Beowulf - Delphi Poets Series

by Beowulf

  and on him the old-time heirlooms glisten

  hard and ring-decked, Heathobard’s treasure,

  weapons that once they wielded fair

  until they lost at the linden-play

  2040 liegeman leal and their lives as well.

  “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 geongne cempan

  Then, over the ale, on this heirloom gazing,

  some ash-wielder old who has all in mind

  that spear-death of men, — he is stern of mood,

  heavy at heart, — in the hero young

  2045 tests the temper and tries the soul

  “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,

  and war-hate wakens, with words like these: —

  Canst thou not, comrade, ken that sword

  which to the fray thy father carried

  in his final feud, ‘neath the fighting-mask,

  2050 dearest of blades, when the Danish slew him

  “‘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,

  and wielded the war-place on Withergild’s fall,

  after havoc of heroes, those hardy Scyldings?

  Now, the son of a certain slaughtering Dane,

  proud of his treasure, paces this hall,

  2055 joys in the killing, and carries the jewel

  “‘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

  that rightfully ought to he owned by thee!

  Thus he urges and eggs him all the time

  with keenest words, till occasion offers

  that Freawaru’s thane, for his father’s deed,

  2060 after bite of brand in his blood must slumber,

  “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

  losing his life; but that liegeman flies

  living away, for the land he kens.

  And thus be broken on both their sides

  oaths of the earls, when Ingeld’s breast

  2065 wells with war-hate, and wife-love now

  “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

  after the care-billows cooler grows.

  “So I hold not high the Heathobards’ faith

  due to the Danes, or their during love

  and pact of peace. — But I pass from that,

  2070 turning to Grendel, O giver-of-treasure,

  “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,

  and saying in full how the fight resulted,

  hand-fray of heroes. When heaven’s jewel

  had fled o’er far fields, that fierce sprite came,

  night-foe savage, to seek us out

  2075 where safe and sound we sentried the hall.

  “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,

  To Hondscio then was that harassing deadly,

  his fall there was fated. He first was slain,

  girded warrior. Grendel on him

  turned murderous mouth, on our mighty kinsman,

  2080 and all of the brave man’s body devoured.

  “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,

  Yet none the earlier, empty-handed,

  would the bloody-toothed murderer, mindful of bale,

  outward go from the gold-decked hall:

  but me he attacked in his terror of might,

  2085 with greedy hand grasped me. A glove hung by him

  “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,

  wide and wondrous, wound with bands;

  and in artful wise it all was wrought,

  by devilish craft, of dragon-skins.

  Me therein, an innocent man,

  2090 the fiendish foe was fain to thrust

  “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;

  with many another. He might not so,

  when I all angrily upright stood.

  ‘Twere long to relate how that land-destroyer

  I paid in kind for his cruel deeds;

  2095 yet there, my prince, this people of thine

  “þǣr ic, þēoden mīn, þīne lēode

  “weorðode weorcum. Hē on weg losade,

  “ly¯tle hwīle līf-wynna brēac;

  “hwæðre him sīo swīðre swaðe weardade

  2100 “hand on Hiorte and hē hēan þonan,

  got fame by my fighting. He fled away,

  and a little space his life preserved;

  but there staid behind him his stronger hand

  left in Heorot; heartsick thence

  2100 on the floor of the ocean that outcast fell.

  “mōdes geōmor mere-grund gefēoll.

  “Mē þone wæl-rǣs wine Scildunga

  “fǣttan golde fela lēanode,

  “manegum māðmum, syððan mergen cōm

  2105 “and wē tō symble geseten hæfdon.

  Me for this struggle the Scyldings’-friend

  paid in plenty with plates of gold,

  with many a treasure, when morn had come

  and we all at the banquet-board sat down.

  2105 Then was song and glee. The gray-haired Scylding,

  “Þǣr wæs gidd and glēo; gomela Scilding

  “fela fricgende feorran rehte;

  “hwīlum hilde-dēor hearpan wynne,

  “gomen-wudu grētte; hwīlum gyd āwræc

  2110 “sōð and sārlīc; hwīlum syllīc spell

  much tested, told of the times of yone.

  Whiles the hero his harp bestirred,

  wood-of-delight; now lays he chanted

  of sooth and sadness, or said aright

  2110 legends of wonder, the wide-hearted king;

  “rehte æfter rihte rūm-heort cyning.

  “H
wīlum eft ongan eldo gebunden,

  “gomel gūð-wiga gioguðe cwīðan

  “hilde-strengo; hreðer inne wēoll,

  2115 “þonne hē wintrum frōd worn gemunde.

  or for years of his youth he would yearn at times,

  for strength of old struggles, now stricken with age,

  hoary hero: his heart surged full

  when, wise with winters, he wailed their flight.

