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Beowulf - Delphi Poets Series

Page 35

by Beowulf


  1750 “gy¯tsað grom-hy¯dig, nallas on gylp seleð

  “fǣtte bēagas and hē þā forð-gesceaft

  “forgyteð and forgy¯með, þæs þe him ǣr god sealde

  “wuldres waldend, weorð-mynda dǣl.

  “Hit on ende-stæf eft gelimpeð,

  1755 “þæt se līc-homa lǣne gedrēoseð,

  “fǣge gefealleð; fēhð ōðer tō,

  “sē þe unmurnlīce mādmas dǣleð,

  “eorles ǣr-gestrēon, egesan ne gy¯með.

  “Bebeorh þē þone bealo-nīð, Bēowulf lēofa,

  1760 “secg se betsta, and þē þæt sēlre gecēos,

  “ēce rǣdas; oferhy¯da ne gy¯m,

  “mǣre cempa! Nū is þīnes mægnes blǣd

  “āne hwīle; eft sōna bið,

  “þæt þec ādl oððe ecg eafoðes getwǣfeð,

  1765 “oððe fy¯res feng oððe flōdes wylm,

  “oððe gripe mēces oððe gāres fliht,

  “oððe atol yldo, oððe ēagena bearhtm

  “forsiteð and forsworceð; semninga bið,

  “þæt þec, dryht-guma, dēað oferswy¯ðeð.

  1770 “Swā ic Hring-Dena hund missēra

  “wēold under wolcnum, and hig wigge belēac

  “manigum mǣgða geond þysne middan-geard,

  “æscum and ecgum, þæt ic mē ǣnigne

  “under swegles begong gesacan ne tealde.

  1775 “Hwæt! mē þæs on ēðle edwenden cwōm,

  “gyrn æfter gomene, seoððan Grendel wearð,

  “eald-gewinna, in-genga mīn:

  “ic þǣre sōcne singāles wæg

  “mōd-ceare micle. Þæs sig metode þanc,

  1780 “ēcean drihtne, þæs þe ic on aldre gebād,

  “þæt ic on þone hafelan heoro-drēorigne

  “ofer eald gewin ēagum starige!

  “Gā nū tō setle, symbel-wynne drēoh

  “wīgge weorðad: unc sceal worn fela

  1785 “māðma gemǣnra, siððan 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

  1790 nīowan stefne. Niht-helm geswearc

  deorc ofer dryht-gumum. Duguð eal ārās;

  wolde blonden-feax beddes nēosan,

  gamela Scylding. Gēat ungemetes wēl,

  rōfne rand-wigan restan lyste:

  1795 sōna him sele-þegn sīðes wērgum,

  feorran-cundum forð wīsade,

  se for andrysnum ealle beweotede

  þegnes þearfe, swylce þy¯ dōgore

  hēaðo-līðende habban scoldon.

  1800 Reste hine þā rūm-heort; reced hlīfade

  gēap and gold-fāh, gæst inne swæf,

  oð þæt hrefn blaca heofones wynne

  blīð-heort bodode. Þā cōm beorht sunne

  scacan ofer grundas; scaðan ōnetton,

  1805 wǣron æðelingas 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,

  1810 lēoflīc īren; sægde him þæs lēanes þanc,

  cwæð hē þone gūð-wine gōdne tealde,

  wīg-cræftigne, nales wordum lōg

  mēces ecge: þæt wæs mōdig secg.

  And þā sīð-frome searwum gearwe

  1815 wīgend wǣron, ēode weorð Denum

  æðeling tō yppan, þǣr se ōðer wæs

  hæle hilde-dēor, Hrōðgār grētte.

  XXVII. THE PARTING WORDS.

  Bēowulf maðelode, bearn Ecgþēowes:

  “Nū wē sǣ-līðend secgan wyllað

  1820 “feorran cumene, þæt wē fundiað

  “Higelāc sēcan. Wǣron hēr tela

  “willum bewenede; þū ūs wēl dohtest.

