tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16321920847575922872024-03-08T15:22:07.225-08:00Beowulf Translation ProjectHikaru Kitabayashi's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12025551837328378249noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1632192084757592287.post-80088641475150138822017-02-11T07:27:00.000-08:002018-09-19T02:12:36.065-07:00A continuation: Hrothgar's decision to build a palace<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Then did Hrothgar war succeeding, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Battle shining, him his friends and kinsmen </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Gladly followed till his band of cohorts </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Grew in size much more and to his mind came </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">That a palace he would order, built for greatness, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">men have working more than sons of men had <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">e</span>ver heard of </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Yes! and there within he'd all give out to </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Young ones and the old which God him gave as </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">His, except the public lands and lives of people.</span></div>
Hikaru Kitabayashi's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12025551837328378249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1632192084757592287.post-26135171884730106412016-08-16T19:51:00.001-07:002019-01-24T04:42:48.248-08:00The first canto of Beowulf sung<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I have decided to upload a sung version of my translation of the first canto of Beowulf which deals with the story of Shild Sheeving. The purpose is not to impress people with my talent. I am well aware of my own limitations. It is merely to illustrate the fact that all great poetry contains music and that Beowulf is a great poem and not merely an important historical literary relic of the West Saxon language of Anglo-Saxon England.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">17 August 2016</span><br />
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Hikaru Kitabayashi's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12025551837328378249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1632192084757592287.post-36770706850757289172016-08-06T18:21:00.000-07:002016-08-06T18:21:00.491-07:00Beowulf, Canto II: The aftermath, Stanza 1: Shild's descendants<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Due to other university related obligations I have recently had to neglect my blogs. The following short continuation of my Beowulf translation was particularly tricky, because the received text as normally published does not match the manuscript, due to the efforts of over-zealous editors. In the manuscript, no name is given for Halfdane's daughter. Neither is her husband's name written as Onela. Rather, it is clearly written as Elan, which I have translated as Alan, which, if read as it would be in English, is a strategy which at least makes the rhythmic structure of the original name clear.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Canto II: The aftermath<br /><br />Stanza 1: Shild's descendants<br /><br />In his fortress then, of Danes, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">the Wulf, the well loved ruler,<br />long among the peoples his fame ran, but <br />fathering elsewere passed this earthly prince, <br />until there then was born the high Halfdane, <br />who ruled long years and fiercely. <br />Nobly Danish did he live.<br />His! Four his children had he, <br />this order being born him: <br />Heerger, leader of armies, <br />and Rothgar and Halga good. <br />Heard I, too, of Alan's queen,<br />battle Shilving's good bed-fellow.<br /></span></div>
Hikaru Kitabayashi's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12025551837328378249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1632192084757592287.post-84644158636151587062016-07-22T19:05:00.002-07:002016-07-22T19:05:29.446-07:00Reading of Beowulf, Canto 1: Shild Sheeving<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">This a recitation of the previous post. I uploaded it briefly on my "Amusing the Muses" Blog, before I realized that a Beowulf translation project would interfere with the recently acquired purpose of the blog, which had become the introduction into English of triolets of poets from different ages and different languages. I hope the following recitation will prove to be of interest. Rhythmically, I feel that I can justify my claim to it being more faithful to that of the original West Saxon than any other recording of Beowulf so far produced, whether in West Saxon or in Modern English. I hope, despite my defects as an amateur reader of poetry, that, nevertheless, the beauty of the original Beowulf poem will shine through somehow.</span><br />
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Hikaru Kitabayashi's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12025551837328378249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1632192084757592287.post-63242907716284688792016-07-09T18:29:00.001-07:002018-04-24T17:14:23.853-07:00Beowulf: A Translation Based on the Original Manuscript<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The translation following this short introduction reflects a decision made to base this translation strictly on the manuscript
facsimile which is now available on the British Library website
(http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/Viewer.aspx?ref=cotton_ms_vitellius_a_xv_f094r),
though modern editions will<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> continue to be referred to <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">for help in understanding difficult vocabulary items, of which there are many and for which I have found Noboru Sa<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">to's edition to be<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> far be<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">tter than any other (Sato, Noboru (1988). <i>An Interlinear Beowulf</i>. Tokyo: Language Press). Adhering strictly to the British <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Library's online facsimile is eye-open<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">ing, illustrating more than anything else could<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">, the great leaps of faith made by <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">19th and 20th century edit<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">ors of the <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">te<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">xt and the dangers inherent in following the strictures of Eduard Sievers who based his theory of <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Old West<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">-Saxon versification o<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">n the Old Norse versification found in texts written <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">two to three hundred years later than the last estimate for Beowulf's authorship<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">As the pronunciation of Scyld Scefing would cause trouble for a reader without a <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">knowledge of <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">English dialects or of Old West Saxon orthography, it has been modernized to Shild Sheeving, th<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">is probably being the closest <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">pronunciation one would have come across in a dialect speaker of the West Saxon dialect as it evolved from its beginning<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">s in southwest England to what it became to <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">rural inhabitants of that area<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> when dialectologi<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">sts began studying the dialects of England in the la<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">te 19th century</span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">.<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Based on the same principle, Beowulf, probably should be transcribed as Bee Wolf<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">, especially as it would seem that the <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">first syllable of the name is not always necessarilly in <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">a sentence position that would demand it being stress<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">ed. However, Beowulf is too far entr<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">enched in English to profitably change. For this reason, it will be <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">written as Beo Wulf, to<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> signify that metrically speaking, the original manuscript would seem to indicate that it is two syllables and not three, no matter what the actual pronunciation at any particular point in time might be. <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Please note that the translation only used Beo Wulf in reference to the hero of the poem. To avoid possible con<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">fusion to someone rea<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">ding the text for the first time, the name of the grandfather of Hroth<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">gar<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">, also Beowulf, is translated as the Wolf. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Unfortunately, from the perspective of a reader of the original manuscript, the
structure of Beowulf has always been interpretated in terms of it being
an alliterative text. However, it is written in a Germanic language and
the basis of poetry in Germanic languages is the creation of pattern of relatively
shorter and weaker syllables alternating with relatively longer and stronger syllables to
create a sense of rhythm through a fairly consistent use of repetition.