  2115 Thus in the hall the whole of that day

  “Swā wē þǣr inne andlangne dæg

  “nīode nāman, oð þæt niht becwōm

  “ōðer tō yldum. Þā wæs eft hraðe

  “gearo gyrn-wræce Grendeles mōdor,

  2120 “sīðode sorh-full; sunu dēað fornam,

  at ease we feasted, till fell o’er earth

  another night. Anon full ready

  in greed of vengeance, Grendel’s mother

  set forth all doleful. Dead was her son

  2120 through war-hate of Weders; now, woman monstrous,

  “wīg-hete Wedra. Wīf unhy¯re

  “hyre bearn gewræc, beorn ācwealde

  “ellenlīce; þǣr wæs Æsc-here,

  “frōdan fyrn-witan, feorh ūðgenge;

  2125 “nōðer hy¯ hine ne mōston, syððan mergen cwōm,

  with fury fell a foeman she slew,

  avenged her offspring. From Æschere old,

  loyal councillor, life was gone;

  nor might they e’en, when morning broke,

  2125 those Danish people, their death-done comrade

  “dēað-wērigne Denia lēode

  “bronde forbærnan, nē on bǣl hladan

  “lēofne mannan: hīo þæt līc ætbær

  “fēondes fæðmum under firgen-strēam.

  2130 “Þæt wæs Hrōðgāre hrēowa tornost

  burn with brands, on balefire lay

  the man they mourned. Under mountain stream

  she had carried the corpse with cruel hands.

  For Hrothgar that was the heaviest sorrow

  2130 of all that had laden the lord of his folk.

  “þāra þe lēod-fruman lange begeāte;

  “þā se þēoden mec þīne līfe

  “healsode hrēoh-mōd, þæt ic on holma geþring

  “eorl-scipe efnde, ealdre genēðde,

  2135 “mǣrðo fremede: hē mē mēde gehēt.

  The leader then, by thy life, besought me

  (sad was his soul) in the sea-waves’ coil

  to play the hero and hazard my being

  for glory of prowess: my guerdon he pledged.

  2135 I then in the waters— ’tis widely known —

  “Ic þā þæs wælmes, þē is wīde cūð,

  “grimne gryrelīcne grund-hyrde fond.

  “Þǣr unc hwīle wæs hand gemǣne;

  “holm heolfre wēoll and ic hēafde becearf

  2140 “in þām grund-sele Grendeles mōdor

  that sea-floor-guardian savage found.

  Hand-to-hand there a while we struggled;

  billows welled blood; in the briny hall

  her head I hewed with a hardy blade

  2140 from Grendel’s mother, — and gained my life,

  “ēacnum ecgum, unsōfte þonan

  “feorh oðferede; næs ic fǣge þā gy¯t,

  “ac mē eorla hlēo eft gesealde

  “māðma menigeo, maga Healfdenes.

  though not without danger. My doom was not yet.

  Then the haven-of-heroes, Healfdene’s son,

  gave me in guerdon great gifts of price.

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

  2145 “Swā se þēod-kyning þēawum lyfde;

  “So held this king to the customs old,

  2145 that I wanted for nought in the wage I gained,

  “nealles ic þām lēanum forloren hæfde,

  “mægnes mēde, ac hē mē māðmas geaf,

  “sunu Healfdenes, on sīnne sylfes dōm;

  “þā ic þē, beorn-cyning, bringan wylle,

  2150 “ēstum gey¯wan. Gēn is eall æt þē

  the meed of my might; he made me gifts,

  Healfdene’s heir, for my own disposal.

  Now to thee, my prince, I proffer them all,

  gladly give them. Thy grace alone

  2150 can find me favor. Few indeed

  “lissa gelong: ic ly¯t hafo

  “hēafod-māga, nefne Hygelāc þec!”

  Hēt þā in beran eafor, hēafod-segn,

  heaðo-stēapne helm, hāre byrnan,

  2155 gūð-sweord geatolīc, gyd æfter wræc:

  have I of kinsmen, save, Hygelac, thee!”

  Then he bade them bear him the boar-head standard,

  the battle-helm high, and breastplate gray,

  the splendid sword; then spake in form: —

  2155 “Me this war-gear the wise old prince,

  “Mē þis hilde-sceorp Hrōðgār sealde,

  “snotra fengel, sume worde hēt,

  “þæt ic his ǣrest þē eft gesægde,

  “cwæð þæt hyt hæfde Hiorogār cyning,

  2160 “lēod Scyldunga lange hwīle:

  Hrothgar, gave, and his best he added,

  that its story be straightway said to thee. —

  A while it was held by Heorogar king,

  for long time lord of the land of Scyldings;

  2160 yet not to his son the sovran left it,

  “nō þy¯ ǣr suna sīnum syllan wolde,

  “hwatum Heorowearde, þēah hē him hold wǣre,

  “brēost-gewǣdu. Brūc ealles well!”

  Hy¯rde ic þæt þām frætwum fēower mēaras

  2165 lungre gelīce lāst weardode,

  to daring Heoroweard, — dear as he was to him,

  his harness of battle. — Well hold thou it all!”

