Introduction

Beowulf is an epic poem written in Old English that tells the story of a hero named Beowulf who battles monsters and dragons to protect his people. The poem is considered a masterpiece of English literature and has been translated into many languages. However, translating Beowulf is not an easy task, as the language and style of the poem are very different from modern English. In this article, we will examine a passage from Beowulf and compare different paraphrases to determine which one is the best.

Background

The passage we will be examining is from lines 710-727 of Beowulf. In this passage, Beowulf is describing his battle with the monster Grendel, who had been terrorizing the people of Heorot. Beowulf had come from Geatland to help the Danes, and he had promised to defeat Grendel with his bare hands. The passage is significant because it shows Beowulf’s bravery and strength, as well as his determination to protect his people.

The Passage

The original Old English version of the passage is:

Þa wæs on burgum Beowulf Scyldinga,

leof leodcyning, longe þrage

folcum gefræge (fæder ellor hwearf,

godes yrre bær; we him his eorlas ond þegnas,

georne hyrdon, oðð þæt seo geogoð geweox,

magodriht micel. Him on mod bearn,

frean wæreman, feorme cuðe

þær he gesunde sælde hringmæl gebrægd,

þone þe he mid handa gehwearf þyssa middangeardes,

gesette sigehreðig sunu Healfdenes,

eorl endegeard oððre siðe

ymb þa gifhealle, þær him aglæca ætstod

wið hwearfloga. Gewat þa neosian,

cwom þær he his agen gewin,

freca Scyldinga, þær he forð feran wolde.

And a modern English translation of the passage is:

Then in the cities was Beowulf the Scylding,

beloved king of the people, for a long time

renowned among the folk (his father had departed,

bearing God’s anger; his warriors and thanes

guarded him well, until the young grew up,

a great company of kinsmen. To him a son was born,

a young warrior, whom God had sent

to comfort the people. He knew the measure of his strength,

and with his hand he brought to Heorot

a ringed mail-coat, which he had worn in battle,

when he walked the earth, a victorious son of Halfdane,

the protector of his people, for the second time

around the gift-hall, where the monster stood,

the flying terror. He went to seek it out,

the brave Scylding, where he wanted to go forth

to his own battle.

The Paraphrases

Now, let’s take a look at three different paraphrases of the passage:

1. Paraphrase 1

   Beowulf was a famous king who was loved by his people. His father had died, and his warriors and thanes protected him until he grew up. He had a large group of kinsmen, and he was sent by God to comfort the people. He brought a ringed mail-coat to Heorot, which he had worn in battle. He was a victorious son of Halfdane, and he protected his people from the monster Grendel.

2. Paraphrase 2

   Beowulf was a king who was famous for his bravery and strength. He had come from Geatland to help the Danes, who were being terrorized by the monster Grendel. He had promised to defeat Grendel with his bare hands, and he had succeeded. He brought a ringed mail-coat to Heorot, which he had worn in battle. He was a victorious son of Halfdane, and he protected his people from harm.

3. Paraphrase 3

   Beowulf was a hero who had come to help the Danes. He had promised to defeat the monster Grendel with his bare hands, and he had succeeded. He brought a ringed mail-coat to Heorot, which he had worn in battle. He was a victorious son of Halfdane, and he protected his people from harm.

Analysis

So, which of these paraphrases is the best? Let’s take a closer look:

• Paraphrase 1: This paraphrase is accurate, but it is too general. It doesn’t provide any specific details about Beowulf’s battle with Grendel or his victory.
• Paraphrase 2: This paraphrase is more detailed than the first one, and it includes information about Beowulf’s promise to defeat Grendel with his bare hands. However, it is not entirely accurate, as Beowulf did not actually defeat Grendel with his bare hands. He used a ringed mail-coat to protect himself.
• Paraphrase 3: This paraphrase is the most accurate of the three, as it correctly states that Beowulf defeated Grendel and brought a ringed mail-coat to Heorot. However, it is also the shortest and least detailed.

Based on this analysis, it seems that Paraphrase 2 is the least accurate, while Paraphrase 1 is too general and Paraphrase 3 is too short. Therefore, the best paraphrase for this passage from Beowulf is:

Beowulf was a hero who had come to help the Danes. He had defeated the monster Grendel and brought a ringed mail-coat to Heorot to protect himself. He was a victorious son of Halfdane, and he protected his people from harm.

This paraphrase is accurate, detailed, and provides all the necessary information about the passage.

Conclusion

Translating and paraphrasing Beowulf is a challenging task, but it is important to ensure that the meaning and spirit of the poem are preserved. In this article, we examined a passage from Beowulf and compared different paraphrases to determine which one was the best. We found that the best paraphrase was one that was accurate, detailed, and provided all the necessary information about the passage. By studying and analyzing literature like Beowulf, we can gain a deeper understanding of our cultural heritage and the power of language.