Whenever I tell people I study and teach Old English, they react by feeding me their favourite lines of Shakespeare, noting that it is very difficult indeed: “Is this a dagger I see before me? Alas, poor Yorick! Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?”. Indeed, as a little search on Twitter (see the image at the bottom of this post) indicates, the association between William Shakespeare (1564-1616) and Old English (ca 45o-1100) is a widespread myth that deserves to be busted. What better way to do so, than to imagine what it would look like if William Shakespeare HAD written Old English? This blog features my own very first translation of one of Shakespeare’s sonnets into Old English.
Shakespeare’s ‘Sonnet 18’ in Old English
Sceal ic þē gelīcian tō sumeres dæge?
Þū eart luflīcra ond staþolfæstra.
Rūge windas sceacað þrīmilces dȳrlinge blōstman
Ond sumeres lǣn hæfð eall tō lȳtelne termen.
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Author David Wiley 
Really interesting! Makes me want to learn Old English. 🙂
I’m working on that myself, and I am sure it is easier to be motivated in pairs than solo. Working my way through Drout’s Quick and Easy Old English right now, which I think is $3 on the Kindle/Nook and is supposed to get you started translating the language quickly.
Tempting challenge…and I need just one more project, right?
Yes, we all need just one more project lol. This one has been on my list for quite a while, and I’ve even been getting books on Old English (including one of the definitive ones on Beowulf) so I’ve done about everything except actually work at learning the language!