  And I heard that soon passed o’er the path of this treasure,

  all apple-fallow, four good steeds,

  2165 each like the others; arms and horses

  æppel-fealuwe; hē him ēst getēah

  mēara and māðma. Swā sceal mǣg dōn,

  nealles inwit-net ōðrum bregdan,

  dyrnum cræfte dēað rēnian

  2170 hond-gesteallan. Hygelāce wæs,

  he gave to the king. So should kinsmen be,

  not weave one another the net of wiles,

  or with deep-hid treachery death contrive

  for neighbor and comrade. His nephew was ever

  2170 by hardy Hygelac held full dear,

  nīða heardum, nefa swy¯ðe hold

  and gehwæðer ōðrum hrōðra gemyndig.

  Hy¯rde ic þæt hē þone heals-bēah Hygde gesealde,

  wrǣtlīcne wundur-māððum, þone þe him Wealhþēo geaf,

  2175 þēodnes dōhtor, þrīo wicg somod

  and each kept watch o’er the other’s weal.

  I heard, too, the necklace to Hygd he presented,

  wonder-wrought treasure, which Wealhtheow gave him,

  sovran’s daughter: three steeds he added,

  2175 slender and saddle-gay. Since such gift

  swancor and sadol-beorht; hyre syððan wæs

  æfter bēah-þege brēost geweorðod.

  Swā bealdode bearn Ecgþēowes,

  guma gūðum cūð, gōdum dǣdum,

  2180 drēah æfter dōme, nealles druncne slōg

  the gem gleamed bright on the breast of the queen.

  Thus showed his strain the son of Ecgtheow

  as a man remarked for mighty deeds

  and acts of honor. At ale he slew not

  2180 comrade or kin; nor cruel his mood,

  heorð-genēatas; næs him hrēoh sefa,

  ac hē man-cynnes mǣste cræfte

  gin-fæstan gife, þē him god sealde,

  hēold hilde-dēor. Hēan wæs lange,

  2185 swā hyne Gēata bearn gōdne ne tealdon,

  though of sons of earth his s
trength was greatest,

  a glorious gift that God had sent

  the splendid leader. Long was he spurned,

  and worthless by Geatish warriors held;

  2185 him at mead the master-of-clans

  nē hyne on medo-bence micles wyrðne

  drihten wereda gedōn wolde;

  swy¯ðe oft sægdon, þæt hē slēac wǣre,

  æðeling unfrom: edwenden cwōm

  2190 tīr-ēadigum menn torna gehwylces.

  failed full oft to favor at all.

  Slack and shiftless the strong men deemed him,

  profitless prince; but payment came,

  to the warrior honored, for all his woes. —

  2190 Then the bulwark-of-earls bade bring within,

  Hēt þā eorla hlēo in gefetian,

  heaðo-rōf cyning, Hrēðles lāfe,

  golde gegyrede; næs mid Gēatum þā

  sinc-māððum sēlra on sweordes hād;

  2195 þæt hē on Bīowulfes bearm ālegde,

  hardy chieftain, Hrethel’s heirloom

  garnished with gold: no Geat e’er knew

  in shape of a sword a statelier prize.

  The brand he laid in Beowulf’s lap;

  2195 and of hides assigned him seven thousand,8

  and him gesealde seofan þūsendo,

  bold and brego-stōl. Him wæs bām samod

  on þām lēod-scipe lond gecynde,

  eard ēðel-riht, ōðrum swīðor

  2200 sīde rīce, þām þǣr sēlra wæs.

  with house and high-seat. They held in common land alike by their line of birth,

  inheritance, home: but higher the king

  because of his rule o’er the realm itself.

  2200 Now further it fell with the flight of years,

  Eft þæt geīode ufaran dōgrum

  hilde-hlæmmum, syððan Hygelāc læg

  and Heardrēde hilde-mēceas

  under bord-hrēoðan tō bonan wurdon,

  2205 þā hyne gesōhtan on sige-þēode

  with harryings horrid, that Hygelac perished,10

  and Heardred, too, by hewing of swords

  under the shield-wall slaughtered lay,

  when him at the van of his victor-folk

  2205 sought hardy heroes, Heatho-Scilfings,

  hearde hilde-frecan, Heaðo-Scilfingas,

  nīða genǣgdan nefan Hererīces.

  Syððan Bēowulfe brāde rīce

  on hand gehwearf: hē gehēold tela

  2210 fīftig wintru (wæs þā frōd cyning,

  in arms o’erwhelming Hereric’s nephew.

  Then Beowulf came as king this broad

  realm to wield; and he ruled it well

  fifty winters, a wise old prince,

  2210 warding his land, until One began

  eald ēðel-weard), oð þæt ān ongan

  deorcum nihtum draca rīcsian,

  sē þe on hēare hǣðe hord beweotode,