Beówulf, Angelsaksisch Volksepos, vertaald in Stafrijm, en met Inleiding
en Aanteekeningen voorzien door Dr. L. Simons, Briefwisselend Lid der
Koninklijke Vlaamsche Academie voor Taal- en Letterkunde, Leeraar aan
’t koninklijk Athenaeum te Brussel. Gent, A. Siffer, 1896. Large 8vo,
pp. 355.
Published for the Koninklijke Vlaamsche Academie voor Taal- en
Letterkunde.
First Dutch Translation. Iambic Pentameter.
_Aim and Contents of the Volume._
The author’s purpose, as stated in ‘Een Woord Vooraf,’ is to make the
_Beowulf_ better known to the Dutch public. With this in view he adds to
his translation copious notes and an exhaustive comment. The titles of
his various chapters are: De Beschaving in den Beowulf, Christendom,
Heldensage en Volksepos, Geschiednis, Mythos, Geatas, Nationaliteit van
den Beowulf, Tijd van Voltooiing, Het Handschrift, De Versbouw, Epische
Stijl, Innerlijke Geschiednis. Explanatory and critical comment is given
in the footnotes, and textual criticism in the Notes at the end of the
volume.
_Text Used._
‘I have followed the text of Socin[1]; where I have preferred to
give another reading I have justified my proceeding in the Notes
at the end of the work.’ --Een Woord Vooraf.
_Nature of the Translation._
It is a literal translation in iambic pentameter.
‘Of the translation nothing in particular needs to be said. I have
followed my original as closely as possible.’ --Een Woord Vooraf.
He adds that this was no easy task, as Dutch does not afford the same
variety of simile as the Old English.
A page is then given to the discussion of the nature of his verse.
He first gives his reasons for preferring iambic pentameter to the
‘Reinartsvers,’ which some might think best to use.
‘Moreover, the iambic pentameter lends itself well to division
into hemistichs, the principal characteristic of the ancient epic
versification.’ --Een Woord Vooraf.
He has often preferred the simple alliteration (aa, bb) to the Old
English system[2].