The Translations of Beowulf Part 16

EXTRACT.

VIII.

Hunferd disse, il nato di Eclaf, che a' piedi sedea del prence de' Schildinghi, 500 sbrigli accenti di contesta--eragli la gita di Beovulf, del coraggioso navigatore, molto a fastidio, perche non amava, che un altro uomo vieppiu di gloria nell' orbe di mezzo avesse sotto il cielo che lui stesso--: 505 'Sei tu quel Beovulf, che con Breca nuot nel vasto pelago per gara marina, quando voi per baldanza l'acque provaste, e per pazzo vanto nel profondo sale la vita arrischiaste? ne voi uomo alcuno, 510 ne caro ne discaro, distorre pote dalla penosa andata, quando remigaste nell' alto, la corrente dell' oceano colle braccia coprendo misuraste le strade del mare, colle mani batteste, e scivolaste sopra l'astato. Nelle onde del ghebbo 515 vagavano i cavalloni d'inverno: voi nel tenere dell' acqua sette notti appenastevi. Egli nel nuoto ti super, ebbe piu forza. E al tempo mattutino lo port suso il flutto verso la marittima Ramia donde ei cerc la dolce patria, 520 cara a sue genti, la terra dei Brondinghi, il vago castel tranquillo, ov' egli popolo avea, rocche e gioie. Il vanto intero contro te il figlio di Beanstan in verita mantenne.'

_Criticism of the Translation._

The present writer cannot attempt a literary criticism of the translation.

In purpose and method this version may be compared with that of Kemble[1] and of Schaldemose[2]. In each case the translator was introducing the poem to a foreign public, and it was therefore well that the translation should be literal in order that it might a.s.sist in the interpretation of the original. There has been no further work done on the poem in Italy[3].

While the verse is not strictly imitative in the sense that it preserves exactly the Old English system of versification, it aims to maintain the general movement of the original lines. The four stresses are kept, save where a fifth is used to avoid monotony. These 'expanded lines' are much commoner in the Italian than in the Old English.

[Footnote 1: See supra, p. 33.] [[Kemble]]

[Footnote 2: See supra, p. 41.] [[Schaldemose]]

[Footnote 3: Of a work by G. Schuhmann, mentioned by Wulker in his _Grundriss_, - 209, I can ascertain nothing.]

WICKBERG'S TRANSLATION

Beowulf, en fornengelsk hjeltedikt, ofversatt af Rudolf Wickberg.

Westervik, C. O. Ekblad & Comp., 1889. 4to, pp. 48, double columns.

First Swedish Translation. Imitative Measures.

_Aim of the Volume._

The translator begins his introduction with a discussion of the importance of _Beowulf_ as a historical doc.u.ment. For this reason he is especially interested in the episodes:--

'This important historical interest may then explain the reason for translating the poem into Swedish, and also serve as an excuse for the fact that in the translation the poetic form has not been considered of first importance.' --Inledning, p. 3.

_Nature of the Translation._

'In the translation I have endeavored to make the language readable and modern. A translation out of an ancient tongue ought never to strive after archaic flavor in point of words and expressions. Since the poet wrote in the language of his day, the translation ought also to use contemporary language.... I have tried to follow the original faithfully, but not slavishly. For the sake of clearness the half-lines have often been transposed.... The rhythm is still more irregular than the Old English. Alliteration has generally been avoided.' --Inledning, p. 6.

_Texts Used._

The author constructs his own text. He explains (p. 6) that he has in general taken the MS. as the basis of his text. He has emended by making those changes which 'seemed most necessary or most probable.' In places where this departure from the MS. has been made, he italicizes the words of his translation.

EXTRACT.

8.

Ecglafs son Hunfer talade; Vid Scyldingafurstens fotter satt han, Loste stridsrunan--den modige sjofaranden Beovulfs resa fortrot honom mycket, Forty han unnade ej, att ngon annan man Under himlen skulle ngonsin vinna Storre ara p jorden an han sjelf--: 'ar du den Beovulf, som matte sig med Breca I kappsimning ofver det vida hafvet, Der I ofvermodigt profvaden vgorna Och for djerft skryt vgaden lifvet I det djupa vattnet? Ej kunde ngon man, Ljuf eller led, form eder att afst Frn den sorgfulla farden. Sedan summen I i hafvet, Der I med armarna famnaden hafsstrommen, Matten hafsvgorna, svangden handerna, Gleden ofver hafsytan; vintersvallet Sjod i vgorna. I strafvaden sju natter I hafvets vld; han ofvervann dig i simning, Hade storre styrka. Sedan vid morgontiden Bar hafvet upp honom till de krigiska ramerna.

