Studia Islandica - 01.06.1957, Page 29

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form in fornyrðislag which was for Þorláksson ever a
happy medium.
His last and largest work, the translation of Klopstock’s
Messias, does not indicate, as the translator himself ap-
pears to have maintained, that old age prevented his suc-
ceeding as well with Klopstock as he had in regard to
Milton. The Icelandic Messias does not lack poetic flight
or mastery of expression; the language is also dignified
and pure. In addition, it is an unusually faithful render-
ing. Speaking of Þorláksson’s translations of Paradise
Lost and Messias, Dr. Philip Schweitzer has this to say:
“Sie tiberraschen nicht nur durch die damals beispiellose
Herrschaft iiber die Muttersprache, nicht bloss durch die
so ausserordentlich getreue Wiedergabe des durch die Ori-
ginale wehenden Geistes, sondem sie sind sogar dem Aus-
druck der Ideale, welche Milton und Klopstock in ihren
unsterblichen Werken zu verkörpern suchten, náher ge-
kommen, als die Originale selbst. Besonders ist dies in
Messias der Fall, wo die Obersetzung durch ihre alt-
islándische Kraft das deutsche Werk iibertrifft und
hebt.” D
As a result of the long-time political connection and
racial affinity, educational and literary relations between
the Icelanders and the Danes have been very close. Until
relatively recently, the large majority of Icelanders per-
sued their advanced studies, for a shorter or a longer
period, in Copenhagen. For centuries Denmark was,
therefore, a channel through which political and literary
currents reached Iceland.
The impetus leading to Þorláksson’s major translations
is to be traced to the same source. In translating Tullin
he acted on the suggestion of Olavius, who had, in turn,
during his sojoum in Copenhagen, become interested in
1) Geschichte der Skandinavischen Litteratur, II, p. 219.