xxxi + 220 pp. A bilingual presentation of the Old English text of Beowulf (from the 1988 Exeter update of Wrenn and Bolton, according to a note on the copyright page) en face with Heaney's 1999 translation, with marginal plot notes alongside the translation. The Old English text removes Wrenn and Bolton's indications of editorial intervention such as italics and brackets but retains editorially supplied diacritics. The poem text is preceded by Heaney's critical introduction (ix-xxx) and David's "Note on Names" (xxxi) and is followed by genealogical tables (217).

The Old English text begins:

Hwæt wē Gār-Dena     in geār-dagum
þēod-cyninga     þrym gefrūnon,
hū ðā æþelingas     ellen fremedon.

Oft Scyld Scēfing     sceaþena þrēatum,
monegum mǣgþum     meodo-setla oftēah;
egsode Eorle,     syððan ǣrest wearð
fēasceaft funden;     hē þæs frōfre gebād:
wēox under wolcnum,     weorð-myndum þāh,
oðþæt him ǣghwylc     þāra ymb-sittendra
ofer hron-rāde     hȳran scolde,
gomban gyldan:     þæt wæs gōd cyning! (2)

The facing translation begins:

So. The Spear-Danes in days gone by
and the kings who ruled them had courage and greatness.
We have heard of those princes' heroic campaigns.

There was Shield Sheafson, scourge of many tribes,
a wrecker of mead-benches, rampaging among foes.
This terror of the hall-troops had come far.
A foundling to start with, he would flourish later on
as his powers waxed and his worth was proved.
In the end each clan on the outlying coasts
beyond the whale-road had to yield to him
and begin to pay tribute. That was one good king. (3)

The Old English text ends:

Þā ymbe hlǣw riodan     hilde-dēore,
æþelinga bearn,     ealra twelfe,
woldon ceare cwīðan,     kyning mǣnan,
word-gyd wrecan     ond ymb wer sprecan:
eahtodan eorlscipe     ond his elle-weorc;
duguðum dēmdon,     swā hit gedēfe bið
þæt mon his wine-dryhten     wordum herge,
ferhðum frēoge,     þonne hē forð scile
of līc-haman     lǣded weorðan.
Swā begnornodon     Gēata lēode
hlāfordes hryre,     heorð-genēatas;
cwǣdon þæt hē wǣre     wyruld-cyninga,
manna mildust     ond mon-ðwǣrust,
lēodum līðost     ond lof-geornost. (212; "elle-weorc" sic)

And the facing translation ends:

Then twelve warriors rode around the tomb,
chieftain's sons, champions in battle,
all of them distraught, chanting in dirges,
mourning his loss as a man and a king.
They extolled his heroic nature and exploits
and gave thanks for his greatness; which was the proper thing,
for a man should praise a prince whom he holds dear
and cherish his memory when that moment comes
when he has to be convoyed from his bodily home.
So the Geat people, his hearth companions,
sorrowed for the lord who had been laid low.
They said that of all the kings upon the earth
he was the man most gracious and fair-minded,
kindest to his people and keenest to win fame. (213; addition of comma after "thing" sic)

BAM.