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Links to
other translations, with short descriptions by me:
Robert E. Diamond's Translation
Richard Hamer's translation is fairly literal,
which makes it a good one in my book. He
does use filler words when necessary and rearranges lines to make it more
readable in modern English. Although
every translation also requires individual interpretation, I prefer to stay as
close as possible to the original wording. Because
he avoids filler words, Hamer's translation has an authentic feel to it.
Brian Kim Stefans' translation is less literal than
many other translations, but it is also more poetic.
It has a song-like feel in the flow of the text.
There is also some extra puncuation added, which is unnecessary, but
makes the wife's statements seem more emotional.
This site uses Adobe Acrobat and also includes translations of “The
Seafarer,” “The Battle of Brunaburh,” “The Dream of the Rood,” and
“The Wanderer.”
Mary Savelli's translation is practically word for
word. While I prefer translations
that are true to the original, I also feel that some interpretation is necessary
in order to make sense of the poem for the reader.
Savelli's translation is very choppy and difficult to follow, because she
does not take any liberties with the text. It
feels like reading the first stage of a translation, before it has been tweaked
and rearranged for better flow and easier reading.