Beowulf [Paperback]

John Porter (Translator)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0951620924 | ISBN-13: 978-0951620922 | Publication Date: December 1, 1995

This book offers a literal word-by-word translation printed opposite an edited text of Beowulf, a text format that allows students of Old English or the general reader to tackle the poem in its original form. First published in 1991, this edition has been reprinted,

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Anglo-Saxon Books (December 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0951620924
• ISBN-13: 978-0951620922
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,280,751 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars For Anglo-Saxon language students., January 6, 2005

By 

B. Weaves - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beowulf (Paperback)

This is an exact word for word translation of the original Anglo-Saxon Old English. It's a facing page translation (Old English on the left and New English on the right). This is a good translation if you are studying the Old English as a language. Because the grammar of Old English is much different from New English, it's not a good translation if you just want to read the Beowulf story like it was Lord of the Rings. If you just want a good read, try Seamus Heany's translation or Howell Chickering's translation. Both have good facing page versions, and it's fun to see the original Old English as you read the translation. Then, if you get into wanting to learn Old English, then buy John Porter's version.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Literal Translation of Beowulf, August 22, 2009

By 

E. A. Kinzel "Thracophile" (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beowulf (Paperback)

This is a dual-language edition of Beowulf, with Old English, or Anglo-Saxon, on the left-hand page, and a literal, word-for-word translation on the right. This is an excellent, and I would even say indispensable, resource for students of Old English; since the translation is literal, one can read along pretty briskly, with only slight pauses when an unfamiliar word or phrase is encountered. A level of comfort and familiarity with Old English syntax is desired, to make the text more easily understandable; as the previous reader noted, this is not an edition you would purchase to read the Modern English Beowulf; it would be too awkward. There are other dual-language editions which have a more flowing Modern English translation side-by-side with the beauty of the original text.

There is a brief introductory section about "Time and Place in Beowulf", a short but useful guide to pronunciation, and, as an appendix, genealogies of the Scyldings, Scylfings, and Geats. There is also a short bibliography for further study.

The edition is beautifully and solidly bound, and a must-have for the student of Old English. This makes Beowulf, perhaps the Holy Grail of Old English students, accessible as no other dual-language edition of Beowulf I have seen.