List of English translations from medieval sources: B
The list of English translations from medieval sources: B provides an overview of notable medieval documents—historical, scientific, ecclesiastical and literature—that have been translated into English. This includes the original author, translator(s) and the translated document. Translations are from Old and Middle English, Norman, Irish, Cornish, Scots, Old Dutch, Flemish Old Norse or Icelandic, Italian, Lombard, Latin, Arabic, Persian, Syriac, Ethiopic, Coptic, and Hebrew, and most works cited are generally available in the University of Michigan's HathiTrust digital library and OCLC's WorldCat. Anonymous works are presented by topic. List  of English translations. BA–BE. Babees Book. The Babees Book (c. 1475), or the "Lytyl Reporte of how young people should behave", is the first of a collection of treatises on the manners and meals of the English, published by the Early English Text Society. This was followed by a work under the title "Queene Elizabethes achademy" that also includes other essays on early English, Italian and German books of courtesy. Bacon, Roger. Roger Bacon (c. 1219 – c. 1292), also known as "Doctor Mirabilis", was a medieval English philosopher and Franciscan friar who placed considerable emphasis on the study of  nature through empiricism. Bacon's major work was his "Opus Majus." Bahira. Bahira (6th century) was a Christian Arab monk who, according to Islamic tradition, foretold to the adolescent Muhammad his future as a prophet. Bahya ben Joseph ibn Pakuda. Bahya ben Joseph ibn Paquda (c. 1050 – 1120 was a Jewish philosopher and rabbi from Al-Andalus. His principal work was "Chovot HaLevavot" (The duties of the heart) in Hebrew. Baidāwi, 'Abd Allāh ibn 'Umar al-. 'Abd Allāh ibn 'Umar al-Baidāwi, known as Qadi Baydawi (died 1319), was a Persian jurist, theologian and commentator on the Quran. Baihaki, Abū  'l-Fadl Muhammad ibn Husain. Abu'l-Faḍl Muḥammad ibn Ḥusayn Bayhakī, known as Abu'l-Faḍl Bayhaqi (died 1077), was a Persian secretary, historian and author. Baile suthain Sith Eamhna. A medieval Irish poem related to the Kingdom of the Isles, copied from an Irish manuscript written c. 1600. Collated with a copy contained in the Book of Fermoy translated c. 1457. Transcribed by William Maunsell Hennessy (1829–1889). In "Celtic Scotland: a history of ancient Alban" (1880), III, Appendix II, pp. 410–427. By Scottish historian and antiquary William Forbes Skene (1809–1892). Bairre. Saint Finbar (in Irish, Fionnbharra, abbreviated to Barra or  Bairre), (c. 550 – 623) was bishop of Cork and patron saint of the Diocese of Cork. Bakhaila, Mikā'ēl. Mikā'ēl Bakhaila (15th century), known as Zosimas. Author of "Le livre des myster̀es du ciel et de la terre" (Texte éthiopien). Bakhtyār nama. The Bakhtyār nama (nameh), or Story of Prince Bakhtyar and the ten viziers. An example of Persian prose fiction in the form of a frame story and nine included tales related to the Sindibad stories. The earliest version of which seems to be by Šams-al-Dīn Moḥammad Daqāyeqī Marvazī (fl. c. 1200), a contemporary of Muhammad 'Aufī (1171–1242 ). Bandamanna saga. The Bandamanna saga is one of the sagas of Icelanders, taking place after the adoption of Christianity in the year 1000. Baptista Mantuanus. Baptista Spagnuoli Mantuanus (1447–1516) was an Italian Carmelite reformer, humanist, and poet. Barbaro, Giosofat. Giosafat Barbaro (1413–1494), also known as Josafa Barbaro, was a diplomat, merchant, explorer and travel writer. Barberino, Francesco da. Francesco da Barberino (1264–1348) was an Italian poet. (cf. Italian Wikipedia, ) Barbour, John. John Barbour (c. 1320 – 1395) was a Scottish poet, the first major named literary figure to write in the Scots language. His work "The Brus" is a narrative poem  that provides a historic and chivalric account of the actions of Robert the Bruce and Sir James Douglas in the Scottish