John McNamara (transl.) - Beowulf

Table of Contents

From the Pages of Beowulf

Hail! We have heard tales sung of the Spear-Danes,
the glory of their war-kings in days gone by,
how princely nobles performed heroes deeds!

(PAGE 3, LINES 1-3)

They knew the power of my strength
for they had watched when from battles I came,
stained with blood of foes: once I bound five,
destroyed the kin of giants; and in the sea slew
water-monsters at night while in dire distress;
won vengeance for Weders, ground down hateful foes
those asked for woe. And now with Grendel,
that horrid demon, I shall hold alone
a meeting with the monster.

(PAGES 16-17, LINES 418-426)

Then from the moors that were thick with mist,
Grendel emerged, wrapped in the anger of God.

(PAGE 26, LINES 710-711)

There is no easy way,
to flee from ones fatetry as one may
but every soul-bearer, every child of men,
each dweller on earth, is destined to seek
his appointed place, compelled by necessity,
with his body held fast in its bed of death,
to sleep after feasting.

(PAGE 35, LINES 1002-1008)

Have joy of this neck-ring, beloved Beowulf,
with good fortune in youth, and use well this mail-shirt
from our peoples treasures, and savor prosperity,
win fame through your skill, and give my sons here
your friendly counsel. I shall remember to give you reward.
For what you did here, men will forever
sing songs of praise, both near and far-off,
even as far as the sea flows round the headlands,
the home of the winds. Be ever blessed while you live,
a noble lord.

(PAGE 42, LINES 1216-1225)

Do not grieve, wise warrior! It is better for each man
that he avenge his friend than to mourn him much.

(PAGE 47, LINES 1384-1385)

Do not foster pride,
glorious warrior!

(PAGE 59, LINES 1760-1761)

Then the monster began to spew forth flames,
burning bright dwellings; light from fires shot up,
while the men watched in horror.

(PAGE 77, LINES 2312-2314)

In the time I was given,
I lived in my own land, ruling my people well,
never turning to treachery, or swearing to oaths
contrary to right. In all this I take comfort and joy
when now I am stricken with death-dealing wounds.

(PAGE 90, LINES 2736-2740)

They sang of his valor, and his deeds of great strength,
with all their power praising the heroas it is fitting
for a man with his words to praise his friendly lord,
share the love from his heart, when the lord must go,
passing beyond the bounds of his body.

(PAGES 104-105, LINES 3173-3177)

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Though its author and precise date of composition is unknown
scholars have argued it was written as early as 650 A.D.the only
existing manuscript copy of Beowulf dates to 1000.

Published in 2005 by Barnes & Noble Classics with new Translation,
Introduction, Notes, Biography, Chronology, Map: The World of Beowulf,
Note on the Translation, Genealogies, Inspired By, Comments & Questions,
and For Further Reading.

Introduction, A Note on the Translation, Appendix: Genealogies,
The World of Beowulf, Notes, and For Further Reading
Copyright @ 2005 by John McNamara.

Note on the Unknown Author of Beowulf, The World of Beowulf and
the Anglo-Saxons, Map: The World of Beowulf,
Inspired by Beowulf, and Comments & Questions,

Copyright 2005 by Barnes & Noble, Inc.

Translation of Beowulf by John McNamara
Copyright 2005 by Barnes & Noble, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted
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Beowulf

ISBN-10: 1-59308-266-5
ISBN-13: 978-1-59308-266-6

eISBN : 978-1-411-43183-6

LC Control Number 2005926181

Produced and published in conjunction with:
Fine Creative Media, Inc.
322 Eighth Avenue
New York, NY 10001
Michael J. Fine, President and Publisher

Printed in the United States of America

QM

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FIRST PRINTING

The Unknown Author of Beowulf

Around the year 1000, scribes set down a narrative poem about the Scandinavian hero Beowulf. In the alliterative, unrhymed, four-beat meter of Old English poetry, the epic depicts Beowulfs encounters with the marauding monster Grendel and Grendels mother, and the heros final battle against a fearful dragon.

It is generally believed that the Beowulf manuscript was composed in Anglo-Saxon England using Old English, which was spoken from the early 400s to around 1100. The identity of the poet remains unknown, and what is surmised about the author is historical, genealogical, and linguistic conjecture. The poem was composed following the conversion of England to Christianity, and Beowulfs author and the creators of the manuscript were undoubtedly Christian, but the poem is an amalgam of Christian and pagan values. Significantly, Beowulf is among the first vernacular poems in English literature.

Bound up with several other works, Beowulf lay dormant in an unknown monastery until 1563, when, after the dissolution of the English monasteries, it emerged into history just long enough for Lawrence Nowell, dean of Litchfield, to inscribe his name on its pages. The manuscript found its way into the library of Sir Robert Cotton (1571-1631), an antiquarian and member of Parliament whose manuscripts, including Beowulf, became part of the British Library. In 1731 a fire left the pages of the manuscript singed and powdery. Grmur Jnsson Thorkelin (1752-1829), an Icelandic linguist and archivist working at the University of Copenhagen, made the first transcriptions of the poem. Napolons bombardment of the Danish capital in 1807 destroyed Thorkelins house and the manuscript, but the scholar published the first printed edition of Beowulf in 1815.

In the twentieth century, J. R. R. Tolkien (best known for his The Lord of the Rings trilogy, which is based on Beowulf) and other scholarly researchers firmly established the historical and literary importance of the epic. Whether approached as a work of great literature or a rousing tale, Beowulf continues to fascinate first-time readers and scholars alike.

The World of Beowulf and the Anglo-Saxons