  “Gif ic þonne on eorðan ōwihte mæg

  “þīnre mōd-lufan māran tilian,

  1825 “gumena dryhten, þonne ic gy¯t dyde,

  “gūð-geweorca ic bēo gearo sōna.

  “Gif ic þæt gefricge ofer flōda begang,

  “þæt þec ymbe-sittend egesan þy¯wað,

  “swā þec hetende hwīlum dydon,

  1830 “ic þē þūsenda þegna bringe,

  “hæleða tō helpe. Ic on Higelāce wāt,

  “Gēata dryhten, þēah þe hē geong sy¯,

  “folces hyrde, þæt hē mec fremman wile

  “wordum and worcum, þæt ic þē wēl herige,

  1835 “and þē tō gēoce gār-holt bere

  “mægenes fultum, þǣr þē bið manna þearf;

  “gif him þonne Hrēðrīc tō hofum Gēata

  “geþingeð, þēodnes bearn, hē mæg þǣr fela

  “frēonda findan: feor-cy¯ððe bēoð

  1840 “sēlran gesōhte þǣm þe him selfa dēah.”

  Hrōðgār maðelode him on andsware:

  “Þē þā word-cwydas wittig drihten

  “on sefan sende! ne hy¯rde ic snotorlīcor

  “on swā geongum feore guman þingian:

  1845 “þū eart mægenes strang and on mōde frōd,

  “wīs word-cwida. Wēn ic talige,

  “gif þæt gegangeð, þæt þe gār nymeð,

  “hild heoru-grimme Hrēðles eaferan,

  “ādl oððe īren ealdor þīnne,

  1850 “folces hyrde, and þū þīn feorh hafast,

  “þæt þe Sǣ-Gēatas sēlran næbben

  “tō gecēosenne cyning ǣnigne,

  “hord-weard hæleða, gif þū healdan wylt

  “māga rīce. Mē þīn mōd-sefa

  1855 “līcað leng swā wēl, lēofa Bēowulf:

  “hafast þū gefēred, þæt þām folcum sceal,

  “Gēata lēodum and Gār-Denum

  “sib gemǣnum and sacu restan,

  “inwit-nīðas, þē hīe ǣr drugon;

  1860 “wesan, þenden ic wealde wīdan rīces,

  “māðmas gemǣne, manig ōðerne

  “gōdum gegrētan ofer ganotes bæð;

  “sceal hring-naca ofer hēaðu bringan

  “lāc and luf-tācen. Ic þā lēode wāt

  1865 “gē wið fēond gē wið frēond fæste geworhte

  “ǣghwæs untǣle ealde wīsan.”

  Þā gīt him eorla hlēo inne gesealde,

  mago Healfdenes māðmas twelfe,

  hēt hine mid þǣm lācum lēode swǣse

  1870 sēcean on gesyntum, snūde eft cuman.

  Gecyste þā cyning æðelum gōd,

  þēoden Scildinga, þegen betstan

  and be healse genam; hruron him tēaras,

  blonden-feaxum: him wæs bēga wēn,

  1875 ealdum infrōdum, ōðres swīðor,

  þæt hī seoððan gesēon mōston

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

  þæt hē þone brēost-wylm forberan ne mehte,

  ac him on hreðre hyge-bendum fæst

  1880 æfter dēorum men dyrne langað

  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.

  1885 Þā wæs on gange gifu Hrōðgāres

  oft geæhted: þæt wæs ān cyning

  ǣghwæs orleahtre, oð þæt hine yldo benam

  mægenes wynnum, sē þe oft manegum scōd.

  XXVIII. BĒOWULF RETURNS TO GEATLAND. — THE QUEENS HYGD AND THRYTHO.

  Cwōm þā tō flōde fela-mōdigra

  1890 hæg-stealdra hēap; hring-net bǣron,

  locene leoðo-syrcan. Land-weard onfand

  eft-sīð eorla, swā hē ǣr dyde;

  nō hē mid hearme of hlīðes nosan

  gæstas grētte, ac him tōgēanes rād;

  1895 cwæð þæt wilcuman Wedera l�
�odum

  scawan scīr-hame tō scipe fōron.