Derifrn uppsokte han, dyr for de sina, Sitt kara odal i brondingarnes land, Den f.a.gra fridsborgen, der han hade folk, Berg och ringar. Hela sitt vad med dig Fullgjorde noga Beanstans son.'

EARLE'S TRANSLATION

The Deeds of Beowulf, an English Epic of the Eighth Century, done into Modern Prose, with an Introduction and Notes by John Earle, M.A., rector of Swanswick, Rawlinsonian Professor of Anglo-Saxon in the University of Oxford. At the Clarendon Press, 1892 (February). 8vo, pp. c, 203.

Seventh English Translation. Prose.

_Circ.u.mstances of Publication._

Sixteen years had elapsed since the publication of a scholarly translation in England--for Lumsden's[1] can hardly be said to count as such. In the meantime Heyne's text[2] had pa.s.sed into a fifth edition (1888); Wulker's revision of Grein's _Bibliothek_ had appeared with a new text of _Beowulf_ (1881); Zupitza's _Autotypes_ of the MS. had appeared 1882, making it possible to ascertain exactly what was in the original text of the poem; the studies of Sievers[3], Cosijn[4], Kluge[5], and Bugge[6] had been published, containing masterly discussions of text revision. Some of these materials had been used by Garnett in his translation, but the majority of them were of later date.

_Aim of the Translation._

Nothing is said in the introduction respecting the aim of the translation; but it is evident from the Notes that the purpose was twofold--to present the latest interpretation of the text, and to afford a literary version of the poem.

_Texts Used._

'This translation was originally made from the Fourth Edition of Moritz Heyne's text. His Fifth Edition came out in 1888, and I think I have used it enough to become acquainted with all the changes that Dr. Adolf Socin, the new editor, has introduced.

Where they have appeared to me to be improvements, I have modified my translation accordingly.' --Preface.

But the translator does not depend slavishly upon his text. He frequently uses emendations suggested by the scholars mentioned above, especially those of Professor Sophus Bugge in _Studien uber das Beowulfsepos_[7]; see lines 457, 871, 900, 936, 1875, 2275.

The Introduction presents a new theory of the origin of the poem. The notes are especially interesting because of the large body of quotations cited for literary comparison and for the light they throw on Old Germanic and medieval customs.

EXTRACT.

VIII.

_Unferth the king's orator is jealous. He baits the young adventurer, and in a scoffing speech dares him to a night-watch for Grendel. Beowulf is angered, and thus he is drawn out to boast of his youthful feats._

Unferth made a speech, Ecglaf's son; he who sate at the feet of the Scyldings' lord, broached a quarrelsome theme--the adventure of Beowulf the high-souled voyager was great despite to him, because he grudged that any other man should ever in the world achieve more exploits under heaven than he himself:-- 'Art thou _that_ Beowulf, he who strove with Breca on open sea in swimming-match, where ye twain out of bravado explored the floods, and foolhardily in deep water jeoparded your lives? nor could any man, friend or foe, turn the pair of you from the dismal adventure! What time ye twain plied in swimming, where ye twain covered with your arms the awful stream, meted the sea-streets, buffeted with hands, shot over ocean; the deep boiled with waves, a wintry surge. Ye twain in the realm of waters toiled a se'nnight; he at swimming outvied thee, had greater force. Then in morning hour the swell cast him ash.o.r.e on the Heathoram people, whence he made for his own patrimony, dear to his Leeds he made for the land of the Brondings, a fair stronghold, where he was lord of folk, of city, and of rings. All his boast to thee-ward, Beanstan's son soothly fulfilled. Wherefore I antic.i.p.ate for thee worse luck--though thou wert everywhere doughty in battle-shocks, in grim war-tug--if thou darest bide in Grendel's way a night-long s.p.a.ce.'

_Criticism of the Translation._