Discussion about this post

User's avatar
B. G. Weathersby's avatar

Well said. I was lucky enough to know Heaney, a gifted poet and gracious man, but I nonetheless agree with you entirely: his translation, however resonant, is not the best place to start if readers really want a sense of this Old English epic’s foreignness. In exchange for the accessibility and frankness of Heaney’s version, we miss out on the kind of fruitful alienation that results from engaging with the poem’s distant world on its own terms (at least as best we moderns ever can).

Expand full comment
Jenn Rogers's avatar

I very much appreciate this! We had already chosen Liuzza over Heaney for our translation class (alongside Klaeber) and I’m grateful for this clear and well-written explanation of why.

Expand full comment
92 more comments...

No posts