Beowulf: A New Translation

By: Maria Dahvana Headley

Narrated by: JD Jackson, Maria Dahvana Headley

Hugo Award for Best Related Work, 2021

"Narrator JD Jackson addresses his listener as 'bro' in this decidedly contemporary retelling of the classic saga ... His brilliant performance captures all the artistry, wit, and immediacy of this fresh translation, and breathes new life into what for most has been a literary fossil." (AudioFile Magazine, Earphones Award winner)

A new, feminist translation of Beowulf by the author of the much-buzzed-about novel The Mere Wife

Nearly 20 years after Seamus Heaney’s translation of Beowulf - and 50 years after the translation that continues to torment high-school students around the world - there is a radical new verse translation of the epic poem by Maria Dahvana Headley, which brings to light elements that have never before been translated into English, recontextualizing the binary narrative of monsters and heroes in a tale in which the two categories often entwine, justice is rarely served, and dragons live among us.

A man seeks to prove himself as a hero. A monster seeks silence in his territory. A warrior seeks to avenge her murdered son. A dragon ends it all. The familiar elements of the epic poem are seen with a novelist’s eye toward gender, genre, and history - Beowulf has always been a tale of entitlement and encroachment, powerful men seeking to become more powerful, and one woman seeking justice for her child, but this version brings new context to an old story. While crafting her contemporary adaptation of Beowulf, Headley unearthed significant shifts lost over centuries of translation.

A Macmillan Audio production from MCD x FSG Originals

"Brash and belligerent, lunatic and invigorating, with passages of sublime poetry punctuated by obscenities and social-media shorthand." (Ruth Franklin, The New Yorker)

"The author of the crazy-cool Beowulf-inspired novel The Mere Wife tackles the Old English epic poem with a fierce new feminist translation that radically recontextualizes the tale." (Barbara VanDenburgh, USA Today)

©2020 Maria Dahvana Headley (P)2020 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

An NPR Best Book of the Year, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Best Books of the Year, 2020

Locus Awards Nominee, 2021

“Bro:” A Heroic New Translation

Headley’s new Beowulf shakes up the tale with vivid imagery and astonishing depth of feeling. Drawing on a thousand years of the English language, Headley weaves her war-tale with words both antique and radically new. The poetry is vigorous and fresh and evokes, even as it challenges, the music of the original. The result is sometimes shocking and always satisfying. The narrator’s performance, too, is one for the ages. Highly recommended.

Purists will howl, but this is what an update pulsing with life should be

Purists will be alienated from the first word, but language isn’t some stagnant pool to be waded through generation after generation. Dahvana Headley’s translation, while certainly contemporary in its usage of modern terms like “bro”, and “hashtag” - shouldn’t detract from some incredible choices she’s made in making this translation sing for a new generation. In fact, once fully immersed in her world, even the ‘bro’s just fall into place - this is in no small part due to JD Jackson’s incredible vocal performance.

The only complaint I have about the audiobook is having the author’s (very long) intro at the beginning. While that is naturally where intros go - they should have placed it after Jackson’s performance.

But overall - powerful update on the classic with one of the best voice performances I’ve ever heard on audiobook.

Best translation ever

This is a hilarious updated translation of a very old text and it made me laugh out loud several times. Language is about play. It's not serious business and it never was. Sit back and enjoy a thing instead of crying about new words as if all words weren't new at some point.

Audio quality lower that most, but good story!

After the initial shock and laugh of modern turns of phrase, you get used to it. This is a unique translation, and worth listening to, as it was intended to be recited!

Well done!

This version is modern and relatable. Well crafted and I really enjoyed the cadence and voice of the narrators.

I finally see the world

I've read multiple translations of the epic, but never have I been so delighted in the story than I was after reading this one. I can finally see the world and empathize with the characters in ways I've never been able to before. The introduction is incredibly illuminating, and the narration is some of the best out there. I highly recommend it.

If you want a modern twist on a classic.

It's been a long time since a story kicked me in the chest. Fantastic.

Outstanding translation

The narration is deserving of an Audie Award. Present as one who has experienced battle..

Best audiobook narrator I've ever heard

I wish this narrator did more of the Audible catalogue. This guy could stand up in a crowded pub (or mead hall) and recite this story and people would listen.

Strange but faithful translation

No retelling of Beowulf can ever be completely accurate. Old English words, their meanings drifted through time, have the barest connection to their modern analogs. And, bro, the world view and culture of Beowulf's time is almost alien. The story itself is legend, and it is difficult to discern the precise line between the retelling of real events and fantasy.
With these things in mind, I really appreciated this translation by a scholar with a heart of a novelist. Rough in the mix of old and new but a very fun listening experience.