Ὅστις ἐπετράφθη τέμενος πίστει βασιλῆος,
φημί τοι, οὗτος ἀνὴρ οὔτ' ἂρ τρέμει οὔτε φοβεῖται·
δὴ μάλα γάρ ῥα ἑὰς κρατέοι κεν ἐσαιὲν ἀρούρας:
I rather think the following would be a fair prose rendering: 'Whoso hath been entrusted with a demesne under pledge with the king (I tell you); this man neither trembleth (you see) nor feareth: for (look ye!) he (verily) may hold (you see) his lands for ever'.
Since Mr Arnold momentarily appeals to me on the chasm between Attic and Homeric Greek, I turn the last piece into a style far less widely separated from modern English than Homer from Thucydides.
Dat mon, quhich hauldeth Kyngis-af
Londis yn féo, niver
(I tell 'e) feereth aught; sith hee
Doth hauld hys londis yver.
I certainly do not recommend this style to a translator, yet it would have its advantage. Even with a smaller change of dialect it would aid us over Helen's self-piercing denunciation, 'approaching to Christian penitence', as some have judged it.
Quoth she, I am a gramsome bitch,
If woman bitch may bee.
But in behalf of the poet I must avow: when one considers how dramatic he is, it is marvellous how little in him can offend.
