Ben-Hur Translation Page 42 (and last): The Resurrection

[bedwere]

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On the dawn of the third day after the crucifixion, the Sunday we now call Easter, Ben-Hur heard the glorious message that will continue to thrill the world until the end of time.

Et diluculo tertia die postquam Christus crucifixus esset, dominica quam nunc Pascham appellamus, Benhur audivit præclarum nuntium qui in mundo permanebit resonans in sæcula sæculorum.

Καὶ πρωῒ τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ἐπειδὴ ὁ Χριστὸς ἐσταυρώθη, τῇ κυριακῇ ἣν νῦν Πάσχα ὀνομάζομεν, ὁ Βενὼρ ἤκουσε τὴν ἔνδοξον ἀγγελίαν τὴν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ διαμενοῦσαν ἀντηχεῖν εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων.


Ben-Hur, throw open the door! / Let us in! We have wonderful news. Jesus the Christ is risen from the dead! / In a few moments Ben-Hur and his entire household are gathered in the inner court.

Benhur adaperi ostium! Sine nos inire! Habemus vero lætum nuntium, quia Jesus Christus resurrexit a mortuis! / Et confestim Benhur omnesque famuli congregati sunt in atrio.

Βενώρ, ἄνοιξον τὴν θύραν. / Φέρ' εἰσέλθωμεν. Ἔχομεν δὴ εὐαγγέλιον, ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ὁ Χριστὸς ἀνέστη ἐκ νεκρῶν. / Καὶ παραχρῆμα ὁ Βενώρ τε καὶ πάντες οἱ οἰκέται συνηγμένοι εἰσίν ἐν τῇ αὐλῇ.

That which he promised has come about! Our Lord has risen from the dead. We were among the many to whom he has appeared.

Promissum ejus factum est! Nam Dominus noster surrexit a mortuis. Nos autem eramus e multis quibus ille apparuit.

Τὸ ἐπάγγελμα αὐτοῦ γέγονεν. Ὁ γὰρ Κύριος ἡμῶν ἐγέρθη ἐκ νεκρῶν. Ἡμεῖς δὲ ἦμεν τῶν πολλῶν οἷστισιν ἐκεῖνος ἐφάνη.

Did not our redeemer say: I am the resurrection and the life?

Nonne redemptor noster dixit: Ego sum resurrectio et vita?

Ἆρα οὐχ ὁ λυτρωτὴς ἡμῶν εἶπεν· ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἀνάστασις καὶ ἡ ζωή;

Even as the Roman soldiers, set to guard the tomb, kept their watch, an angel from heaven appeared and rolled back the stone of the tomb. Terrified the soldiers fled and brought word to the city.

Dum vero milites Romani, ad sepulcri custodiam delecti, vigilabant, angelus de cælo apparuit et revolvit lapidem sepulcri. Μilites autem perterriti fugerunt et nuntiaverunt civitati.

Τῶν δὴ Ῥωμαίων στρατιωτῶν, τῶν ἐπὶ τῇ τοῦ τάφου φυλακῇ τεταγμένων, ἀγρυπνούντων, ἄγγελος ἐξ οὐρανοῦ φανεὶς ἀπεκύλισεν τὸν λίθον τοῦ τάφου. Οἱ δὲ στρατιῶται φοβηθέντες ἔφυγον καὶ ἀπήγγειλαν τῇ πόλει.


Later, Mary and Magdalene visited the tomb and found there two angels who said to them: Be not afraid, you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is no there. He is risen. Go tell his disciples and Peter.

Vespere autem Maria et Magdalene cum venissent videre sepulcrum invenerunt illic duos angelos. Qui autem dixerunt eis: Nolite expavescere: Jesum quæritis Nazarenum, crucifixum: surrexit, non est hic. Sed ite, dicite discipulis ejus et Petro.

