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Beowulf - Delphi Poets Series

Page 33

by Beowulf


  gumena cynnes, swā hē nū gīt dēð;

  1060 forþan bið andgit ǣghwǣr sēlest,

  ferhðes fore-þanc! fela sceal gebīdan

  lēofes and lāðes, sē þe longe hēr

  on þyssum win-dagum worolde brūceð.

  Þǣr wæs sang and swēg samod ætgædere

  1065 fore Healfdenes hilde-wīsan,

  gomen-wudu grēted, gid oft wrecen,

  þonne heal-gamen Hrōðgāres scop

  æfter medo-bence mǣnan scolde

  Finnes eaferum, þā hīe se fǣr begeat:

  1070 “Hæleð Healfdenes, Hnæf Scyldinga,

  “in Fr..es wæle feallan scolde.

  “Nē hūru Hildeburh herian þorfte

  “Eotena trēowe: unsynnum wearð

  “beloren lēofum æt þām lind-plegan

  1075 “bearnum and brōðrum; hīe on gebyrd hruron

  “gāre wunde; þæt wæs geōmuru ides.

  “Nalles hōlinga Hōces dōhtor

  “meotod-sceaft bemearn, syððan morgen cōm,

  “þā hēo under swegle gesēon meahte

  1080 “morðor-bealo māga, þǣr hēo ǣr mǣste hēold

  “worolde wynne: wīg ealle fornam

  “Finnes þegnas, nemne fēaum ānum,

  “þæt hē ne mehte on þǣm meðel-stede

  “wīg Hengeste wiht gefeohtan,

  1085 “nē þā wēa-lāfe wīge forþringan

  “þōodnes þegne; ac hig him geþingo budon,

  “þæt hīe him ōðer flet eal gery¯mdon,

  “healle and hēah-setl, þæt hīe healfre geweald

  “wið Eotena bearn āgan mōston,

  1090 “and æt feoh-gyftum Folcwaldan sunu

  “dōgra gehwylce Dene weorðode,

  “Hengestes hēap hringum wenede,

  “efne swā swīðe sinc-gestrēonum

  “fǣttan goldes, swā hē Frēsena cyn

  1095 “on bēor-sele byldan wolde.

  “Þā hīe getruwedon on twā healfa

  “fæste frioðu-wǣre; Fin Hengeste

  “elne unflitme āðum benemde,

  “þæt hē þā wēa-lāfe weotena dōme

  1100 “ārum heolde, þæt þǣr ǣnig mon

  “wordum nē worcum wǣre ne brǣce,

  “nē þurh inwit-searo ǣfre gemǣnden,

  “þēah hīe hira bēag-gyfan banan folgedon

  “þēoden-lēase, þā him swā geþearfod wæs:

  1105 “gyf þonne Fry¯sna hwylc frēcnan sprǣce

  “þæs morðor-hetes myndgiend wǣre,

  “þonne hit sweordes ecg syððan scolde.

  “Āð wæs geæfned and icge gold

  “āhæfen of horde. Here-Scyldinga

  1110 “betst beado-rinca wæs on bǣl gearu;

  “æt þǣm āde wæs ēð-gesy¯ne

  “swāt-fāh syrce, swy¯n eal-gylden,

  “eofer īren-heard, æðeling manig

  “wundum āwyrded; sume on wæle crungon.

  1115 “Hēt þā Hildeburh æt Hnæfes āde

  “hire selfre sunu sweoloðe befæstan,

  “bān-fatu bærnan and on bǣl dōn.

  “Earme on eaxle ides gnornode,

  “geōmrode giddum; gūð-rinc āstāh.

  1120 “Wand tō wolcnum wæl-fy¯ra mǣst,

  “hlynode for hlāwe; hafelan multon,

  “ben-geato burston, þonne blōd ætspranc

  “lāð-bite līces. Līg ealle forswealg,

  “gǣsta gīfrost, þāra þe þǣr gūð fornam

  1125 “bēga folces; wæs hira blǣd scacen.

