B E O W U L F AN EP IC PO EM TRANSLATED FR O M T HE A NGLO -S AXON INTO ENGLIS H V ERSE I I W RB ART A . H . A . D ED R H A KE H O C , PROFES S OR OF ANGLO-SAXON AT T H E COLLE GE OF OUR LADYE OF H ON. C R . MEMB ER F TH E C LLE E F CIV I L ENGI NEERS O O O G O , MEMBER OF TH E COPEN H AGEN ROYAL ANTI Q U ARI AN S OC IETY AND OF T H E LON DON ROYAL ASTRONOMI CAL S OCI ET Y L O N D O W I L L I A M P I C K E R I N G E B O W U L F A N ANGLO - SAXON POEM T R A N S LA T ED I N T O E N G L IS H V ERSE Uns i s t in a en Maeren W n ers vil eseit lt u d g , n H eld e lob eb aaren v on rfizer Kuonheit V o n , g , Fro d e hfi ch ezite n von W einen und v on a en V on n n g , Kl g , ‘ kiiener Re ken Striten mu et ir nu W n er hceren s a e . V on c , g u d g n 6 s elung en N t . PREFA CE . F the Drudges who do the lowlier Wo rk in ’ h illa e o f ea n n s ne a few er t e T g L r i g Vi y rd, p hap s will be met with who have a mo re thankless Task than the Translato r : fo r n ot o nly has he to b ear the ju st Lash of enlightened Criticism from the o a e eo of o se he can a e n o Sch l r, (wh r f c ur h v to om a n ose to om his na Right c pl i ,) but th wh Origi l m s for hi s o a e ema ne fo r e e a u t, but T il, h v r i d v r sea e o o and who are e n a ab e e e l d B k , utt rly i c p l ith r of testing his Accuracy o r appreciating his Diffi culties la oa u on him W o e an d ma e , y L d p ith ut M rcy, k him ans e a e n o t o n for his o wn rr o s w r bl ly E r , but for an s es ma e s in his na y Ob curiti which y xi t Origi l , a s well as fo r their o wn blun dering Misconceptions ’ — of his or his Author s Meaning Ih sho rt he is calle d to acco un t n ot only for his own Faults but fo r the n n f man o f his e likewise Ig ora ce o y R aders . It is true the Qualifications n e cessary for a Trans l ato r into the Vernacular are but o f a humble Cha ’ r acter ; a fair Kn o wledge o f his Original s and his ’ o n s an ua es s f en ommon ense to C u try L g g , u fici t c S n e s an his o s ffi en as e to oo his u d r t d Auth r, u ci t T t ch se viii P R E F A C E . E ess ons se an d a o ns en xpr i wi ly, c ci tio us R egard to f Faith ulness from the C onsideration that with the ’ an he is the s ee o f his o s e M y Tru t Auth r R putation , are all a is e e o f him th t r quir d . Still a Translato r has se o s ffi es to en o n e ri u Di culti c u t r, which th ey o nly can a e a e who no w em f om a l ppr ci t k th r ctua Trial . With resp ect to the Wo rk n o w presente d to the s o a e the n fo o f Public, h rtly ft r putti g rth Mr. Kem ’ ble s Edition o f the A nglo - Saxo n Text in 1833 I o me the es n o f an s a n a f r d D ig tr l ti g it, nd early in ’ 1 837 ommen e the o . Kem I c c d W rk Mr . ble s se on o me had not en a ea e and 1 r c d V lu th pp r d , p o c eede d s o on a o n o f the f but l wly, cc u t Di ficulty of the o and the u e na e a of an en W rk , tt r I d qu cy y th r existing Dictiona y . I still however wro ught myWay o n a n e the o o n a e en I s o not w rd, u d r N ti th t v if h uld n m o o en n s e fo r a on thi k y B k, wh fi i h d, fit Public ti , yet that the MS . wo uld fo rm an amusing Tale for m e e e s and e es an d so en o y littl N ph w Ni c , I w t thr ugh a o a ar e of the o em en ness an b ut Qu t r P , wh Ill put e n re s o to m o ess . f e a s o the ti t p y Pr gr A t rw rd , th ugh ’ ea an e o f . Kemble s a ona o me App r c Mr dditi l V lu , o n a n n the o se e s on o ssa 850 . had c t i i g Pr V r i , Gl ry, rendere d the remainder o f my Ta sk co mparatively eas o e a e s e re m en on and the y, th r M tt r r qui d y Att ti , la n o e 1842 e een me MS . y u t uch d till , b tw which Ti and the p resent it has been fro m Time to Time adde d n om e e and the o e a e t o an d at le gth c pl t d, wh l c r fully m e n an e e an d e ans a e . I n revised, uch b i g c c ll d r tr l t d my Ve rsio n I have scrupul o usly adhered to the Text em e a o n in a mo s e e ns an e o f Mr . K bl , d pti g l t v ry I t c T O T H E RI GH T REV ERE N D N I I N . D . C O LA S W S E MA , D LORD B IS HOP OF M ELI PO TA M US V ICAR A P OSTOLIC T H IS W O RK I S B Y P ERM IS S I O N RE V ERENT I A L LY A N D G RA T EF U L LY I NS C RI B ED P R E F A C E . ix h n e o o en ea is Emendatio s . I hav thr ugh ut d vo ure d to ren de r the Sense and Wo rds o f my Autho r as clo sely as the En glish Language an d the R estraints of e e o a o w and for s r o se a e M tr w uld ll , thi Pu p I h v n ot shr unken e ithe r fro m sacrificing Elegan c e to 1 Faithfulne ss (fo r n o Tran slato r is at Liberty to misrepre sent his Auth o r an d mak e an o ld Saxon Bard speak the Lan guage o f a m o dern Pe tit Maitre) o r fro m uniting E nglish W o rds to express import - a an t Anglo Saxo n C ompo un ds . I n some C ses where I have don e this I have added the An glo - Saxo n Wo r d in a Note to justify my r endering ; fo r tho ugh ’ - is r e a s o s as i be be c War. it t u th t uch W rd b l m, ( - - eas era- mes So n o f a e &c . mean a b t) Op a ( b ttl ,) W arrio ur o r o e et in m n o n ese S ldi r, y y Opi i th w o uld be v ery in adequate R en derings of the A n glo a on ess o n s an d e e o e e e r e to ex S x Expr i , I th r f r pr f r d bibit co rres pon ding En glish C ompo un ds .