Francis Gummere

Beowulf: Two Translations Francis Gummere

Beowulf is a legendary story of heroes, monsters and treasures. In it are merely the details of epic events of great people of a heroic past. The events and people that stirred the hearts of our forefathers are chronicled in every chapter. The beauty of the language is what brings these events and people to life. However language is a slippery thing, which makes older works like Beowulf a challenge to translate. Therefore we present two translations of Beowulf, one from Francis Gummere and one from Lesslie Hall. Each one has its own strengths, which we hope will be a joy for you to discover. As no translation can ever be perfect, it is hoped the reader can appreciate Beowulf from these two different perspectives. Amazingly you will see that different translations can make the story come alive in different ways. A glossary, notes and index are included.