Callimachus: Hymns, Epigrams, Select Fragments

by Callimachus, Stanley Lombardo (Translator), Diane J. Rayor (Translator)

This is an exceptional translation of the works of an exceptional poet. Though little known in modern times, Callimachus is one of the high-water marks of ancient Greece: a literary giant in the Hellenistic period, leader of the Alexandrian school, model of poetic craft for Virgil, Catullus, Ovid, and others. But up to now the path to his greatness has been hard for Greekless readers to follow. Nourished in a venerated poetic tradition, scholarly and allusive, he preferred "the trickling dew from a mountain's holy spring" to the muddy current down river. This translation clear-flowing, graceful, witty revives a fading giant. A literary triumph.

Genres: Poetry, Classics, Ancient History, Ancient, Literature, Greece, Philosophy

152 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 251

About the author

Callimachus (310/305–240 BCE) (Greek: Καλλίμαχος, Kallimakhos) was a poet, critic, and scholar at the Library of Alexandria. He was a native of the Greek colony of Cyrene, Libya.

Reviews

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant translation, especially on the epigrams. This has spurred a lot of interest in Callimachus for me. I'll be looking into other translations to compare!

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not surprising that Poundian Lombardo made this one of his first translations (Callimachus only gets a quick mention in Ez's "Homage to Sextus Propertius", but it is a good fit). Working with Diane Rayor, who later went on to some excellent translations on her own (Sappho), and is Prof Emeritus of Classics at Grand Valley SU (MI).
Published in 1988, they hoped this would generate some interest in Callimachus, and it has - enough to have kept this in print ever since. Unfortunately as a not-inexpensice UPP from Johns Hopkins UP (mine is an older, used copy, with some slight water damage, recently purchased online).
There are some high points in here. And the 90 pp or so of poems are supplemented by an additional 30 pp of excellent Notes. You might consider reading each of the poems twice, once going back and forth to the Notes (it does become disconcerting), and once without, in order to gain a better sense of the flow of each of the pieces.
The poems are a mixed bag. Some OK Hymns, some interesting tidbit Epigrams, and some verging on the confusing and useless Fragments (boy, do the Notes help here!).
But Lombardo and Rayor's translation shines, tipping in words and phrases contemporary to the reader.
Sadly most of the pieces are so short and disconnected that at times it becomes chore-like to churn your way through one after another.
Also, Callimachus is a later Greek/Egyptian scholar/librarian, and part of his accepted purpose is to stuff every one of his pieces with as much information and connections and relations between every character, story, event, and place that he can. Which is where the numerous Notes both help, and get in the way.
Rather overwhelming with all the information in the poems (and the Notes explaining who is who, and what is what), and in the end it all becomes a bit tedious, even at only about 90 pp long. But worth a read for the Lombardo/Rayor translation, and for anyone interested in Classical Lit.

[David Areyzaga · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leer una traducción de Stanley Lombardo fue por años un sueño distante. Con tan solo leer un fragmento de su traducción de la Odisea, estaba intrigado por su método. Tras disfrutar este pequeño libro de Calímaco, decidí abandonar la traducción que ahorita estoy leyendo de La divina comedia (Mandelbaum, lo siento, pero eres muy tedioso y ni ganas tengo de volver a Longfellow con quien tuve mi primer intento), así como su versión de las Metamorfosis y del trabajo de Homero. Aquí tenemos a un traductor que se preocupó por el público fuera del contexto académico y decidió ofrecer traducciones que transmitan la emoción que él siente al trabajar con el texto original. Su trabajo ofrece pequeños detalles innovadores en los que la precisión es la menor de las preocupaciones ya que algunos traductores olvidan que no todos leen ciertos textos para comparar con el idioma original (no que esas traducciones no tengan mérito, hay algunas que he disfrutado por esto mismo pero me es difícil compartir esas versiones con otras personas que se sienten intimidadas por los clásicos).

En cuanto a Calímaco, el texto ofrece una serie de himnos que aportan una nueva perspectiva de los dioses. También disfruté los cortos epigramas y la introducción a su Aetia en la que expone su admiración por Homero pero también rechazo al formato de la épica ya que él favorecía trabajos más cortos (algo que su alumno Apolonio de Rodas ignoró al escribir Argonaúticas, mi siguiente lectura). Lo único que no me fascinó de esta edición es que los fragmentos que incluye al final son muchos poemas incompletos de los que se perdieron líneas, lo cuál hace su lectura un ejercicio de especulación que al menos yo no disfruté. Fuera de eso, disfruté el atrevimiento de Stanley Lombardo y su esfuerzo en preservar a un autor importante aunque muy pocos lo hayan traducido a diferencia de otros como Homero o Virgilio.

[Santiago González · Rating 3 out of 5]

Poeta alejandrino comparativamente mucho más agradable que Licofrón pero aún así mantiene esa oscuridad erudita alejandrina, me gustaron mucho sus himnos, el resto menos interesante, no soy mucho de epigramas y los fragmentos son bastante fragmentarios y requieren de demasiadas notas, aunque Aitia no está mal.

[Matt Vigneau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Callimachus is completely underappreciated. Pioneered poetic verse at a crucial time and exerted tremendous influence. The writing reflects an abundance of talent and creativity. Highly recommend an exploration.

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars for the epigrams. Read em if you want to feel love for humanity again.