The Translations of Beowulf Part 6

Like Kemble, Ettmuller was a close student of the works of Jakob Grimm, and his interpretation of obscure lines (especially pa.s.sages relating to Germanic antiquities) is largely due to the study of such works as the _Deutsche Mythologie_ (1833), the _Deutsche Rechtsalterthumer_ (1828), and the _Deutsche Sagen_ (1816-8). Cf. lines 458, 484.

EXTRACT.

Ecglafes Sohn Hunferdh da sagte, der zu Fussen sa.s.s dem Fursten der Skildinge, entband Beadurunen--ihm war Beowulfes Beginn, des muthigen Meergangers, machtig zuwider; ungern sah er, da.s.s ein andrer Mann irgend Machtruhmes mehr in Mittelgart, auf Erden aufnete denn er selber--: 'Bist du der Beowulf, der mit Breca kampfte in sausender See, im Sundkampfe? 600 Ihr da aus ubermuth Untiefen pruftet und aus Tollmuth ihr in tiefem Wa.s.ser das Leben wagtet; liesset keinen, nicht Freund noch Feind, da fernen euch von der sorgvollen That, als zur See ihr rudertet.

Dort ihr den Egistrom mit Armen wandtet, ma.s.set die Meerstra.s.se, mischtet mit Handen, glittet uber's Geerried (Glanderfluthen warf Winters Wuth!), in Wa.s.sers Gebiet sieben Nacht' ihr sorgtet: Er, Sieger der Wogen, 610 hatte mehr der Macht, denn zur Morgenzeit ihn bei Headhoraemes die Hochfluth antrug.-- Von dannen er suchte die susse Heimat, lieb seinen Leuten, das Land der Brondinge, die feste Friedeburg, da Volk er hatte, Burg und Bauge;--All Erbot wider dich der Sohn Beanstanes sorglichst erfullte.'

_Criticism of the Translation._

In his translation Ettmuller followed in the steps of Kemble[2], but he was not slavishly dependent upon him. At times he disagrees with the English scholar (cp. e.g., ll. 468, 522, 1331), and offers a translation of the pa.s.sage omitted by him, 3069-74. In general, the translation is strictly literal, and follows the original almost line for line.

It was probably well for Ettmuller that he made his translation thus literal. In the history of a foreign-language study there is a period when it is best that a translation should be strictly literal, for such a work is bound to be called into service as a part of the critical apparatus for the interpretation of the tongue. If the early translation is not thus literal, it is sure to be superseded later by the more faithful rendering, as Schaldemose's superseded Grundtvig's in Denmark[3]. It is not until criticism and scholars.h.i.+p have done their strictly interpretative work that a translation is safe in attempting to render the spirit rather than the letter of the original. The reason for this is evident: no real appreciation of the spirit is possible until scholars.h.i.+p has provided the means for discovering it.

By the publication of this volume, therefore, Ettmuller did for German scholars.h.i.+p what Kemble had done for English and Schaldemose was to do for Danish scholars.h.i.+p. Yet he might with propriety have made his work more simple. His translation is disfigured by numerous strange word-combinations which he often transcribed literally from the original, e.g. _beadu-runen_ in the third line of the extract. It is safe to say that none but a scholar in Old English would be able to understand this word--if, indeed, we may call it a word. The text is full of such forms. The author is obliged to append notes explaining his own translation! He apparently forgets that it is his business as translator to render the difficult words as well as the simple ones. In Ettmuller's case it was especially unfortunate, because it gave others an opportunity to come forward later with simpler, and hence more useful, translations.

_Reception of the Translation._

The book had no extraordinary success. A reprint was never called for, and was perhaps hardly to be expected, considering the existence of Kemble's volumes. Moreover, the translation was not accompanied by an edition of the text. Grein[4], the next German scholar, took his inspiration from Kemble[5] and Thorpe[6] rather than from Ettmuller.

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

[Footnote 2: See supra, p. 33.] [[Kemble]]

[Footnote 3: See supra, p. 22, and infra, p. 41 ff.]

[Footnote 4: See infra, p. 55.] [[Grein]]

[Footnote 5: See supra, p. 33.] [[Kemble]]

[Footnote 6: See infra, p. 49.] [[Thorpe]]

SCHALDEMOSE'S TRANSLATION

Beo-wulf og Scopes Widsi, to angelsaxiske Digte, med Oversaettelse og oplysende Anmaerkninger udgivne af Frederik Schaldemose. Kjbenhavn, 1847.

