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The Spike or Victoria University College Review June 1925

The Futility of Vergil

page 24

The Futility of Vergil

If Hannibal, "the unknown avenger," was faced with a well-nigh impossible task when he commenced his memorable journey across the Alps, how much more difficult to our untried searching are the insurmountable grammatical constructions and the intricate poetical devices employed by Vergil? Hannibal, I contend, had far fewer problems than have such as we. At the end of his day's upward toil he slept the dreamless sleep of the truly weary. But we, though tired with endless hours spent in the study of dictionaries (and, possibly, more effective aids to translation), are haunted even in dreams by dire phantoms fresh from the pages of Vergil, by dread forebodings of the examination looming nearer. Only last night, in the stilly hours of slumber, I was myself pursued by "avenging Furies" and squads of "black serpents," and stumbling on with panting breath and leaden feet, was hustled at last into the awful presence of immortal Jupiter himself, who, bending his stern gaze upon me, demanded in tones of thunder, "What have you to say for your-self?"

"Not prepared, sir!" I quavered. I managed thus to escape for the time; but my hour must inevitably come.

I have not the slightest doubt that all this trouble has some direct cause, and it us my intention, dear brother Fresher, to penetrate to the root of that trouble. It appears, in the first place, that Vergil makes unjustified use of hyperbole in its worst forms. Nothing could be more disconcerting to a youth of tender years than to read, for instance, that a certain priestess invoked, at one sitting, "three hundred gods." Judging by the titles "of learned length and thundering sound" with which many of the gods were dignified, and allowing her, say, five minutes for each incantation, we arrive at the significant conclusion that she filled the courtyard and twenty-five consecutive hours with her unearthly shrieks! Small wonder that she executed her business "with torn hair."

It is not here, however, that the real source of the trouble lies. We must attach the blame to our present style of translation. Perhaps it is partly to the impossibility of retaining vividness in translating, partly to the lack of any spark of enthusiasm or poetic inspiration in ourselves, that the futility of Vergil is due. As one of the mighty masters of Latin has said, "Truly, this is a most unpoetic generation," and this, I believe, indicates the immediate source of the difficulty and the wide field for improvement.

I might suggest that far greater pleasure and satisfaction would be derived from the translation of Vergil if students, in preparing the set lines, were allowed to employ the use of poetry and sufficient humour to provide interest in the work. Of course, to give weight to my arguments, I should be able to exhibit a portion of translation set forth according to my ideas, and after a little serious thought, I have produced the necessary sample. Here I give a rendering of lines 642-650: "At trepida et coeptis, etc.," that grand climax to Aeneid IV., so arranged as to demon- page 25 strate the excellent effect resulting from this new style of translation :—

But Dido, terror-stricken, started trembling like a chicken,

And her beacon-lights were rolling in her head;

And her colour came in snatches in a lot of hectic patches,

As she thought of what she'd do when she was dead.

. . . Like a disaffected "Fido" up the altar galloped Dido—

Dragged the second-hand incisor from its case; (Old Aeneas when he gave it never thought that she would save it

For the purpose of tattooing half her face!)

There the poor distracted maiden found a sofa relic-laden,

And his evening suit reposing in a heap.

With a shriek of execration and a brief consideration,

She extended on the top—and went to sleep!

I have no hesitation in affirming that much of the drudgery of Vergil could be successfully eliminated if those in authority could see their way clear to sweep away time-worn traditions and adopt this new and fascinating method. All that is required is a moderate amount of ingenuity and sensitiveness to humour in the student, and an honest desire on the part of the professor to bring to light whatever talent may be lying dormant in the class.

D.J.D.