--- product_id: 11867930 title: "Beowulf: A Dual-Language Edition" brand: "howell d. chickering" price: "£17.08" currency: GBP in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/11867930-beowulf-a-dual-language-edition store_origin: GB region: United Kingdom --- # Beowulf: A Dual-Language Edition **Brand:** howell d. chickering **Price:** £17.08 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Beowulf: A Dual-Language Edition by howell d. chickering - **How much does it cost?** £17.08 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.uk](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/11867930-beowulf-a-dual-language-edition) ## Best For - howell d. chickering enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted howell d. chickering brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Beowulf: A Dual-Language Edition ## Images ![Beowulf: A Dual-Language Edition - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81aCyGzvG0L.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars Best Beowulf translation I've read. *by J***T on Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2024* Scholarly in the very best meaning of the word. Manages to keep both the rhythm and meaning of the original. I've read Heaney's translation and much prefer Chickering. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars Very, very good *by V***S on Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2010* This translation has been much-praised as faithful to the original Old English. I think this is taking it a bit far: Chickering does typically use four-beat lines, which is how Old English poetry is arranged, although OE poetry has specific alliteration patterns and stress patterns (however, there are so many of the latter one wonders if such patterns are actually a modern invention). For a four-beat plus alliterative (although not a mimic of OE poetry) translation, take a look at Kennedy's Beowulf.Chickering does tend to reproduce the choppiness (to our ears) of the original text, including appositives. These are jarring at first but quickly become easy to scan. This is useful for seeing how the poem is actually laid out, although one can never say how jarring the original was to those who spoke OE.As a study aid, Chickering's translation is generally good (that is, literal-esque), but sometimes he does take liberties, so the student should beware. As a small example, lines 753b-754a: "He on mode wearð forht on ferhðe". This is literally translated "He in (his) heart became afraid in (his) spirit." Or something like that: mode and ferhðe mean the same thing, and can variously be translated as heart, mind, spirit, soul, etc. Chickering translates this as "at heart he feared for his wretched life." This is a fine translation, but is not literal.This may seem like small nitpicking, but if you are planning on using this text for studying Beowulf, you should at least have supplemental material. Of course you want Klaeber's Beowulf, but also handy is Alexander's Glossed Beowulf.It is, of course, small nitpicking, and so I unreservedly recommend this translation. As I stated, the translation is generally quite faithful to the text, and is a good read. The commentary is wonderful, as is the introductory material. As a bonus, glosses to a few passages are included. Please don't take the small points I make above as any sort of complaint about this translation; it's more a warning to prospective OE students. If you want to read Beowulf, you really can't do a whole lot better than this, unless you want to learn Old English. Fully literal translations are pretty pointless, anyway: for a ridiculous example, search Google Books for "Tale of Beowulf: sometime king of the folk of the Weder Geats" by William Morris. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Parallel Transation of this Epic Now in Print. *by J***N on Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2017* This is the best, the clearest and most scholarly parallel translation of the Old English epic in print. It dwarfs Seamus Ennis' "Just-So" story by a mile (Ennis had the "help" of an obscure medievalist who had minimal objection to Seamis' opening, which is an opening that would put off any half-decently-educated reader.) Prof. Chickering has not only a fine, close parallel translation, he has an extended, thoughtful discussion of the poem with a running commentary on the scholarship he refers to with obvious familiarity. For these reasons -- including a clear style which parallels the parataxis of the original-- you would do yourself a favor if you bought this book. Regrettably, its e-edition in not available in the USA, but I've always found parallel translations to be hard to handle in e-book. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/11867930-beowulf-a-dual-language-edition](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/11867930-beowulf-a-dual-language-edition) --- *Product available on Desertcart United Kingdom* *Store origin: GB* *Last updated: 2026-05-18*