As I lay Dying line from homer's Odyssey

[bobbylupo]

hello wondering if anyone here can help out, I hope this is the correct forum. Faulkner named his book after this quote from the odyssey

"As I lay dying, the woman with the dog's eyes would not close my eyes as I descended into Hades."

does anyone know which translation its from ? I have the fitzgerald and I cant find there in book XI (not the exact words)


thanks for your help

[mortalterror]

Faulkner draws his translation from that of Sir William Marris edition of The Odyssey published in 1925. I don't have access to that edition.

In Fitzgerald's translation it is Book XI verses 489-495.

In my extremity I heard Kassandra,
Priam's daughter, piteously crying
as the traitress Klytaimnestra made to kill her
along with me. I heaved up from the ground
and got my hands around the blade, but she
eluded me, that whore. Nor would she close
my two eyes as my soul swam to the underworld

Fagles translation verses 476-483 goes

But the death-cry of Cassandra, Priam's daughter-
the most pitiful thing I heard! My treacherous queen,
Clytemnesra, killed her over my body, yes, and I,
lifting my fists, beat them down on the ground,
dying, dying, writhing around the sword.
But she, that whore, she turned her back on me,
well on my way to Death-she even lacked the heart
to seal my eyes with her hand or close my jaws.

Alexander Pope has it:

Her breast all gore, with lamentable cries,
The bleeding innocent Cassandra dies!
Then though pale death froze cold in every vein,
My sword I strive to wield, but strive in vain;
Nor did my traitress wife these eyelids close,
Or decently in death my limbs compose.

In Samuel Butler's translation:

I heard Priam's daughter Cassandra scream as Clytemnestra killed her close beside me. I lay dying upon the earth with the sword in my body, and raised my hands to kill the slut of a murderess, but she slipped away from me; she would not even close my lips nor my eyes when I was dying,

In George Chapman's rendering:

But that which most I rued,
Flew from the heavy voice that Priam's seed, 555
Cassandra, breath'd, whom, she that wit doth feed
With baneful crafts, false Clytemnestra, slew,
Close sitting by me; up my hands I threw
From earth to heaven, and tumbling on my sword
Gave wretched life up; when the most abhorr'd, 560
By all her sex's shame, forsook the room,
Nor deign'd, though then so near this heavy home,
To shut my lips, or close my broken eyes.

[bobbylupo]

Thanks so much for your help. I will look for the marris translation .

[Eiseabhal]

Terrific selection Mortal. Aren't they all so different . Pope to me is sublime though.

[Vota]

Pope's is beautiful, but I find the heroic couplets tiring to read after a short while.

Needs more Lattimore.