In the first session of a course called the Seven Ages of Poetry, the tutor, Julian Birkett, divided the class into breakout rooms and asked us to translate a translation of one of the verses.
A translation of a translation? Allow me to explain. The original was written in Old English, in Anglo-Saxon times. Therefore it makes no sense at all to the modern reader, apart from the odd word that looks vaguely familiar. (I do like the word “Hwaet!” though, which is the equivalent of “Listen up!”. I regard the exclamation mark as part of the spelling!)
For this reason, some people have translated the Old English into modern English. But there’s a catch. The lines in the original poem consisted of two parts, with a pause in the middle, and with at least one word in the second half starting with the same letter as a word in the first half. (This is called alliterative verse I think) And with four beats to a line.
This is all very difficult, and some translations haven’t dealt with alliteration or beats. The translation we were given is an example of this approach, and may be found here:
Beowulf
Our task was to convert one of the verses into an alliterative form.
For reasons which need not detain us here, the group I was in managed to achieve almost nothing. I found this deeply embarrassing. It also offended my desire for achievement. (I will readily-admit that I am a very “driven” person; one of my new year resolutions is to cut down the number of my self-imposed targets by 50%.)
Anyway, I had a go myself later, and Julian very kindly agreed to comment on it. I enjoyed the exercise, and I thought I’d share it with you.
Original translation:
There lay on his breast
many treasures, which with him must
In the power of the waves, drift far off,
no way had they upon him fewer gifts bestowed
with the wealth of a nation, than those did
who in the beginning had sent forth
Alone upon the waves being but a child
My version:
There beset on his breast
A trove of treasures, to travel with him
On the ocean, outward-bound
Bearing as much bounty as bestowed
By those who formerly had sent him forth
as a boy washed along by the waves
I didn’t manage the four beats business or all the pauses, but be fair: I’ve never attempted Anglo-Saxon poetry before!
This was Julian’s reaction:
”That's brilliant! I particularly like Washed along by the waves....”
All of which may go to show that I have an affinity with Anglo-Saxon, although it’s probably more to do with the fact that I spent some time trying to work out what the verse was saying, and then had a break of several hours. I strongly recommend this as a way of dealing with writer’s block, by the way. Not Anglo-Saxon poetry, but taking a break. Mind you, I suppose translating Anglo-Saxon poetry could work!
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