One of the foundational works of English literature, Beowulf survives in a single manuscript written around the year 1000, though the poem itself is thought to have been composed several centuries earlier in Old English.

Blending Germanic heroic legend with emerging Christian thought, it follows the Geatish warrior Beowulf as he confronts the monster Grendel, Grendel's mother and, in old age, a dragon. Yet beneath its legendary battles lies a sustained meditation on mortality, kingship, memory and the fragile nature of human achievement. Every victory is shadowed by the certainty that glory fades, kingdoms fall and names are eventually forgotten.

David Wright's translation, first published in 1957, was among the twentieth century's most admired attempts to bring the poem into modern English without sacrificing its weight and ceremonial rhythm. Rather than producing a strictly literal version, Wright recreates something of the poem's elevated voice while remaining remarkably readable. His substantial introduction and notes on translation also make this edition an appealing document in its own right, capturing an influential moment in the history of translating Old English. A rewarding edition for readers interested in mythology, medieval literature, translation or the deep roots of the English literary tradition.

1963 Penguin Classics paperback. General shelf wear and light age toning consistent with its age, with a clean, tightly bound interior.