Where I Found It Quite Epic, Actually

The Lusiads by Luís de Camões
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I found this to be a very readable and entertaining epic poem, and while it represents a problematic period in history, it is remarkable art as well as a unique look into the 16th century mind.

The edition is excellent, with a great translation. It is still organized by 8-line stanzas, but instead of trying to make all the lines rhyme (which I would hate), the translator opted to only rhyme the final couplet of each stanza. It all reads like decently poetic prose, and with the bit of rhyming it still feels enough like a poem that you don't forget what you're reading. Nothing feels forced in the translation, which means that the reader isn't stumbling over tortured rhymes. Nice.

Also, this edition has a useful introduction and very helpful notes in the back. I tended to read with a finger in both parts, which maybe isn't ideal, but it is much nicer than ugly notes cluttering up every page. IMO. (Of course, if you really want to get the full experience, you could learn Portuguese and read the original. I don't feel like I have that kind of energy.)

Speaking of the work itself, I found it interesting and more dramatic than I expected. I'm not a big fan of introducing Greek gods into a story about overtly Christian men, but it makes sense considering the models the poet was following--especially Homer. The ocean voyage and interaction with various peoples just make a fun story. (My favorite part is where Venus arranges an island full of nymphs to be in the path of the ships on their homeward journey, rewarding the sailors with every comfort imaginable. It's pretty explicit, surprisingly.)

The story comes with its own set of problems, though. It tends to argue in favor of colonization, treating it as an honorable act, one bringing glory to Portugal. I found it fascinating to hear the thoughts of someone unironically supporting that kind of projection of power, but it's clear that even then some amount of rationalization is going on. Comões talks about the abuse of power in a number of places, condemning tyrants ("Passing laws in the interest of the king while the rights of the people are decreasing") and those who "uphold the law only to harass and despoil the poor." He talks about the cruelty of war, including how it affects those subjugated, but the key is that he seems only to really care when it's war between Christian nations:

You lay claim to other Christian lands
As if your own were not enough
So why not to Barbary and Egypt
Historic enemies of the sacred name?

Ultimately, it's spreading the religion which is used to legitimize empire-building, and I might be reading into it, but it seems like even the poet doesn't totally buy it, feeling a bit in the wrong; but colonizing and controlling and exploiting people that European Christians don't care about all that much isn't bad enough to worry about.

In any case, as poetry and story-telling, it's entertaining and impressive, and as a glimpse into the mind of another human in an important historic period, I found it enlightening.

Well worth reading, if you've got that kind of time. :)

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