Expert: Maria - 2/13/2009

Question
What is the meaning of ειθε γενοιμην in the poem 'The Old Vicarage, Grantchester' and what would Rupert Brooke have considered the correct pronunciation to be.

Many thanks.

Answer
Hello,

the ancient Greek phrase “εἴθε γενοίμην“ which expresses a wish, means literally  “Would that I were !“/ “Oh, that I were!”.

In fact  in the poem 'The Old Vicarage, Grantchester' written at a Berlin cafe, in May 1912, the English poet Rupert Brooke in a mood of nostalgia recalls his stay at Grantchester and expresses his wish to return there again by saying: “Εἴθε γενοίμην would I were/ In Grantchester, in Grantchester!”.

As for the pronunciation of “Εἴθε γενοίμην”, see below.

Best regards,
Maria
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Note that:

-Εἴθε  (particle of wishing followed by the optative mood) = ‘Would that',‘Oh, that’

-γενοίμην (optative mood of “γίγνομαι”) = I were

PRONUNCIATION
In Εἴθε:
-the ’Εἴ‘  is pronounced like “ay” in “pay”;
-the “θ” is pronounced like the “th” in “Thurday”;
-the “ε” is pronounced like the “e” in “pet”.
The accent stands on the “Εἴ  “.
Approximately “Aythe”.

In “γενοίμην”:
-the “ γε “ sounds like the “ge” in “get”;
-the “νοί” sounds like the “n” plus the “oi” in “oil”;
-the last syllable “μην” sounds like the English noun “men”.
The accent stands on the “νοί” (noi)
Approximately “ghenòimen”.