  Þā wæs on sande sǣ-gēap naca

  hladen here-wǣdum, hringed-stefna

  mēarum and māðmum: mæst hlīfade

  1900 ofer Hrōðgāres hord-gestrēonum.

  Hē þǣm bāt-wearde bunden golde

  swurd gesealde, þæt hē syððan wæs

  on meodu-bence māðme þy¯ weorðra,

  yrfe-lāfe. Gewāt him on y¯ð-nacan,

  1905 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 y¯ðum

  sīðes getwǣfde; sǣ-genga fōr,

  1910 flēat fāmig-heals forð ofer y¯ðe,

  bunden-stefna ofer brim-strēamas,

  þæt hīe Gēata clifu ongitan meahton,

  cūðe næssas. Cēol up geþrang,

  lyft-geswenced on lande stōd.

  1915 Hraðe wæs æt holme hy¯ð-weard gearo,

  sē þe ǣr lange tīd, lēofra manna

  fūs, æt faroðe feor wlātode;

  sǣlde tō sande sīd-fæðme scip

  oncer-bendum fæst, þy¯ lǣs hym y¯ða þrym

  1920 wudu wynsuman forwrecan meahte.

  Hēt þā up beran æðelinga gestrēon,

  frætwe and fǣt-gold; næs him feor þanon

  tō gesēcanne sinces bryttan:

  Higelāc Hrēðling þǣr æt hām wunað,

  1925 selfa mid gesīðum sǣ-wealle nēah;

  bold wæs betlīc, brego-rōf cyning,

  hēa on healle, Hygd swīðe geong,

  wīs, wēl-þungen, þēah þe wintra ly¯t

  under burh-locan gebiden hæbbe

  1930 Hæreðes dōhtor: næs hīo hnāh swā þēah,

  nē tō gnēað gifa Gēata lēodum,

  māðm-gestrēona. Mod Þry¯ðo wæg,

  fremu folces cwēn, firen ondrysne:

  nǣnig þæt dorste dēor genēðan

  1935 swǣsra gesīða, nefne sin-frēa,

  þæt hire an dæges ēagum starede;

  ac him wæl-bende weotode tealde,

  hand-gewriðene: hraðe seoððan wæs

  æfter mund-gripe mēce geþinged,

  1940 þæt hit sceaðen-mǣl scy¯ran mōste,

  cwealm-bealu cy¯ðan. Ne bið swylc cwēnlīc þēaw

  idese tō efnanne, þēah þe hīo ǣnlīcu sy¯,

  þætte freoðu-webbe fēores onsæce

  æfter līge-torne lēofne mannan.

  1945 Hūru þæt onhōhsnode Heminges mǣg;

  ealo drincende ōðer sǣdan,

  þæt hīo lēod-bealewa lǣs gefremede,

  inwit-nīða, syððan ǣrest wearð

  gyfen gold-hroden geongum cempan,

  1950 æðelum dīore, syððan hīo Offan flet

  ofer fealone flōd be fæder lāre

  sīðe gesōhte, þǣr hīo syððan wēl

  in gum-stōle, gōde mǣre,

  līf-gesceafta lifigende brēac,

  1955 hīold hēah-lufan wið hæleða brego,

  ealles mon-cynnes mīne gefrǣge

  þone sēlestan bī sǣm twēonum

  eormen-cynnes; forþām Offa wæs

  geofum and gūðum gār-cēne man,

  1960 wīde geweorðod; wīsdōme hēold

  ēðel sīnne, þonon Ēomǣr wōc

  hæleðum tō helpe, Heminges mǣg,

  nefa Gārmundes, nīða cræftig.