Wars of Independence. Bardaisan. Bardaisan, or Bar-daiṣān (154– 222), was a Syriac gnostic, founder of the Bardaisanites, and a scientist, scholar, astrologer, philosopher, hymnographer, and poet, Bardason, Ivarr. Ivarr Bardason (or Bardarson, Bårdsson) (14th century) was a Norwegian cleric who was sent to Greenland in 1341 to serve as superintendent of the bishop's seat at Gardar in the Eastern Settlement of Greenlan, Barlaam and Josaphat. The legend of Barlaam and Josaphat (Joasaph) is a Christianized version of  one of the legends of Buddha, and tells of an Indian king who persecuted his realm's Christians. When astrologers predicted that his son Joseph would become a Christian, the king imprisoned him, where met the hermit Saint Barlaam and converted to Christianity. After much tribulation the young prince's father accepted the Christian faith, turned over his throne to Josaphat. The story has been sometime attributed to 8th century monk John of Damascus. See the discussion in "Barlaam and Ioasaph", by Robert Lee Wolfe, in the "Harvard theological review", (1939), pp. 131–139 Barnabas, Epistle of. The Epistle of Barnabas  was written in Greek between AD 70 and 132. The work was attributed to Barnabas, the companion of Paul the Apostle, by Clement of Alexandria (c. 150 – c. 215) and Origen (c. 184 – c. 253). The complete text is preserved in the 4th-century "Codex Sinaiticus", where it appears immediately after the New Testament. Barsaumâ al-'Uryān. Barsaumâ al-'Uryān, known as Barsoum el-Erian, (1257–1317) was a legendary Coptic saint depicted on the walls of Saint Mercurius Church in Coptic Cairo. Bartholomaeus Anglicus. Bartholomaeus Anglicus (before 1203 – 1272), also known as Bartholomew the Englishman, was a member of the Franciscan order  and a scholastic of Paris. He was best known from the prototypical encyclopedia "De Proprietatibus Rerum," dated c. 1240. Bartolus de Saxoferrato. Bartolus de Saxoferrato (1313–1357) was an Italian law professor and a continental jurists of medieval Roman Law. Basil of Caesarea. Basil of Caesarea (Basilius or Saint Basil the Great) (330– 379), was a Greek bishop of Caesarea Mazaca. Basil I the Macedonian. Basil I (Basilius I, the Macedonian) (811–886) was an Armenian who was the Byzantine emperor who reigned from 867 to 886. Battle Abbey. Battle Abbey is a partially ruined Benedictine abbey built on the site of  the Battle of Hastings of 1066 and dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours. The chronicle of Battel Abbey, from 1066 to 1176 (1851). Now first translated, with notes, and an abstract of the subsequent history of the establishment, by English historian Mark Antony Lower (1813–1876). Batman, Stephen. Stephen Batman (died 1584) was an English translator and author. Be domes daegu. Be domes dæge, De die judicii; an Old English version of the Latin poem ascribed to Bede (1876). Edited (with other short poems) from the unique manuscript in the library of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, by English cleric Joseph Rawson  Lumby (1831–1895). A Latin poem ascribed to Bede or Alcuin. In Early English Text Society, Original Series, Volume 65. Beatrijs. Beatrijs is a poem written c. 1374) about the legend of a nun, Beatrijs, who deserted her convent for the love of a man. The Dutch poem was created out of a legend recorded in Latin, "Dialogus Miraculorum" (1219-1223) and "Libri Octo Miraculorum" (1225-1227) written by Caesarius von Heisterbach. Beckington, Thomas. Thomas Beckington (c. 1390 – 1465) was the bishop of Bath and Wells and King's Secretary to Henry VI of England. Bede. Bede (672/673 – 735), also known  as the Venerable Bede, was an English Benedictine monk, well known as an author, teacher and scholar. His most famous work was the Ecclesiastical History of the English People. Bedershi, Jedaiah ben Abraham. Jedaiah ben Abraham Bedersi (c. 1270 – c. 1340), also known as Yedaiah Bedarsi, Rabbi