The Old English Exodus. A Verse Translation

Abstract

Exodus is one of the richest and most vivid works in the Old English canon as well as a fascinating confluence of Germanic and Christian traditions. The absence of a complete verse translation in print reflects the relative neglect of biblical narrative in favour of the much translated Beowulf and the elegies. Translation is required if this imbalance is to be redressed beyond the sphere of Anglo-Saxonist scholarship. This translation adopts the stress metre and alliterative scheme of the original and attempts to convey something of its vigour and evocativeness. Notes provide a brief introduction to important thematic issues and references in the poem and refer to salient critical discussions.