Robert Fitzgerald and Michael Reck's translations of the Iliad offer different perspectives on Homer's classic epic. Fitzgerald’s translation tends to use a more measured and formal style, capturing the grandeur and gravity of the original text. For example, Fitzgerald begins the epic with "Anger be now your song, immortal one," invoking a sense of inevitability in Akhilleus' wrath. His language is often more archaic, as seen in his phrasing "brave souls into the undergloom" and "one generation flows even as another dies away," which reflects a traditional approach to epic storytelling. Fitzgerald employs a tone that is more restrained and reflective, providing a contemplative atmosphere that emphasizes the epic's themes of fate and divine will, as well as the fleeting nature of human life highlighted in his leaf simile. In contrast, Michael Reck offers a more direct and dynamic translation, using contemporary language that brings immediacy to the narrative. His opening line, "Sing, Goddess, Achilles' maniac rage," uses modern colloquialisms like "maniac rage" to convey intense emotion and drive. Reck often opts for clearer, straightforward language, such as "Men are like the generations of leaves," which simplifies complex metaphors for accessibility. This approach carries through in his portrayal of divine interactions, as seen in Athena's candid challenge to Diomedes and Achilles' resigned confrontation with death. Reck's style infuses the epic with a raw vibrancy, making the distant heroic world feel more relatable and immediate to the modern reader. Both translations, while differing in style and execution, succeed in capturing the enduring power of Homer's original epic.
Anger be now your song, immortal one,
Akhilleus' anger, doomed and ruinous,
that caused the Akhaians loss on bitter loss
and crowded brave souls into the undergloom,
leaving so many dead men—carrion
for dogs and birds; and the will of Zeus was done.
Sing, Goddess, Achilles' maniac rage:
ruinous thing! it roused a thousand sorrows
and hurled many souls of mighty warriors
to Hades, made their bodies food for dogs
and carrion birds—as Zeus's will foredoomed—
from the time relentless strife came between
Atreus' son, a king, and brave Achilles.