Jadaia or, in Occitan, En Bonet, was a Jewish poet, physician, and philosopher. Bega. Saint Bega (7th century) was reputedly a saint of the early Middle Ages, an Irish princess who valued virginity. Promised in marriage to a Viking prince who, according to a medieval manuscript "The Life of St Bega", was "son  of the king of Norway," Bega fled across the Irish sea to land at St. Bees on the Cumbrian coast. Bega is one of eleven mythical figures represented in the Dictionary of National Biography. Benedict of Nursia. Benedict of Nursia (Benedictus) (c. 480 – c.  547) is a Catholic saint and a patron saint of Europe. Benedict founded various communities for monks before becoming abbot of Monte Cassino. He is best known for writing the Rule of Saint Benedict, a book of precepts for monks living communally under the authority of an abbot. Benjamin of Tudela. Benjamin of Tudela, known as  Benjamin ben Jonah (1130–1173) was a medieval Jewish traveler who visited Europe, Asia, and Africa in the 12th century. Benno. Saint Benno (c. 1010 – 1106) was bishop of Meissen. Benoît de Sainte-More. Benoît de Sainte-More, or Sainte-Maure (died 1173), was a 12th-century French poet. A major work, "Chronique des ducs de Normandie" (1180–1200), has been attributed to Benoît, but that is disputed, and the work remains untranslated. Beowulf. Beowulf is an Old English epic poem in the tradition of Germanic heroic legend and is one of the most important and most often translated works of Old  English literature. It is known for the difficulty in translating Beowulf. Berachya ben Natronai. Berechiah ben Natronai Krespia ha-Nakdan (fl. 12th–13th century) was a Jewish grammarian, translator, poet, and philosopher. Berchán. Two Berchan's are noted. The first is Berchán, abbot of Glasnevin (fl. 461–521). The second is Saint Berchán of Clúain Sosta (8th century), an Irish poet and one of the four chief prophets of Ireland. The work "The Prophecy of Berchán" contains two parts believed to be written by these two authors. See discussions in "Early Sources of Scottish History, A.D. 500 to 1286" (1922),"" Volume I , pp. xxxiv–xxxv, by Scottish historian Alan Orr Anderson (1879–1958), and "Bibliography of English translations from Medieval Sources", pp. 75–76, 257–258, by Austin Patterson Evans and Clarissa Palmer Farrar. Bernard de Gordon. Bernard de Gordon ( fl. 1270 – 1330) was a French doctor and professor of medicine. Bernard of Clairvaux. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090–1153), venerated as Saint Bernard, was a Burgundian abbot, and a major leader in the revitalization of Benedictine monasticism through the Order of Cistercians. Bernard of Menthon. Saint Bernard of Menthon, or Bernard of Montjoux (c. 1020 – 1081), was an Italian canon regular and founder of the Great  St Bernard Hospice, and was confirmed as the patron saint of the Alps in 1923. Bernard of Morlaix. Bernard of Morlaix (of Cluny) (12th century) was a French Benedictine monk who wrote "De contemptu mundi" (On Contempt for the World), a long verse satire in Latin. Bernard of Trevisano. Bernard Trevisano was a fictional Italian alchemist who reputed to have lived from 1406–1490. Bernard Silvestris. Bernard Silvestris (12th century) was a medieval Platonist philosopher and poet whose major work "Cosmographia" is a philosophical allegory, dealing with the creation of the universe. Bernard the Pilgrim. Bernard the Pilgrim (fl. 865) was  a Frankish monk, also known as Bernard the Wise. Bernardino of Siena. Bernardino of Siena (1380–1444) was an Italian priest and Franciscan missionary. Berners, Juliana. Dame Juliana Berners (born 1388) was an English writer on heraldry, hawking and hunting. She is believed to have been prioress of the Priory of St Mary of Sopwell. The work Book of Saint Albans has been attributed to her. Béroul. Béroul (12th century) was a Norman or Breton poet who wrote"Tristan", a Norman language