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John Halbrooks's avatar

I didn’t have Headley’s translation at hand when I was writing this piece, but here are the lines, courtesy of Jenn Zuko:

-

The old king fell to his knees on the cliff point

and willed good fortune on the Geats he’d ruled,

those who’d sat fireside, warmed by his gold.

Stricken, suddenly unsteady, he foresaw his fate

in the fog, shrouded but certain. For a moment,

he felt for his old foes, fen-bound, embarking alone.

Soon, soon, his own lease would expire,

evicting him from hall, hearth, and home.

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Victoria Stanham's avatar

I have just finished doing something I never thought I'd do... finish reading Beowulf (Heaney's translation). Thank you John Halbrooks for inspiring me to pick up a book a million miles away from my cultural interests and heritage... and loving it. And thank you for your insightful essays that inspire so much thought.

BTW... did Tolkien use the dragon thief sequence for inspiration in the Hobbit?

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