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Beowulf - Delphi Poets Series

Page 39

by Beowulf


  serg (?) cearig sǣlde geneahhe

  þæt hīo hyre . . . . gas hearde

  3155 . . . . . ede wælfylla wonn . .

  hildes egesan hyðo

  haf mid heofon rēce swealh (?)

  Geworhton þā Wedra lēode

  hlǣw on hlīðe, sē wæs hēah and brād,

  3160 wǣg-līðendum wīde gesy¯ne,

  and betimbredon on ty¯n dagum

  beadu-rōfes bēcn: bronda betost

  wealle beworhton, swā hyt weorðlīcost

  fore-snotre men findan mihton.

  3165 Hī on beorg dydon bēg and siglu,

  eall swylce hyrsta, swylce on horde ǣr

  nīð-hy¯dige men genumen hæfdon;

  forlēton eorla gestrēon eorðan healdan,

  gold on grēote, þǣr hit nū gēn lifað

  3170 eldum swā unnyt, swā hit ǣror wæs.

  Þā ymbe hlǣw riodan hilde-dēore,

  æðelinga bearn ealra twelfa,

  woldon ceare cwīðan, kyning mǣnan,

  word-gyd wrecan and ymb wer sprecan,

  3175 eahtodan eorl-scipe and his ellen-weorc

  duguðum dēmdon, swā hit ge-dēfe bið,

  þæt mon his wine-dryhten wordum herge,

  ferhðum frēoge, þonne hē forð scile

  of līc-haman lǣne weorðan.

  3180 Swā begnornodon Gēata lēode

  hlāfordes hryre, heorð-genēatas,

  cwǣdon þæt hē wǣre woruld-cyning

  mannum mildust and mon-þwǣrust,

  lēodum līðost and lof-geornost.

  APPENDIX: THE ATTACK ON FINNSBURG.

  “. . . . . . . . næs byrnað nǣfre.”

  Hleoðrode þā heaðo-geong cyning:

  “Ne þis ne dagað ēastan, ne hēr draca ne flēogeð,

  “ne hēr þisse healle hornas ne byrnað,

  5 “ac fēr forð berað fugelas singað,

  “gylleð grǣg-hama, gūð-wudu hlynneð,

  “scyld scefte oncwyð. Nū scy¯neð þes mōna

  “waðol under wolcnum; nū ārīsað wēa-dǣda,

  “þē þisne folces nīð fremman willað.

  10 “Ac onwacnigeað nū, wīgend mīne,

  “hebbað ēowre handa, hicgeað on ellen,

  “winnað on orde, wesað on mōde!”

  Þā ārās monig gold-hladen þegn, gyrde hine his swurde;

  þā tō dura ēodon drihtlīce cempan,

  15 Sigeferð and Eaha, hyra sweord getugon,

  and æt ōðrum durum Ordlāf and Gūðlāf,

  and Hengest sylf; hwearf him on lāste.

  Þā gīt Gārulf Gūðere styrode,

  þæt hīe swā frēolīc feorh forman sīðe

  20 tō þǣre healle durum hyrsta ne bǣran,

  nū hyt nīða heard ānyman wolde:

  ac hē frægn ofer eal undearninga,

  dēor-mōd hæleð, hwā þā duru hēolde.

  “Sigeferð is mīn nama (cwæð hē), ic eom Secgena lēod,

  25 “wrecca wīde cūð. Fela ic wēana gebād,

  “heardra hilda; þē is gy¯t hēr witod,

  “swæðer þū sylf tō mē sēcean wylle.”

  Þā wæs on wealle wæl-slihta gehlyn,

  sceolde cēlod bord cēnum on handa

  30 bān-helm berstan. Buruh-þelu dynede,

  oð þæt æt þǣre gūðe Gārulf gecrang,

  ealra ǣrest eorð-būendra,

  Gūðlāfes sunu; ymbe hine gōdra fela.

  Hwearf flacra hrǣw hræfn, wandrode

  35 sweart and sealo-brūn; swurd-lēoma stōd

  swylce eal Finns-buruh fy¯renu wǣre.

  Ne gefrægn ic nǣfre wurðlīcor æt wera hilde

  sixtig sige-beorna sēl gebǣran,

  ne nǣfre swānas swētne medo sēl forgyldan,

  40 þonne Hnæfe guldon his hæg-stealdas.

  Hig fuhton fīf dagas, swā hyra nān ne fēol

  driht-gesīða, ac hig þā duru hēoldon.

  Þā gewāt him wund hæleð on wæg gangan,

  sǣde þæt his byrne ābrocen wǣre,

  45 here-sceorpum hrōr, and ēac wæs his helm þyrl.

  Þā hine sōna frægn folces hyrde,

  hū þā wīgend hyra wunda genǣson

  oððe hwæðer þǣra hyssa . . . . . . .