version of the legend of Tristan and Iseult. Beunans Meriasek. "Beunans Meriasek" ("The Life of Saint Meriasek") is a Cornish -language play completed in 1504 concerning the legends of the life of Saint Meriasek, patron saint of Camborne. Beuno. Saint Beuno (Beino) (died 640) was a 7th-century Welsh abbot, confessor, and saint. Bevis of Hampton. Bevis of Hampton (Beuve de Hanstone) was a legendary English hero and the subject of Anglo-Norman and other medieval metrical romances. BI–BY. Biblia pauperum". The "Biblia pauperum, or Bible of the poor, was a tradition of picture Bibles beginning probably with Saint Ansgar, and a common printed block-book in the later Middle Ages to visualize the typological correspondences between the Old  and New Testaments. Bidh Crinna. A collection of Irish sayings or proverbs, edited and translated by Norwegian linguist Carl J. S. Marstander (1883–1965). In "Ériu," Volume V (1911), pp. 126–143. Biel, Gabriel. Gabriel Biel (c. 1425 – 1495) was a German scholastic philosopher. Birgitta of Sweden. Saint Birgitta of Sweden (c. 1303 – 1373), known as Bridget Birgersdotter, was a mystic and saint, and founder of the Bridgettines nuns and monks. Biskupa sügur. Biskupa sügur, or bishops' saga is a genre of 13th and 14th century Icelandic prose histories (sagas) dealing with bishops of Iceland. Blacman, John. John Blacman (c. 1407 – 1485 ) was an English Carthusian monk who wrote a biography of Henry VI of England. He also owned a large collection of manuscripts, some written in his own hand, consisting of patristic, academic, and devotional texts. Blancandin. Caxton's Blanchardyn and Eglantine c. 1489 (1890). From Lord Spencer's unique imperfect copy, completed by the original French and the second English version of 1595, edited by English lexicographer Leon Kellner (1859–1928). In Early English Text Society, "Extra Series" 58. From a work by English merchant and writer William Caxton (c. 1422 – c. 1491). Blickling homilies. The Blickling homilies are a collection  of anonymous homilies from 10th century Anglo-Saxon England. Written in Old English, they are among the oldest collections of sermons to survive from medieval England. Their name derives from Blickling Hall in Norfolk which once housed them. Boccaccio, Giovanni. Giovanni Boccaccio (1313–1375) was an Italian writer, poet, and correspondent of Petrarch, defined by some as the greatest European prose writer of his time. His most notable works are "The Decameron", "De Mulieribus Claris" (On Famous Women) and "Genealogia deorum gentilium libri." Boekske (Dit Boecxken). A literal translation into English of the earliest known book of fowling and fishing (1492 ). Written Originally in Flemish and Printed at Antwerp in the Year 1492. Translated by Alfred Denison. Beothius. Boethius, known as Anicius Manlius Severinus Boëthius (c. 477 – 524), was a Roman senator and philosopher. His major works include the Consolation of Philosophy and "Opuscula sacra" (Theological Tracts) Bojardo, Matteo Maria. Matteo Maria Bojardo (Boiardo) (1440–1494) was an Italian Renaissance poet, best known for his epic poem "Orlando innamorato". Bonatti, Guido. Guido Bonatti (Bonatus) (died between 1296 and 1300) was an Italian mathematician, astronomer and celebrated astrologer. Bonatti was advisor of Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor. Bonaventura. Saint Bonaventure, or Bonaventura (1221–1274 ), born Giovanni di Fidanza, was an Italian Franciscan, scholastic theologian and philosopher. Bonfils, Immanuel ben Jacob. Immanuel ben Jacob Bonfils (c. 1300 – 1377) was a French-Jewish rabbi, mathematician and astronomer who is credited with inventing the system of decimal fractions. Boniface. Saint Boniface (Bonifacius, Winfrid) (c. 675 – 754), the apostle of Germany, was a leading figure in the Anglo-Saxon mission to the Germanic parts of the Frankish Empire during the 8th century. Bontier, Pierre. Pierre