Beowulf - Delphi Poets Series

by Beowulf

  þā wæs hring-bogan heorte gefy¯sed

  sæcce tō sēceanne. Sweord ǣr gebrǣ

  gōd gūð-cyning gomele lāfe,

  2565 ecgum unglēaw, ǣghwæðrum wæs

  while with courage keen that coiléd foe

  came seeking strife. The sturdy king

  had drawn his sword, not dull of edge,

  heirloom old; and each of the two

  2565 felt fear of his foe, though fierce their mood.

  bealo-hycgendra brōga fram ōðrum.

  Stīð-mōd gestōd wið stēapne rond

  winia bealdor, þā se wyrm gebēah

  snūde tōsomne: hē on searwum bād.

  2570 Gewāt þā byrnende gebogen scrīðan tō,

  Stoutly stood with his shield high-raised

  the warrior king, as the worm now coiled

  together amain: the mailed-one waited.

  Now, spire by spire, fast sped and glided

  2570 that blazing serpent. The shield protected

  gescīfe scyndan. Scyld wēl gebearg

  līfe and līce lǣssan hwīle

  mǣrum þēodne, þonne his myne sōhte,

  þǣr hē þy¯ fyrste forman dōgore

  2575 wealdan mōste, swā him Wyrd ne gescrāf

  soul and body a shorter while

  for the hero-king than his heart desired,

  could his will have wielded the welcome respite

  but once in his life! But Wyrd denied it,

  2575 and victory’s honors. — His arm he lifted,

  hrēð æt hilde. Hond up ābræd

  Gēata dryhten, gryre-fāhne slōh

  incge lāfe, þæt sīo ecg gewāc

  brūn on bāne, bāt unswīðor,

  2580 þonne his þīod-cyning þearfe hæfde,

  lord of the Geats, the grim foe smote

  with atheling’s heirloom. Its edge was turned,

  brown-blade, on the bone, and bit more feebly

  than its noble master had need of then

  2580 in his baleful stress. — Then the barrow’s keeper

  bysigum gebǣded. Þā wæs beorges weard

  æfter heaðu-swenge on hrēoum mōde,

  wearp wæl-fy¯re, wīde sprungon

  hilde-lēoman: hrēð-sigora ne gealp

  2585 gold-wine Gēata, gūð-bill geswāc

  waxed full wild for that weighty blow,

  cast deadly flames; wide drove and far

  those vicious fires. No victor’s glory

  the Geats’ lord boasted; his brand had failed,

  2585 naked in battle, as never it should,

  nacod æt nīðe, swā hyt nō sceolde,

  īren ǣr-gōd. