used by Morris and others, and intended as an imitation of the Old
English alliterative measure, is wholly impracticable. It is a hybrid
product, neither Old English nor modern, producing both weariness and
disgust; for, while copying the external features of its original, it
loses wholly its æsthetic qualities.

In my diction I have sought after simple and idiomatic English,
studying the noble archaism of the King James Bible, rather than
affecting the Wardour Street dialect of William Morris or Professor
Earle, which is often utterly unintelligible to any but the special
student of Middle English. My translation is faithful, but not
literal; I have not hesitated to make a passive construction active,
or to translate a compound adjective by a phrase. To quote from King
Alfred's preface to his translation of Boethius, I have "at times
translated word by word, and at times sense by sense, in whatsoever
way I might most clearly and intelligibly interpret it."

The text followed is that of Grein-Wülker in the _Bibliothek der
Angelsächsischen Poesie_ (Leipzig, 1894), and the lines of my
translation are numbered according to that edition. I have not,
however, felt obliged to follow his punctuation. Where it has seemed
best to adopt other readings, I have mentioned the fact in my notes.

I have compared my translation with those of Kemble and Grein
(_Dichtungen der Angelsächsen_), and am occasionally indebted to them
for a word or a phrase.

It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge my indebtedness to Dr. Frank
H. Chase, who has very carefully read my translation in manuscript;
and to Professor Albert S. Cook, who has given me his help and advice