Bontier (15th century) was a French cleric. Bontier traveled with fellow cleric Jean Le Verrier and recorded the "Conquista Betancuriana", the conquest of  the Canary Islands in 1402 by the French knights Jean de Bethencourt (1362–1425) and Gadifer de la Salle (1340 –1415). Bonvesin da Riva. Bonvesin da la Riva (c. 1240 – c. 1313) was a Milanese lay member of the "Ordine degli Umiliati" (Order of the Humble Ones), a teacher of Latin grammar and a notable Lombard poet and writer of the 13th century. Book of Ballymote. The Book of Ballymote ("Leabhar Bhaile an Mhóta"), is a manuscript compilation of the late 14th century, with contents including genealogy, the "Auraicept na n-Éces", "Lebor Gabála Érenn and Dinnshenchas Érenn." Book of Enoch . The Book of Enoch (Henoch) is an ancient Hebrew apocalyptic religious text, ascribed to Enoch, the great-grandfather of Noah. Enoch contains unique material on the origins of demons and Nephilim, why some angels fell from heaven, an explanation of why the Genesis flood was morally necessary, and prophetic exposition of the thousand-year reign of the Messiah. Book of Hierotheus. The "Book of Hierotheus" is probably an original Syriac work, but previously claimed to have been composed in the 1st century AD, by a certain Hierotheus, but most Syriac writers who mention it attribute it to Syrian mystical writer  Stephen Bar Sudhaile (c. 500 – c. 550). Book of Lecan. The (Great) Book of Lecan, "Leabhar (Mór) Leacáin," is a medieval Irish manuscript written between 1397 and 1418. Book of Lecan, Yellow. The Yellow Book of Lecan ("Leabhar Buidhe Leacáin") is a late medieval Irish manuscript containing much of the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology, Book of Leinster. The Book of Leinster ("Lebor Laignech") is a medieval Irish manuscript compiled c. 1160. Book of Lismore. The Book of Lismore (15th century) also known as the Book of Mac Carthaigh Riabhach, is a Gaelic manuscript that was created for Fínghean Mac  Carthaigh (1478–1505). Book of Rights. "Lebor na Cert", or the Book of Rights, is a book of Early Irish laws, from medieval Ireland. The text details the rents and taxes paid by the King of Cashel, to various others in Ireland. Both the Book of Lecan and the Book of Ballymote contain copies of the work. Book of the Himyarites. The Book of the Himyarites, written in Syriac, deals with the growth of Christianity in Arabia and the troubles between the Abyssinians and the Himyarite kingdom of Yemen in the 6th century. Bordeaux pilgrim. The Bordeaux pilgrim was an anonymous  pilgrim from Burdigala who wrote the "Itinerarium Hierosolymitanum", the oldest known Christian "itinerarium". Bóroma. The Bóroma (12th century) is an Irish text with a translation by Celtic scholar Whitley Stokes (1830–1909). In "Revue celtique," XIII (1892), pp. 32–124. Text from the Book of Leinster, supplemented by the Book of Lecan. The tale tells how an overking of Ireland in the second century imposed on Leinster, as punishment [an "eric"] for the death of his two daughters, a heavy tribute called "Boroma". For five hundred years the people of Leinster struggled against payment of the tribute, when one of their saints  stopped it through verbal trickery. Bracton, Henry de. Henry de Bracton (c. 1210 – c. 1268) was an English cleric and jurist. Brant, Sebastian. Sebastian Brant, or Brandt (1458–1521), was a German humanist and satirist, known for his satire "Das Narrenschiff" (The Ship of Fools). Brendan. Saint Brendan of Clonfert (c. 484 – c. 577), called the Voyager, is one of the early Irish monastic saints. He was one of the Twelve Apostles of Erin. Brewyn, William. William Brewyn of Canterbury (fl. 1470) was a pilgrim who spent considerable time in Rome, writing a guidebook for travelers. Sections of Brewyn’s book  are taken from other works, including saints’ lives from Jacobus de Voragine’s "Legenda aurea" and geographical notes from the "Polychronicon" of Ranulf Higden. The book's index includes an itinerary of Jerusalem and the Holy Land, but the pages on that subject have been excised from the only known copy, resident at the Library of Canterbury Cathedral. Breydenbach, Bernhard von. Bernhard von Breidenbach (c. 1440 – 1497) was a German politician who wrote "Peregrinatio in terram sanctam" on his travels to the Holy Land. Brigit. Saint Brigit, or Brigid of Kildare (c.  451 – 525), was an early Irish Christian nun , abbess, and foundress of several monasteries of nuns, including that of Kildare in Ireland. She is one of Ireland's patron saints, along with Saint Patrick and Saint Columba. Britton. Britton (c. 1290) is the earliest summary of the law of England in French, purportedly to have been written by command of Edward I of England. Brunanburh. The Battle of Brunanburh is an Old English poem, found under year 937 in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (cf. Wikisource, ). The poem records the battle of Brunanburh fought between Æthelstan's English army and a combined army of Scots, Vikings, and Britons. Bruni , Leonardo Arentino. Leonardo Arentino Bruni, also known as Lionardo Bruni Aretino (c. 1370 – 1444), was an Italian humanist, historian and statesman. Brunschwig, Hieronymus. Hieronymus Brunschwig (c. 1450 – c. 1512) was a German surgeon, alchemist and botanist. He was notable for his work on the treatment of gunshot wounds and on distillation techniques. Brut chronicle. The Brut chronicle (Prose Brut) refers to a number of medieval chronicles of the history of England. The original "Prose" "Brut" was written in Anglo-Norman and translated into Latin and English. The chronicle begins with the mythological founding of Britain by Brutus of Troy. The  first Anglo-Norman versions end with the death of Henry III of England in 1272 and later versions extend the narrative. Brut y Tywysogion. Brut y Tywysogion (Chronicle of the Princes) is one of the primary sources for Welsh history and is an annalistic chronicle that serves as a continuation of Geoffrey of Monmouth’s "Historia Regum Britanniae". One of the more important versions version covers the period 682–1332. Brychan documents. The genealogy of Brychan Brycheiniog, a legendary 5th-century king of Brycheiniog. Bryene, Dame Alice de. Dame Alice de Bryene (died 1435) was an English noblewoman who owned estates  in Suffolk and was present at the court of Richard II of England. Buile Suibhne Geilt. Buile Shuibhne (Suibhne's Frenzy) is an old Irish tale about Suibhne mac Colmáin, king of the Dál nAraidi. Driven insane by the curse of Saint Rónán Finn, Suibhne left the battle of Magh Rath, fought in 637, and entered a life of wandering, earning him the nickname Suibhne Geilt (Suibhne the Madman). Burchard, Johann. Johann Burchard (c. 1450 – 1506), bishop of Orte and Cività Castellana, was a German priest and chronicler who spent his entire career at the papal courts, serving as pontifical  Master of Ceremonies. Burchard of Mount Sion. Burchard of Mount Sion (fl. 1283) was a German friar who took a pilgrimage to the Holy Land from 1274-1284 and documented his travels in "Descriptio Terrae Sanctae" (Description of the Holy Land), one of the last detailed accounts prior to 1291. Busch, Johann. Johann Busch (1399–1480) was a reformer and provost of a community of Canons Regular. Butzbach, Johannes. Johannes Butzbach (1477–1526), a wandering scholar (vagante). Buzurg ibn Shahriyār, al-Rām-Hurmuzi. Buzurg Ibn Shahriyar of Ramhormuz (10th century) was a Muslim traveler, sailor, cartographer and geographer born in Khuzistan. In  953 he completed a collection of narratives from Muslim sailors called "Ajaib al-Hind" (The wonders of India). Byrhtferth. Byrhtferth (c.  970 – c. 1020) was a mathematician and monk (in priest's orders) who lived at Ramsey Abbey, studying under Abbo of Fleury. He wrote many computistic, hagiographic, and scientific works.