but when the early-born rosy-fingered dawn appeared...

inspired by nolan's recent film adaptation, i've started reading emily wilson's translation of homer's odyssey and i'm really enjoying the different ways dawn is described and wanted to collect them here. but first, i checked to see if anyone had already done it - and found this blog post on kottke.org, apparently one of the oldest still-active blogs on the internet!? pretty cool.
anyway, you should check out jason's post about the rosy-fingered dawn, which includes an explanation by emily wilson on why she translated it differently each time (in the original, the epithet is identical each time). i still wanted a list on my own website too, so here they are - except i've ranked them from best to worst.

  1. Then Dawn came from her lovely throne, and woke the girl.
  2. But when the Dawn with dazzling braids brought day for the third time…
  3. Soon Dawn appeared and touched the sky with roses.
  4. Dawn on her golden throne began to shine…
  5. Early the Dawn appeared, pink fingers blooming…
  6. …she roused the newborn Dawn from Ocean’s streams to bring the golden light to those on earth.
  7. When newborn Dawn appeared with rosy fingers…
  8. Then Dawn was born again; her fingers bloomed…
  9. When early Dawn shone forth with rosy fingers…
  10. Then when rose-fingered Dawn came, bright and early…
  11. Then all at once Dawn on her golden throne lit up the sky…
  12. The golden throne of Dawn was riding up the sky…
  13. When newborn Dawn appeared with hands of flowers…
  14. Soon Dawn was born, her fingers bright with roses.
  15. When Dawn appeared, her fingers bright with flowers…
  16. When early Dawn, the newborn child with rosy hands, appeared…
  17. When rose-fingered Dawn appeared…
  18. As she said this, the golden Dawn arrived.
  19. When Dawn came, born early, with her fingertips like petals…
  20. …Dawn soon arrived upon her throne.
  21. When bright-haired Dawn brought the third morning… (why does dawn always have hair on the third morning?)
  22. When rosy-fingered Dawn came bright and early…
  23. When early Dawn appeared and touched the sky with blossom…
  24. The early Dawn was born; her fingers bloomed.
  25. When early Dawn revealed her rose-red hands…
  26. But when the rosy hands of Dawn appeared…
  27. Then the roses of Dawn’s fingers appeared again…
  28. On the third morning brought by braided Dawn…
  29. When vernal Dawn first touched the sky with flowers…
  30. Then Dawn rose up from bed with Lord Tithonus, to bring the light to deathless gods and mortals.

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