Latin translation by T.S.Evans of an English poem

Latin Latin Poetry
1

by BARRY CORNWALL.

The lake has burst! the lake has burst!
Down through the chasms the wild waves flee;
They gallop along,
With a roaring song,
Away to the eager awaiting sea!

Down through the valleys and over the rocks.
And over the forests, the flood runs free;
And wherever it dashes,
The oaks and the ashes
Shrink, drop, and are borne to the hungry sea !

The cottage of reeds and the tower of stone,
Both shaken to ruin, at last agree;
And the slave and his master
In one wide disaster,
Are hurried like weeds to the scornful sea !

The sea-beast he tosseth his foaming mane,
He bellows aloud to the misty sky;
And the sleep-buried Thunder
Awakens in wonder,
And the Lightning opens her piercing eye !

There is death above, there is death around,
There is death wherever the waters be;
There is nothing now doing
Save terror and ruin,
In earth, and in air, and the stormy sea!

TRANSLATION by T.S.Eliot

LACUS ERUPTIO

Fugere ruptis obicibus lacus,
fugere lymphae : per cava litorum
exsultim et immissis habenis
agmine prono equitant liquores,
bacchantium cum murmure fluctuum
dudum vocantem visere Nerea.
per saxa depressasque valles
per silvas furit expedite
umore torrens amnis: et impetus
tumultuantem qua tulit, ilices
a stirpe convulsas et ornos
traxit ad oceanum voracem:
regumque turres tectaque pauperum
tandem ruinae conciliant pares;
fatoque consortes eodem
cum famulis domini per unam
stragem in superbos, ceu stipulae leues,
volvuntur aestus. vorticibus furit
Neptunus et cristas comantes
fluctibus aeriasque torquens
spumas opacum nubibus ad polum
immugit omnis : quo fremitu Pater
erectus excusso sopore
fulminat et iaculatur ignes:
supraque circumque exitium ingruit,
quocunque cursum praecipitant aquae;
tellusque caelumque et tremendas
ira maris glomerat ruinas.
2

For a similar real event, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Döda_fallet

The last verse looks like a storm at sea caused by the same bad weather that had made the lake swell and burst.

3

I was looking for translations in this collection (Sabrinae Corolla) by our friend T.S. Evans and it appears that this poem is one of them. There’s a hand written index of translators and T.S. Evans’ name comes up for translations on pages 5, 27, 45, 91, 115, 127, 195, 251, 257, 261, 269, 319 and 322.
It appears that Benjamin H. Kennedy contributed many of these “flores”. It’s the abbreviation of his name “K.” that got me started. The printed index of prize recipients has the abbreviations of their names in the far right column if they contributed to the translations in the collection.

4

What meter is the Latin translation?

5

I believe it’s an Alcaic Stanza. I didn’t scan the whole poem, but at first glance it appears to fit that pattern.

6

Yes it’s in Horatian Alcaics, as is immediately clear from the first three or four lines. It should be printed in 4-line stanzas.

And Anthony please correct the absurd heading.

7

The title “Lacus Eruptio” was in my source. I did not invent it.

8

TRANSLATION by T.S.Eliot

Fugere ruptis obicibus lacus,
fugere lymphae : per cava litorum
exsultim et immissis habenis
agmine prono equitant liquores,

bacchantium cum murmure fluctuum
dudum vocantem visere Nerea.
per saxa depressasque valles
per silvas furit expedite

umore torrens amnis: et impetus
tumultuantem qua tulit, ilices
a stirpe convulsas et ornos
traxit ad oceanum voracem:

regumque turres tectaque pauperum
tandem ruinae conciliant pares;
fatoque consortes eodem
cum famulis domini per unam

stragem in superbos, ceu stipulae leues,
volvuntur aestus. vorticibus furit
Neptunus et cristas comantes
fluctibus aeriasque torquens

spumas opacum nubibus ad polum
immugit omnis : quo fremitu Pater
erectus excusso sopore
fulminat et iaculatur ignes:

supraque circumque exitium ingruit,
quocunque cursum praecipitant aquae;
tellusque caelumque et tremendas
ira maris glomerat ruinas.

9

T. S. Evans, not T. S. Eliot! (Sorry, but I only just noticed this topic and have now fixed the title.)

Now will someone translate the Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock?

10

As you can see, I implored Anthony to “please correct the absurd heading” and when he replied as he did (above) I let it go, thinking everyone could have a good laugh. But apparently no-one even noticed.

I won’t take you up on Prufrock (though I’m tempted) and I hope no-one else will either.

11

Eamus igitur, ego et tu,
cum vesper contra caelum panditur
sicut aeger in defectu animi iacens in mensa.

O tu ne quaesieris quid sit;
eamus visum.

In cubiculo mulieres meant remeantque
loquentes de Michaele Angelo.

12

Bravo. But wouldn’t Latin say ego et tu?

13

Fixed ego et tu, and also substituted meant remeantque for eunt exeuntque.

Bravo? This is ludicrously un-Latin, though tu ne quaesieris came pre-fabricated.

I bogged down when I got to “muttering retreats of restless nights in one-night cheap hotels”. I’m sure T.E. Evans could find a way to put T.S. Eliot into Latin, though.

This is a work in progress, but I don’t expect much progress to be made anytime soon.