Beowulf (Bilingual Edition)

by Seamus Heaney

  nefne him wītig God wyrd forstōde

  ond ðæs mannes mōd. Metod eallum wēold

  gumena cynnes, swā hē nū gīt dēð.

  Forþan bið andgit ǣghwær sēlest,

  1060

  ferhðes fore-þanc. Fela sceal gebīdan

  lēofes ond lāþes, sē þe longe hēr

  on ðyssum win-dagum worolde brūceð.

  Þǣr wæs sang ond swēg samod ætgædere

  fore Healfdenes hilde-wīsan,

  gomen-wudu grēted, gid oft wrecen,

  ðonne heal-gamen Hrōþgāres scop

  æfter medo-bence mǣnan scolde:—

  Finnes eaferum, ðā hīe se fǣr begeat,

  hæleð Healf-Dena, Hnæf Scyldinga,

  1070

  in Frēs-wæle feallan scolde.

  Nē hūru Hildeburh herian þorfte

  eotena trēowe; unsynnum wearð

  beloren lēofum æt þām lind-plegan

  bearnum ond brōðrum; hīe on gebyrd hruron

  gāre wunde; þæt wæs geōmuru ides.

  Nalles hōlinga Hōces dohtor

  meotodsceaft bemearn, syþðan morgen cōm,

  ðā hēo under swegle gesēon meahte

  morþor-bealo māga, þǣr hēo ǣr mǣste hēold

  1080

  worolde wynne. Wīg ealle fornam

  Finnes þegnas, nemne fēaum ānum,

  þæt hē ne mehte on þǣm meðel-stede

  wīg Hengeste wiht gefeohtan,

  nē þā wēa-lāfe wīge forþringan,

  þēodnes ðegne; ac hig him geþingo budon,

  þæt hīe him ōðer flet eal gerȳmdon,

  healle ond hēah-setl, þæt hīe healfre geweald

  wið eotena bearn āgan mōston,

  ond æt feoh-gyftum Folcwaldan sunu

  1090

  dōgra gehwylce Dene weorþode,

  Hengestes hēap hringum wenede

  efne swā swīðe, sinc-gestrēonum

  fǣttan goldes, swā hē Frēsena cyn

  on bēor-sele byldan wolde.

  Đā hīe getruwedon on twā healfa

  fæste frioðu-wǣre. Fin Hengeste

  elne unflitme āðum benemde

  þæt hē þā wēa-lāfe weotena dōme

  ārum hēolde, þæt ðǣr ǣnig mon

  1100

  wordum nē worcum wǣre ne brǣce,

  nē þurh inwit-searo ǣfre gemǣnden,

  ðēah hīe hira bēag-gyfan banan folgedon

  ðēoden-lēase, þā him swā geþearfod wæs;

  gyf þonne Frȳsna hwylc frēcnen sprǣce

  ðæs morþor-hetes myndgiend wǣre,

  þonne hit sweordes ecg syððan scolde.

  Āð wæs geæfned, ond icge gold

  āhæfen of horde: Here-Scyldinga

  betst beado-rinca wæs on bǣl gearu.

  1110

  Æt þǣm āde wæs ēþ-gesȳne

  swāt-fāh syrce, swȳn eal-gylden,

  eofer īren-heard, æþeling manig

  wundum āwyrded; sume on wæle crungon.

  Hēt ðā Hildeburh æt Hnæfes āde

  hire selfre sunu sweoloðe befæstan,

  bān-fatu bærnan ond on bǣl dōn.

  Earme on eaxle ides gnornode,

  geōmrode giddum. Gūð-rinc āstāh;

  wand tō wolcnum wæl-fȳra mæst,

  1120

  hlynode for hlāwe; hafelan multon,

  bēn-geato burston, ðonne blōd ætspranc,

  lāð-bite līces. Līg ealle forswealg,

  gǣsta gīfrost, þāra ðe þǣr gūð fornam

  bēga folces; wæs hira blǣd scacen.

  Gewiton him ðā wīgend wīca nēosian

  frēondum befeallen, Frȳs-land gesēon,

  hāmas ond hēa-burh. Hengest ðā gȳt

  wæl-fāgne winter wunode mid Finne

  eal unhlitme; eard gemunde,

  1130

  þēah þe ne meahte on mere drīfan

  hringed-stefnan; holm storme wēol,

  won wið winde; winter ȳþe belēac

  īs-gebinde, oþðæt ōþer cōm

  gēar in geardas, swā nū gȳt dēð,

  þā ðe syngāles sēle bewitiað,

  wuldor-torhtan weder. Đā wæs winter scacen,

  fæger foldan bearm; fundode wrecca,

  gist of geardum; hē tō gyrn-wræce

  swīðor þōhte þonne tō sǣ-lāde,

  1140

  gif hē torn-gemōt þurhtēon mihte,

  þæt hē eotena bearn inne gemunde.

