What do you think?
Rate this book
Dumbarton Oaks Medieval Library #15
Old English Shorter Poems, Volume I: Religious and Didactic
Alongside famous long works such as Beowulf, Old English poetry offers a large number of shorter compositions, many of them on explicitly Christian themes. This volume of the Dumbarton Oaks Medieval Library presents twenty-nine of these shorter religious poems composed in Old and early Middle English between the seventh and twelfth centuries. Among the texts, which demonstrate the remarkable versatility of early English verse, are colorful allegories of the natural world, poems dedicated to Christian prayer and morality, and powerful meditations on death, judgment, heaven, and hell.
Previously edited in many different places and in some instances lacking accessible translations, many of these poems have remained little known outside scholarly circles. The present volume aims to offer this important body of texts to a wider audience by bringing them together in one collection and providing all of them with up-to-date translations and explanatory notes. An introduction sets the poems in their literary-historical contexts, which are further illustrated by two appendices, including the first complete modern English translation of the so-called Old English Benedictine Office.
Previously edited in many different places and in some instances lacking accessible translations, many of these poems have remained little known outside scholarly circles. The present volume aims to offer this important body of texts to a wider audience by bringing them together in one collection and providing all of them with up-to-date translations and explanatory notes. An introduction sets the poems in their literary-historical contexts, which are further illustrated by two appendices, including the first complete modern English translation of the so-called Old English Benedictine Office.
- GenresPoetryAnglo Saxon
496 pages, Hardcover
First published May 14, 2012
3 people are currently reading
31 people want to read
About the author
Christopher A. Jones
13 booksChristopher A. Jones (born October 14, 1969) is an American comic book artist living in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
He contributes artwork for DC Comics' Young Justice (2011-2013), based on the animated TV series of the same name and written by Greg Weisman, and Marvel's Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes (2012–present), based on the animated TV series of the same name and written by Christopher Yost.
Christopher A. Jones has previously contributed art to The Batman Strikes! (2004-2008), is the co-creator of Dr. Blink Superhero Shrink and has drawn various projects for DC, Marvel, Disney, and other publishers, ranging from kids' titles such as Superhero Squad to horror titles such as Re-Animator.
- From Wikipedia
He contributes artwork for DC Comics' Young Justice (2011-2013), based on the animated TV series of the same name and written by Greg Weisman, and Marvel's Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes (2012–present), based on the animated TV series of the same name and written by Christopher Yost.
Christopher A. Jones has previously contributed art to The Batman Strikes! (2004-2008), is the co-creator of Dr. Blink Superhero Shrink and has drawn various projects for DC, Marvel, Disney, and other publishers, ranging from kids' titles such as Superhero Squad to horror titles such as Re-Animator.
- From Wikipedia
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 11, 2017
No discussion in the intro as to why he translates as prose. There's a case to be made, but he doesn't even discuss. Odd, esp as he gives the supposed "original" lineation as poetry. That said, there's some poetic tone, but in general, the whole thing feels a bit ponderous. It's impossible for those of us lacking OE to assess whether we're getting a reasonable translation or not.
July 6, 2017
Another enjoyable piece from the Dumbarton Oaks Medieval Library! This collection of Old English short poetry, with the original text and a modern English translation presented in parallel, you'll find organized into five basic sections. The first section, "Poetic Allegories of Nature," contains four poems taking allegorical approaches to the panther, the whale, the partridge, and the phoenix.
The second section, "Poems on Worship and Prayer," was one of my personal favorites, with several Old English renditions of key liturgical passages (the Lord's Prayer, the Apostles' Creed, the Gloria Patri), as well as a few Old English hymns.
The third section, "Poems on Christian Living," wasn't quite as good, though it's interesting to have something like The Menologium, basically a poem explaining the timing of various Christian feasts/holidays.
But things perked up in the fourth section, "Poems on the Last Things," which included the somber poem The Grave, describing the grave as the hearer's future house of unpleasant proportions ("A house was built for you before you were born. ... Your house will not be loftily constructed; it will be low-slung and level when you lie in it. The walls at the ends are low, those on the sides of little height; the roof is built very close to your chest. ... Detested is that house of earth and cruel to abide in. There you must abide, and worms will dismember you"). Delightfully cheery: I may want to write that on the ceiling above my bed so I can see it first thing every morning.
And finally, in the back matter, Appendix B features "Bilingual Materials from the Divine Office," a pretty complete (and thus immensely valuable) edition of the Divine Office in a mixture of Old English and Latin - what a delight! "Bletsige, mine sawle, bealde drihten, ne wilt ðu ofergeotul æfre weorðan ealra goda þe he ðe ær dyde. He þinum man-dædum miltsade eallum and ðine adle ealle gehælde." ("Boldly bless the Lord, O my soul, and desire never to forget all the good things that he has previously done for you. He has shown mercy for all your wrongful deeds and has healed all your infirmities.")
The second section, "Poems on Worship and Prayer," was one of my personal favorites, with several Old English renditions of key liturgical passages (the Lord's Prayer, the Apostles' Creed, the Gloria Patri), as well as a few Old English hymns.
The third section, "Poems on Christian Living," wasn't quite as good, though it's interesting to have something like The Menologium, basically a poem explaining the timing of various Christian feasts/holidays.
But things perked up in the fourth section, "Poems on the Last Things," which included the somber poem The Grave, describing the grave as the hearer's future house of unpleasant proportions ("A house was built for you before you were born. ... Your house will not be loftily constructed; it will be low-slung and level when you lie in it. The walls at the ends are low, those on the sides of little height; the roof is built very close to your chest. ... Detested is that house of earth and cruel to abide in. There you must abide, and worms will dismember you"). Delightfully cheery: I may want to write that on the ceiling above my bed so I can see it first thing every morning.
And finally, in the back matter, Appendix B features "Bilingual Materials from the Divine Office," a pretty complete (and thus immensely valuable) edition of the Divine Office in a mixture of Old English and Latin - what a delight! "Bletsige, mine sawle, bealde drihten, ne wilt ðu ofergeotul æfre weorðan ealra goda þe he ðe ær dyde. He þinum man-dædum miltsade eallum and ðine adle ealle gehælde." ("Boldly bless the Lord, O my soul, and desire never to forget all the good things that he has previously done for you. He has shown mercy for all your wrongful deeds and has healed all your infirmities.")
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews