I Could Listen to Seamus Heaney Reading “Beowulf” For Hours (Requiescat In Pace) UPDATES

Last updated on: January 24, 2017 at 5:19 pm by Frank Weathers

I Could Listen to Seamus Heaney Reading “Beowulf” For Hours (Requiescat In Pace) UPDATES 2017-01-24T17:19:01-05:00 Frank Weathers

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

I shared what follows last summer. I’m sharing it with you again because this morning I learned that Seamus Heany has crossed over from death into eternity. Here’s a snippet from the obituary posted by the BBC.

Born in Northern Ireland, he was a Catholic and nationalist who chose to live in the South. “Be advised, my passport’s green / No glass of ours was ever raised / To toast the Queen,” he once wrote.

He came under pressure to take sides during the 25 years of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, and faced criticism for his perceived ambivalence to republican violence, but he never allowed himself to be co-opted as a spokesman for violent extremism.

Read more

Have a listen to him read the first 98 lines of the “earliest extant poem in modern European language,” and you may agree with what I wrote in the title above.

Head to the library and check out Heaney’s translation of Beowulf. Or pick up a copy yourself at audible.com.

Having owned Burton Raffel’s translation of Beowulf since I was in high school, I was excited to learn of Heaney’s new translation. Upon discovering the video above, and learning that the Irish bard, himself a Nobel laureate, has translated this epic classic too? Let’s just say that this news has made me happy beyond words.

To show you how up to date I am on information like this, note that he published his translation in 2001 (yes, I live under a rock). And there is an illustrated version published in 2007? *whistling sound* To the bookstore, and then to the mead hall!

Here’s a taste of the Catholic world-formed words that flowed directly through his pen from his mind,

“In Ille Tempore”

The big missal splayed
and dangled silky ribbons
of emerald and purple and watery white.
Intransitively we would assist
confess, receive. The verbs
assumed us. We adored.
And we lifted our eyes to the nouns.
Altar-stone was dawn and monstrance noon,
the word ‘rubric’ itself a bloodshot sunset.
Now I live by a famous strand
where seabirds cry in the small hours
like incredible souls
And even the range wall of the promenade
that I press down on for conviction
hardly tempts me to credit it.

Joseph Bottum reviewed his latest book of poems, Human Chain, which was published in 2010. Check it out. You may also enjoy this interview he gave that was published in The Paris Revue.

Trivia Question: What poet did Seamus Heaney claim, “first formed my ear?”

Answer ==>> Gerard Manley Hopkins, SJ.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. Requiescat in pace.

Gerard Manley Hopkins

Passings

Poetry

Seamus Heaney

Previous Post

August 30, 2013

USSCB Chair to Secretary of State John Kerry: Use Diplomacy, Not Air Strikes

Next Post

August 30, 2013 G.K Chesterton Appears on Breitbart? Would That Count As A Miracle?

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Blog News Conversion Story Culture Learning Living Nature Prayer Uncategorized Working

Select a Month June 2016 May 2016 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which Old Testament book is composed mostly of love poems?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Ruth Proverbs Ecclesiastes Song of Solomon