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Title: Beowulf
An Anglo-Saxon Epic Poem, Translated From The Heyne-Socin
Text by Lesslie Hall
Author:
Release Date: July 19, 2005 [EBook #16328] Language: English
*** BEOWULF ***
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BEOWULF
AN ANGLO-SAXON EPIC POEM TRANSLATED
FROM THE HEYNE-SOCIN TEXT BY
JNO: LESSLIE HALL, Ph. D. (J.H.U.)
Professor of English and History in The College of William and Mary
D.C. HEATH & CO., PUBLISHERS BOSTON NEW YORK CHICAGO
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1892, by
JNO: LESSLIE HALL,
in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.
TO
My Wife [v] CONTENTS. page
Preface vii
Bibliography of Translations xi
Glossary of Proper Names xiii
List of Words and Phrases not in General Use xviii
The Life and Death of Scyld (I.)1
Scyld's Successors (II.)3
Hrothgar's Great Mead-Hall
Grendel, the Murderer (III.)5
Beowulf Goes to Hrothgar's Assistance (IV.)8
The Geats Reach Heorot (V.)10
1
Beowulf Introduces Himself at the Palace (VI.)12
Hrothgar and Beowulf (VII.)14
Hrothgar and Beowulf (continued) (VIII.)17
Unferth Taunts Beowulf (IX.)19
Beowulf Silences Unferth (X.)21
Glee is High
All Sleep save One (XI.)24
Grendel and Beowulf (XII.)26
Grendel is Vanquished (XIII.)28
Rejoicing of the Danes (XIV.)30
Hrothgar's Gratitude (XV.)33
Hrothgar Lavishes Gifts upon his Deliverer (XVI.)35
Banquet (continued) (XVII.)37
The Scop's Song of Finn and Hnaef
The Finn Episode (continued) (XVIII.)39
The Banquet Continues
Beowulf Receives Further Honor (XIX.)41
The Mother of Grendel (XX.)44
Hrothgar's Account of the Monsters (XXI.)46
Beowulf Seeks Grendel's Mother (XXII.)48
Beowulf 's Fight with Grendel's Mother (XXIII.)51
Beowulf is Double-Conqueror (XXIV.)53 [vi] Beowulf Brings his Trophies (XXV.)57
Hrothgar's Gratitude
Hrothgar Moralizes (XXVI.)60
Rest after Labor
Sorrow at Parting (XXVII.)62
The Homeward Journey (XXVIII.)64
The Two Queens
Beowulf and Higelac (XXIX.)67
Beowulf Narrates his Adventures to Higelac (XXX.)69
Gift-Giving is Mutual (XXXI.)73
The Hoard and the Dragon (XXXII.)75
Brave Though Aged (XXXIII.)78
Reminiscences
Beowulf Seeks the Dragon (XXXIV.)81
Beowulf 's Reminiscences
Reminiscences (continued) (XXXV.)83
Beowulf 's Last Battle
Wiglaf the Trusty (XXXVI.)88
Beowulf is Deserted by Friends and by Sword
The Fatal Struggle (XXXVII.)91
Beowulf 's Last Moments
Wiglaf Plunders the Dragon's Den (XXXVIII.)93
Beowulf 's Death
The Dead Foes (XXXIX.)95
Wiglaf 's Bitter Taunts
The Messenger of Death (XL.)97
The Messenger's Retrospect (XLI.)99
Wiglaf 's Sad Story (XLII.)103
The Hoard Carried Off
The Burning of Beowulf (XLIII.)106
Addenda 109 [vii] PREFACE.
The present work is a modest effort to reproduce approximately, in modern measures, the venerable epic, Beowulf. Approximately, I
repeat; for a very close reproduction of Anglo-Saxon verse would, to a large extent, be prose to a modern ear.
2
The Heyne-Socin text and glossary have been closely followed. Occasionally a deviation has been made, but always for what seemed good and sufficient reason. The translator does not aim to be an editor. Once in a while, however, he has added a conjecture of his own to the emendations quoted from the criticisms of other students of the poem.
This work is addressed to two classes of readers. From both of these alike the translator begs sympathy and co-operation. The Anglo-Saxon scholar he hopes to please by adhering faithfully to the original. The student of English literature he aims to interest by giving him, in modern garb, the most ancient epic of our race. This is a bold and venturesome undertaking; and yet there must be some students of the Teutonic past willing to follow even a daring guide, if they may read in modern phrases of the sorrows of Hrothgar, of the prowess of Beowulf, and of the feelings that stirred the hearts of our forefathers in their primeval homes.
In order to please the larger class of readers, a regular cadence has been used, a measure which, while retaining the essential characteristics of the original, permits the reader to see ahead of him in reading.
Perhaps every Anglo-Saxon scholar has his own theory as to how Beowulf should be translated. Some have given us prose versions of what we believe to be a great poem. Is it any reflection on our honored Kemble and Arnold to say that their translations fail to show a layman that Beowulf is justly called our first epic? Of those translators who have used verse, several have written [viii] from what would seem a mistaken point of view. Is it proper, for instance, that the grave and solemn speeches of Beowulf and Hrothgar be put in ballad measures, tripping lightly and airily along? Or, again, is it fitting that the rough martial music of Anglo-Saxon verse
be interpreted to us in the smooth measures of modern blank verse? Do we hear what has been beautifully called "the clanging tread of a warrior in mail"?
Of all English translations of Beowulf, that of Professor Garnett alone gives any adequate idea of the chief characteristics of this great Teutonic epic.
The measure used in the present translation is believed to be as near a reproduction of the original as modern English affords. The cadences closely resemble those used by Browning in some of his most striking poems. The four stresses of the Anglo-Saxon verse are retained, and as much thesis and anacrusis is allowed as is consistent with a regular cadence. Alliteration has been used to a large extent; but it was thought that modern ears would hardly tolerate it on every line. End-rhyme has been used occasionally; internal rhyme, sporadically. Both have some warrant in Anglo-Saxon poetry. (For end-rhyme, see 1 53, 1 54; for internal rhyme, 2 21, 6 40.) What Gummere1 calls the "rime-giver" has been studiously kept; viz., the first accented syllable in the second half-verse always carries the alliteration; and the last accented syllable alliterates only sporadically. Alternate alliteration is occasionally used as in the original. (See 7 61, 8 5.)
