Beowulf's opening "What" is no interjection (2013)

#1

Post by gsf_emergency_6 » Mon, Jan 19, 2026, 6:19 AM UTC

Beowulf's opening "What" is no interjection (2013)
poetryfoundation.org

Re: Beowulf's opening "What" is no interjection (2013)

#2

Post by larrik » Wed, Jan 21, 2026, 5:48 PM UTC

It's an interesting idea, but I'm thrown by "a count" in "should be taken into a count by future translations"

Re: Beowulf's opening "What" is no interjection (2013)

#3

Post by Jtsummers » Wed, Jan 21, 2026, 5:50 PM UTC

larrik wrote: post #2

It's an interesting idea, but I'm thrown by "a count" in "should be taken into a count by future translations"

Not present in the original report at The Independent:

> “I’d like to say that the interpretation I have put forward should be taken into account by future translations,” he said.

https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/books/new...

It's possible The Independent fixed it up in an edit after The Poetry Foundation made a copy of it.

Re: Beowulf's opening "What" is no interjection (2013)

#4

Post by tracerbulletx » Wed, Jan 21, 2026, 5:51 PM UTC

Beowulf translation is a whole academic field, the translation has been debated ad nauseum for 100s of years, Tolkien had his own translation and opinion, which differed from others. One additional scholar adding his own interpretation doesn't necessarily overturn anything. There is not enough detail in this article to know how compelling the case is or what the counter arguments would be.

Re: Beowulf's opening "What" is no interjection (2013)

#5

Post by jihadjihad » Wed, Jan 21, 2026, 5:52 PM UTC

larrik wrote: post #2

It's an interesting idea, but I'm thrown by "a count" in "should be taken into a count by future translations"

Amusingly, the source article [0] linked to in TFA does not contain the same error:

  > “I’d like to say that the interpretation I have put forward should be taken into account by future translations,” he said.

0: https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/books/new...

Re: Beowulf's opening "What" is no interjection (2013)

#6

Post by gadders » Wed, Jan 21, 2026, 6:01 PM UTC

You could always read the Maria Dahvana Headley translation that starts with "Bro!":

https://www.historytoday.com/archive/review/beowulf-bro

"Bro! Tell me we still know how to speak of kings!

In the old days, everyone knew what men were: brave, bold, glory-bound.

Only stories now, but I’ll sound the Spear-Danes’ song, hoarded for hungry times."

Re: Beowulf's opening "What" is no interjection (2013)

#7

Post by zahlman » Wed, Jan 21, 2026, 6:11 PM UTC

How about "Whoa!"? That seems to me like it preserves some of the ambiguous sense (calling for attention vs. remarking upon a discovery).

Re: Beowulf's opening "What" is no interjection (2013)

#8

Post by spchampion2 » Wed, Jan 21, 2026, 6:26 PM UTC

gadders wrote: post #6

You could always read the Maria Dahvana Headley translation that starts with "Bro!": https://www.historytoday.com/archive/review/beowulf-bro "Bro! Tell me we still know how to speak of kings! In the old days, everyone knew what men were: brave, bold, glory-bound. Only stories now, but I’ll sound the Spear-Danes’ song, hoarded for hungry times."

I know it's unconventional, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading that translation. It felt so alive, and other translations have never engaged me in quite the same way.