LECTURE 4 Old English: literature

ISTORY OF ENGLISH LECTURE 4Old English:literature Lei ZHU Shanghai International Studies University

1 Introduction • Teaching and learning (Latin literacy and medical knowledge) • Keeping a record (lawcodes and histories) • Spreading the word (the Bible) • Example and exhortation (religious writings) • Telling tales (stories) • Reflection and lament (observations on life)

1 Introduction

2 Verse • Rhythm (节奏) • Meter (格律) • Scansion / scanning (格律分析) Foot (音步) number on each line monometer (一步) dimeter (二步) trimeter (三步) tetrameter (四步) pentameter (五步) hexameter (六步) heptameter (七步) octameter (八步)

2 Verse • Rhythm (节奏) • Meter (格律) • Scansion / scanning (格律分析) Foot (音步) number on each line monometer (一步) dimeter (二步) trimeter (三步) tetrameter (四步) pentameter (五步) hexameter (六步) heptameter (七步) octameter (八步) type iamb (抑扬) trochee (扬抑) pyrrhic (抑抑) spondee (扬扬) anapaest (抑抑扬) dactyl (扬抑抑) ……

x _| x _ |x _|x _ I wandered lonely as a cloud x _ | x _ | x _ | x _ That floats on high o’er vales and hills, x _| x _ | x _ | x _ When all at once I saw a crowd, x _ | x _ | x _ | x _ A host, of golden daffodils; iambic tetrameter (四步抑扬格)

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? 能否把你比作夏日的璀璨？ Thou art more lovely and more temperate: 你却比炎夏更可爱温存； Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, 狂风摧残五月花蕊娇妍， And summer’s lease hath all too short a date. 夏天匆匆离去毫不停顿。 Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, 苍天明眸有时过于灼热， And often is his gold complexion dimmed; 金色脸容往往蒙上阴翳； And every fair from fair sometime declines, 一切优美形象不免褪色， By chance, or natures changing course untrimmed: 偶然摧残或自然地老去。 But thy eternal summer shall not fade, 而你如仲夏繁茂不凋谢， Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st; 秀雅风姿将永远翩翩； Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade, 死神无法逼你气息奄奄， When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st, 你将永生于不朽诗篇。 So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, 只要人能呼吸眼不盲， So long lives this, and this gives life to thee. 这诗和你将千秋流芳。 iambic pentameter (五步抑扬格)

_ ××|_ × ×| _ × ×| _ ××| _ ××| _ _ _ _ | _ _ | _ ××|_ _|_ × × | _ _ _ × × | _ × ×| _ × ×| _ ×× | _ × × | _ _ _ × ×|_ × ×|_ ××| _ ××| _ × × | _ _ _ _ | _ × ×|_ _ | _ × × |_ × × |_ _ —— The Iliad (6:145-149) 提丢斯的勇猛的儿子，你何必问我的家世？正如树叶荣枯，人类的世代也如此。秋风将枯叶撒落一地，春天来到林中又会萌发许多新的绿叶，人类也是如此，一代出生一代凋零。 dactylic hexameter (heroic hexameter) (六步长短短格，即六步英雄格) _ ××| _ ××| _ ××| _ ××| _ ××| _ _ ( “_ ××” 可由 “_ _”替代 )

Old English meter Every verse has 2 accented syllablescalled “beats” or “lifts”. The other syllables are unaccented or have secondary accents. Every line has 2 half-lines / verses, separated by a pause / caesura. rād and rǣdde, rincum tǣchte rode and counselled, soldiers taught The Battle of Maldon, l. 18 hrēran mid hondum hrīmcealde sǣ, stir with hands ice-cold sea The Wanderer, l. 4 caesura caesura

Old English meter a half-line / verse A: / X ( X X X X ) / X B: ( X X X X ) X / X ( X ) / C: ( X X X X X ) X / / X D: / ( X X X ) / \ X / ( X X X ) / X \ E: / \ X ( X ) / Falling-falling: Anna angry Rising-rising: And Byrhtnoth bold Clashing: In keen conflict 5 types Falling by stages: Ding down strongly Broken fall: Deal death to all Fall and rise: Each one with edge

2 Verse • Rhythm (节奏) • Meter (格律) • Scansion / scanning (格律分析) Foot (音步) Rhyme (尾韵)

x _| x _ |x _|x _ I wandered lonely as a cloud x _ | x _ | x _ | x _ That floats on high o’er vales and hills, x _| x _ | x _ | x _ When all at once I saw a crowd, x _ | x _ | x _ | x _ A host, of golden daffodils; A B A B

