Beowulf (Bilingual Edition)

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Beowulf (Bilingual Edition) Page 11

by Seamus Heaney


  sē þe of flān-bogan fyrenum scēoteð.

  Þonne bið on hreþre under helm drepen

  biteran strǣle— him bebeorgan ne con—

  wōm wundor-bebodum wergan gāstes.

  Þinceð him tō lȳtel þæt hē tō lange hēold;

  gȳtsað grom-hȳdig, nallas on gylp seleð

  1750

  fǣtte bēagas; ond hē þā forð-gesceaft

  forgyteð ond forgȳmeð, þæs þe him ǣr God sealde,

  wuldres Waldend, weorð-mynda dǣl.

  Hit on ende-stæf eft gelimpeð,

  þæt se līc-homa lǣne gedrēoseð,

  fǣge gefealleð; fēhð ōþer tō,

  sē þe unmurnlīce mādmas dǣleþ

  eorles ǣr-gestrēon, egesan ne gȳmeð.

  Bebeorh þē ðone bealo-nīð, Bēowulf lēofa,

  secg betsta, ond þē þæt sēlre gecēos,

  1760

  ēce rǣdas; ofer-hȳda ne gȳm,

  mǣre cempa! Nū is þines mægnes blǣd

  āne hwīle; eft sōna bið

  þæt þec ādl oððe ecg eafoþes getwǣfeð,

  oððe fȳres feng oððe flōdes wylm

  oððe gripe mēces oððe gāres fliht

  oððe atol yldo, oððe ēagena bearhtm

  forsiteð ond forsworceð; semninga bið,

  þæt ðec, dryht-guma, dēað oferswȳðeð.

  “Swā ic Hring-Dena hund missēra

  1770

  wēold under wolcnum, ond hig wigge belēac

  manigum mǣgþa geond þysne middan-geard,

  æscum ond ecgum, þæt ic mē ǣnigne

  under swegles begong gesacan ne tealde.

  Hwæt mē þæs on ēþle edwenden cwōm,

  gyrn æfter gomene, seoþðan Grendel wearð,

  eald-gewinna, ingenga mīn;

  ic þǣre sōcne singāles wæg

  mōd-ceare micle. Þæs sig Metode þanc,

  ēcean Dryhtne, þæs ðe ic on aldre gebād,

  1780

  þæt ic on þone hafelan heoro-drēorigne

  ofer eald gewin ēagum starige!

  Gā nū tō setle, symbel-wynne drēoh,

  wīg-geweorþad; unc sceal worn fela

  māþma gemǣnra, siþðan morgen bið.”

  Gēat wæs glæd-mōd, gēong sōna tō,

  setles nēosan, swā se snottra heht.

  Þā wæs eft swā ǣr ellen-rōfum,

  flet-sittendum fægere gereorded

  nīowan stefne. Niht-helm geswearc

  1790

  deorc ofer dryht-gumum. Duguð eal ārās;

  wolde blonden-feax beddes nēosan,

  gamela Scylding. Gēat unigmetes wēl,

  rōfne rand-wigan, restan lyste.

  Sōna him sele-þegn sīðes wērgum,

  feorran-cundum forð wīsade,

  sē for andrysnum ealle beweotede

  þegnes þearfe, swylce þȳ dōgore

  heaþo-līðende habban scoldon.

  Reste hine þā rūm-heort; reced hlīuade

  1800

  gēap ond gold-fāh; gæst inne swæf,

  oþþæt hrefn blaca heofones wynne

  blīð-heort bodode. Đā cōm beorht scacan

  scīma æfter sceadwe. Scaþan ōnetton,

  wǣron æþelingas eft tō lēodum

  fūse tō farenne; wolde feor þanon

  cuma collen-ferhð cēoles nēosan.

  Heht þā se hearda Hrunting beran

  sunu Ecglāfes, heht his sweord niman,

  lēoflīc īren; sægde him þæs lēanes þanc,

  1810

  cwæð, hē þone gūð-wine gōdne tealde,

  wīg-cræftigne, nales wordum lōg

  mēces ecge: þæt wæs mōdig secg.

  Ond þā sīð-frome, searwum gearwe

  wīgend wǣron; ēode weorð Denum

  æþeling tō yppan, þǣr se ōþer wæs,

  hæle hilde-dēor Hrōðgār grētte.

