海角大神

A new work by 鈥淟ord of the Rings鈥� author J.R.R. Tolkien is available, but it鈥檚 an old story.

Tolkien鈥檚 translation of the epic poem 鈥淏eowulf鈥� is being released on May 22 for the first time. Tolkien completed the translation in 1926, according to the New York Times, 11 years before his book 鈥淭he Hobbit鈥� would be published. (鈥淩ings鈥� followed in 1954.)

According to the NYT, Tolkien himself called his translation 鈥渉ardly to my liking鈥� 鈥� he鈥檇 expressed his doubts before about how well the Old English of the poem could be translated to the present-day version of the language, saying that it could be an 鈥渁buse.鈥�

The translation is being published with some of the author鈥檚 notes about the poem and a story and poem written by Tolkien that were apparently inspired by 鈥淏eowulf.鈥� Writings by Tolkien about the poem itself come from the writer鈥檚 school lectures about the work that he delivered in the 1930s.

Not everyone thinks the translation should be released, though. The author鈥檚 son, Christopher, who was the editor of Tolkien鈥檚 鈥淏eowulf,鈥� noted in a statement that Tolkien 鈥渟eems never to have considered its publication,鈥� and University of Kentucky English professor Kevin Kiernan told the NYT that he wouldn鈥檛 have wanted it, either.

鈥淚f Tolkien knew that was going to happen, he would have invented the shredder,鈥� Kiernan said.

In the review of the translation by Publishers Weekly, the publication wrote that 鈥渟cholars will no doubt continue to debate Tolkien鈥檚 interpretation鈥� but that the publication of 鈥淏eowulf鈥� will no doubt please Tolkien devotees.

鈥淟overs of Tolkien鈥檚 work will agree that this is a book long overdue,鈥� PW wrote.