Anden Udgave, Kjbenhavn, 1851. 8vo, pp. ii, 188.

Second Danish Translation.

_Nature of the Volume, and Indebtedness to Previous Scholars._

In this book the Old English text and the Danish translation were printed in parallel columns. The text, which was taken literally from Kemble[1], need not detain us here. No mention is made of the work of Leo[2], Ettmuller[3], or of the 1837 volume of Kemble, although the influence of the latter is evident throughout the book, as will be shown below. The notes are drawn largely from the works of preceding scholars, and in these the author makes an occasional acknowledgement of indebtedness.

The translation is literal. Grundtvig's translation[4] had been so paraphrastic as often to obscure the sense, and always the spirit, of the original. Schaldemose had the advantage of presenting the most modern text side by side with the translation. Thus the book became a valuable _apparatus criticus_ for the Danish student.

_Schaldemose._

The life of Frederik Schaldemose (1782-1853) was by no means the quiet, retired life of the student. He had, it is true, been professor at the school of Nykjbing from 1816 to 1825, and later devoted himself to literary work; but a large part of his life had been spent in military service, in which he had had many exciting adventures by land and sea.

After leaving his professors.h.i.+p he again entered military service.

Later, he devoted his time alternately to literary and commercial work.

His interest in _Beowulf_ seems to have been, like that of Thorkelin[5], primarily the interest of the Danish antiquary. In 1846 he had published a collection of Heroic Danish Songs, ancient and modern. It was doubtless a desire to add to this collection that led him to undertake an edition of the _Beowulf_.

It was hardly to be expected that a man whose life had been so unsettled could materially advance the interpretation of Old English poetry.

EXTRACT.

Hunferd sagde, Snnen af Ecglaf; han sad ved Scyldinge- Styrerens Fdder; Kiv han begyndte, thi kjaer var ham ikke Beowulfs Reise, den raske Sfarers, men til Sorg og Harme, 1000 thi han saae ei gjaerne at en anden Mand meer Magtroes havde, under Himmelens Skyer end selv han aatte: Er Du den Beowulf, der med Breca kjaemped'

paa det vide Hav i Vaeddesvmning, da I af Hovmod 1010 Havet udforsked', og dumdristige i dybe Vande vovede Livet; ei vilde Nogen, Ven eller Fjende, afvende eders sorgfulde Tog; til Sen I da roed, vendte med Armene 1020 de vilde Blger, maalde Havveien, med Haenderne brd den, og svam over Havet mens Sen vaelted vinterlige Vover; saa paa Vandenes Ryg I strede syv Naetter; han, Seirer paa Havet, aatte meer Styrke, 1030 thi aarle on Morgenen til Headhoraemes Havet ham frde; derfra han sgde sit Faedrenerige, feiret af Sine, Brondinge-Landet det f.a.gre Fristed, hvor et Folk han havde, Borge og Ringe. 1040 Saa blev hvad Beanstans Sn Dig loved'

sikkerlig opfyldt.

_Criticism of the Text and Translation._

There are two good things to be said of this volume: it contains a literal translation, and it is a literal translation from Kemble's text.

Being so, it could not be without merit. There was need of a literal translation in Denmark. Grundtvig's version certainly did not fulfil the letter of the law, and Thorkelin's had long since been forgotten.

Schaldemose's dependence upon the translation of Kemble is very evident.

In general, the Danish translator is stopped by the same pa.s.sages that defy the English translator, e.g. the pa.s.sage which Kemble failed to interpret at line 3075 was duly and loyally omitted by Schaldemose.

I can find no evidence for the reiterated[6] statement that Schaldemose is throughout his translation slavishly indebted to Ettmuller. Certain it is that he avoided those peculiar forms of Ettmuller's translation which are nothing more than a transliteration from the Old English.

_Reception of the Volume._

It is a tribute to the Danish interest in Beowulf that Schaldemose's volume soon pa.s.sed into a second edition. But it was not of a character to arouse the interest of scholars in other countries. Thorpe, the next editor of the poem, had never seen it.

The translation, being strictly literal, naturally commanded very little attention even in Denmark; while it was utterly without interest for readers and students in other countries.

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

[Footnote 2: See infra, p. 121.] [[Leo]]

[Footnote 3: See supra, p. 37.] [[Ettmuller]]

[Footnote 4: See supra, p. 22.] [[Gruntvig]]

[Footnote 5: See supra, p. 15.] [[Thorkelin]]

[Footnote 6: See Wulker, _Ang. Anz._ IV, 69; Wackerbarth's ed.