Emily Wilson Talks Complicated Men, Celebrating Strangeness, and Why There is Always Another Way to Say It
One of the most celebrated classicists writing today, Emily Wilson achieved a rare kind of literary stardom in 2017, when her translation of Homer’s Odyssey made her the first woman to publish a complete English version of the epic. Her
Emily Wilson, a renowned classicist, gained significant attention in 2017 for being the first woman to translate Homer's Odyssey into English. Her translation, which spans Homer, Sophocles, Euripides, and Seneca, is celebrated for its adherence to traditional meter and clarity. Recently, her translation of the Odyssey's opening line, "Leuke einai polys" (which translates to "complicated man"), sparked controversy and debate.
Wilson explains that she chose this word after careful consideration, as it aligns with the poem's metrical structure and oral performance context, while also preserving the word's multi-faceted meaning. Despite the intense reactions to her translation, Wilson finds it empowering that people feel encouraged to engage in discussions about translation's complexities, regardless of their background or expertise.
She acknowledges the gender imbalance in translating canonical texts and notes its persistence, even when considering other languages.
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