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VII

It was one of the most exhaustively 'prepared' books

that ever left a press; see its preface and that of the Gathas 1892-1894. The present attempt is a mere second edition of the metrical version which appeared opposite the Latin word-for-word’s in those Five Zarathushtrian Gathas, (which are now practically all disposed of[1]). But as before, I by no means allow the free metrical to go out unguarded by a word-for-word. Even disinterested friends may in all good faith wish to know whether these striking thoughts[2] in the metrical can be justified by the actual words of their original, and they will see that I have done all that I could do to satisfy them. And on the other hand the usual groups of mendacious malignants will find it more difficult to mislead the public. If the word-for-word’s are given here as well as in the Five Zarathushtrian Gathas no one can assail the freedom.

Departing from custom, I put this verbatim now into English, translating and modifying it from my Latin in the larger book[3]. Readers in lndia are more familiar with Sanskrit than with Latin and with English than with either; here they can read the actual terms with extensions and comments separated by brackets. l think the subject is worth the trouble which I have bestowed upon it. Said the Rev. James Hope Moulton in the Critical lieview: ‘The Gathas or Hymns of Zoroaster are by far the most precious relic which we possess of oriental religion, the only sacred literature which in dignity, in profoundness, in purity of thought and absolute freedom from unworthy conceptions of the divine could for a moment be compared with the Hebrew scriptures’ (jan. ’96).

  1. ↑ I am generously offered another subvention from the British Government toward a second edition.
  2. ↑ Most striking in view of their age and circumstances.
  3. ↑ It is therefore practically a new edition of that rendering, but I could hardly repeat here all the rich alternatives there presented, which together with those in the Commentary (pp. 393—622 and the Dictionary still in press) include pretty nearly all conceivable opinions and possibilites.
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