Virgil; translated by Shadi Bartsch
The Aeneid by Virgil, translated by Shadi Bartsch, attempts to stay as close to the original as possible by adhering to a line-by-line correspondence, approximating Virgil’s meter, remaining within his six beats to a line, and maintaining his simplicity of language without losing his effects of alliteration and assonance. As Bartsch declares in her introduction, her goal was to make it accessible to the general public while simultaneously adhering faithfully to the original. She includes an Introduction which provides context for the poem, its reception, character analysis, and commentary. Also included is a Translator’s Note which explains the challenges and choices she made in translating, her Notes, a Bibliography, and a Glossary.
Bartsch’s translation is impressive, her scholarship extensive. She offers a different reading experience of the Aeneid that makes evident the ambiguity, nuances, and subtlety of language and characterizations. Her notes are helpful in highlighting the contradictions within the poem and in interrogating the character of Aeneas. She has performed an invaluable service to reading the classic by opening it up to new interpretations and meanings while remaining faithful to the original.