|
Putting it into English is difficult because quantitative meter doesn't really play well with the language. It's based on long and short (rather than stressed and unstressed as in English), and English has long vowels, but it's just not the same deal as in languages such as Latin, where the difference between liber (book) and līber (free) comes down to a long vowel. Latin became stressed-unstressed like English in mediaeval times ("dies irae, dies illa / solvet saeclum in favilla"), often rhyming (as in the "Dies irae" above.)
What I mean to say that qualitative verse is a fun novelty so this is the only sip I need. Thanks!
|