  The Dual Text

  Ohthere’s Mound located in the Vendel parish, Uppland, Sweden — the semi-legendary king Ohthere of Sweden is one of the real-life figures referenced in ‘Beowulf’.

  CONTENTS OF THE DUAL TEXT

  Translated by Francis B. Gummere

  In this part of the eBook, readers can view a section by section text of Beowulf, alternating between the original Old English and Gummere’s modern English translation.

  CONTENTS

  I. THE PASSING OF SCYLD.

  II. THE HALL HEOROT.

  III. GRENDEL’S VISITS.

  IV. HYGELAC’S THANE.

  V. THE ERRAND.

  VI. BĒOWULF’S SPEECH.

  VII. HROTHGAR’S WELCOME.

  VIII. HROTHGAR TELLS OF GRENDEL.

  IX. HUNFERTH OBJECTS TO BĒOWULF.

  X. BĒOWULF’S CONTEST WITH BRECA. — THE FEAST.

  XI. THE WATCH FOR GRENDEL.

  XII. GRENDEL’S RAID.

  XIII. BĒOWULF TEARS OFF GRENDEL’S ARM.

  XIV. THE JOY AT HEOROT.

  XV. HROTHGAR’S GRATULATION.

  XVI. THE BANQUET AND THE GIFTS.

  XVII. SONG OF HROTHGAR’S POET — THE LAY OF HNAEF AND HENGEST.

  XVIII. THE GLEEMAN’S TALE IS ENDED.

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

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

  XXI. SORROW AT HEOROT: AESCHERE’S DEATH

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

  XXIII. THE BATTLE WITH THE WATER-DRAKE.

  XXIV. BĒOWULF SLAYS THE SPRITE.

  XXV. HROTHGAR’S GRATITUDE: HE DISCOURSES.

  XXVI. THE DISCOURSE IS ENDED. — BĒOWULF PREPARES TO LEAVE.

  XXVII. THE PARTING WORDS.

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

  XXIX. HIS ARRIVAL. HYGELAC’S RECEPTION.

  XXX. BĒOWULF’S STORY OF THE SLAYINGS.

  XXXI. HE GIVES PRESENTS TO HYGELAC. HYGELAC REWARDS HIM. HYGELAC’S DEATH. BĒOWULF REIGNS.

  XXXII. THE FIRE-DRAKE. THE HOARD.

  XXXIII. BEOWULF RESOLVES TO KILL THE FIRE-DRAKE.

  XXXIV. RETROSPECT OF BĒOWULF. — STRIFE BETWEEN SWEONAS AND GEATAS.

  XXXV. MEMORIES OF PAST TIME. — THE FEUD WITH THE FIRE-DRAKE.

  XXXVI. WIGLAF HELPS BĒOWULF IN THE FEUD

  XXXVII. BĒOWULF WOUNDED TO DEATH.

  XXXVIII. THE JEWEL-HOARD. THE PASSING OF BEOWULF.

  XXXIX. THE COWARD-THANES.

  XL. THE SOLDIER’S DIRGE AND PROPHECY.

  XLI. HE TELLS OF THE SWEDES AND THE GEATAS

  XLII. WĪGLAF SPEAKS. THE BUILDING OF THE BALE-FIRE.

  XLIII. BĒOWULF’S FUNERAL PYRE.

  THE ATTACK ON FINNSBURG.

  I. THE PASSING OF SCYLD.

  Hwæt! wē Gār-Dena in geār-dagum

  þēod-cyninga þrym gefrūnon,

  hū þā æðelingas ellen fremedon.

  Oft Scyld Scēfing sceaðena þrēatum,

  5 monegum mǣgðum meodo-setla oftēah.

  Lo, praise of the prowess of people-kings

  of spear-armed Danes, in days long sped,

  we have heard, and what honor the athelings won!

  Oft Scyld the Scefing from squadroned foes,

  5 from many a tribe, the mead-bench tore,

  Egsode eorl, syððan ǣrest wearð

  fēa-sceaft funden: hē þæs frōfre gebād,

  wēox under wolcnum, weorð-myndum ðāh,

  oð þæt him ǣghwylc þāra ymb-sittendra

  10 ofer hron-rāde hy¯ran scolde,

  awing the earls. Since erst he lay

  friend
less, a foundling, fate repaid him:

  for he waxed under welkin, in wealth he throve,

  till before him the folk, both far and near,

  10 who house by the whale-path, heard his mandate,

  gomban gyldan: þæt wæs gōd cyning!

  þǣm eafera wæs æfter cenned

  geong in geardum, þone god sende

  folce tō frōfre; fyren-þearfe ongeat,

  15 þæt hīe ǣr drugon aldor-lēase

  gave him gifts: a good king he!

