SOME ODES OF PINDAR

By Richmond Lattimore '26. New Directions, 1942, 30 pages.

This attractively printed booklet contains translations of several of the Pythian Odes. Pindar is not a poet who lends himself easily to translation, but Professor Lattimore has succeeded admirably in his task. The translations are very close to the original and often the intricacies of Pindar's style are brought over successfully into the English. Naturally, the movement and music of the Pindaric line cannot be reproduced, but Professor Lattimore has tried by lines of varying length and by varied rhythms to catch the spirit of the Odes. At times he is successful, at times not. However, the essential fact is that here are translations which do no violence to Pindar and which capture much of the beauty of his poems.