The Translations of Beowulf Part 17

As a whole, the translation may fairly be called faithful. The emendations from which Professor Earle sometimes renders are always carefully chosen, and the discussions of obscure lines in the poem are of real scholarly interest. But this is not always true of the simpler pa.s.sages of the poem. These are often strained to make them square with the translator's personal notions. Thus, at line 1723, Earle reads for

_Ic is gid be e awraec_ It is about thee ... that I have told this tale,

adding in a note, '(In this pa.s.sage) the living poet steps forward out of his Hrothgar, and turns his eyes to the prince for whom he made it up' (p. 168). Now this is nothing more than an attempt on the part of the translator to wring from the Old English lines some sc.r.a.p of proof for the peculiar theory that he holds of the origin of the poem.

Similarly, he often reads into a single word more than it can possibly bear. At line 371 he translates--

_Hrothgar, helm Scyldinga,_ Hrothgar, crown of Scyldings.

But 'crown' is an impossible rendering of 'helm,' which is here used figuratively to denote the idea of protection[8], rather than the idea of the crowning glory of kings.h.i.+p. Further, in the same pa.s.sage, 375-6, _heard eafora_ (bold son), is wrenched into meaning 'grown-up son.'

These are but two examples of what is common throughout the translation.

_Diction._

The archaic style used by Professor Earle cannot be regarded as highly felicitous, since it mixes the diction of various ages. Here are Old English archaisms like 'Leeds' and 'burnie'; here are expressions like 'escheat,' 'page' (attendant), 'emprize,' 'bombard' (drinking-vessel), 'chivalry.' Here are such specialized words as 'harpoon,' 'belligerent,'

'pocket-money,' and combinations like 'battailous grip'; while throughout the entire translation are scattered modern colloquialisms like 'boss' (master), 'tussle,' 'war-tug.'

The reason for these anomalies is evident--the translator wishes to imitate the remoteness of the original style. The style is certainly remote--at times almost as remote from the language of to-day as is the style of _Beowulf_ itself.

[Footnote 1: See supra, p. 79.] [[Lumsden]]

[Footnote 2: See supra, p. 64.] [[Heyne: Relation of...]]

[Footnote 3: Paul und Braune's _Beitrage_, XI, 328; Ang. XIV, 133.]

[Footnote 4: _Beitrage_, VIII, 568; _Aanteekeningen_, Leiden 1891.]

[Footnote 5: _Beitrage_, IX, 187; VIII, 532.]

[Footnote 6: _Beitrage_, XI, 1; _Studien uber das Beowulfsepos_.]

[Footnote 7: _Beitrage_, XI, 1 ff.]

[Footnote 8: See the glossaries of Grein and Wyatt.]

J. L. HALL'S TRANSLATION

Beowulf, an Anglo-Saxon Epic Poem, translated by John Lesslie Hall.

Boston: D. C. Heath and Co., 1892 (May 7).

Reprinted 1900. 8vo, pp. xviii, 110.

Eighth English Translation. Imitative Measures.

_Circ.u.mstances of Publication._

Presented to the Philosophical Faculty of Johns Hopkins University in candidacy for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy by John Lesslie Hall, late Professor in the college of William and Mary.

_Aim of the Translation._

'The work is addressed to two cla.s.ses of readers.... The Anglo-Saxon scholar he [the translator] 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.' --Preface, vii.

_Nature of the Translation._

The translation is in imitative measures and in archaic style.

'The effort has been made to give a decided flavor of archaism to the translation. All words not in keeping with the spirit of the poem have been avoided. Again, though many archaic words have been used, there are none, it is believed, which are not found in standard modern poetry....

'The measure used in the present translation is believed to be as near a reproduction of the original as modern English affords....

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 in every line. End-rhyme has been used occasionally; internal rhyme, sporadically....

'What Gummere 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....

'No two accented syllables have been brought together, except occasionally after a caesural pause.... Or, scientifically speaking, Sievers's C type has been avoided as not consonant with the plan of translation.' --Preface, viii, ix.

_Text._

'The Heyne-Socin text and glossary have been closely followed.

Occasionally a deviation has been made.... Once in a while ...

(the translator) has added a conjecture of his own to the emendations quoted from the criticisms of other students of the poem.' --Preface, vii.

The footnotes which contain the conjectural readings are interesting, and in one or two cases valuable additions to the suggested emendations (cf. p. 15; p. 103, note 3).

EXTRACT.

IX.

UNFERTH TAUNTS BEOWULF.

[Sidenote: Unferth, a thane of Hrothgar, is jealous of Beowulf, and undertakes to twit him.]

Unferth spoke up, Ecglaf his son, Who sat at the feet of the lord of the Scyldings, Opened the jousting (the journey of Beowulf, Sea-farer doughty, gave sorrow to Unferth And greatest chagrin, too, for granted he never 5 That any man else on earth should attain to, Gain under heaven, more glory than he):

[Sidenote: Did you take part in a swimming-match with Breca?]

[Sidenote: 'Twas mere folly that actuated you both to risk your lives on the ocean.]

'Art thou that Beowulf with Breca did struggle, On the wide sea-currents at swimming contended, Where to humor your pride the ocean ye tried, 10 From vainest vaunting adventured your bodies In care of the waters? And no one was able Nor lief nor loth one, in the least to dissuade you Your difficult voyage; then ye ventured a-swimming, Where your arms outstretching the streams ye did cover, 15 The mere-ways measured, mixing and stirring them, Glided the ocean; angry the waves were, With the weltering of winter. In the water's possession, Ye toiled for a seven-night; he at swimming outdid thee, In strength excelled thee. Then early at morning 20 On the Heath.o.r.emes' sh.o.r.e the holm-currents tossed him, Sought he thenceward the home of his fathers, Beloved of his liegemen, the land of the Brondings, The peace-castle pleasant, where a people he wielded Had borough and jewels. The pledge that he made thee 25 The son of Beanstan hath soothly accomplished.