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Translation Comparisons

Ever since the confusion of tongues at Babel, translation has been a necessary part of communication. Truly understanding the writings of other peoples and cultures is difficult work, and scholars have spent millenia refining their skills. While in recent years, AI seems to making parts of this easier, we're not quite ready to trust it—especially for literature, considering the nuances required.

The Bible is certainly the most commonly translated book in the world, with dozens of English translations alone, but editions in most of the world's languages also. For a project of such immensity and importance, modern translations usually involve a panel of scholars and linguists. But it wasn't always that way. Although the Septuagint (the Greek Old Testament) was crafted by dozens of scholars in the 2nd & 3rd centuries, around 382 A.D., St. Jerome first reworked the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek into Latin, crafting the Vulgate, which was the standard translation of the Roman Catholic Church for a thousand years. Later, as churchmen desired to hear the word in their own tongues, men like John Wycliffe (England, 1382), Martin Luther (Germany, 1522-34 ), William Tyndale (England, 1525-35), and Miles Coverdale (also England, 1535) did the work to translate the Scriptures into the common tongues of their period. That work continues today and has resulted in many favorite versions over the years: the KJV, NASB, NKJV, ESV, NIV, RSV...just to name a few.

This probably seems like an unnecessary tangent in an introduction to literature comparisons, but there is a point. When studying English translations, scholars often use what is called an interlinear Bible, which intersperses lines of original language with lines of the language of which they are more accustomed. Going further, some people use a parallel Bible, which allows them to compare multiple versions of the same text side-by-side. These Classic Comparison pages are an attempt to offer you the same thing for passages of classic lit. Almost all of these pages have two parts: 1) the introduction, which will give some background on the book and summarize the major differences between editions, and 2) the parallel comparison page, which usually will offer 3-6 passages from all the translators we could feasibly add (we continue to update as we can). While that might be extreme thing to attempt for full novels, we think it's really helpful for getting the flavor of translations. 

Please let us know if you have questions, or would like to suggest other translations! 

