Beowulf (Bilingual Edition)

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Beowulf (Bilingual Edition) Page 12

by Seamus Heaney


  Gesæt þā wið sylfne, sē ðā sæcce genæs,

  mǣg wið mǣge, syððan man-dryhten

  þurh hlēoðor-cwyde holdne gegrētte

  1980

  mēaglum wordum. Meodu-scencum

  hwearf geond þæt heal-reced Hæreðes dohtor,

  lufode ðā lēode, līð-wǣge bær

  Hǣðnum tō handa. Higelāc ongan

  sīnne geseldan in sele þām hēan

  fægre fricgcean; hyne fyrwet bræc,

  hwylce Sǣ-Gēata sīðas wǣron:

  “Hū lomp ēow on lāde, lēofa Bīowulf,

  þā ðū fǣringa feorr gehogodest

  sæcce sēcean ofer sealt wæter,

  1990

  hilde tō Hiorote? Ac ðū Hrōðgāre

  wīd-cūðne wēan wihte gebēttest,

  mǣrum ðēodne? Ic ðæs mōd-ceare

  sorh-wylmum sēað, sīðe ne truwode

  lēofes mannes. Ic ðē lange bæd,

  þæt ðū þone wæl-gǣst wihte ne grētte,

  lēte Sūð-Dene sylfe geweorðan

  gūðe wið Grendel. Gode ic þanc secge,

  þæs ðe ic ðē gesundne gesēon mōste.”

  Bīowulf maðelode, bearn Ecgðīoes:

  2000

  “Þæt is undyrne, dryhten Higelāc,

  mǣru gemēting monegum fīra,

  hwylc orleg-hwīl uncer Grendles

  wearð on ðām wange, þǣr hē worna fela

  Sige-Scyldingum sorge gefremede,

  yrmðe tō aldre; ic ðæt eall gewræc,

  swā begylpan ne þearf Grendeles māga

  ǣnig ofer eorðan ūht-hlem þone,

  sē ðe lengest leofað lāðan cynnes,

  fācne bifongen. Ic ðǣr furðum cwōm

  2010

  tō ðām hring-sele Hrōðgār grētan;

  sōna mē se mǣra mago Healfdenes,

  syððan hē mōd-sefan mīnne cūðe,

  wið his sylfes sunu setl getǣhte.

  Weorod wæs on wynne: ne seah ic wīdan feorh

  under heofones hwealf heal-sittendra

  medu-drēam māran. Hwīlum mǣru cwēn,

  friðu-sibb folca, flet eall geondhwearf,

  bǣdde byre geonge; oft hīo bēah-wriðan

  secge sealde, ǣr hīe tō setle gēong;

  2020

  hwīlum for duguðe dohtor Hrōðgāres

  eorlum on ende ealu-wǣge bær,

  þā ic Frēaware flet-sittende

  nemnan hȳrde, þǣr hīo nægled-sinc

  hæleðum sealde. Sīo gehāten is

  geong, gold-hroden, gladum suna Frōdan;

  hafað þæs geworden wine Scyldinga,

  rīces hyrde, ond þæt rǣd talað

  þæt hē mid ðȳ wīfe wæl-fǣhða dǣl,

  sæcca gesette. Oft seldan hwǣr

  2030

  æfter lēod-hryre lȳtle hwīle

  bon-gār būgeð, þēah sēo brȳd duge!

  “Mæg þæs þonne ofþyncan ðēodne Heaðobeardna

  ond þegna gehwām þāra lēoda,

  þonne hē mid fǣmnan on flett gǣð

  dryht-bearn Dena, duguða biwenede.

  On him gladiað gomelra lāfe,

  heard ond hring-mǣl Heaðabeardna gestrēon,

  þenden hīe ðam wǣpnum wealdan mōston,

  oððæt hīe forlǣddan tō ðām lind-plegan

  2040

  swǣse gesīðas ond hyra sylfra feorh.

  Þonne cwið æt bēore, sē þe bēah gesyhð,

  eald æsc-wiga, sē ðe eall geman

  gār-cwealm gumena —him bið grim sefa—

  onginneð geōmor-mōd geongum cempan

  þurh hreðra gehygd, higes cunnian,

  wīg-bealu weccean, ond þæt word ācwyð:

  “ ‘Meaht ðū, mīn wine, mēce gecnāwan,

  þone þīn fæder tō gefeohte bær

  under here-grīman hindeman sīðe,

  2050

  dȳre īren, þǣr hyne Dene slōgon,

  wēoldon wæl-stōwe, syððan Wiðergyld læg,

  æfter hæleþa hryre, hwate Scyldungas?