Interpreting Beowulf exclusively in terms of alliteration would be the
same as interpreting Keats or Shelley or Browning only in terms of rhyme
and ignoring the rhythmic patterns they created. As a result, the bias
towards alliterative sensitivity has caused serious damage to most
students of Beowulf getting an appreciation of its rhythmic qualities,
which, regardless of the pronunciation one uses, is what make the poem
stunningly beautiful, not merely decoratively interesting. To partially rectify this, I propose, bit by bit,
over the course of the next year or two to translate this beautiful poem</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">, from the pre-Norman Conquest West Saxon dialect in which it was c<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">omp<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">osed </span></span>into modern English</span>,
putting primary emphasis on its rhythmic structure rather than its
alliteration. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">As an editorial apparatus, the poem, in its modern translation is devided into <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">cantos and stanzas. </span>This is meant to be <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">a rea<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">ders' aid </span></span>only and, in no<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> way<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> reflects the <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">content of the</span> translation, itself, which <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">seeks to retain faithfulness to the rhythmic structure of the original</span>.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Canto I: Shild Sheeving</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />Stanza 1: Shild Sheeving's deeds<br /><br />Yes we Danes in yester ages,<br />of our kings, their glory, hear it,<br />what their princely courage gave us.<br />Much, Shild Sheeving, fought the troops of many nations,<br />dining benches did destroy and warriors shaming.<br />Though at first a helpless foundling,<br />he, in deeds of war, waxed under heaven,<br />honor gained he, till each one of those of him surrounding<br />overseas, obedience gave him, tribute yielding.<br />He, our king, was good.<br /><br />Stanza 2: Shild's son</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />He a son did then have after.<br />Youth he sheltered, that God sent the folk for comfort.<br />Kings not having, stressed. in </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">pain, God saw that we once suffered.<br />Worldly honor, many years, the life-lord, <br />glory-ruler sent to him, the Wulf cub </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">famed, the offspring.<br />Wide was his renown with Danish people,<br />for the father helping, did the young one, <br />good achieving, give rich gifts, rewards, <br />that, adult, when facing war, men would serve him, <br />stay close by forever, good friends being,<br />that, by deeds, he would, no matter what the nation, prosper.<br /><br />Stanza 3: Shild's death<br /><br />Him! Then Shild departed to his maker,<br />Wished his going in God's keeping.<br />They then, valued friends, to seashore brought him,<br />bore him out, as he himself had bade,<br />while his words still reigned.<br />Friend of Danes, dear to his land, long did he rule it.<br />In the harbor a ring-prowed vessel finding,<br />icy and ready, a princely ship.<br />Therein they lay their lord still loving,<br />treasure giver inside a ship famed in construction.<br />Many riches, jewels were there of far countries loaded.<br /><br />Stanza 4: A poetic digression<br /><br />I never heard a ship the better furnished,<br />weapons there and battle clothing,<br />daggers and armour on his bosom lay,<br />Many treasures with him on the ocean waves, <br />went far departing. <br /><br />Stanza 5: Shild's body given to the seas<br /><br />None, the presents by his men provided, <br />none were more than those, that they gave him, <br />who, at his beginning, was alone, adrift at sea abandoned still a baby.<br />They, afixing there a golden banner high upon the vessel,<br />let the sea him carry on its waters,<br />Mourning, theirs were sad their spirits' souls.<br />They, advisers, warriors under heaven, <br />none then, who that burden carried, <br />knew for certain what to utter.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />9 July 2016</span></div>
Hikaru Kitabayashi's Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12025551837328378249noreply@blogger.com0