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Active Filters: 9th grade (Ages 14-15), New Books & Materials
Aeneid
by Virgil, translated by Robert Fagles
from Penguin Putnam
for 9th-Adult
in Ancient Literature (Location: LIT1-ANC)
$17.00
Aeneid
Penguin Classics
by Virgil, translated by David West
Reissue from Penguin Classics
for 9th-Adult
in Ancient Literature (Location: LIT1-ANC)
$13.60
Aeneid
Penguin Classics
by Virgil, translated by Sarah Ruden
Reissue from Yale University Press
for 9th-Adult
in Ancient Literature (Location: LIT1-ANC)
$15.30
Aeneid - MP Student Guide
by Cody King
from Memoria Press
for 9th-12th grade
in Memoria Press Classical Studies (Location: HISCUR-MP)
$17.43
Aeneid - MP Teacher Guide
by Cody King
from Memoria Press
for 9th-12th grade
in Memoria Press Classical Studies (Location: HISCUR-MP)
$17.43
Ascent to Love
by Peter Leithart
from Canon Press
for 9th-Adult
in Classical Literature Guides (Location: LIR-CLA)
$13.60
Beowulf
by Anonymous (translation by Frederick Rebsamen)
from HarperCollins
Medieval Poetic Epic for 8th-Adult
in Medieval Literature (Location: LIT2-MED)
$8.49 $4.80 (3 in stock)
Beowulf
by Anonymous (translation by Seamus Heaney)
from W. W. Norton and Co.
Medieval Poetic Epic for 8th-Adult
in Medieval Literature (Location: LIT2-MED)
$13.56
Beowulf
Dover Thrift Editions
by Anonymous, translated by R. K. Gordon
from Dover Publications
Medieval Epic for 8th-Adult
in Medieval Literature (Location: LIT2-MED)
$3.40
Beowulf
by Anonymous, translated by Seamus Heaney
from W. W. Norton and Co.
Medieval Poetic Epic for 9th-Adult
in Medieval Literature (Location: LIT2-MED)
$21.21
Beowulf
by Anonymous, translated by Douglas Wilson
from Canon Press
for 7th-Adult
in Medieval Literature (Location: LIT2-MED)
$11.90 $6.40 (1 in stock)
Beowulf - A Graphic Novel Adaptation
by Gareth Hinds
from Candlewick Press
for 5th-9th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$14.44
Beowulf - Progeny Press Study Guide
by Michael Poteet
from Progeny Press
for 9th-12th grade
in Progeny Press Literature Guides (Location: LITSG-PP)
$23.79
Beowulf - Study Guide CD
by Michael Poteet
from Progeny Press
for 9th-12th grade
in Progeny Press Interactive CDs (Location: LITSG-PPCD)
$13.00
Beowulf the Warrior - Student Guide
by David M. Wright
2nd edition from Memoria Press
for 8th-9th grade
in Memoria Press Literature & Poetry (Location: LITSG-MP)
$11.86 $8.50 (1 in stock)
Beowulf the Warrior - Teacher Guide
by David M. Wright
2nd edition from Memoria Press
for 8th-9th grade
in Memoria Press Literature & Poetry (Location: LITSG-MP)
$11.86
Beowulf: A New Telling
by Robert Nye
from Laurel-Leaf Books
for 6th-10th grade
$5.09
Beowulf: A Translation and Commentary
by Anonymous (translation by J. R. R. Tolkien)
from Houghton Mifflin
for 9th-Adult
in Medieval Literature (Location: LIT2-MED)
$27.20
Canterbury Tales
Penguin Classics
by Geoffrey Chaucer (edited by Nevill Coghill)
from Penguin Classics
Medieval Poetry for 8th-12th grade
in Medieval Literature (Location: LIT2-MED)
$9.35
Canterbury Tales
by Geoffrey Chaucer
2nd edition from Memoria Press
for 9th grade
in Memoria Press Literature & Poetry (Location: LITSG-MP)
$11.94 $8.50 (1 in stock)
Canterbury Tales
by Geoffrey Chaucer, translated by David Wright
from Oxford University
for 9th-Adult
in Medieval Literature (Location: LIT2-MED)
$7.61
Canterbury Tales (retold)
Puffin Classics
by Geoffrey Chaucer, retold by Geraldine McCaughrean
from Puffin Books
Epic Poetry for 7th-9th grade
in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
$5.94
Canterbury Tales - Student Guide
by Geoffrey Chaucer
2nd edition from Memoria Press
for 8th-12th grade
in Memoria Press Literature & Poetry (Location: LITSG-MP)
$11.86 $8.00 (1 in stock)
Canterbury Tales - Teacher Guide
by Geoffrey Chaucer
2nd edition from Memoria Press
for 8th-12th grade
in Memoria Press Literature & Poetry (Location: LITSG-MP)
$11.86 $9.00 (1 in stock)
Gilgamesh
by Anonymous (translation by David Ferry)
from Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Ancient Poetic Epic for 7th-Adult
in Ancient Literature (Location: LIT1-ANC)
$13.60
Heroes of the City of Man
by Peter Leithart
from Canon Press
for 9th-Adult
in Classical Literature Guides (Location: LIR-CLA)
$22.09
Iliad
Signet Classics
by Homer (translation by W.H.D. Rouse), Afterword by Adam Nicolson
from Signet Classics
Ancient Literature for 9th-Adult
in Ancient Literature (Location: LIT1-ANC)
$6.76
Iliad - MP Student Book
by Stephan Musick
2nd edition from Memoria Press
for 9th-12th grade
in Memoria Press Classical Studies (Location: HISCUR-MP)
