Metamorphoses

A dazzling new reimagining of Ovid’s epic poem—translated by Pulitzer Prize–winning novelist Jhumpa Lahiri and classicist Yelena Baraz—brings emotional sweep and innovative narrative energy to one of the greatest and most influential literary works of all time

Daphne and Apollo. Echo and Narcissus. Daedalus and Icarus. Driven by themes of impermanence and change, these tales are among the foundational myths of the Ancient Greeks and Romans, and were brought most vividly to life in Ovid's groundbreaking Metamorphoses. A cultural touchstone since its conception, Metamorphosesspeaks to us today more than ever for its portrayal of shifting identities, power dynamics, and a world constantly under threat.

This bold, free-verse new translation releases both the riverine flow and galloping pace of Ovid's poetry in accessible language that propels readers from one unforgettable story to the next. In combining the talents of a creative writer with a scholar—both women—this translation is at once free-spirited and closely bound to Ovid’s kaleidoscopic Latin text. Baraz and Lahiri draw out Ovid’s attention to moments of psychological nuance, to border crossings and transgressions, and to fluid states of being. And by centering the experience of Ovid's women, they reframe the Roman poet’s complex questions of violence, gender, and body autonomy for a new generation of readers. 

Inviting to both a first-time audience and long-time lovers of Ovid’s masterpiece, this dynamic, formally inventive translation reminds us that Ovid's Metamorphoses, a testament to all things passing, is a work of enduring relevance, pathos, and power.