Beowulf in Parallel Texts

This dual-language edition of Beowulf is for the general readers' enjoyment of the poem as well as a study guide for students of English language and literature. To meet this dual purpose, the book provides the two texts running in parallel. The general readers can enjoy the poem by reading the translation; but the serious students of English can lean on the translation as a prop while studying the original text line after line. For the students of Old English, who wish to attain a thorough understanding of the original lines, the Textual and Explanatory Notes will be an indispensable apparatus: these notes discuss diverse scholarly interpretations on the problematic phrases and lines before the translator offers his own opinion.

Sung-Il Lee, who has translated the works with an introductory essay, is professor emeritus of English at Yonsei University. He is the author of Beowulf in Parallel Texts (Cascade, 2017). The late Insoo Lee, whose translation of three poems is included in the volume, is Sung-Il Lee's father. A pioneer of English studies in Korea, he was a professor of English at Korea University.