What is the title of Tolkien’s translation of the Old English epic poem Beowulf?

Tolkien’s translation of the Old English epic is titled Beowulf: A Translation and Commentary.

The book was published posthumously in 2014, edited by Christopher Tolkien. Tolkien made his translation many decades earlier, but he did not publish it during his lifetime. The volume presents his prose translation alongside extensive commentary and a related narrative called “Sellic Spell.”

Tolkien was one of the twentieth century’s most influential Beowulf scholars. His 1936 lecture “Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics” helped redirect academic attention toward the poem’s artistic structure, especially its monsters, rather than treating it mainly as a historical source. His fiction also reflects his engagement with Beowulf, including themes of heroic loyalty, treasure, dragons, and the limits of human power.

The title is sometimes confused with Tolkien’s scholarly essay or with his translation of “The Battle of Maldon.” Those are separate works. Beowulf: A Translation and Commentary specifically combines Tolkien’s translation with his notes on the poem.