Bodmers Miltonübersetzungen*

Bodmer’s translation of Milton’s Paradise Lost was a milestone in translations of English works of literature into German in the eighteenth century. Its importance is often not recognised and it fared badly at the hands of critics. Its qualities were sidelined by discussion of aesthetic and literary issues arising in the dispute between Zurich and Leipzig. This essay asks what attracted Bodmer to Milton, why he undertook the prose translation of Paradise Lost and what the result was. In answer it highlights the power of Milton’s depiction of nature, the connection between nature and the sublime, and Bodmer’s identification with Milton and the characters in Paradise Lost. It analyses reasons for the choice of prose, arguing in contrast to earlier research that the similarities between the different versions of the translation are more significant than the differences. In assessing the pitfalls and the advantages of Bodmer’s translation this essay draws on approaches in translation studies.