Ὀψὲ δ' ἡ Μαρία καὶ ἡ Μαγδαληνὴ ἐλθοῦσαι θεωρῆσαι τὸν τάφον εὗρον ἐκεῖ δυὸ ἀγγέλους. Οἱ δὲ εἶπον αὐταῖς· μὴ ἐκθαμβεῖσθε. Ἰησοῦν ζητεῖτε τὸν Ναζαρηνὸν τὸν ἐσταυρωμένον· ἠγέρθη, οὐκ ἔστιν ὧδε. Ἀλλὰ ὑπάγετε εἴπατε τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ καὶ τῷ Πέτρῳ.

Taking two pieces of wood from the ground, Ben-Hur forms the symbol which forever after will be the sign of those follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ.

Τοllens autem duas festucas de terra, Benhur facit signum quod tunc et in æternum erit sequentium vestigia Jesu Christi.

Ἄρας δὲ δύο κάρφη ἐκ τῆς γῆς, ὁ Βενὼρ ποιεῖ τὸ σημεῖον ὃ τότε καὶ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ἔσται τῶν ἐπακολουθούντων τοῖς ἴχνεσιν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.

I too accept thy cross which was thy throne, oh Christ! I pledge myself and all I have that the world may know thy peace!

Et ego, o Christe, accipio crucem tuam quæ thronus tuus fuit. Do ergo pignora mei ipsius omniumque rerum mearum ut cognoscat mundus tuam pacem.

Καὶ ἔγωγε, ὦ Χριστέ, λαμβάνω τὸν σταυρόν σου ὃς ὁ θρόνος σου ἐγένετο. Δίδωμι οὖν τὰ πιστὰ ἐμαυτοῦ τε καὶ πάντων τῶν ἐμῶν ἵνα γνῷ ὁ κόσμος τὴν σὴν εἰρήνην.

[Barry Hofstetter]

Just a couple of suggestions:

On the dawn of the third day after the crucifixion, the Sunday we now call Easter, Ben-Hur heard the glorious message that will continue to thrill the world until the end of time.

Et diluculo tertia die cum Christus crucifixus esset, dominica quam nunc Pascham appellamus, Benhur audivit præclarum nuntium qui in mundo permanebit resonans in sæcula sæculorum.

I think I would either use postquam or cum with the indicative to indicate it's actually temporal instead of circumstantial. If you are staying fairly close to the style of the Vulgate:

Tertia autem die postquam ego peperi... (1 Ki 3:18)

I too accept thy cross which was thy throne, oh Christ! I pledge myself and all I have that the world may know thy peace!

Et ego, o Christe, accipio crucem tuam quæ thronus tuus fuit. Do ergo pignora mei ipsius omniumque rerum mearum ut cognoscat mundus tuam pacem.

Καὶ ἔγωγε, ὦ Χρίστε, λαμβάνω τὸν σταυρόν σου ὃς ὁ θρόνος σου ἐγένετο. Δίδωμι οὖν τὰ πιστὰ ἐμαυτοῦ τε καὶ πάντων τῶν ἐμῶν ἵνα γνῷ ὁ κόσμος τὴν σὴν εἰρήνην.

I'm not really sure why, but I think άπολαμβάνω would sound more idiomatic.

But hey, really great job, your obviously putting a lot of effort into this.

[mahasacham]

Awesome job man! So what do you have in mind for your next project?

[bedwere]

Thank you for your kind words, gentlemen!

Barry, I followed your advice for postquam, but I preferred to retain λαμβάνω, since I modeled it after Mat. 10:38: καὶ ὃς οὐ λαμβάνει τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀκολουθεῖ ὀπίσω μου, οὐκ ἔστιν μου ἄξιος. I wonder whether the Evangelist made it less idiomatic on purpose.

Mahasacham, next I have in mind Little Nemo. I have alread translated the title and the name of the protagonist:

Nemunculus in Dormitoria / Οὐτίνιον ἐν τῇ Κοιμητηρίᾳ
Nemo / Οὖτις


The drawing is outstanding, a true classic. I can promise I'll finish it, but we'll see.

[mahasacham]

That is gonna have some interesting vocabulary.

[Timothée]

Only a very small thing: not ὦ Χρίστε (would be properispomenon instead of paroxytonon) but ὦ Χριστέ. The same also on the page 41.

[bedwere]

Thank for catching them, Timothee.

[bedwere]

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