Help with my latin translation of an english poem

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OVIDMETAMORPHOSES
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Joined: Sat Dec 02, 2017 2:01 pm

Help with my latin translation of an english poem

Post by OVIDMETAMORPHOSES »

I was translating a Dryden poem into latin and I was wondering whether anyone could tell me how I can improve.

This is not meant to be a literal translation. Please judge this translation not in terms of its accuracy in being a rendition of Dryden, but in its accuracy of being latin.

I know it is crude and must sound childish to those acquainted with the language. It is simply my attempt to get acquainted with latin. I am a beginner in latin; thus, help would be appreciated.


MY LATIN TRANSLATION

Thank you for replying. This taught me quit a lot in terms of present active participles and gender agreements.

Here is the improved text:

Prope arborem tristem,
Damon iacens lacrimat, pallens et moriens,
Mors est benigna quae meum dolorem terminans,
Tamen crudelem eam amavi in cassum.
Fontes muscosi,
Susurrantes meum aerumnam,
Et cava montes,
Mea gemitus ingeminant:
Omnes nymphae me lugentes,
Ita dum langueo;
Illa me tantum fastidiens,
Quae me in dolore fecit.
Non mihi amorem recursus, sed omnem spem negans;
Prope arborem tristem,
Tamquam cygnus, cantans dum moriens;
Mors est benigna quae meum dolorem terminans,
Tamen crudelem eam amavi in cassum.
Last edited by OVIDMETAMORPHOSES on Sun Dec 03, 2017 5:08 am, edited 1 time in total.

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bedwere
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Re: Help with my latin translation of an english poem

Post by bedwere »

It would be a better use of your time to give yourself a more solid foundation before attempting something that is beyond your level of expertise. Our library has several texts with exercises of Latin composition, some with their keys. You should do those first, grow more confident, and only afterwards think of translating poems.

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