School Students:
The
translation of
Beowulf on this site is not the easiest introduction to
the poem, and many may have difficulty reading it. Each verse of the
Old English is translated into a verse in modern English. This means
that there is a direct correspondence between the Old English text and the
translation. Unfortunately, it also makes the translation harder to
read/understand than some of the other translations of
Beowulf--though
I have attempted to translate into idiomatic modern English
. But
the school student still may want to begin with a different translation.
If you are reading
Beowulf in class your teacher probably
has already chosen a translation for you. But if not, the translation by
Seamus Heaney is of course very wellknown already, and
though it is not as literal of a translation as perhaps it should be, I
think it may be a good introduction to the poem - but only as a first introduction.
Heaney is himself a poet, and so his translation is partially a translation
of
Beowulf, but also, in a sense, it is Heaney's own poem
about
Beowulf. More literal but still readable translations I would recommend
are those of
Howell D. Chickering, Jr.,
Louis Rodrigues and
Roy Liuzza.
For comparisons and more information on many different
Beowulf
translations, visit
Syd Allan's alternate Beowulf translations site.
Areas of the site that may be most interesting to the school-student
include:
*
Introduction
to Beowulf
a concise introduction to Beowulf
*
Beowulf
Artwork
artistic images relating to the
story of Beowulf
*
Beowulf Encyclopaedia
short encyclopaedia detailing
the treasures & weapons of Beowulf
*
Beowulf - Read Aloud!
excerpts of Beowulf
in Old English [@ Syd Allan's site]
Grammar & High School Teachers:
See above.
University Instructors:
If you are teaching Beowulf in translation, or as part of course
on history of English, etc. - see Undergraduates below.
If you are teaching Beowulf in original language, see Postgraduate below.
Undergraduates:
The
'bilingual'
edition has extensive explanatory notes.
Also of interest are my two articles, one on
dating and one on the
origin/structure of
Beowulf.
Also, a
complete glossary for Beowulf
is available.
Postgraduates & other Scholars:
The
'semi-diplomatic'
edition contains extensive notes on the MS. and on the emendations &
restorations I accept or reject.
The
'bilingual' edition
has extensive explanatory notes.
Also of interest are my two articles, one on
dating and one on the
origin/structure of
Beowulf.
Also, a
complete glossary for Beowulf
is available.
Other Visitors:
