I wrote recently about Beowulf, mentioning that I had used it while teaching my students; these were young people who’d had many difficulties in their lives and had not survived in the comprehensive school system, so were taught in what is called a pupil referral unit.
We were freer than many colleagues teaching in other schools and the curriculum was more flexible. I chose an exam board which allowed me free choice of poetry so I included exerpts from Beowulf and this is the particular one I used most often. The translation beneath, is not by me, but I think it is wonderful.
Híe dýgel lond
warigeað wulfhleoþu windige næssas
frécne fengelád ðaér fyrgenstréam
under næssa genipu niþer gewíteð
flód under foldan nis þæt feor heonon
mílgemearces þæt se mere standeð·
ofer þaém hongiað hrímge bearwas·
wudu wyrtum fæst wæter oferhelmað·
þaér mæg nihta gehwaém níðwundor séon
fýr on flóde. nó þæs fród leofað
gumena bearna þæt þone grund wite.
They inhabit a secret land: wolf-inhabited slopes, windy headlands, and perilous fen paths, where the mountain stream goes downward underneath the headland – far beneath the earth. It is not that far from here – measured in miles – where the mere stands. Groves covered with frost overhang it, and firmly rooted trees overshadow the water. Each night a fearful wonder can be seen there: fire over water. Not one of the children of men alive knows where the bottom is.
http://www.rhul.ac.uk/english/old-english/students/Beo1321-96_Koppinen.pdf
Lois Elsden 
Oh what a nice selection. I’ve actually managed not to ever read Beowulf, which is something I should probably correct.
This passage reminds me of a conversation I had recently where the topic was the lack of wildness present in our lives these days (the wildest creature we’re likely to see in the city is a raccoon). The fear/anxiety of this author is towards wolves and untold depths… today we’ve replaced those feelings with fear of things that seem so insignificant in comparison!
LikeLike
Thank you – I so agree, over here in England we have even less sense of the wild – badgers and foxes are nuisances and have attacked pets and the occasional baby but there is nothing really dangerous out there!
LikeLike