A B A B C D C D E F E F G G Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? 能否把你比作夏日的璀璨？ Thou art more lovely and more temperate: 你却比炎夏更可爱温存； Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, 狂风摧残五月花蕊娇妍， And summer’s lease hath all too short a date. 夏天匆匆离去毫不停顿。 Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, 苍天明眸有时过于灼热， And often is his gold complexion dimmed; 金色脸容往往蒙上阴翳； And every fair from fair sometime declines, 一切优美形象不免褪色， By chance, or natures changing course untrimmed: 偶然摧残或自然地老去。 But thy eternal summer shall not fade, 而你如仲夏繁茂不凋谢， Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st; 秀雅风姿将永远翩翩； Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade, 死神无法逼你气息奄奄， When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st, 你将永生于不朽诗篇。 So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, 只要人能呼吸眼不盲， So long lives this, and this gives life to thee. 这诗和你将千秋流芳。

2 Verse • Rhythm (节奏) • Meter (格律) • Scansion / scanning (格律分析) Foot (音步) Rhyme (尾韵) Alliteration (头韵) pride and prejudice sense and sensibility Les Maures et la mer montent jusques au port

Old English meter One of the 2 accented syllables in the 1st verse must alliterate with the 1st accented syllable of the 2nd verse. rād and rǣdde, rincum tǣchte rode and counselled, soldiers taught The Battle of Maldon, l. 18 hrēran mid hondum hrīmcealde sǣ, stir with hands ice-cold sea The Wanderer, l. 4

Old English meter Sende ðā se sǣrinc sūðerne gār, sent then the warrior southern spear The Battle of Maldon, l. 134 Stōdon stædefæste; stihte hī Byrhtnōð, stood steadfast urged them Birhtnoth The Battle of Maldon, l. 127 ēce dryhten ōr onstealde eternal Lord beginning established Cædmon’s Hymn, l. 4

2 Verse Beowulf • Earliest epic poem in English • Story setting: Denmark and Geatland (southern Sweden) 6th- 10th centuries • Authorship: probably started orally after c.520 modified by later generations after conversion written down in the early 700’s surviving copy made in c.1000 • Language: West Saxon, with Anglian/Mercian characteristics

Hwæt! We Gardena in geardagum, þeodcyninga, þrym gefrunon, hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon.

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. Translated by Seamus Heaney Hwæt! Wē Gār-Dena in gēardagum, spear-Danes’ year-days (days of yore) þēodcyninga, þrym gefrūnon, nation-kings’ glory heard hū ðā æþelingas ellen fremedon. how then princes valour performed Oft Scyld Scēfing sceaþena þrēatum, Often Shield Sheaf’s-son enemy’s crowd monegum mǣgþum, meodosetla oftēah, 5 many nations mead-benches deprived egsode eorlas. Syððan ǣrest wearð terrified warriors After first became fēasceaft funden, hē þæs frōfre gebād, destitute found for-that consolation experienced wēox under wolcnum, weorðmyndum þāh, grew clouds honours though oðþæt him ǣghwylc þāra ymbsittendra until each of-those neighbouring(-nations) ofer hronrāde hȳran scolde, 10 over whale-road hear (=obey) should (=must) gomban gyldan. þæt wæs gōd cyning! tribute yield

听哪， 谁不知丹麦王公当年的荣耀，首领们如何各逞英豪！多少次，向敌军丛中 “麦束之子”希尔德夺来酒宴的宝座。威镇众酋，他本是孤苦零丁一个弃婴，自己蠃来的后福。飞云渺渺，他一天天长大，受人敬重，直至鲸鱼之路四邻的部族纷纷向他俯首纳贡：　　　　　　　　　好一个大王！（冯象译） Hwæt! Wē Gār-Dena in gēardagum, spear-Danes’ year-days (days of yore) þēodcyninga, þrym gefrūnon, nation-kings’ glory heard hū ðā æþelingas ellen fremedon. how then princes valour performed Oft Scyld Scēfing sceaþena þrēatum, Often Shield Sheaf’s-son enemy’s crowd monegum mǣgþum, meodosetla oftēah, 5 many nations mead-benches deprived egsode eorlas. Syððan ǣrest wearð terrified warriors After first became fēasceaft funden, hē þæs frōfre gebād, destitute found for-that consolation experienced wēox under wolcnum, weorðmyndum þāh, grew clouds honours though oðþæt him ǣghwylc þāra ymbsittendra until each of-those neighbouring(-nations) ofer hronrāde hȳran scolde, 10 over whale-road hear (=obey) should (=must) gomban gyldan. þæt wæs gōd cyning! tribute yield

Kennings (metaphoric expressions) • Sea hronrād (whale-road) seġl-rād (sail-road) hwæl-weġ (whale-way) swan-rād (swan-road) • Sun heofon-candel (sky-candle) heofones ġim (sky’s jewel)

ðeah þe hæðstapa hundum geswenced, heorot hornum trum, holtwudu sece, feorran geflymed, ær he feorh seleð, aldor on ofre, ær he in wille hafelan hydan. Nis þæt heoru stow! þonon yðgeblond up astigeð won to wolcnum, þonne wind styreþ, lað gewidru, oðþæt lyft drysmaþ, roderas reotað. ll. 1357-1376 Hie dygel lond warigeað, wulfhleoþu, windige næssas, frecne fengelad, ðær fyrgenstream under næssa genipu niþer gewiteð, flod under foldan. Nis þæt feor heonon milgemearces þæt se mere standeð; ofer þæm hongiað hrinde bearwas, wudu wyrtum fæst wæter oferhelmað. þær mæg nihta gehwæm niðwundor seon, fyr on flode. No þæs frod leofað gumena bearna, þæt þone grund wite;