  Nū hēr þāra banena byre nāt-hwylces

  frætwum hrēmig on flet gǣð,

  morðres gylpeð ond þone māðþum byreð,

  þone þe ðū mid rihte rǣdan sceoldest!’

  Manað swa ond myndgað mǣla gehwylce

  sārum wordum, oððæt sǣl cymeð,

  þæt se fǣmnan þegn fore fæder dǣdum

  2060

  æfter billes bite blōd-fāg swefeð,

  ealdres scyldig; him se ōðer þonan

  losað lifigende, con him land geare.

  Þonne bīoð ābrocene on bā healfe

  āð-sweorð eorla; syððan Ingelde

  weallað wæl-nīðas ond him wīf-lufan

  æfter cear-wælmum cōlran weorðað.

  Þȳ ic Heaðobeardna hyldo ne telge,

  dryht-sibbe dǣl Denum unfǣcne,

  frēondscipe fæstne.

  Ic sceal forð sprecan,

  2070

  gēn ymbe Grendel, þæt ðū geare cunne,

  sinces brytta, tō hwan syððan wearð

  hond-rǣs hæleða. Syððan heofones gim

  glād ofer grundas, gǣst yrre cwōm,

  eatol ǣfen-grom, ūser nēosan,

  ðǣr wē gesunde sæl weardodon.

  Þǣr wæs Hondsciō hild onsǣge,

  feorh-bealu fǣgum; hē fyrmest læg,

  gyrded cempa; him Grendel wearð,

  mǣrum magu-þegne, tō mūð-bonan,

  2080

  lēofes mannes līc eall forswealg.

  Nō ðȳ ǣr ūt ðā gēn īdel-hende

  bona blōdig-tōð bealewa gemyndig,

  of ðām gold-sele gongan wolde,

  ac hē mægnes rōf mīn costode,

  grāpode gearo-folm. Glōf hangode

  sīd ond syllīc, searo-bendum fæst;

  sīo wæs orðoncum eall gegyrwed,

  dēofles cræftum ond dracan fellum.

  Hē mec þǣr on innan unsynnigne,

  2090

  dīor dǣd-fruma, gedōn wolde

  manigra sumne; hyt ne mihte swā,

  syððan ic on yrre upp-riht āstōd.

  Tō lang ys tō reccenne, hū ic ðām lēod-sceaðan

  yfla gehwylces ondlēan forgeald,

  þǣr ic, þēoden mīn, þīne lēode

  weorðode weorcum. Hē on weg losade,

  lȳtle hwīle līf-wynna brēac;

  hwæþre him sīo swīðre swaðe weardade

  hand on Hiorte, ond hē hēan ðonan,

  2100

  mōdes geōmor mere-grund gefēoll.

  “Mē þone wæl-rǣs wine Scildunga

  fǣttan golde fela lēanode,

  manegum māðmum, syððan mergen cōm

  ond wē tō symble geseten hæfdon.

  Þǣr wæs gidd ond glēo; gomela Scilding,

  fela fricgende, feorran rehte;

  hwīlum hilde-dēor hearpan wynne,

  gomen-wudu grētte, hwīlum gyd āwræc

  sōð ond sārlīc, hwīlum syllīc spell

  2110

  rehte æfter rihte rūm-heort cyning;

  hwīlum eft ongan eldo gebunden

  gomel gūð-wiga gioguðe cwīðan,

  hilde-strengo; hreðer inne wēoll,

  þonne hē wintrum frōd worn gemunde.

  “Swā wē þǣr inne andlangne dæg

  nīode nāman, oððæt niht becwōm

  ōðer tō yldum. Þā wæs eft hraðe

  gearo gyrn-wræce Grendeles mōdor,

  sīðode sorh-full; sunu dēað fornam,

  2120

  wīg-hete Wedra. Wīf unhȳre

  hyre bearn gewræc, beorn ācwealde

  ellenlīce; þǣr wæs Æschere,

  frōdan fyrn-witan, feorh ūðgenge.

  Nōðer hȳ hine ne mōston, syððan mergen cwōm,

  dēað-wērigne, Denia lēode

  bronde forbærnan, nē on bǣl hladan


  lēofne mannan; hīo þæt līc ætbær

  fēondes fæðmum under firgen-strēam.

  Þæt wæs Hrōðgāre hrēowa tornost,

  2130

  þāra þe lēod-fruman lange begēate.