$11.94
Iliad - MP Teacher Book
by Stephan Musick
2nd edition from Memoria Press
for 9th-12th grade
in Memoria Press Classical Studies (Location: HISCUR-MP)
$15.60
Iliad of Homer
by Homer (translation by Richmond Lattimore)
from University of Chicago
Ancient Literature/Epic Poetry for 9th-Adult
in Ancient Literature (Location: LIT1-ANC)
$12.75
Iliad of Homer
by Anonymous (translation by Samuel Butler)
2nd edition from Memoria Press
for 9th-Adult
in Memoria Press Classical Studies (Location: HISCUR-MP)
$12.88
Odyssey
by Homer (translation by Robert Fitzgerald)
from Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Ancient Literature/Epic Poetry for 9th-Adult
in Ancient Literature (Location: LIT1-ANC)
$16.15
Odyssey
Signet Classics
by Homer, prose translation by W.H.D. Rouse
from Signet Classics
Ancient Literature for 9th-Adult
in Ancient Literature (Location: LIT1-ANC)
$5.06
Odyssey
by Homer (translation by Emily Wilson)
from W. W. Norton and Co.
for 8th-Adult
in Ancient Literature (Location: LIT1-ANC)
$16.11
Odyssey - MP Student Book
by Stephan Musick
from Memoria Press
for 9th-12th grade
in Memoria Press Classical Studies (Location: HISCUR-MP)
$11.94
Odyssey - MP Teacher Book
by Stephan Musick
from Memoria Press
for 9th-12th grade
in Memoria Press Classical Studies (Location: HISCUR-MP)
$15.60 $12.00 (1 in stock)
Odyssey of Homer
by Homer (translation by Richmond Lattimore)
from HarperCollins
Ancient Literature/Epic Poetry for 9th-Adult
in Ancient Literature (Location: LIT1-ANC)
$16.14
Odyssey of Homer
by Homer (translation by Samuel Butler)
2nd edition from Memoria Press
for 9th-Adult
in Memoria Press Classical Studies (Location: HISCUR-MP)
$12.88
Old Western Culture Year 1 Volume 1 - Reader
by Wesley Callihan
Version 2.0 from Roman Roads Media
for 9th-Adult
in Old Western Culture (Location: LITCUR-OWC)
$32.00
Old Western Culture Year 1 Volume 1 - Video Lectures
by Wesley Callihan
from Roman Roads Media
for 9th-Adult
in Old Western Culture (Location: LITCUR-OWC)
$84.75
Old Western Culture Year 2 Volume 1 - Reader
by Wesley Callihan
2019 edition from Roman Roads Media
for 9th-Adult
in Old Western Culture (Location: LITCUR-OWC)
$32.00
Old Western Culture Year 2 Volume 1 - Video Lectures
by Wesley Callihan
from Roman Roads Media
for 9th-Adult
in Old Western Culture (Location: LITCUR-OWC)
$84.75
Old Western Culture Year 2 Volume 1 - Workbook
by Wesley Callihan
from Roman Roads Media
for 9th-Adult
in Old Western Culture (Location: LITCUR-OWC)
$16.00
Omnibus IV - Text with CD-ROM
by Gene Edward Veith, Doug Wilson & G. Tyler Fischer
3rd edition from Veritas Press
for 9th-12th grade
in Veritas Press Omnibus (Location: LITCUR-OMN)
$119.00
Omnibus V - Text with CD-ROM
by Gene Edward Veith, Doug Wilson & G. Tyler Fischer
2nd edition from Veritas Press
for 9th-12th grade
in Veritas Press Omnibus (Location: LITCUR-OMN)
$119.00
Rudiments of Anglo-Saxon
by Douglas Wilson
from Canon Press
for 8th-Adult
in Foreign Language (Location: FL-GEN)
$18.70
Rudiments of Anglo-Saxon - Answer Key
from Canon Press
for 8th-Adult
in Foreign Language (Location: FL-GEN)
$10.20
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
by Anonymous, translated by Burton Raffel
Reprint from Signet Classics
for 9th-Adult
in Medieval Literature (Location: LIT2-MED)
$6.76 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
by Anonymous, translated by Brian Stone
from Penguin Classics
for 8th-Adult
in Medieval Literature (Location: LIT2-MED)
$10.20
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight - Student Guide
by David M. Wright
2nd edition from Memoria Press
for 9th grade
in Memoria Press Literature & Poetry (Location: LITSG-MP)
$11.86 $8.00 (1 in stock)
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight - Teacher Guide
by David M. Wright
from Memoria Press
for 9th grade
in Memoria Press Literature & Poetry (Location: LITSG-MP)
$11.86
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight / Pearl / Sir Orfeo
by Anonymous, J. R. R. Tolkien (Translator)
from Ballantine Books
Medieval Fairy Tale/Poetry for 8th-Adult
in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
$7.64
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight / Pearl / Sir Orfeo
by Anonymous, J. R. R. Tolkien (Translator)
from Mariner Books
Medieval Fairy Tale/Poetry for 8th-Adult
in Medieval Literature (Location: LIT2-MED)
$16.14
Story of the Persian War
by Alfred J. Church
from Yesterday's Classics
for 7th-10th grade
in Ancient Greece (Location: HISW-ANGR)
$12.95
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