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The translation midterm,
to be written IN CLASS on FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9, will ask you to translate a
passage from the Alliterative Morte Arthure into idiomatic modern English.
While it is important that you show me you can understand the language of the
poem, it is equally important that your translation should read well. This page
offers you some tools to help you study for the midterm, as well as to help
you think about translation in broader terms.
There is a glossary in your text, and some words are also glossed on the foot of the page; this list is simply a list of words which recur frequently in the Alliterative Morte Arthure and/ or in Middle English more generally. In the interests of keeping the list short, I've limited it to words which are often repeated, and/ or to those which are often misread by modern English speakers. Learning this list will make your reading go more quickly. Note that some of these are words you won't find in the Alliterative Morte, but if you learn them now, Malory should pose few challenges.
and can sometimes mean if anon right away, soon assay try [a]stonied stunned avoid leave, send away; sometimes dismount bachelor young knight beseen looking big great, strong blonk horse brachet female hound brand sword brast burst britten beat down burgh town, fortress busk go, hasten, prepare carp speak cheer appearance; can mean entertainment clenly (-lich) handsomely, completely courage desire; heart defend refuse depart divide dint blow dress set in position eek, eke also eft again enow enough enprise try (can be spelled emprise) erst before espy see fain glad; gladly fewter to fix a spear or lance in its rest (the fewter) foin thrust folde earth, ground freke man gar to cause (someone to do something) gat took, got gome man graithe go, prepare grame harm gramercy many thanks hie go hope think iwis indeed kaire go keep care for, guard kidd famous kith country, native land large generous laund glade list to wish maugre in spite of meet suitable, useful mensk honour ne nor, not (double negatives are OK) nis is not no force [I] don't care ought owed; owned or can be or, but can also mean before passing very quit to avenge; to acquit oneself rash to dash, slash rede advice; to advise renk man sad grave, serious scathe harm siker certain, sure sithen since slade valley speed be successful sterte leap, go stint stop; put an end to swithe fast, quick, very tatch quality, habit thrang thrust trow think, believe unhappy unlucky, unfortunate wallop gallop warn to present wax grow ween think, believe wele prosperity, joy wend turn, go wight strong wreken avenge wit know (wist) wood crazy, mad wroth angry yede went (yode) If you find words you don't understand, and that don't appear in the apparatus of your texts, you might want to look at the Middle English Compendium, an electronic resource to which our library subscribes. It combines the Middle English Dictionary with the Corpus of Middle English Verse and Prose. The Dictionary currently has entried up to Wel-, and the Corpus has 61 searchable texts, including the Alliterative Morte Arthure and Malory's Morte Darthur.
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Sample Translations: Arthur Kills Golopas
Below is a short section from the Alliterative Morte, next to two modern translations: these are intended to give you some ideas about how you might approach the task of translating the passage on the midterm. Click here
Til the conquerour come with his keen knightes.
With cruel countenaunce he cried full loud:
"I wend no Bretons wolde be bashed for so little,
And for bare-legged boyes that on the bente hoves!"
He clekes out Caliburn, full clenlich burnisht,
Graithes him to Golopas, that greved him most,
Cuttes him even by the knees clenly in sonder;
"Come down," quod the king, "and carp to thy feres!
Thou art too high by the half, I hete thee in trewth!
Thou shall be handsomer in hie, with the help of my Lord!"
With that steelen brand he stroke off his hed.
Sterenly in that stour he strikes another.
Thus he settes on seven with his seker knightes;
Whiles sixty were served so ne sesed they never;
And thus at this joining the giauntes are destroyed,
And at that journee for-jousted with gentle knightes.Alliterative Morte Arthure, lines 2119-34.
Until the Conqueror came with his keen knights
And with cruel countenance, cried aloud,
“I believe no Briton would be daunted by so little
As these bare-legged boys who brave this battlefield!”
He brandished Excalibur the brightly burnished,
Got close to Golopas, who had done greatest harm,
And cut him in two clean through the knees.
“Come down!” said the King, “And account for it to your fellows!”
You are too high by half, I have to tell you.
You’ll be even handsomer soon, with Our Lord’s help!”
And with his steely sword he struck off his head.
Sternly in that assault he struck another,
And set on seven more with his stalwart knights:
Till sixty giants had been so served, they never ceased.
So this assay saw the destruction of the giants,
Outjousted by gentle knights in the doings of the day.Brian Stone
Till the conqueror came with his keen knights,
And with a fierce countenance lustily cried:
“I expect no Briton to be daunted by so little,
By barelegged boys who have entered the battle!”
He whips out Caliburn, all freshly whetted,
Hastes to Golapas, who had hurt the most men,
And cleaves him just at the knees cleanly in two.
“Come down,” cries the king, “and speak to your comrades!
You are too high by half, I tell you in truth;
You will be handsomer soon, with the help of my Lord.”
And with his steel sword he struck off his head.
Stoutly into that struggle he strikes at another,
And sets on seven with his stalwart knights--
Till sixty were so served, ceased they never.
And thus in that skirmish the giants are slain,
Laid low in that battle by lordly knights.Valerie Krishna