My name is Arthur Bahr. I'm an associate professor of Literature at MIT. I am a medievalist and
I am going to read the first twelve lines of "Beowulf" in Old English. HWÆT, WE GAR-DEna
in geardagum, þeodcyninga þrym gefrunon,
hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon! Oft Scyld Scefing sceaþena þreatum,
monegum mægþum meodosetla ofteah, egsode eorlas, syððanærest wearð
feasceaft funden; he þæs frofre gebad, weox under wolcnum weorðmyndum þah,
oð þæt him æghwylc ymbsittendra ofer hronrade hyran scolde,
gomban gyldan; þæt wæs god cyning!
And I am going to read the first stanza of
"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" in the original Middle English.
SIÞEN þe sege and þe assaut watz sesed at Troye,
Þe borȝ brittened and brent to brondeȝ and askez,
Þe tulk þat þe trammes of tresoun þer wroȝt
Watz tried for his tricherie, þe trewest on erthe:
Hit watz Ennias þe athel, and his highe kynde, Þat siþen depreced prouinces, and patrounes
bicome Welneȝe of al þe wele in þe west iles.
Fro riche Romulus to Rome ricchis hym swyþe, With gret bobbaunce þat burȝe he biges vpon
fyrst, And neuenes hit his aune nome, as hit now
hat; Tirius to Tuskan and teldes bigynnes,
Langaberde in Lumbardie lyftes vp homes, And fer ouer þe French flod Felix Brutus
On mony bonkkes ful brode Bretayn he settez wyth wynne,
Where werre and wrake and wonder Bi syþez hatz wont þerinne,
And oft boþe blysse and blunder Ful skete hatz skyfted synne.