Meditations

Acclaimed poet and translator Aaron Poochigian’s vibrant new translation of Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations captures and accentuates an aspect of the best-selling work of classical antiquity that other English translations have, remarkably, overlooked: Marcus’ distinct, varying voices. There’s Marcus the aspirant, speaking encouragingly to himself as a diarist might; Marcus the instructor, exhorting and chiding himself as a “you” that includes us all; Marcus the stylist, spinning memorable, quotable epigrams; and Marcus the philosopher, opining about the “human commonwealth” of which we are all members. This multi-vocal chorus is apparent to all who can read the original Koine Greek text, but Poochigian’s sensitive ear has captured it in English as no translator has before. The result is a Meditations that is as pleasurable to read as it is profound—a revelation even to readers who think they know it well. About Aaron Poochigian’s translation: “Aristophanes was a funny, often obscene social commentator, and he was also a brilliantly fluent, wide-ranging poet, whose lyric rhythms were recited and sung to music, with dancing. It’s very rare for modern translators to convey his poetic virtuosity or make any attempt to bring his meters to life. But Aaron Poochigan has achieved this feat, crafting polymetric translations that convey the whole range of Aristophanes’ larger-than-life characters and provocative, alternative-reality scenarios. This new translation is zany, sharp, inventive, vivacious, and surprisingly relevant for our times.” — Emily Wilson, translator of Homer’s Odyssey