  XVIII. THE GLEEMAN’S TALE IS ENDED.

  “Gewiton him þā wīgend wīca nēosian,

  “frēondum befeallen Fry¯sland gesēon,

  “hāmas and hēa-burh. Hengest þā gy¯t

  “wæl-fāgne winter wunode mid Finne

  1130 “ealles unhlitme; eard gemunde,

  “þēah þe hē ne meahte on mere drīfan

  “hringed-stefnan; holm storme wēol,

  “won wið winde; winter y¯ðe belēac

  “īs-gebinde oð þæt ōðer cōm

  1135 “geār in geardas, swā nū gy¯t dēð,

  “þā þe syngales sēle bewitiað,

  “wuldor-torhtan weder. Þā wæs winter scacen,

  “fæger foldan bearm; fundode wrecca,

  “gist of geardum; hē tō gyrn-wræce

  1140 “swīðor þōhte, þonne tō sǣ-lāde,

  “gif hē torn-gemōt þurhtēon mihte,

  “þæt hē Eotena bearn inne gemunde.

  “Swā hē ne forwyrnde worold-rǣdenne,

  “þonne him Hūnlāfing hilde-lēoman,

  1145 “billa sēlest, on bearm dyde:

  “þæs wǣron mid Eotenum ecge cūðe.

  “Swylce ferhð-frecan Fin eft begeat

  “sweord-bealo slīðen æt his selfes hām,

  “siððan grimne gripe Gūðlaf ond Ōslāf

  1150 “æfter sǣ-siðe sorge mǣndon,

  “ætwiton wēana dǣl; ne meahte wǣfre mōd

  “forhabban in hreðre. Þā wæs heal hroden

  “fēonda fēorum, swilce Fin slægen,

  “cyning on corðre, and sēo cwēn numen.

  1155 “Scēotend Scyldinga tō scypum 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,

  1160 “lǣddon tō lēodum.” Lēoð wæs āsungen,

  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

  1165 sǣton suhter-gefæderan; þā gy¯t wæs hiera sib ætgædere

  ǣghwylc ōðrum try¯we. Swylce þǣr Unferð þyle

  æt fōtum sæt frēan Scyldinga: gehwylc hiora his ferhðe trēowde,

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

  ārfæst æt ecga gelācum. Spræc þā ides Scyldinga:

  1170 “Onfōh þissum fulle, frēo-drihten mīn,

  “sinces brytta; þū on sǣlum wes,

  “gold-wine gumena, and tō Gēatum sprec

  “mildum wordum! Swā sceal man dōn.

  “Bēo wið Gēatas glæd, geofena gemyndig;

  1175 “nēan and feorran þū nū friðu hafast.

  “Mē man sægde, þæt þū þē for sunu wolde

  “here-rinc habban. Heorot is gefǣlsod,

  “bēah-sele beorhta; brūc þenden þū mōte

  “manigra mēda and þīnum māgum lǣf

  1180 “folc and rīce, þonne þū forð scyle

  “metod-sceaft sēon. Ic mīnne can

  “glædne Hrōðulf, þæt hē þā geogoðe wile

  “ārum healdan, gyf þū ǣr þonne hē,

  “wine Scildinga, worold oflǣtest;

  1185 “wēne ic, þæt hē mid gōde gyldan wille

  “uncran eaferan, gif hē þæt eal gemon,

  “hwæt wit tō willan and tō worð-myndum

  “umbor wesendum ǣr ārna gefremedon.”

  Hwearf þā bī bence, þǣr hyre byre wǣron,

  1190 Hrēðrīc and Hrōðmund, and hæleða bearn,

  giogoð ætgædere; þǣr se gōda sæt

  Bēowulf Gēata be þǣm gebrōðrum twǣm.

  XIX. BĒOWULF’S JEWELLED COLLAR. THE HEROES REST.

  Him wæs ful boren and frēond-laðu

  wordum bewægned and wunden gold

  1195 ēstum geēawed, earm-hrēade twā,

  hrægl and hringas, heals-bēaga mǣst

  þāra þe ic on foldan gefrægen hæbbe.

