Both translations are in verse, but they handle line length and register differently. Lombardo writes in short, punchy lines with a colloquial edge: "Black and murderous" opens the Iliad with blunt aggression, and in Book 21 he gives Achilles "You die too, friend. Don't take it hard," which lands with the flat delivery of someone who has stopped caring. Wilson writes longer, more measured lines that stay contemporary without dropping into slang. Her Achilles says "So die, my friend. Why are you so upset?" which is direct but slightly more formal. Lombardo's rhythm is closer to spoken American English, often clipped. Wilson's lines tend to complete their grammatical units more fully, which gives her verse a steadier pace. Lombardo often cuts toward speed and impact, removing connective material the Greek carries. In the leaves passage, he reaches the point quickly: "Men too. Their generations come and go." Wilson keeps more of the motion: "The wind shakes some to earth. The forest sprouts / new foliage." She follows the Greek image through its steps. In Book 9, Wilson names the source of Achilles' knowledge ("My silver-footed goddess mother Thetis") where Lombardo just moves to the choice. Wilson's translation has more scholarly attention to what the Greek says at each moment. Lombardo reads faster and hits harder in performance. Wilson gives readers more of the poem's texture, including details that Lombardo removes to sharpen momentum.
Sing, Goddess, Achilles' rage,
Black and murderous, that cost the Greeks
Incalculable pain, pitched countless souls
Of heroes into Hades' dark,
And left their bodies to rot as feasts
For dogs and birds, as Zeus' will was done.
Goddess, sing of the cataclysmic wrath
of great Achilles, son of Peleus,
which caused the Greeks immeasurable pain
and sent so many noble souls of heroes
to Hades, and made men the spoils of dogs,
a banquet for the birds, and so the plan
of Zeus unfolded—starting with the conflict
between great Agamemnon, lord of men,
and glorious Achilles.