  Swā hē ne forwyrnde worold-rǣdenne,

  þonne him Hūnlāfing hilde-lēoman,

  billa sēlest, on bearm dyde,

  þæs wǣron mid eotenum ecge cūðe.

  Swylce ferhð-frecan Fin eft begeat

  sweord-bealo slīðen æt his selfes hām,

  siþðan grimne gripe Gūðlāf ond Ōslāf

  æfter sǣ-sīðe sorge mǣndon,

  1150

  ætwiton wēana dǣl; ne meahte wǣfre mōd

  forhabban in hreþre. Đā wæs heal roden

  fēonda fēorum, swilce Fin slægen,

  cyning on corþre, ond sēo cwēn numen.

  Scēotend Scyldinga tō scypon feredon

  eal in-gesteald eorð-cyninges,

  swylce hīe æt Finnes hām findan meahton

  sigla, searo-gimma. Hīe on sǣ-lāde

  drihtlīce wīf tō Denum feredon,

  lǣddon tō lēodum.

  Lēoð wæs āsungen,

  1160

  glēo-mannes gyd. Gamen eft āstāh,

  beorhtode benc-swēg, byrelas sealdon

  wīn of wunder-fatum. Þā cwōm Wealhþēo forð

  gān under gyldnum bēage, þǣr þā gōdan twēgen

  sǣton suhterge-fæderan; þā gȳt wæs hiera sib ætgædere,

  ǣghwylc ōðrum trȳwe. Swylce þǣr Unferþ þyle

  æt fōtum sæt frēan Scyldinga; gehwylc hiora his ferhþe

  trēowde,

  þæt hē hæfde mōd micel, þēah þe hē his māgum nǣre

  ār-fæst æt ecga gelācum. Spræc ðā ides Scyldinga:

  “Onfōh þissum fulle, frēo-drihten mīn,

  1170

  sinces brytta; þū on sǣlum wes,

  gold-wine gumena, ond tō Gēatum spræc

  mildum wordum, swā sceal man dōn;

  bēo wið Gēatas glæd, geofena gemyndig,

  nēan ond feorran þū nū hafast.

  Mē man sægde, þæt þū ðē for sunu wolde

  here-rinc habban. Heorot is gefǣlsod,

  bēah-sele beorhta; brūc, þenden þū mōte,

  manigra mēdo, ond þīnum māgum lǣf

  folc ond rīce, þonne ðū forð scyle,

  1180

  metodsceaft sēon. Ic mīnne can

  glædne Hrōþulf, þæt hē þā geogoðe wile

  ārum healdan, gyf þū ǣr þonne hē,

  wine Scildinga, worold oflǣtest;

  wēne ic þæt hē mid gōde gyldan wille

  uncran eaferan, gif hē þæt eal gemon,

  hwæt wit tō willan ond tō worð-myndum

  umbor-wesendum ǣr ārna gefremedon.”

  Hwearf þā bī bence, þǣr hyre byre wǣron,

  Hrēðrīc ond Hrōðmund, ond hæleþa bearn,

  1190

  giogoð ætgædere; þǣr se gōda sæt,

  Bēowulf Gēata be þēam gebrōðrum twǣm.

  Him wæs ful boren ond frēond-laþu

  wordum bewægned, ond wunden gold

  ēstum geēawed, earm-rēade twā,

  hrægl ond hringas, heals-bēaga mǣst

  þāra þe ic on foldan gefrægen hæbbe.

  Nǣnigne ic under swegle sēlran hȳrde

  hord-māððum hæleþa, syþðan Hāma ætwæg

  tō þēre byrhtan byrig Brōsinga mene,

  1200

  sigle ond sinc-fæt; searo-nīðas flēah

  Eormenrīces; gecēas ēcne rǣd.

  Þone hring hæfde Higelāc Gēata,

&n
bsp; nefa Swertinges, nȳhstan sīðe,

  sīðþan hē under segne sinc ealgode,

  wæl-rēaf werede; hyne wyrd fornam,

  syþðan hē for wlenco wēan āhsode,

  fǣhðe tō Frȳsum. Hē þā frætwe wæg,

  eorclan-stānas ofer ȳða ful,

  rīce þēoden; hē under rande gecranc.

