The Hobbit in Ancient Greek

[mahasacham]

I came across this web page the other day that might be of interest to some. This blogger has been translating some of the Hobbit into Ancient Greek.

http://eutychusnerd.blogspot.com/search/label/Tolkien

[mwh]

We can only hope that the Greek is not so atrocious as the Latin Hobbit, perpetrated by someone with very little Latin and no translation skills. http://www.textkit.com/greek-latin-foru ... =3&t=39769.

— Unfortunately you can see at a glance that it’s not at all good. But no doubt fun to do.

[jeidsath]

Someone's personal composition practice.

Harry Potter in Ancient Greek, on the other hand, seems to be very well done. I didn't have as high an opinion of it in English as some others, but I've been listening to it in German, and it's nice to be able to find the same thing in so many languages.

I've just started listening to Harry Potter in Greek, but recording is a slow process, since I mark long vowels and try to get things as natural-sounding as I can. It was hard to read through the first time, but just listening to it in Greek as a flow isn't that much harder to understand than the German.

I wouldn't mind if someone were to make an audiobook of the Latin version.

I do wish that there was a Hobbit in ancient Greek, made by someone who does know how to translate. And an audiobook, of course.

[mwh]

Potter in ancient Greek has come up before: http://www.textkit.com/greek-latin-foru ... =3&t=61899. I commented

Grecized Potter is a classic “composition” exercise, designed to elicit admiration from the half-dozen people in the world who can properly appreciate it. It’s extremely well done, and quite fun too, but again, what a way to spend one’s time!

[jeidsath]

It’s extremely well done, and quite fun too, but again, what a way to spend one’s time!

Archer-Hind's "Translations in Greek Verse and Prose" may be an even better example of this:

https://archive.org/details/translationsinto00archuoft

Magali, queen of my soul,
The dawn is Near!
Hark to my tambourine,
Hide not thy bower within,
Open and hear!

ΗΝΙΔ’, ἐμᾶς Ἀμαρυλλὶ φάος φρενός, ἔρχεται ἀώς,
τὶν δ’ ἄμμες τι φίλον συρίσδομες· ἀλλὰ κατ’ οἶκον
μή με λάθῃς, θυρίδας δὲ δίοιγέ μοι, ὄφρ’ ἐπακούῃς

[mwh]

It mimics Theocritus, and yes, extremely well, thrillingly well. The transposition is spot-on.
It’s a harmless pastime, for those who have time to pass (certainly beats crossword puzzles), and it gives great pleasure to those who can appreciate it.