Beschrijving
Parallel text in English and Anglo-Saxon /Old Englisch [ca. 450-1100]
To anyone whose familiarity with Old English literature, like mine, barely extends beyond Beowulf, this would surely be a useful book; but beyond that, it is an enlightening and even entertaining one. Hamer’s selection is varied and interesting, taking in not just heroic and religious verse, but also personal monologues, descriptive poems, and even charms and riddles. There’s just enough of each to satisfy; perhaps not quite enough, in fact. I would have liked to have read a few more than just the one charm; or perhaps a few of the obscene riddles that Hamer mentions but does not include! As I don’t read Anglo-Saxon, I can’t comment on the quality of the translation, but all are very readable ansd natural. The small introduction to each poem is very helpful, and the inclusion of the Anglo-Saxon originals on the page facing each translation is a bonus. I approached this book as a something of a chore, but it turned out to be a pleasure
For further NOTES See also the BACK cover of the book!
| Author: | selected with an introduction and a parallel verse translation by Richard Hamer. |
| ISBNr: | 0571087655 9780571087655 |