  1210

  Gehwearf þā in Francna fæþm feorh cyninges,

  brēost-gewǣdu ond se bēah somod;

  wyrsan wīg-frecan wæl rēafeden

  æfter gūð-sceare; Gēata lēode

  hrēa-wīc hēoldon. Heal swēge onfēng.

  Wealhðēo maþelode, hēo fore þǣm werede spræc:

  “Brūc ðisses bēages, Bēowulf lēofa,

  hyse, mid hǣle, ond þisses hrægles nēot,

  þēod-gestrēona, ond geþēoh tela;

  cen þec mid cræfte, ond þyssum cnyhtum wes

  1220

  lāra līðe; ic þē þæs lēan geman.

  Hafast þū gefēred, þæt ðē feor ond nēah

  ealne wīde-ferhþ weras ehtigað,

  efne swā sīde swā sǣ bebūgeð

  wind-geard, weallas. Wes, þenden þū lifige,

  æþeling, ēadig! Ic þē an tela

  sinc-gestrēona. Bēo þū suna mīnum

  dǣdum gedēfe, drēam-healdende!

  Hēr is ǣghwylc eorl ōþrum getrȳwe,

  mōdes milde, man-drihtne hold;

  1230

  þegnas syndon geþwǣre, þēod eal-gearo,

  druncne dryht-guman dōð swā ic bidde.”

  Ēode þā tō setle. Þǣr wæs symbla cyst,

  druncon wīn weras; wyrd ne cūþon,

  geōsceaft grimme, swā hit āgangen wearð

  eorla manegum, syþðan ǣfen cwōm,

  ond him Hrōþgār gewāt tō hofe sīnum,

  rīce tō ræste. Reced weardode

  unrīm eorla, swā hīe oft ǣr dydon;

  benc-þelu beredon; hit geondbrǣded wearð

  1240

  beddum ond bolstrum. Bēor-scealca sum

  fūs ond fǣge flet-ræste gebēag.

  Setton him tō hēafdon hilde-randas,

  bord-wudu beorhtan. Þǣr on bence wæs

  ofer æþelinge ȳþ-gesēne

  heaþo-stēapa helm, hringed byrne,

  þrec-wudu þrymlīc. Wæs þēaw hyra,

  þæt hīe oft wǣron an wīg gearwe,

  gē æt hām gē on herge, gē gehwæþer þāra

  efne swylce mǣla, swylce hira man-dryhtne

  1250

  þearf gesǣlde; wæs sēo þēod tilu.

  Sigon þā tō slǣpe. Sum sāre angeald

  ǣfen-ræste, swā him ful oft gelamp

  siþðan gold-sele Grendel warode,

  unriht æfnde, oþþæt ende becwōm,

  swylt æfter synnum. Þæt gesȳne wearþ,

  wīd-cūþ werum, þætte wrecend þā gȳt

  lifde æfter lāþum, lange þrāge,

  æfter gūð-ceare. Grendles mōdor,

  ides, āglǣc-wīf yrmþe gemunde,

  1260

  sē þe wæter-egesan wunian scolde,

  cealde strēamas, siþðan Cain wearð

  tō ecg-banan āngan brēþer,

  fæderen-mǣge; hē þā fāg gewāt,

  morþre gemearcod, man-drēam flēon,

  wēsten warode. Þanon wōc fela

  geōsceaft-gāsta; wæs þǣra Grendel sum

  heoro-wearh hetelīc, sē æt Heorote fand

  wæccendne wer wīges bīdan.

  Þǣr him āglǣca ætgrǣpe wearð;

  1270

  hwæþre hē gemunde mægenes strenge,

  gim-fæste gife, ðe him God sealde,

  ond him tō An-waldan āre gelȳfde,

  frōfre ond fultum; ðȳ hē þone fēond ofercwōm,

  gehnǣgde helle-gāst. Þā hē hēan gewāt,

  drēame bedǣled dēaþ-wīc sēon,

  man-cynnes fēond. Ond his mōdor þā gȳt

  gīfre ond galg-mōd gegān wolde

  sorh-fulne sīð, sunu dēoð wrecan.

  Cōm þā tō Heorote, ðær Hring-Dene

  1280

  geond þæt sæld swǣfun. Þā ðǣr sōna wearð

  edhwyrft eorlum siþðan inne fealh

  Grendles mōdor. Wæs se gryre lǣssa

  efne swā micle, swā bið mægþa cræft,

  wīg-gryre wīfes, be wǣpned-men