		  Lojban translation of Beowulf 210-228
							tr. John Cowan 2/92

The following text is a Lojban translation of lines 210-228 of >Beowulf<,
describing how Beowulf and his companions set sail from Geatland to the
hall of Hrothgar.



le temci cu cliva    .i fulta le boxna
.i cnita le cmaca'a    .i le ribnau djica
re'o le lotcra cu badydzu    .i le flecu cu gu'orgau
le canre le se limna	.i le nanmu cu bevri
fi le cutne be le botpi    fe le carmi taxfu
po'u le jamymai xagmau    .i le nanmu cu batcatke
.i le nanmu pe le djinunkla    le mudri cu lasna
.i ca cliva re'o le bonxamsi    bai le brife
le fulta fomcnebo    poi simsa be lo cipni be'o traji
.ipu'obo ba le ra'artei    pe le remoi djedi
le selkruvi lotcra    cu crane klama
.ije le litru	 le tumla cu viska
.i xaskoi sraca'a tergusni    .i cmaca'a badysalpo
.i clani cfine	  .icabo le xasklama
le jacplu cu fanmo    .ito'obo fi'o sutra ku
le la .uederas. prenu	 le pitytu'a badydzu
.i le xasmudri cu se skola'a    .i le creka cu se sance
.i jamna taxfu	  .i fe le cevni cu ckire
le nu le nanmu le bo'arnunkla   cu se frili



In each group of three lines, the first line is the original Beowulf text,
with the usual orthographical conventions except that long vowels are
not shown and the "eth" letter is written "th", as in Modern English.

The second line is a gloss of the Old English, and by intention can serve
as a gloss of the Lojban as well.  This gloss is essentially Tolkien's, from
"On Translating Beowulf".

The third line is my Lojban translation.  No attempt has been made to
preserve the alliteration, but I do try to preserve the syntactic and
semantic devices and much of the four-stress rhythm as well.  Because
Lojban words are partly built from English words, alliterative
patterns occasionally resurface by accident.

Note that the word "Wedera" in the original is an alternative name of the
Geats, Beowulf's people.  The word "eoletes" is marked by Tolkien
as an "unknown or corrupt word"; I have accepted his best-guess gloss of
"waterway" = "water-route".

Fyrst forth gewat.		Flota waes on ythum
Time on departed.		Floater was on waves
le temci cu cliva		.i fulta le boxna

bat under beorge.		Beornas gearwe
boat under hill.		Men eager
.i cnita le cmaca'a             .i le ribnau djica

on stefn stigon.		Streamas wundon
on prow strode. 		Currents rolled
re'o le lotcra cu badydzu       .i le flecu cu gu'orgau

sund with sande.		Secgas baeron
swimming [=sea] against sand.	Men bore
le canre le se limna		.i le nanmu cu bevri

on bearm nacan			beorhte fraetwe
into bosom of-boat		bright trappings
fi le cutne be le botpi 	fe le carmi taxfu

guth-searo geatolic.		Guman ut scufon
war-gear wellmade.		Men out thrust
po'u le jamymai xagmau          .i le nanmu cu batcatke

weras on wil-sith		wudu bundenne.
adult-males on wish-journey	timber fastened.
.i le nanmu pe le djinunkla	le mudri cu lasna

Gewat tha ofer waeg-holm	winde gefysed
Departed then over wave-sea	[by] wind urged
.i ca cliva re'o le bonxamsi    bai le brife

flota famig-heals		fugle gelicost,
floater foamy-neck		to-bird most-like
le fulta fomcnebo		poi simsa be lo cipni be'o traji

oththaet ymb an-tid		othres dogres
until after due-time		of-second day
.ipu'obo ba le ra'artei         pe le remoi djedi

wunden-stefna			gewaden haefd e,
curved-prow			advanced had,
le selkruvi lotcra		cu crane klama

thaet tha lithende		land gesawon
that these voyagers		land saw
.ije le litru			le tumla cu viska

brim-clifu blican		beorgas steape,
surf-cliffs gleaming		hills steep,
.i xaskoi sraca'a tergusni      .i cmaca'a badysalpo

side sae-naessas.		Tha waes sund-lidan
long sea-capes. 		then it-was for-sea-voyager [=boat]
.i clani cfine			.icabo le xasklama

eoletes aet ended.		Thanon up hrathe
of-waterway[?] at end.		Thence up quickly
le jacplu cu fanmo		.ito'obo fi'o sutra ku

Wedera leode			on wang stigon,
Wederish people 		on plain strode,
le la .uederas. prenu		le pitytu'a badydzu

sae-wudu saeldon.		Syrcan hrysedon
sea-timber roped.		Shirts rattled
.i le xasmudri cu se skola'a    .i le creka cu se sance

guth-gewaedo.			Gode thancedon
war-raiment.			God thanked
.i jamna taxfu			.i fe le cevni cu ckire

thaesthe him yth-lade		eathe wurdon.
that for-them wave-passage	easy proved.
le nu le nanmu le bo'arnunkla   cu se frili