  Nǣnigne ic under swegle sēlran hy¯rde

  hord-māððum hæleða, syððan Hāma ætwæg

  1200 tō þǣre byrhtan byrig Brōsinga mene,

  sigle and sinc-fæt, searo-nīðas fealh

  Eorme
nrīces, gecēas ēcne rǣd.

  Þone hring hæfde Higelāc Gēata,

  nefa Swertinges, ny¯hstan sīðe,

  1205 siððan hē under segne sinc ealgode,

  wæl-rēaf werede; hyne Wyrd fornam,

  syððan hē for wlenco wēan āhsode,

  fǣhðe tō Fry¯sum; hē þā frætwe wæg,

  eorclan-stānas ofer y¯ða ful,

  1210 rīce þēoden, hē under rande gecranc;

  gehwearf þā in Francna fæðm feorh cyninges,

  brēost-gewǣdu and se bēah somod:

  wyrsan wīg-frecan wæl rēafedon

  æfter gūð-sceare, Gēata lēode

  1215 hreā-wīc hēoldon. Heal swēge onfēng.

  Wealhþēo maðelode, hēo fore þǣm werede spræc:

  “Brūc þisses bēages, Bēowulf, lēofa

  “hyse, mid hǣle, and þisses hrægles nēot

  “þēod-gestrēona, and geþēoh tela,

  1220 “cen þec mid cræfte and þyssum cnyhtum wes

  “lāra līðe! ic þē þæs lēan geman.

  “Hafast þū gefēred, þæt þē feor and nēah

  “ealne wīde-ferhð weras ehtigað,

  “efne swā sīde swā sǣ bebūgeð

  1225 “windige weallas. Wes, þenden þū lifige,

  “æðeling ēadig! ic þē an tela

  “sinc-gestrēona. Bēo þū suna mīnum

  “dǣdum gedēfe drēam healdende!

  “Hēr is ǣghwylc eorl ōðrum getry¯we,

  1230 “mōdes milde, man-drihtne hold,

  “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 cūðon,

  1235 geō-sceaft grimme, swā hit āgangen wearð

  eorla manegum, syððan ǣfen cwōm

  and him Hrōðgār gewāt tō hofe sīnum,

  rīce tō ræste. Reced weardode

  unrīm eorla, swā hīe oft ǣr dydon:

  1240 benc-þelu beredon, hit geond-brǣded wearð

  beddum and bolstrum. Bēor-scealca sum

  fūs and fǣge flet-ræste gebēag.

  Setton him tō hēafdum hilde-randas,

  bord-wudu beorhtan; þǣr on bence wæs

  1245 ofer æðelinge y¯ð-gesēne

  heaðo-stēapa helm, hringed byrne,

  þrec-wudu þrymlīc. Wæs þēaw hyra,

  þæt hīe oft wǣron an wīg gearwe,

  gē æt hām gē on herge, gē gehwæðer þāra

  1250 efne swylce mǣla, swylce hira man-dryhtne

  þearf gesǣlde; wæs sēo þēod tilu.

  XX. GRENDEL’S MOTHER ATTACKS THE RING-DANES.

  Sigon þā tō slǣpe. Sum sāre angeald

  ǣfen-ræste, swā him ful-oft gelamp,

  siððan gold-sele Grendel warode,

  1255 unriht æfnde, oð þæt ende becwōm,

  swylt æfter synnum. Þæt gesy¯ne wearð,

  wīd-cūð werum, þætte wrecend þā gy¯t

  lifde æfter lāðum, lange þrāge

  æfter gūð-ceare; Grendles mōdor,

  1260 ides āglǣc-wīf yrmðe gemunde,

  sē þe wæter-egesan wunian scolde,

  cealde strēamas, siððan Cain wearð

  tō ecg-banan āngan brēðer,

  fæderen-mǣge; hē þā fāg gewāt,

  1265 morðre 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,

  1270 þǣr him āglǣca æt-grǣpe wearð;

  hwæðre hē gemunde mægenes strenge,

  gim-fæste gife, þē him god sealde,

  and him tō anwaldan āre gely¯fde,

  frōfre and fultum: þy¯ hē þone fēond ofercwōm,

  1275 gehnǣgde helle gāst: þā hē hēan gewāt,

  drēame bedǣled dēað-wīc sēon,

  man-cynnes fēond. And his mōdor þā gy¯t

  gīfre and galg-mōd gegān wolde

  sorh-fulne sīð, suna dēað wrecan.