  Þā se ðēoden mec ðīne līfe

  healsode hrēoh-mōd, þæt ic on holma geþring

  eorlscipe efnde, ealdre genēðde,

  mǣrðo fremede; hē mē mēde gehēt.

  Ic ðā ðæs wælmes, þē is wīde cūð,

  grimne gryrelīcne grund-hyrde fond.

  Þǣr unc hwīle wæs hand gemǣne;

  holm heolfre wēoll, ond ic hēafde becearf

  in ðām gūð-sele Grendeles mōdor

  2140

  ēacnum ecgum. Unsōfte þonan

  feorh oðferede; næs ic fǣge þā gȳt;

  ac mē eorla hlēo eft gesealde

  māðma menigeo, maga Healfdenes.

  “Swā se ðēod-kyning þēawum lyfde;

  nealles ic ðām lēanum forloren hæfde,

  mægnes mēde, ac hē mē māðmas geaf,

  sunu Healfdenes, on mīnne sylfes dōm;

  ðā ic ðē, beorn-cyning, bringan wylle,

  ēstum geȳwan. Gēn is eall æt ðē

  2150

  lissa gelong; ic lȳt hafo

  hēafod-māga, nefne Hygelāc ðec!”

  Hēt ðā in beran eafor, hēafod-segn,

  heaðo-stēapne helm, hāre byrnan,

  gūð-sweord geatolīc, gyd æfter wræc:

  “Mē ðis hilde-sceorp Hrōðgār sealde,

  snotra fengel; sume worde hēt,

  þæt ic his ǣrest ðē ēst gesægde:

  cwæð þæt hyt hæfde Hiorogār cyning,

  lēod Scyldunga, lange hwīle.

  2160

  Nō ðȳ ǣr suna sīnum syllan wolde,

  hwatum Heorowearde, þēah hē him hold wǣre,

  brēost-gewǣdu. Brūc ealles well!”

  Hȳrde ic, þæt þām frætwum fēower mēaras,

  lungre, gelīce lāst weardode,

  æppel-fealuwe; hē him ēst getēah

  mēara ond māðma. Swā sceal mǣg dōn,

  nealles inwit-net ōðrum bregdon

  dyrnum cræfte, dēað rēnian

  hond-gesteallan. Hygelāce wæs,

  2170

  nīða heardum, nefa swȳðe hold

  ond gehwæðer ōðrum hrōþra gemyndig.

  Hȳrde ic þæt hē ðone heals-bēah Hygde gesealde,

  wrǣtlīcne wundur-māððum, ðone þe him Wealhðēo

  geaf,

  ðēodnes dohtor, þrīo wicg somod

  swancor ond sadol-beorht; hyre syððan wæs

  æfter bēah-ðege breost geweorðod.

  Swā bealdode bearn Ecgðēowes,

  guma gūðum cūð, gōdum dǣdum,

  drēah æfter dōme, nealles druncne slōg

  2180

  heorð-genēatas; næs him hrēoh sefa,

  ac hē man-cynnes mǣste cræfte,

  gin-fæstan gife, þe him God sealde,

  hēold hilde-dēor. Hēan wæs lange,

  swā hyne Gēata bearn gōdne ne tealdon,

  nē hyne on medo-bence micles wyrðne

  drihten Wedera gedōn wolde;

  swȳðe wēndon, þæt hē slēac wǣre,

  æðeling unfrom. Edwenden cwōm

  tīr-ēadigum menn torna gehwylces.

  2190

  Hēt ðā eorla hlēo in gefetian,

  heaðo-rōf cyning, Hrēðles lāfe,

  golde gegyrede; næs mid Gēatum ðā

  sinc-māðþum sēlra on sweordes hād;

  þæt hē on Bīowulfes bearm ālegde,

  ond him gesealde seofan þūsendo,

  bold ond brego-stōl. Him wæs bām samod

  on ðām lēodscipe lond gecynde,

  eard, ēðel-riht, ōðrum swīðor,

  sīde rīce, þām ðǣr sēlra wæs.

  2200

  Eft þæt geīode ufaran dōgrum

  hilde-hlæmmum, syððan Hygelāc læg

  ond Heardrēde hilde-mēceas

  under bord-hrēoðan tō bonan wurdon,

  ðā hyne gesōhtan on sige-þēode

  hearde hild-frecan, Heaðo-Scilfingas,

  nīða genǣgdan nefan Hererīces:

  syððan Bēowulfe brāde rīce

  on hand gehwearf. Hē gehēold tela

 

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