Simon Armitage shines light on a jewel of Middle English verse, The Owl and the Nightingale, communicating the energy and humour of the tale with all the cut and thrust of the original.
An unnamed narrator overhears a fierce verbal contest between the two eponymous birds, which moves entertainingly from the eloquent and philosophical to the ribald and ridiculous. The disputed issues continue to resonate – identity, cultural habits, class distinctions and the right to be heard.
‘A graceful, elegant translation’ Guardian
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