  XXIX. HIS ARRIVAL. HYGELAC’S RECEPTION.

  Gewāt him þā se hearda mid his hond-scole

  1965 sylf æfter sande sǣ-wong tredan,

  wīde waroðas. Woruld-candel scān,

  sigel sūðan fūs: hī sīð drugon,

  elne geēodon, tō þæs þe eorla hlēo,

  bonan Ongenþēowes burgum on innan,

  1970 geongne gūð-cyning gōdne gefrūnon

  hringas dǣlan. Higelāce wæs

  sīð Bēowulfes snūde gecy¯ðed,

  þæt þǣr on worðig wīgendra hlēo,

  lind-gestealla lifigende cwōm,

  1975 heaðo-lāces hāl tō hofe gongan.

  Hraðe wæs gery¯med, swā se rīca bebēad,

  fēðe-gestum flet innan-weard.

  Gesæt þā wið sylfne, sē þā sæcce genæs,

  mǣg wið mǣge, syððan man-dryhten

  1980 þurh hlēoðor-cwyde holdne gegrētte

  mēaglum wordum. Meodu-scencum

  hwearf geond þæt reced Hæreðes dōhtor:

  lufode þā lēode, līð-wǣge bær

  hǣlum tō handa. Higelāc ongan

  1985 sīnne geseldan in sele þām hēan

  fægre fricgean, hyne fyrwet bræc,

  hwylce Sǣ-Gēata sīðas wǣron:

  “Hū lomp ēow on lāde, lēofa Bīowulf,

  “þā þū fǣringa feorr gehogodest,

  1990 “sæcce sēcean ofer sealt wæter,

  “hilde tō Hiorote? Ac þū Hrōðgāre

  “wīd-cūðne wēan wihte gebēttest,

  “mǣrum þēodne? Ic þæs mōd-ceare

  “sorh-wylmum sēað, sīðe ne truwode

  1995 “lēofes mannes; ic þē lange bæd,

  “þæt þū þone wæl-gǣst wihte ne grētte,

  “lēte Sūð-Dene sylfe geweorðan

  “gūðe wið Grendel. Gode ic þanc secge,

  “þæs þe ic þē gesundne gesēon mōste.”

  2000 Bīowulf maðelode, bearn Ecgþīowes:

  “Þæt is undyrne, dryhten Higelāc,

  “mǣre gemēting monegum fīra,

  “hwylc orleg-hwīl uncer Grendles

  “wearð on þām wange, þǣr hē worna fela

  2005 “Sige-Scildingum sorge gefremede,

  “yrmðe tō aldre; ic þæt eal gewræc,

  “swā ne gylpan þearf Grendeles māga

  “ǣnig ofer eorðan ūht-hlem þone,

  “sē þe lengest leofað lāðan cynnes,

  2010 “fenne bifongen. Ic þǣr furðum cwōm,

  “tō þām hring-sele Hrōðgār grētan:

  “sōna mē se mǣra mago Healfdenes,

  “syððan hē mōd-sefan mīnne cūðe,

  “wið his sylfes sunu setl getǣhte.

  2015 “Weorod wæs on wynne; ne seah ic wīdan feorh

  “under heofenes hwealf heal-sittendra

  “medu-drēam māran. Hwīlum mǣru cwēn,

  “friðu-sibb folca flet eall geond-hwearf,

  “bǣdde byre geonge; oft hīo bēah-wriðan

  2020 “secge sealde, ǣr hīo tō setle gēong.

  “Hwīlum for duguðe dōhtor Hrōðgāres

  “eorlum on ende ealu-wǣge bær,

  “þā ic Frēaware flet-sittende

  “nemnan hy¯rde, þǣr hīo nægled sinc

  2025 “hæleðum sealde: sīo gehāten wæs,

  “geong gold-hroden, gladum suna Frōdan;

  “hafað þæs geworden wine Scyldinga

  “rīces hyrde and þæt rǣd talað,

  “þæt hē mid þy¯ wīfe wæl-fǣhða dǣl,

  2030 “sæcca gesette. Oft nō seldan hwǣr

  “æfter lēod-hryre ly¯tle hwīle

  “bon-gār būgeð, þēah sēo bry¯d duge!

