James answers “Which is the best translation of Sir...”

Almachius asked this question about Sir Gawain and the Green Knight:

Which is the best translation of Sir Gawain, and why?

James There are three that I have found to be particularly good in the years I have taught the poem:
1) Maria Boroff’s translation for Norton Critical Editio…moreThere are three that I have found to be particularly good in the years I have taught the poem:
1) Maria Boroff’s translation for Norton Critical Editions- Accurate while preserving the alliteration, meter, and structure of the original. The standard translation for serious students.
2) Brian Stone’s translation for Penguin classics- stone takes a few more liberties than Boroff does, but remains remarkably faithful to the original while being immensely readable.
3) The Simon Armitage dual language edition, also by Norton - Armitage is a poet, not a scholar, so his translation is much freer, yet captures the essence of the poem beautifully. Much like Seamus Heaney’s “Beowulf”, Armitage’s translation catches the spirit of the poem while making it accessible to a contemporary audience.

I have never cared for the Tolkien version; I find it falsely archaic and arch. I find both the Burton Raffel and the John Gardner translations to be awful.(less)

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Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

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