became golden and the roofs gilded with gold and the doors having been engraved and the earth covered over with marble are seen. Then the Saturnian uttered such things from his gentile mouth: You speak, the old man rightly and the worthy woman with her just husband, what you wish for. Philemon, speaking little with Baucis disclosed a small opinion in common to the gods: we ask to be priests and to watch over our shrine, and since we want united years, and hour should mislead these same two, nor should I ever see the tomb of my wife, neither should I be entombed from her. Prayer follows the faithful: they were guardians of the temple, while life is given; they would stand boldly, shrines before the step with years and an eternity to the weak, and they would tell the fall of the place, Baucis caught sight of Philemon growing leaves, Older Philemon caught sight of Baucis growing leaves. And now above the twin faces with the tree top multiplying, while it was allowed, they exchanged mutual words: goodbye and o spouse they said at the same time, at the same time green growth covered their hidden mouths: still there a Bithynian resident displays neighboring trunks from the twin body. The elderly did not tell me this false (there is not a reason why they would wish to deceive me); indeed I saw hanging garlands above the boughs and regarding these I said fresh things May gods be loved people to gods, and who worships them, are worshipped.

Baucis and Philemon: A Poetic Translation All the men are astonished, and do not sanction such words. Before all, Lelex mature in spirit and age, thus said: There is innite power and it is not limited by the sky. Whatever wills the gods, it will be performed, and you too will not doubt. On the Phrygian hills, an oak tree is intertwined with a lime tree, protected by a moderate wall. I saw that very place: King Pittheus sent me into the Peloponnesian territory, once ruled over by his own father. Not far from here there is a pool, a land once habitable, now crowded with gulls and marshy waterfowl the ocean. Jupiter in the guise of a mortal, and Mercury, descendant of Atlas, with the caduceus, having put aside his wings came here with his father. They approached a thousand homes seeking a place and rest, a thousand homes were closed to them. Nevertheless, one home received them. A humble home, it is true, with straw and reeds from marshes as ceilings, but Baucis, a pious old woman, and Philemon, of a similar age, were married in their youthful years in this house, and they grew old in this house. They were at piece with their poverty, nor burdened their minds with it. You will not require masters or attendants there: there are two in the whole house, who both provide and order. The inhabitants of heaven touch the small household gods and enter the humble doors having lowered their height, the old man ordered them to rest their limbs on a stool that he had set out for them, on which attentive Baucis has thrown a fabric over. She stirred the warm ashes in the

hearth with a stick and restored yesterday"s res, nourishing them with leaves and with dried bark. The old woman extends her breath toward the ames, bringing the dry twigs to splintered torches, having broken them up. Over these, she places a small bronze cauldron, and because her husband had gathered the well-watered garden himself, she stripped the vegetables of their leaves; the two-pronged skewer prods the meagre back of pig hanging from the blackened timber. For a long time he trims a meager part from the preserved back and boils soft the cut in the boiling waves of the cauldron. Meanwhile they wile away the intermediate hours with conversations. They place a cushion, made from the supple marsh grass of the river, on the frame of a willow wood couch. This they cover with blankets that are reserved for holidays, but these blankets and their clothing were ordinary and aged, not undignied on the willow wood couch. The gods recline at the table. Having bound up her clothing, she places a table with trembling hands, but of the three feet of the table, one was uneven; with a shard of pot, it was made equal; after she has raised the sloped tabletop with the shard situated beneath, green mint wipes clean the level table. She places the two color olive of unblemished Minerva, autumnal cherries preserved in liquid dregs, a chicory radish, a lump of curdled milk, and eggs turned in the smoldering ashes in earthenware. After these an embossed bowl of that same silver and a cup made of beech are placed: they are hollow and coated by yellow wax. Small is the wait, and the feast is warmed by the poor replace. The wines of long old age are not renewed, they give little place to the second meals divided up:

here a nut, here there is carian mixed with wrinkled dates and plums, fragrant apples in broad baskets, and grapes collected from purple vines. A glistening honeycomb is in the middle. Above all things there is an expression of blessing, nor are the timid and meager inclination added. Meanwhile they see that the bowl once consumed is replenished through its own will, and their own wine is supplied anew: astounded, they are frightened by the strange phenomenon. Baucis and timid Philemon pray with their palms raised and they pray indulgence for the feast and for nonexistent food and utensils for the table. There was only one goose, a guard of this most humble house: which the masters prepared to be sacriced for their godly guests. The swift wing tires them, slow with age, and avoids capture for a long time. Finally it ees to those very gods for safety: the gods forbid its sacrice and say: We are gods, and your impious neighbors will pay just punishments. You are exempt from these words of evil; now relinquish your roofs and follow your pace into the high mountains! They both prepare, and on canes, they struggle to climb the steep incline. When they are about a swift arrow"s distance from the summit, they turn their eyes and see the ooded swamp around them, as their own home remains. While they wonder at this, mourning the fate of their friends and neighbors, the formerly small house now transforms into a temple by the two gods. They replaced the pitchforks with columns. The straw thatch became golden. The roofs gilded with gold, and the engraved doors and marble covered earth seem right. Then the Saturnian uttered such things from his gentile mouth:

You: the just old man and the worthy woman with her just husband. Speak what you wish for. Philemon, speaking little with Baucis, disclosed a small, shared opinion to the gods: We ask to be priests and to guard our shrine. And since we want to be united in age, time should be unknown to these same two. Neither should I ever see the tomb of my wife, nor should I be entombed from her. Prayer follows the faithful: they were made guardians of the temple, while eternal life is given to them; they would stand boldly, shrines before the step with years and an eternity given to the weak. They would tell the fall of the place, Baucis caught sight of Philemon growing leaves, and older Philemon caught sight of Baucis growing leaves. And now above the twin faces with the tree top multiplying, while they were still able, they exchanged mutual words: Goodbye and O spouse they said at the same time, at the same time green growth covered their hidden mouths. Still a Bithynian resident displays the neighboring trunks of the twin body there. The elderly did not tell me this false (there is not a reason why they would wish to deceive me); indeed I saw hanging garlands above the boughs, and regarding these I said words fresh with the knowledge: May those dear to gods be gods, and who worships them be worshipped.