  XXX. BĒOWULF’S STORY OF THE SLAYINGS.

  “Mæg þæs þonne ofþyncan þēoden Heaðobeardna

  “and þegna gehwām þāra lēoda,

  2035 “þonne hē mid fǣmnan on flett gǣð,

  “dryht-bearn Dena duguða biwenede:

  “on him gladiað gomelra lāfe

  “heard and hring-mǣl, Heaðobeardna gestrēon,

  “þenden hīe þām wǣpnum wealdan mōston,

  2040 “oð þæt hīe forlǣddan tō þām lind-plegan

  “swǣse gesīðas ond hyra sylfra feorh.

  “Þonne cwið æt bēore, sē þe bēah gesyhð,

  “eald æsc-wiga, sē þe eall geman

  “gār-cwealm gumena (him bið grim sefa),

  2045 “onginneð geōmor-mōd geo
ngne cempan

  “þurh hreðra gehygd higes cunnian,

  “wīg-bealu weccean and þæt word ācwyð:

  “‘Meaht þū, mīn wine, mēce gecnāwan,

  “‘þone þin fæder tō gefeohte bær

  2050 “‘under here-grīman hindeman sīðe,

  “‘dy¯re īren, þǣr hyne Dene slōgon,

  “‘wēoldon wæl-stōwe, syððan wiðer-gyld læg,

  “‘æfter hæleða hryre, hwate Scyldungas?

  “‘Nu hēr þāra banena byre nāt-hwylces,

  2055 “‘frætwum hrēmig on flet gǣð,

  “‘morðres gylpeð and þone māððum byreð,

  “‘þone þe þū mid rihte rǣdan sceoldest!’”

  “Manað swā and myndgað mǣla gehwylce

  “sārum wordum, oð þæt sǣl cymeð,

  2060 “þæt se fǣmnan þegn fore fæder dǣdum

  “æfter billes bite blōd-fāg swefeð,

  “ealdres scyldig; him se ōðer þonan

  “losað lifigende, con him land geare.

  “Þonne bīoð brocene on bā healfe

  2065 “āð-sweord eorla; syððan Ingelde

  “weallað wæl-nīðas and him wīf-lufan

  “æfter cear-wælmum cōlran weorðað.

  “Þy¯ ic Heaðobeardna hyldo ne telge,

  “dryht-sibbe dǣl Denum unfǣcne,

  2070 “frēond-scipe fæstne. Ic sceal forð sprecan

  “gēn ymbe Grendel, þæt þū geare cunne,

  “sinces brytta, tō hwan syððan wearð

  “hond-rǣs hæleða. Syððan heofones gim

  “glād ofer grundas, gæst yrre cwōm,

  2075 “eatol ǣfen-grom, ūser nēosan,

  “þǣr wē gesunde sæl weardodon;

  “þǣr wæs Hondscīo hild onsǣge,

  “feorh-bealu fǣgum, hē fyrmest læg,

  “gyrded cempa; him Grendel wearð,

  2080 “mǣrum magu-þegne tō mūð-bonan,

  “lēofes mannes līc eall forswealg.

  “Nō þy¯ ǣr ūt þā gēn īdel-hende

  “bona blōdig-tōð bealewa gemyndig,

  “of þām gold-sele gongan wolde,

  2085 “ac hē mægnes rōf mīn costode,

  “grāpode gearo-folm. Glōf hangode

  “sīd and syllīc searo-bendum fæst,

  “sīo wæs orþoncum eall gegyrwed

  “dēofles cræftum and dracan fellum:

  2090 “hē mec þǣr on innan unsynnigne,

  “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 þām lēod-sceaðan

  2095 “yfla gehwylces ond-lēan forgeald;

  “þǣr ic, þēoden mīn, þīne lēode

  “weorðode weorcum. Hē on weg losade,

  “ly¯tle hwīle līf-wynna brēac;

 

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