  To him an heir was afterward born,

  a son in his halls, whom heaven sent

  to favor the folk, feeling their woe

  15 that erst they had lacked an earl for leader

  lange hwīle. Him þæs līf-frēa,

  wuldres wealdend, worold-āre forgeaf;

  Bēowulf wæs brēme (blǣd wīde sprang),

  Scyldes eafera Scede-landum in.

  20 Swā sceal geong guma, gōde gewyrcean,

  so long a while; the Lord endowed him,

  the Wielder of Wonder, with world’s renown.

  Famed was this Beowulf: far flew the boast of him,

  son of Scyld, in the Scandian lands.

  20 So becomes it a youth to quit him well

  fromum feoh-giftum on fæder wine,

  þæt hine on ylde eft gewunigen

  wil-gesīðas, þonne wīg cume,

  lēode gelǣsten: lof-dǣdum sceal

  25 in mǣgða gehwǣre man geþēon.

  with his father’s friends, by fee and gift,

  that to aid him, agéd, in after days,

  come warriors willing, should war draw nigh,

  liegemen loyal: by lauded deeds

  25 shall an earl have honor in every clan.

  Him þā Scyld gewāt tō gescæp-hwīle

  fela-hrōr fēran on frēan wǣre;

  hī hyne þā ætbǣron tō brimes faroðe.

  swǣse gesīðas, swā hē selfa bæd,

  30 þenden wordum wēold wine Scyldinga,

  Forth he fared at the fated moment,

  sturdy Scyld to the shelter of God.

  Then they bore him over to ocean’s billow,

  loving clansmen, as late he charged them,

  30 while wielded words the winsome Scyld,

  lēof land-fruma lange āhte.

  Þǣr æt hy¯ðe stōd hringed-stefna,

  īsig and ūtfūs, æðelinges fær;

  ā-lēdon þā lēofne þēoden,

  35 bēaga bryttan on bearm scipes,

  the leader belovéd who long had ruled. . . .

  In the roadstead rocked a ring-dight vessel,

  ice-flecked, outbound, atheling’s barge:

  there laid they down their darling lord

  35 on the breast of the boat, the breaker-of-rings,

  mǣrne be mæste. Þǣr wæs mādma fela,

  of feor-wegum frætwa gelǣded:

  ne hy¯rde ic cy¯mlīcor cēol gegyrwan

  hilde-wǣpnum and heaðo-wǣdum,

  40 billum and byrnum; him on bearme læg

  by the mast the mighty one. Many a treasure

  fetched from far was freighted with him.

  No ship have I known so nobly dight

  with weapons of war and weeds of battle,

  40 with breastplate and blade: on his bosom lay

  mādma mænigo, þā him mid scoldon

  on flōdes ǣht feor gewītan.

  Nalas hī hine lǣssan lācum tēodan,

  þēod-gestrēonum, þonne þā dydon,

  45 þē hine æt frumsceafte forð onsendon

  a heapéd hoard that hence should go

  far o’er the flood with him floating away.

  No less these loaded the lordly gifts,

  thanes’ huge treasure, than those had done

  45 who in former time forth had sent him

  ǣnne ofer y¯ðe umbor wesende:

  þā gy¯t hīe him āsetton segen gyldenne

  hēah ofer hēafod, lēton holm beran,

  gēafon on gār-secg: him wæs geōmor sefa,

  50 murnende mōd. Men ne cunnon

  sole on the seas, a suckling child.

  High o’er his head they hoist the standard,

  a gold-wove banner; let billows take him,

  gave him to ocean. Grave were their spirits,

  50 mournful their mood. No man is able

  secgan tō soðe sele-rǣdende,

  hæleð under heofenum, hwā þǣm hlæste onfēng.

  to say in sooth, no son of the halls,

  no hero ‘neath heaven, — who harbored that freight!

  II. THE HALL HEOROT.

  Þā wæs on burgum Bēowulf Scyldinga,

  lēof lēod-cyning, longe þrāge

  55 folcum gefrǣge (fæder ellor hwearf,

  Now Beowulf bode in the burg of the Scyldings,

  leader belovéd, and long he ruled

  55 in fame with all folk, since his father had gone

  aldor of earde), oð þæt him eft onwōc

  hēah Healfdene; hēold þenden lifde,

  gamol and gūð-rēow, glæde Scyldingas.

  Þǣm fēower bearn forð-gerīmed

  60 in worold wōcun, weoroda rǣswan,

  away from the world, till awoke an heir,

  haughty Healfdene, who held through life,

  sage and sturdy, the Scyldings glad.

  Then, one after one, there woke to him,

  60 to the chieftain of clansmen, children four:

  Heorogār and Hrōðgār and Hālga til;

  hy¯rde ic, þat Elan cwēn Ongenþēowes wæs

  Heaðoscilfinges heals-gebedde.