  1280 Cōm þā tō Heorote, þǣr Hring-Dene

  geond þæt sæld swǣfun. Þā þǣr sōna wearð

  ed-hwyrft eorlum, siððan inne fealh

  Grendles mōdor; wæs se gryre lǣssa

  efne swā micle, swā bið mægða cræft,

  1285 wīg-gryre wīfes be wǣpned-men,

  þonne heoru bunden, hamere geþuren,

  sweord swāte fāh swīn ofer helme,

  ecgum dyhtig andweard scireð.

  Þā wæs on healle heard-ecg togen,

  1290 sweord ofer setlum, sīd-rand manig

  hafen handa fæst; helm ne gemunde,

  byrnan sīde, þe hine se brōga angeat.

  Hēo wæs on ofste, wolde ūt þanon

  fēore beorgan, þā hēo onfunden wæs;

  1295 hraðe hēo æðelinga ānne hæfde

  fæste befangen, þā hēo tō fenne gang;

  sē wæs Hrōðgāre hæleða lēofost

  on gesīðes hād be sǣm tweonum,

  rīce rand-wiga, þone þe hēo on ræste ābrēat,

  1300 blǣd-fæstne beorn. Næs Bēowulf þǣr,

  ac wæs ōðer in ǣr geteohhod

  æfter māððum-gife mǣrum Gēate.

  Hrēam wearð on Heorote. Hēo under heolfre genam

  cūðe folme; cearu wæs genīwod

  1305 geworden in wīcum: ne wæs þæt gewrixle til,

  þæt hīe on bā healfa bicgan scoldon

  frēonda fēorum. Þā wæs frōd cyning,

  hār hilde-rinc, on hrēon mōde,

  syððan hē aldor-þegn unlyfigendne,

  1310 þone dēorestan dēadne wisse.

  Hraðe wæs tō būre Bēowulf fetod,

  sigor-ēadig secg. Samod ǣr-dæge

  ēode eorla sum, æðele cempa

  self mid gesīðum, þǣr se snottra bād,

  1315 hwæðre him al-walda ǣfre wille

  æfter wēa-spelle wyrpe gefremman.

  Gang þā æfter flōre fyrd-wyrðe man

  mid his hand-scale (heal-wudu dynede)

  þæt hē þone wīsan wordum hnǣgde

  1320 frēan Ingwina; frægn gif him wǣre

  æfter nēod-laðu niht getǣse.

  XXI. SORROW AT HEOROT: AESCHERE’S DEATH

  Hrōðgār maðelode, helm Scildinga:

  “Ne frīn þū æfter sǣlum! Sorh is genīwod

  “Denigea lēodum. Dēad is Æsc-here,

  1325 “Yrmenlāfes yldra brōðor,

  “mīn rūn-wita and mīn rǣd-bora,

  “eaxl-gestealla, þonne wē on orlege

  “hafelan weredon, þonne hniton fēðan,

  “eoferas cnysedan; swylc scolde eorl wesan

  1330 “æðeling ǣr-gōd, swylc Æsc-here wæs.