  Bēowulf maþelode, bearn Ecgþēowes:

  “Nū wē sǣ-līðend secgan wyllað,

  feorran cumene, þæt wē fundiaþ

  1820

  Higelāc sēcan. Wǣron hēr tela,

  willum bewenede; þū ūs wēl dohtest.

  Gif ic þonne on eorþan ōwihte mæg

  þīnre mōd-lufan māran tilian,

  gumena dryhten, ðonne ic gȳt dyde,

  gūð-geweorca, ic bēo gearo sōna.

  Gif ic þæt gefricge ofer flōda begang,

  þæt þec ymb-sittend egesan þȳwað,

  swā þec hetende hwīlum dydon,

  ic ðē þūsenda þegna bringe,

  1830

  hæleþa tō helpe. Ic on Higelāc wāt,

  Gēata dryhten, þēah ðe hē geong sȳ,

  folces hyrde, þæt hē mec fremman wile

  wordum ond weorcum, þæt ic þē wēl herige

  ond þē tō gēoce gār-holt bere,

  mægenes fultum, þǣr ðē bið manna þearf.

  Gif him þonne Hreþric to hofum Geata

  geþingeð, þēodnes bearn, hē mæg þǣr fela

  frēonda findan; feor-cȳþðe bēoð

  sēlran gesōhte þǣm þe him selfa dēah.”

  1840

  Hrōðgār maþelode him on andsware:

  “Þē þā word-cwydas wigtig Drihten

  on sefan sende; ne hȳrde ic snotorlīcor

  on swā geongum feore guman þingian.

  Þū eart mægenes strang ond on mōde frōd,

  wīs word-cwida. Wēn ic talige,

  gif þæt gegangeð, þæt ðe gār nymeð,

  hild heoru-grimme Hrēþles eaferan,

  ādl oþðe īren ealdor ðīnne,

  folces hyrde, ond þū þīn feorh hafast,

  1850

  þæt þē Sǣ-Gēatas sēlran næbben

  tō gecēosenne cyning ǣnigne,

  hord-weard hæleþa, gyf þū healdan wylt

  māga rīce. Mē þīn mōd-sefa

  līcað leng swā wēl, lēofa Bēowulf.

  Hafast þū gefēred þæt þām folcum sceal,

  Gēata lēodum ond Gār-Denum,

  sib gemǣne ond sacu restan,

  inwit-nīþas, þē hīe ǣr drugon,

  wesan, þenden ic wealde wīdan rīces,

  1860

  māþmas gemǣne, manig ōþerne

  gōdum gegrēttan ofer ganotes bæð;

  sceal hring-naca ofer heafu bringan

  lāc ond luf-tācen. Ic þā lēode wāt

  gē wið fēond gē wið frēond fæste geworhte,

  ǣghwæs untǣle ealde wīsan.”

  Đā gīt him eorla hlēo inne gesealde,

  mago Healfdenes māþmas twelfe,

  hēt hine mid þǣm lācum lēode swǣse

  sēcean on gesyntum, snūde eft cuman.

  1870

  Gecyste þā cyning æþelum gōd,

  þēoden Scyldinga ðegn betstan

  ond be healse genam; hruron him tēaras,

  blonden-feaxum. Him wæs bēga wēn,

  ealdum, infrōdum, ōþres swīðor,

  þæt hīe seoððan nā gesēon mōston,

  mōdige on meþle. Wæs him se man tō þon lēof,

  þæt hē þone brēost-wylm forberan ne mehte;

  ac him on hreþre hyge-bendum fæst

  æfter dēorum men dyrne langað

  1880

  beorn wið blōde. Him Bēowulf þanan,

  gūð-rinc gold-wlanc, græs-moldan træd,

  since hrēmig. Sǣ-genga bād

  āgend-frēan, sē þe on ancre rād.

  Þā wæs on gange gifu Hrōðgāres

  oft geæhted. Þæt wæs ān cyning,

  ǣghwæs orleahtre, oþþæt hine yldo benam

  mægenes wynnum sē þe oft mangeum scōd.

  Cwōm þā tō flōde fela-mōdigra

  hæg-stealdra hēap; hring-net bǣron,

  1890

  locene leoðo-syrcan. Land-weard onfand

  eft-sīð eorla, swā he ǣr dyde;

  nō hē mid hearm
e of hliðes nosan

  gæstas grētte, ac him tōgēanes rād;

  cwæð þæt wil-cuman Wedera lēodum

  scaþan scīr-hame tō scipe fōron.

