Scholar Emily Wilson Is Translating the Odyssey Again

Scholar Emily Wilson Is Translating The Odyssey Again — This Time, She’s Breaking The Rules

Homer’s Odyssey is one of the world’s most enduring literary works, but scholar Emily Wilson is not finished exploring it. Nearly a decade after publishing her acclaimed English translation, Wilson is translating the ancient epic again — and this time, she is deliberately abandoning some of the strict rules that shaped her first version.

The University of Pennsylvania professor has described the new project as a complete retranslation rather than a simple revision. She is reportedly about halfway through the work, which will offer readers a longer and more flexible interpretation of Homer’s famous poem.

Why Is Emily Wilson Translating The Odyssey Again?

Wilson’s first translation of the Odyssey, published in 2017, became a landmark in modern classical literature. It was the first major English translation of Homer’s epic published by a woman and quickly attracted attention for its clear, contemporary language and poetic rhythm.

However, Wilson now believes she can approach the poem differently. Years of working with Homer, including her 2023 translation of the Iliad, have changed how she thinks about rhythm, pacing, word choice and poetic translation.

Rather than correcting a few passages in the original, Wilson has chosen to start again from the beginning. She says the new work will allow her to incorporate what she has learned since completing the first translation.

Breaking The Rules Of Her First Translation

One of the most interesting aspects of Wilson’s new Odyssey is that she is deliberately giving herself more freedom.

Her 2017 translation followed a demanding structural rule: it contained the same number of lines as Homer’s original and used iambic pentameter in English. The approach helped create a fast-moving, tightly controlled poem that Wilson described as matching Homer’s energetic pace.

For the new translation, those restrictions are being loosened.

Wilson plans to use more lines and allow greater variation in word length and pacing. She will also permit repetitions and other features that were more difficult to accommodate under the strict framework of her first edition. The result could feel more expansive while giving Wilson greater freedom to represent nuances in the ancient Greek.

What Wilson Learned From Translating The Iliad

Wilson’s experience translating Homer’s Iliad has played an important role in her decision to revisit the Odyssey.

Her 2023 translation gave her additional experience with Homeric language and poetic structure. According to Wilson, she has learned more about handling enjambment, maintaining a consistent voice and creating variety without making the language feel disconnected or monotonous.

That experience has convinced her that returning to the Odyssey can produce something substantially different rather than simply reproducing her earlier choices.

A Chance To Correct Earlier Choices

Wilson has also acknowledged that she sees weaknesses in her original translation. One example she has discussed is her use of the word “slave.”

Ancient Greek had different terms describing various forms and categories of enslavement, and Wilson now believes her earlier translation sometimes compressed those distinctions too much. The new version gives her an opportunity to reflect those differences more carefully.

This illustrates a larger point about literary translation: translators do not simply transfer individual words from one language to another. They make choices about tone, culture, rhythm, social relationships and meaning.

More Notes For Readers And Scholars

Another major difference will be the amount of scholarly commentary accompanying the new translation.

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Wilson has said that she plans to significantly increase the number of endnotes. She has even described endnotes as enjoyable to write, suggesting that readers can expect substantially more explanation and context alongside the poem.

For students and readers interested in ancient Greek culture, this could make the new edition particularly useful. The additional notes may provide greater insight into Homeric language, customs, mythology and the challenges involved in translating the original poem.

Why The New Odyssey Matters

Retranslating a successful book from scratch is unusual, particularly when the first translation remains widely read and critically respected. Wilson’s 2017 Odyssey continues to be praised for its accessibility, vividness and poetic qualities.

Yet that success may make the new project even more intriguing. Wilson is not simply replacing an unsuccessful experiment. She is revisiting a work that became an influential modern interpretation of Homer because she believes her understanding of the poem and the craft of translation has evolved.

The new Odyssey therefore represents more than another edition of an ancient classic. It is an opportunity to see how a leading classicist responds to her own earlier work — and how translation itself can change with experience.

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Looking Ahead To Emily Wilson’s New Translation

There is currently no announced publication date for Wilson’s new Odyssey, and the project remains in progress. What is already clear is that readers should not expect a lightly edited version of the 2017 book.

Instead, scholar Emily Wilson is creating a fresh translation from scratch, informed by nearly a decade of additional scholarship and by her experience translating the Iliad.

For readers who discovered Homer through Wilson’s first Odyssey, the next version promises a fascinating second voyage: familiar characters and stories, but with a translator who is now willing to break the rules she once imposed on herself.

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