  Þā wæs Hrōðgāre here-spēd gyfen,

  65 wīges weorð-mynd, þæt him his wine-māgas

  Heorogar, then Hrothgar, then Halga brave;

  and I heard that —— was — — ‘s queen,

  the Heathoscylfing’s helpmate dear.

  To Hrothgar was given such glory of war,

  65 such honor of combat, that all his kin

  georne hy¯rdon, oð þæt sēo geogoð gewēox,

  mago-driht micel. Him on mōd bearn,

  þæt heal-reced hātan wolde,

  medo-ærn micel men gewyrcean,

  70 þone yldo bearn ǣfre gefrūnon,

  obeyed him gladly till great grew his band

  of youthful comrades. It came in his mind

  to bid his henchmen a hall uprear,

  a master mead-house, mightier far

  70 than ever was seen by the sons of earth,

  and þǣr on innan eall gedǣlan

  geongum and ealdum, swylc him god sealde,

  būton folc-scare and feorum gumena.

  Þā ic wīde gefrægn weorc gebannan

  75 manigre mǣgðe geond þisne middan-geard,

  and within it, then, to old and young

  he would all allot that the Lord had sent him,

  save only the land and the lives of his men.

  Wide, I heard, was the work commanded,

  75 for many a tribe this mid-earth round,

  folc-stede frætwan. Him on fyrste gelomp

  ǣdre mid yldum, þæt hit wearð eal gearo,

  heal-ærna mǣst; scōp him Heort naman,

  sē þe his wordes geweald wīde hæfde.

  80 Hē bēot ne ālēh, bēagas dǣlde,

  to fashion the folkstead. It fell, as he ordered,

  in rapid achievement that ready it stood there,

  of halls the noblest: Heorot he named it

  whose message had might in many a land.

  80 Not reckless of promise, the rings he dealt,

  sinc æt symle. Sele hlīfade

  hēah and horn-gēap: heaðo-wylma bād,

  lāðan līges; ne wæs hit lenge þā gēn

  þæt se ecg-hete āðum-swerian

  85 æfter wæl-nīðe wæcnan scolde.

  treasure at banquet: there towered the hall,

  high, gabled wide, the hot surge waiting

  of
furious flame. Nor far was that day

  when father and son-in-law stood in feud

  85 for warfare and hatred that woke again.

  Þā se ellen-gǣst earfoðlīce

  þrāge geþolode, sē þe in þy¯strum bād,

  þæt hē dōgora gehwām drēam gehy¯rde

  hlūdne in healle; þǣr wæs hearpan swēg,

  90 swutol sang scopes. Sægde sē þe cūðe

  With envy and anger an evil spirit

  endured the dole in his dark abode,

  that he heard each day the din of revel

  high in the hall: there harps rang out,

  90 clear song of the singer. He sang who knew

  frum-sceaft fīra feorran reccan,

  cwæð þæt se ælmihtiga eorðan worhte,

  wlite-beorhtne wang, swā wæter bebūgeð,

  gesette sige-hrēðig sunnan and mōnan

  95 lēoman tō lēohte land-būendum,

  tales of the early time of man,

  how the Almighty, made the earth,

  fairest fields enfolded by water,

  set, triumphant, sun and moon

  95 for a light to lighten the land-dwellers,

  and gefrætwade foldan scēatas

  leomum and lēafum; līf ēac gesceōp

  cynna gehwylcum, þāra þe cwice hwyrfað.

  Swā þā driht-guman drēamum lifdon

  100 ēadiglīce, oð þæt ān ongan

  and braided bright the breast of earth

  with limbs and leaves, made life for all

  of mortal beings that breathe and move.

  So lived the clansmen in cheer and revel

  100 a winsome life, till one began

  fyrene fremman, fēond on helle:

  wæs se grimma gæst Grendel hāten,

  mǣre mearc-stapa, sē þe mōras hēold,

  fen and fæsten; fīfel-cynnes eard

  105 won-sǣlig wer weardode hwīle,

  to fashion evils, that fiend of hell.

  Grendel this monster grim was called,

  march-riever mighty, in moorland living,

  in fen and fastness; fief of the giants

  105 the hapless wight a while had kept

  siððan him scyppend forscrifen hæfde.

  In Caines cynne þone cwealm gewræc,

  ēce drihten, þæs þe hē Ābel slōg;

  ne gefeah hē þǣre fǣhðe, ac hē hine feor forwræc,

  110 metod for þy¯ māne man-cynne fram.

  since the Creator his exile doomed.

  On kin of Cain was the killing avenged

  by sovran God for slaughtered Abel.

  Ill fared his feud, and far was he driven,

  110 for the slaughter’s sake, from sight of men.

  Þanon unty¯dras ealle onwōcon,

  eotenas and ylfe and orcnēas,

 

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