‘I’ll tell you a tale both noble and true/of the royal ranks of the Round Table…’ There is very little that Simon Armitage is not afraid to have a go at. Over the course of his career he has made his presence felt not only in the realm of poetry, but also in novels, radio plays, and translations. Less successful was the band he and a few friends formed a while back. ‘The Scaremongers’ appear to have been long forgotten (and Armitage is probably grateful for this), but his medieval translations are going from strength to strength.

The Death of King Arthur is a translation of the Alliterative Morte Arthure— a 4500 line poem written around in alliterative verse in 1400 by an anonymous poet from either the east-midlands or the north-east. The storyline is nigh on cinematic in the ambition of its scope. Arthur and his Knights, in defence of their land against the Roman Emperor Lucius Iberius, fight their way right to the gates of Rome, stopping only to turn their attention to a betrayal at home.

This might not be particularly exciting - if it were nor for the sheer vividness and pace of the translation. Battles rage, Arthur is beset by terrifying nightmares, and meanwhile Sir Mordred plots the betrayal that eventually leads to the protagonist’s death. If ever there was a medieval poem that has remained entertaining in the modern day— without the need to read a stack of textbooks in order to find it ‘fun’— this is certainly a good candidate, and a more than welcome addition to Armitage’s medieval translations.

Faber and Faber, £12.99, hardback