TCG Letter #571 / Carpenter Letter #266

In this letter from Tolkien to his grandson, who was studying at St. Andrew's University, Tolkien apologizes that his translations of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Pearl were not in a finished state to be of use to him. He says that "it was very difficult to render verse into verse when translating", yet he felt that his version gave a reader a better feel for the poem’s impact.

Michael George gave a lecture at St. Andrew's in 1989 where he elaborated on this letter, much the same as the published form but with some minor differences. This can be read at https://www.michaeltolkien.com/page74.html