Watch this short reading of the opening lines of Beowulf, an epic poem written in Old English, a very early medieval version of our language, and set in Scandinavia in the 5th and 6th century. Then spend 10-15 minutes looking at the original text and translation below. Try to work out which words in the original might match the translations. Make a list of any pairs you can find. Think about how the words sound in the video, where they fall in a sentence, and if they look at all similar to words in the modern translation. HINT: in Old English, the letter ‘Þ’ is known as ‘thorn’ and the letter ‘ð’ is known as ‘eth’. Both are used interchangeably to signify ‘th’ sounds.

Original Old English:

Hwæt, we Gar-Dena in gear-dagum,

þeod-cyninga þrym gefrunon,

hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon.

Oft Scyld Scefing sceaþena þreatum,

monegum mægþum meodo-setla ofteah,

egsode eorlas, syððan ærest wearð

fea-sceaft funden. He þæs frofre gebad:

weox under wolcnum, weorð-myndum þah,

oð þæt him æghwylc þara ymb-sittendra

ofer hron-rade hyran scolde,

gomban gyldan. Þæt wæs god cyning.

Ðæm eafera wæs æfter cenned

geong in geardum, þone God sende

folce to frofre; fyren-ðearfe ongeat—

þæt hie ær drugon aldorlease

lange hwile. Him þæs Lif-Frea,

wuldres wealdend worold-are forgeaf:

Beow wæs breme —blæd wide sprang— Scyldes eafera Scede-landum in.

Modern English Translation:
Yes, we have heard of the greatness of the Spear-Danes’ high kings in days long past, how those nobles practiced bravery. Often Scyld, son of Scef, expelled opponents’ hosts, many peoples, from mead-seats, made men fear him, after he was first discovered destitute. He lived to see remedy for that: grew up under the heavens, prospered in marks of distinction, until every neighbor across the whale-road had to answer to him, pay tribute. That was a good king. A son was born in succession to him, a young one among manors, whom God sent as a comfort to his people; he had perceived their dire need, what they had suffered, lordless, for a great while. For that the Lord of life, wielder of glory, granted them that worldly favor: Beow was renowned—his fame sprang wide—the heir of Scyld, in Scania.

Further Reading & Resources

Struggling to find any word pairs? Look up terms in this Old English glossary. Note that translating Old English is not an exact science. The modern English words in the video subtitles, the modern translation given here and in the glossary may all vary slightly, but they will ultimately have the same meaning.

Fascinated by Beowulf? If you’d like to read the full version in your own time, you can find a side-by-side Old English and Modern English version here.