T. E. Lawrence Correspondence – Page 538

LH 9/13/42 Karachi. 2/1/27 Dear Ishas, Forgive the office typewriter, and my botching of its keys. It's in case I need a copy of what I say to answer your letter about Homer's Odyssey. It has knocked me out, temporarily. Why sh d you be so much better to me than I am to myself? The r suggested is wonderful, but that only shows how well they : it to be done : and I have no trust whatever in my writ- Agreed the reviewers spoke highly of it, when "Revolt" it ; but they speak as well of seventy per cent of the they notice, so one discounts that : and in my case they also astonished that a practical man could write at all. So clever of him, my dear to be able to sit up"...as they'd say of a toy dog. When your letter came, I took the Odyssey down from the shelf, (it goes with me, always, to every camp, for I love it) and tried to see myself translating it, freely, into English. Honestly, it would be most difficult to do. I have the rhythm of the Greek so in my mind, that it would not come readily into lame: English. Nor am I a scholar. I read it only for pleasure, and have to keep a dictionary within reach. I thought of the other translators, and agreed that there was not a first-rate one. Butcher & Lang... too antique. Samuel Butler...too little dignified, tho' better. Morris...too literary. That only shows the job it is. Why should my doing be any better than these efforts of the bigger men? Bruce Rogers' dressing of the book will make it glorious, so that even an inferior version would pass muster. You are fortunate to be able to dine with him. I have for years admired him from