I find the notion of translations of Old & Middle English questionable in
itself - in the case of Chaucer I don't see a need when private reading is
concerned - the language is near enough to be fairly intelligible without
training in reading Middle English. For stage adaptations and the like,
well, ok I s'pose. Now the 'Clerk of Tranent', yup, but.....
Old English texts are a different matter, particular one such as Beowulf
which, providing its not the most brilliant eighteenth century forgery of
all - isn't the Russian Lay of Prince Igor now suspected of being
counterfeit? -, which, that is, is derived from a fire damaged manucscript
of a tenth century copy of text which possibly dates back to the late
seventh/early eighth century, supported by two eighteenth century copies
made by Icelanders (before the fire?), and written, moreover, in a diction
which was probably conservative in relation to the English of its time; now
such at least deserves supporting by a crib.
But translations? - I dunno. Besides, I can't say I have a great enthusiasm
for the piece, other than as a curiosity.
Francis Berry struck me as a poet with interesting ideas but spoilt by a
propensity to melodrama and over forceful writing.
I did like the book he writ on the relationship betwixt poet's voices &
their style.
A few years ago I came home and switched on Radio 3 one afternoon - I found
myself midway through a reading by a vaguely Irish-American sounding & I
thought middle-aged guy of what sounded like rhythmically patterned prose.
Yup, it was famous Seamus, and I can't remember which, but he was reading,
without intervening titles, the whole of one of his collections. It made a
pleasant impression, but my sharpest memory is that I didn't recognise it as
being verse.
David
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