Tolkien is Not Yeats - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Bêthberry · 02-25-2003, 06:49 AM

Squatter, I posted a link to a newspaper which printed a small excerpt of Tolkien's translation of Beowulf on the thread "New Tolkien book found."

I find now that the link is outdated. I wonder, Bill Ferny, since we posted there briefly, if you happened to have saved a copy of Tolkien's translation? If not, I will contact the newspaper for a back issue/archival copy.

Bethberry

EDIT. Here are Tolkien's and Heaney's translations, as printed in the following:

Tolkien's monster resurfaces: The Beowulf manuscript
National Post
Monday, January 13, 2003
Page: A16
Section: Discovery
Byline: Joseph Brean
Column: Literature
Source: National Post

Tolkien's translation of Beowulf and his men setting sail:

On went the hours: on
ocean afloat
under cliff was their craft.
Now climb blithely
brave man aboard; breakers
pounding
ground the shingle. Gleaming
harness
they hove to the bosom of the
bark, armour
with cunning forged then cast
her forth
to voyage triumphant,
valiant-timbered
fleet foam twisted.

The same passage by Heaney:

Time went by, the boat was
on water,
in close under the cliffs.
Men climbed eagerly up the
gangplank,
sand churned in surf, warriors
loaded
a cargo of weapons, shining
war-gear
in the vessel's hold, then
heaved out,
away with a will in their
wood-wreathed ship.

(Copyright) From Beowulf translated by Seamus Heaney, faber and faber, 1999

[ February 25, 2003: Message edited by: Bethberry ]

02-25-2003, 06:49 AM	#40
Bêthberry Cryptic Aura Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 6,003	Squatter, I posted a link to a newspaper which printed a small excerpt of Tolkien's translation of Beowulf on the thread "New Tolkien book found." I find now that the link is outdated. I wonder, Bill Ferny, since we posted there briefly, if you happened to have saved a copy of Tolkien's translation? If not, I will contact the newspaper for a back issue/archival copy. Bethberry EDIT. Here are Tolkien's and Heaney's translations, as printed in the following: Tolkien's monster resurfaces: The Beowulf manuscript National Post Monday, January 13, 2003 Page: A16 Section: Discovery Byline: Joseph Brean Column: Literature Source: National Post Tolkien's translation of Beowulf and his men setting sail: On went the hours: on ocean afloat under cliff was their craft. Now climb blithely brave man aboard; breakers pounding ground the shingle. Gleaming harness they hove to the bosom of the bark, armour with cunning forged then cast her forth to voyage triumphant, valiant-timbered fleet foam twisted. The same passage by Heaney: Time went by, the boat was on water, in close under the cliffs. Men climbed eagerly up the gangplank, sand churned in surf, warriors loaded a cargo of weapons, shining war-gear in the vessel's hold, then heaved out, away with a will in their wood-wreathed ship. (Copyright) From Beowulf translated by Seamus Heaney, faber and faber, 1999 [ February 25, 2003: Message edited by: Bethberry ] __________________ I’ll sing his roots off. I’ll sing a wind up and blow leaf and branch away.