Ben-Hur Translation Page 38: Bad News

This board is a composition workshop, like a writers' workshop: post your work with questions about style or vocabulary, comment on other people's work, post composition challenges on some topic or form, or just dazzle us with your inventive use of galliambics.
Post Reply
User avatar
bedwere
Global Moderator
Posts: 5102
Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2008 10:23 pm
Location: Didacopoli in California
Contact:

Ben-Hur Translation Page 38: Bad News

Post by bedwere »

Image of current page.

Previous episodes.

Thanks for your help!


Near daybreak the next morning, two officers of Ben-Hurs’ secret army bring a startling report of what has happened to Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane.

Prope lucem sequente mane, duo præfecti clandestini exercitus Benhuris terribilem relatum referunt de quibus Jesu in villa Gethsemani contigerint.

Πρὸς ἡμέραν τὴν ὑστέραν, δύο ἄρχοντες τοῦ κρυφίοῦ στρατιοῦ τοῦ Βενὼρ φοβερὰν ἀπαγγελίαν ἀπαγγέλλουσι περὶ ὧν τῷ Ἰησοῦ ἐν τῷ χωρίῳ Γεθσημανὶ συμβέβηκε.

We stood guard over him all night as you commanded and we thought nothing was amiss when we saw a throng approaching Jesus, because Judas Iscariot, his friend, was at its head.

Totam noctem, ut imperasti, custodientes super eum et judicantes nihil prave fieri, vidimus turbam appropinquantem ad Jesum, quia Judas Iscariotes, amicus ejus, primus erat.

Πᾶσαν νύκτα, ὡς προσέταξας, φυλάσσοντες ἐπ' αὐτῷ καὶ νομίζοντες οὐδὲν οὐκ ὀρθὸν εἶναι, εἴδομεν ὄχλον ἐγγίζοντα πρὸς τὸν Ἰησοῦν, ὅτι Ἰούδας Ἰσκαριώτης, ὁ φίλος αὐτοῦ, πρῶτος ἦν.

Did none of the crowd rush to his side when judas betrayed him and the chief priest ordered the soldiers to seize him?

Ne unus quidem ex turba accurrit illi, cum Judas prodiret eum, summus autem sacerdos juberet milites apprehendere eum?

Οὐδ' εἷς ἐκ τοῦ ὄχλου ἐβοήθησεν ἐκείνῳ, ὅτε ὁ Ἰούδας προύδωκεν αὐτὸν καὶ ὁ δ' ἀρχιερεὺς ἐκέλευσε τοὺς στρατιώτας συλλαβεῖν αὐτόν;

When Peter, his chief disciple, rose to defend him, he said: Put up again thy sword into its place, for whoever shall live by the sword shall perish by the sword.


Cum Petrus, primus discipulus ejus, surrexisset ad defendendum eum, ille ait: converte gladium tuum: omnes enim, qui acceperint gladium, gladio peribunt.

Ἐπειδὴ Πέτρος, ὁ πρῶτος μαθητὴς αὐτοῦ, ἀνέστη ὡς ἀμυνῶν αὐτόν, ἐκεῖνος ἔφη· ἀπόστρεψον τὴν μάχαιράν σου· πάντες γὰρ οἱ λαβόντες μάχαιραν ἐν μαχαίρῃ ἀπολοῦνται.


Then all his disciples fled, leaving Jesus deserted and alone.


Tunc discipuli omnes, relicto Jesu, fugerunt.

Tότε οἱ μαθηταὶ πάντες ἀφέντες τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἔφυγον.

Only we of all our army stand ready to do your will. All the rest say they will not fight for a king who will not defend himself.

Nos soli ex omni exercitu parati sumus facere voluntatem tuam. Ceteri autem dicunt se non pugnaturos esse pro rege qui nolit se defendere.

Ἡμεῖς μόνοι ἐκ πάσης τῆς στρατιᾶς παρεσκευάσμεθα ποιεῖν τὸ θέλημά σου. Οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ λέγουσιν ὅτι οὐ μὴ μαχήσονται ὑπὲρ βασιλέως μὴ θέλοντος ἀμύνεσθαι.

Go quickly for more news. I’ll fight the mob alone if need be!

Abite cito ut plus renuntietis. Ego autem unus, si opus fuerit, cum vulgo pugnabo!

Ἄπιτε ταχέως ἵνα πλεῖον ἀπαγγείλητε. Ἐγὼ δὲ μόνος, ἐὰν δῇ, τῷ πλήθει μαχήσομαι.

Later on that same Friday morning Ben-Hur catches the sound of heavy shod feet hurrying down the street.

Serius autem mane eadem feria sexta Benhur audit crepitum ex caligis festinantibus secunda via.

Ὕστερον δὲ πρωῒ τῇ αὐτῇ παρασκευῇ ὁ Βενὼρ ἀκούει τὸν ψόφον κρηπίδων σπευδόντων κατὰ τὴν ὁδόν.

It is Malluch! Is he too the bearer of bad news?

Maloch est! Num et ille mala nuntiabit?

Ὁ Μαλώχ ἐστιν. Ἆρα μὴ καὶ οὗτος ἀγγελεῖ κακά;

The chief priests and elders would not delay. They demanded that Jesus be tried at once, and he has already been before the court of the high priests.

Summi sacerdotes et seniores cunctari noluerunt, sed desiderabant Jesum continuo judicari. Ille autem jam venit in atrium summorum sacerdotum.

Οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι μέλλειν οὐκ ἠθέλησαν, ἀλλ’ ἠξίουν τὸν Ἰησοῦν αὐτίκα κριθῆναι. Ὁ δ' ἤδη παραγέγονεν τῇ αὐλῇ τῶν ἀρχιερέων.

User avatar
bedwere
Global Moderator
Posts: 5102
Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2008 10:23 pm
Location: Didacopoli in California
Contact:

Re: Ben-Hur Translation Page 38: Bad News

Post by bedwere »

Ῥωμαϊστί
Image

Græce
Image

mwh
Textkit Zealot
Posts: 4791
Joined: Fri Oct 18, 2013 2:34 am

Re: Ben-Hur Translation Page 38: Bad News

Post by mwh »

του κρυφίου στρατοῦ
συνεβη or better συμβέβηκεν
ὅτε ὁ μὲν Ἰούδας προυδίδου αὐτόν, ὁ δ' ἀρχιερεὺς ἐκέλευε. No cause for μεν … δε, why not simply ο Ιουδ. … και ο αρχ.? And why not προυδωκεν and εκελευσεν?
ἀπόστρεψον: καταθες? (lay down not turn aside)
dicunt non pugnaturos esse: Add se
Ἡμεῖς μὲν μόνοι: no call for μεν
εαν δέῃ
τὸν ψόφον ἐκ κρηπίδων: del. εκ
Isne quoque malus nuntius est?: (Num) et ille nuntius malorum? or mala nuntiabit
Ἆρα καὶ ἔτι οὗτος κακάγγελός ἐστιν;: Αρα (μη) και ουτος αγγελεῖ κακα;
cunctari noluerunt
Del. Et, or put sed
οὐκ ἔμελλον. Καὶ ἠξίουν: αλλα, at least.

User avatar
bedwere
Global Moderator
Posts: 5102
Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2008 10:23 pm
Location: Didacopoli in California
Contact:

Re: Ben-Hur Translation Page 38: Bad News

Post by bedwere »

Many thanks, Michael.
On one hand I love μὲν ... δὲ, on the other I use it too often!
So I followed your recommendations, except for the sword part: rather than changing the words of the Gospel (Mat. 26:52), I piously changed the English translation. :lol:

Post Reply