View source for a few lines from Beowulf

Lojban translation of Beowulf 210-228
                                                        tr. John Cowan 2/92

The following text is a Lojban translation of lines 210-228 of >Beowulf<,
describing how Beowulf and his companions set sail from Geatland to the
hall of Hrothgar.



le temci cu cliva    .i fulta le boxna
.i cnita le cmaca'a    .i le ribnau djica
re'o le lotcra cu badydzu    .i le flecu cu gu'orgau
le canre le se limna    .i le nanmu cu bevri
fi le cutne be le botpi    fe le carmi taxfu
po'u le jamymai xagmau    .i le nanmu cu batcatke
.i le nanmu pe le djinunkla    le mudri cu lasna
.i ca cliva re'o le bonxamsi    bai le brife
le fulta fomcnebo    poi simsa be lo cipni be'o traji
.ipu'obo ba le ra'artei    pe le remoi djedi
le selkruvi lotcra    cu crane klama
.ije le litru    le tumla cu viska
.i xaskoi sraca'a tergusni    .i cmaca'a badysalpo
.i clani cfine    .icabo le xasklama
le jacplu cu fanmo    .ito'obo fi'o sutra ku
le la .uederas. prenu    le pitytu'a badydzu
.i le xasmudri cu se skola'a    .i le creka cu se sance
.i jamna taxfu    .i fe le cevni cu ckire
le nu le nanmu le bo'arnunkla   cu se frili



In each group of three lines, the first line is the original Beowulf text,
with the usual orthographical conventions except that long vowels are
not shown and the "eth" letter is written "th", as in Modern English.

The second line is a gloss of the Old English, and by intention can serve
as a gloss of the Lojban as well.  This gloss is essentially Tolkien's, from
"On Translating Beowulf".

The third line is my Lojban translation.  No attempt has been made to
preserve the alliteration, but I do try to preserve the syntactic and
semantic devices and much of the four-stress rhythm as well.  Because
Lojban words are partly built from English words, alliterative
patterns occasionally resurface by accident.

Note that the word "Wedera" in the original is an alternative name of the
Geats, Beowulf's people.  The word "eoletes" is marked by Tolkien
as an "unknown or corrupt word"; I have accepted his best-guess gloss of
"waterway" = "water-route".

Fyrst forth gewat.              Flota waes on ythum
Time on departed.               Floater was on waves
le temci cu cliva               .i fulta le boxna

bat under beorge.               Beornas gearwe
boat under hill.                Men eager
.i cnita le cmaca'a             .i le ribnau djica

on stefn stigon.                Streamas wundon
on prow strode.                 Currents rolled
re'o le lotcra cu badydzu       .i le flecu cu gu'orgau

sund with sande.                Secgas baeron
swimming [=sea] against sand.   Men bore
le canre le se limna            .i le nanmu cu bevri

on bearm nacan                  beorhte fraetwe
into bosom of-boat              bright trappings
fi le cutne be le botpi         fe le carmi taxfu

guth-searo geatolic.            Guman ut scufon
war-gear wellmade.              Men out thrust
po'u le jamymai xagmau          .i le nanmu cu batcatke

weras on wil-sith               wudu bundenne.
adult-males on wish-journey     timber fastened.
.i le nanmu pe le djinunkla     le mudri cu lasna

Gewat tha ofer waeg-holm        winde gefysed
Departed then over wave-sea     [by] wind urged
.i ca cliva re'o le bonxamsi    bai le brife

flota famig-heals               fugle gelicost,
floater foamy-neck              to-bird most-like
le fulta fomcnebo               poi simsa be lo cipni be'o traji

oththaet ymb an-tid             othres dogres
until after due-time            of-second day
.ipu'obo ba le ra'artei         pe le remoi djedi

wunden-stefna                   gewaden haefd e,
curved-prow                     advanced had,
le selkruvi lotcra              cu crane klama

thaet tha lithende              land gesawon
that these voyagers             land saw
.ije le litru                   le tumla cu viska

brim-clifu blican               beorgas steape,
surf-cliffs gleaming            hills steep,
.i xaskoi sraca'a tergusni      .i cmaca'a badysalpo

side sae-naessas.               Tha waes sund-lidan
long sea-capes.                 then it-was for-sea-voyager [=boat]
.i clani cfine                  .icabo le xasklama

eoletes aet ended.              Thanon up hrathe
of-waterway[?] at end.          Thence up quickly
le jacplu cu fanmo              .ito'obo fi'o sutra ku

Wedera leode                    on wang stigon,
Wederish people                 on plain strode,
le la .uederas. prenu           le pitytu'a badydzu

sae-wudu saeldon.               Syrcan hrysedon
sea-timber roped.               Shirts rattled
.i le xasmudri cu se skola'a    .i le creka cu se sance

guth-gewaedo.                   Gode thancedon
war-raiment.                    God thanked
.i jamna taxfu                  .i fe le cevni cu ckire

thaesthe him yth-lade           eathe wurdon.
that for-them wave-passage      easy proved.
le nu le nanmu le bo'arnunkla   cu se frili