  “Wearð him on Heorote tō hand-banan

  “wæl-gǣst wǣfre; ic ne wāt hwæder

  “atol ǣse wlanc eft-sīðas tēah,

  “fylle gefrǣgnod. Hēo þā fǣhðe wræc,

  1335 “þē þū gystran niht Grendel cwealdest

  “þurh hǣstne hād heardum clammum,

  “forþan hē tō lange lēode mīne

  “wanode and wyrde. Hē æt wīge gecrang

  “ealdres scyldig, and nū ōðer cwōm

  1340 “mihtig mān-scaða, wolde hyre mǣg wrecan,

  “gē feor hafað fǣhðe gestǣled,

  “þæs þe þincean mæg þegne monegum,

  “sē þe æfter sinc-gyfan on sefan grēoteð,

  “hreðer-bealo hearde; nū sēo hand ligeð,

  1345 “sē þe ēow wēl-hwylcra wilna dohte.

  “Ic þæt lond-būend lēode mīne

  “sele-rǣdende secgan hy¯rde,

  “þæt hīe gesāwon swylce twēgen

  “micle mearc-stapan mōras healdan,

  1350 “ellor-gǣstas: þǣra ōðer wæs
,

  “þæs þe hīe gewislīcost gewitan meahton,

  “idese onlīcnes, ōðer earm-sceapen

  “on weres wæstmum wræc-lāstas træd,

  “næfne hē wæs māra þonne ǣnig man ōðer,

  1355 “þone on geār-dagum Grendel nemdon

  “fold-būende: nō hīe fæder cunnon,

  “hwæðer him ǣnig wæs ǣr ācenned

  “dyrnra gāsta. Hīe dy¯gel lond

  “warigeað, wulf-hleoðu, windige næssas,

  1360 “frēcne fen-gelād, þǣr fyrgen-strēam

  “under næssa genipu niðer gewīteð,

  “flōd under foldan; nis þæt feor heonon

  “mīl-gemearces, þæt se mere standeð,

  “ofer þǣm hongiað hrīmge bearwas,

  1365 “wudu wyrtum fæst, wæter oferhelmað.

  “Þǣr mæg nihta gehwǣm nīð-wundor sēon,

  “fy¯r on flōde; nō þæs frōd leofað

  “gumena bearna, þæt þone grund wite;

  “þēah þe hǣð-stapa hundum geswenced,

  1370 “heorot hornum trum holt-wudu sēce,

  “feorran gefly¯med, ǣr hē feorh seleð,

  “aldor on ōfre, ǣr hē in wille,

  “hafelan hy¯dan. Nis þæt hēoru stōw:

  “þonon y¯ð-geblond up āstīgeð

  1375 “won tō wolcnum, þonne wind styreð

  “lāð gewidru, oð þæt lyft drysmað,

  “roderas rēotað. Nū is rǣd gelang

  “eft æt þē ānum! Eard gīt ne const,

  “frēcne stōwe, þǣr þū findan miht

  1380 “sinnigne secg: sēc gif þū dyrre!

  “Ic þē þā fǣhðe fēo lēanige,

  “eald-gestrēonum, swā ic ǣr dyde,

  “wundnum golde, gyf þū on weg cymest.”

  XXII. BĒOWULF SEEKS THE MONSTER IN THE HAUNTS OF THE NIXIES.

  Bēowulf maðelode, bearn Ecgþēowes:

  1385 “Ne sorga, snotor guma! sēlre bið ǣghwǣm,

  “þæt hē his frēond wrece, þonne hē fela murne;

  “ūre ǣghwylc sceal ende gebīdan

  “worolde līfes; wyrce sē þe mōte

  “dōmes ǣr dēaðe! þæt bið driht-guman

  1390 “unlifgendum æfter sēlest.

  “Ārīs, rīces weard; uton hraðe fēran,

  “Grendles māgan gang scēawigan!

  “Ic hit þē gehāte: nō hē on helm losað,

  “nē on foldan fæðm, nē on fyrgen-holt,

  1395 “nē on gyfenes grund, gā þǣr hē wille.

  “Þy¯s dōgor þū geþyld hafa

  “wēana gehwylces, swā ic þē wēne tō!”

  Āhlēop þā se gomela, gode þancode,

  mihtigan drihtne, þæs se man gespræc.

  1400 Þā wæs Hrōðgāre hors gebǣted,

 

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