They inhabit uncharted country, the retreat of wolves: windy cliffs and dangerous fen paths, where a mountain stream goes down under the misty bluffs and the flood runs under the earth. It is not many miles from here that the mere stands. Over it hang frosty groves, the firmly rooted wood shadowing the water. Every night a fearful wonder can be seen there: fire on the water. There is no man alive who knows the bottom of that mere. 他们居住在神秘的处所，狼的老巢，那里是招风的绝域，险恶的沼泽地，山涧流水在雾霭中向下奔泻，进入地下，形成一股洪流。论路程那里并不遥远，不久即见一个小湖出现眼前；湖边长着经霜的灌木、树丛，扎根坚固而向水面延伸。每到夜晚，湖上就冒出火光，那景象真让人胆颤心惊。芸芸众生中没有任何智者，能将黑湖深处的奥秘探明。 Hie dygel lond secret land warigeað, wulfhleoþu, windige næssas, occupy wolf-shelter windy headlands frecne fengelad, ðær fyrgenstream dangerous marsh-paths mountain-stream under næssa genipu niþer gewiteð, headlands mists downwards departs flod under foldan. Nis þæt feor heonon flood ground not-is far from-here milgemearces þæt se mere standeð; measure-by-miles ofer þæm hongiað hrinde bearwas, hang frostygroves wudu wyrtum fæst wæter oferhelmað. wood roots steady overshadow þær mæg nihta gehwæm niðwundor seon, may night every earful-wonder see fyr on flode. No þæs frod leofað fire wise lives gumena bearna, þæt þone grund wite; men’s sons ground know

ðeah þe hæðstapa hundum geswenced, though heath-walker(=stag) hounds harassed heorot hornum trum, holtwudu sece, stag horns strong forest-trees seek feorran geflymed, ær he feorh seleð, from-afar put-to-flight before life gives aldor on ofre, ær he in wille life river-bank rather-than hafelan hydan. Nis þæt heoru stow! head hide safe place þonon yðgeblond up astigeð from-there surge ascend won to wolcnum, þonne wind styreþ, dark clouds when stirs lað gewidru, oðþæt lyft drysmaþ, hateful storms until air become-gloomy roderas reotað. skies weep Although the antlered hart, when pursued by hounds and driven far over the heath, may seek out the forest, still he will sooner give up his life on the bank than jump in to save his head. That is not a safe place. There surging water rises up dark towards the clouds when wind stirs up hateful storms, until the air becomes gloomy and the heavens weep. 任何野兽或长角的雄鹿，既便被猎狗追赶，跑进这片灌木，也会远远逃走，宁可让性命丧失在沙洲，也不愿投入湖中寻求庇护。这里的确不是一个好处所！湖中浊浪翻腾，黑雾直升云端，天空变得朦胧阴沉，整个世界为之恸哭失声！

The Sutton Hoo ship burial

Great buckle Shoulder clasp Purse lid

3 Prose • Religious Translations of the Bible Homilies, sermons, hagiographies • Secular Laws Histories Stories etc.

Þyslic me is gesewen, þu cyning, þis andwearde lif manna on eorðan to wiðmetenesse þære tide, þe us uncuð is: swylc swa þu æt swæsendum sitte mid þinum ealdormannum & þegnum on wintertide, & sie fyr onælæd & þin heall gewyrmed, & hit rine & sniwe & styrme ute; cume an spearwa & hrædlice þæt hus þurhfleo, cume þurh oþre duru in þurh oþre ut gewite. O king, this present life of men on earth, in comparison with the time that is unknown to us, seems to me as if you were sitting feasting with your chief men and followers in wintertime and a fire was kindled and your hall warmed and it rained and it snowed and it stormed outside; and there came a sparrow and swiftly flew through the house, and it came in through one door and out through another.

Hwæt, he on þa tid, þe he inne bið, ne bið hrinen mid þy storme þæs wintres; ac þæt bið an eagan bryhtm & þæt læsste fæc, ac he sona of wintra on þone winter eft cymeð. Swa þonne þis monna lif to medmiclum fæce ætyweð; hwæt þær foregange, oððe hwæt þær æfterfylige, we ne cunnun. For ðon gif þeos lar owiht cuðlicre & gerisenlicre brenge, þæs weorþe is þæt we þære fylgen. Bede: Ecclesiastical History of the English People Now during the time that it is inside, it is not touched with the storm of winter, but that is for a twinkling of an eye and the smallest moment of time, but it immediately goes from winter into winter again. So then this life of man appears for but a little while; what goes before or what comes after, we know not. So, if this new doctrine reports anything more certain or apt, it deserves to be followed.

LECTURE 4 Old English: literature