Beowulf - Delphi Poets Series
Page 33
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,