  Þā wæs on sande sǣ-gēap naca

  hladen here-wǣdum, hringed-stefna

  mēarum ond māðmum; mæst hlīfade

  ofer Hrōðgāres hord-gestrēonum.

  1900

  Hē þǣm bāt-wearde bunden golde

  swurd gesealde, þæt hē syðþan wæs

  on meodu-bence māþme þȳ weorþra,

  yrfe-lāfe. Gewāt him on naca,

  drēfan dēop wæter, Dena land ofgeaf.

  Þā wæs be mæste mere-hrægla sum,

  segl sāle fæst; sund-wudu þunede;

  nō þǣr wēg-flotan wind ofer ȳðum

  sīðes getwǣfde. Sǣ-genga fōr,

  flēat fāmig-heals forð ofer ȳðe,

  1910

  bunden-stefna ofer brim-strēamas,

  þæt hīe Gēata clifu ongitan meahton,

  cūþe næssas; cēol up geþrang

  lyft-geswenced, on lande stōd.

  Hraþe wæs æt holme bȳð-weard geara,

  sē þe ǣr lange tīd lēofra manna

  fūs æt faroðe feor wlātode.

  Sǣlde tō sande sīd-fæþme scip

  oncer-bendum fæst, þȳ lǣs hym ȳþa ðrym

  wudu wynsuman forwrecan meahte.

  1920

  Hēt þā up beran æþelinga gestrēon,

  frætwe ond fǣt-gold; næs him feor þanon

  tō gesēcanne sinces bryttan,

  Higelāc Hrēþling, þǣr æt hām wunað

  selfa mid gesīðum sǣ-wealle nēah.

  Bold wæs betlīc, brego-rōf cyning,

  hēah on healle, Hygd swīðe geong,

  wīs, wēl-þungen, þēah ðe wintra lȳt

  under burh-locan gebiden hæbbe,

  Hæreþes dohtor; næs hīo hnāh swā þēah,

  1930

  nē tō gnēað gifa Gēata lēodum

  māþm-gestrēona; Mōdþrȳðo wæg

  fremu folces cwēn, firen’ ondrysne.

  Nǣnig þæt dorste dēor genēþan

  swǣsra gesīða, nefne sin-frēa,

  þæt hire an dæges ēagum starede;

  ac him wæl-bende weotode tealde,

  hand-gewriþene; hraþe seoþðan wæs

  æfter mund-gripe mēce geþinged,

  þæt hit sceāden-mǣl scȳran mōste,

  1940

  cwealm-bealu cȳðan. Ne bið swylc cwēnlīc þēaw

  idese tō efnanne, þēah ðe hīo ǣnlicu sȳ,

  þætte freoðu-webbe fēores onsǣce

  æfter lige-torne lēofne mannan.

  Hūru þæt onhōhsnode Hemminges mǣg.

  Ealo-drincende ōðer sǣdan,

  þæt hīo lēod-bealewa lǣs gefremede,

  inwit-nīða, syððan ǣrest wearð

  gyfen gold-hroden geongum cempan,

  æðelum dīore, syððan hīo Offan flet

  1950

  ofer fealone flōd be fæder lāre

  sīðe gesōhte. Đǣr hīo syððan well

  in gum-stōle, gōde mǣre,

  līf-gesceafta lifigende brēac,

  hīold hēah-lufan wið hæleþa brego,

  ealles mon-cynnes mīne gefrǣge

  þone sēlestan bī sǣm twēonum,

  eormen-cynnes. Forðām Offa wæs

  geofum ond gūðum, gār-cēne man

  wīde geweorðod; wīsdōme hēold

  1960

  ēðel sīnne. Þonon Ēomēr wōc

  hæleðum tō helpe, Hemminges mǣg,

  nefa Gārmundes, nīða cræftig.

  Gewāt him ðā se hearda mid his hond-scole

  sylf æfter sande sǣ-wong tredan,

  wīde waroðas; woruld-candel scān,

  sigel sūðan fūs. Hī sīð drugon,

  elne geēodon, tō ðæs ðe eorla hlēo,

  bonan Ongenþēoes burgum in innan,

  geongne gūð-cyning gōdne gefrūnon

  1970

  hringas dǣlan. Higelāce wæs

  sīð Bēowulfes snūde gecȳðed,

  þæt ðǣr on worðig wīgendra hlēo,

  lind-gestealla lifigende cwōm,

  heaðo-lāces hāl tō hofe gongan.

  Hraðe wæs gerȳmed, swā se rīca bebēad,

  fēðe-gestum flet innanweard.

 

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