Learn Greek Online!: Help with translation (Elysian FIelds)

Hi everyone,

There's an ancient Greek concept of afterlife that resonates strongly with me, Elysium.

According to wiki, the Greek word is Ἠλύσιον πεδίον (Ēlýsion pedíon), which literally translates to Elysian Fields.

How would you say "among the Elysian Fields"? As in, "I walked among (in the midst of) the Elysian Fields"?

I've tried the google translator, but I don't really trust it.

Also, wiki say the Ἠλύσιον πεδίον is in ancient Greek...does the modern Greek word "among" would be different from the Greek used in the ancient times?

Thanks so much for your help.

Cheers,

	Απάντηση: Help with translation (Elysian FIelds) by Panagiotis Kosmas - Sunday, 31 January 2016, 04:06 AM
	Hi !! You can translate among as "ανάμεσα" but in this sentence it doesn't make sense! You can say " περπάτησα στα Ηλισια Πεδία" Thanks Show parent \| Reply

	Re: Απάντηση: Help with translation (Elysian FIelds) by Paul Kovalski - Monday, 1 February 2016, 04:54 AM
	Hi Panagiotis, Thanks for the reply. So I'm guessing περπάτησα means he "walked", and στα is "in"? How would you say, he walked into the Elysian Fields? περπάτησα into Ηλισια Πεδία? Thanks again, Show parent \| Reply

	Απάντηση: Re: Απάντηση: Help with translation (Elysian FIelds) by Panagiotis Kosmas - Monday, 1 February 2016, 01:03 PM
	Hi Paul, yes "walked" is περπάτησα (past simple) and στο is the preposition σε with the neuter article. In greek we use στο/στα when we are talking about a place. I think it would be better to use Ηλίσια Πεδία instead of Ηλισιον Πεδίο, which is the ancient greek word! Panagiotis Show parent \| Reply

	Re: Help with translation (Elysian FIelds) by Greg Brush - Sunday, 31 January 2016, 04:00 PM
	By the way, the ancient Greek version Ηλύσιον πεδίον is singular, usually translated into English as a plural, Elysian Fields. Panagiotis' response uses the contemporary version, Ηλύσια Πεδία, which is plural. Regards, Greg Brush Show parent \| Reply

	Re: Help with translation (Elysian FIelds) by Paul Kovalski - Monday, 1 February 2016, 04:56 AM
	Hi Greg, Thanks for the input! So changing Ηλύσια Πεδία to Ηλύσιον πεδίον shouldn't really affect the rest of the sentence, should it? Thanks, Show parent \| Reply

1) No, it doesn't really affect the rest of the sentence whether the term is used as a singular or plural. In the earliest Greek poetry the term was singular (το Ηλύσιον πεδίον, the Elysian Field), while in later eras the term could be plural (τα Ηλύσια πεδία, the Elysian Fields).

2) περπάτησα means "I walked"; στα is the (required) combination of the Μodern Greek preposition σε and the neuter definite article τα. By the way, preposition σε can indicate position (in, at, on) or motion (into, onto). So the possibilities are:
περπάτησα στο Ηλύσιον Πεδίον - I walked in (or into) the Elysian Field.
and
περπάτησα στα Ηλύσια Πεδία - I walked in (or into) the Elysian Fields.

Regards,
Greg Brush

[originally posted Monday, 1 February 2016, 10:06 AM]

Show parent | Reply

Hi Greg,

Thanks for the comprehensive response!

Greek sounds looks like an interesting language to learn. It'd be amazing to be able to read Illiad in modern Greek, pick up all the nuances that were lost in translation etc.

I needed the translation for a tattoo...would it sound weird if περπάτησα was dropped all together? As long as it made sense to me I'd be ok with it. How would it sound to a native speaker?

Best regards

Show parent | Reply

1) Keep in mind that the Iliad (and the Odyssey as well) were originally composed in the Homeric Greek of nearly 3000 years ago. While these two epic poems are certainly available in Modern Greek (in fact, that's how most Greeks today would read them), the Modern Greek versions are themselves "translations" of the ancient language into the contemporary language and thus, just as in any given translation, have the potential of "lost nuances".

2) A contemporary Greek would understand perfectly well the classical phrase το Ηλύσιον Πεδίον in a tattoo.

Regards,
Greg Brush

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	Re: Help with translation (Elysian FIelds) by Paul Kovalski - Monday, 8 February 2016, 06:41 AM
	Thanks Greg, that help a lot! Show parent \| Reply

	Re: Help with translation (Elysian FIelds) by Paul Kovalski - Monday, 8 February 2016, 06:52 AM
	Actually, one more thing. If you changed "walked into" to "dreamt of" what the end result would be? Ονειρεύτηκα των Ηλυσίων Πεδίων?? Thanks, Show parent \| Reply

	Απάντηση: Re: Help with translation (Elysian FIelds) by Panagiotis Kosmas - Monday, 8 February 2016, 01:19 PM
	Ονειρεύτηκα τα Ηλύσια Πεδία! In this case we use the accusative form!! Panagiotis Show parent \| Reply

	Re: Απάντηση: Re: Help with translation (Elysian FIelds) by Paul Kovalski - Wednesday, 10 February 2016, 03:12 AM
	I see. Thank you! Show parent \| Reply

Hi Greg,

What's the difference between the word στα and αναμεταξύ?

It thing the latter is closer to the meaning I'm looking for

" in the middle of, with, amidst, in the midst of"

rather than, "there's the field and I walked onto it..."

Like in Sting's Fields of Gold song:

In his arms she fell as her hair came down
Among the fields of gold

Will you stay with me, will you be my love
Among the fields of barley

Does περπάτησα αναμεταξύ Ηλύσια Πεδία make sense in this case?

Cheers,

Show parent | Reply

Ancient αναμεταξύ is essentially equivalent to μεταξύ (between, among; meanwhile), while demotic στα indicates either position (in, at, on) or motion (to).

So if you want to express "among", μεταξύ or αναμεταξύ (both followed by the genitive case) is a somewhat formal way to say it:
περπάτησα μεταξύ (or αναμεταξύ) των Ηλύσιων Πεδίων.

A more colloquial, demotic way would be μέσα σε or ανάμεσα σε, both followed by the accusative case:
περπάτησα μέσα στα (or ανάμεσα στα) Ηλύσια Πεδία.

Regards,
Greg Brush

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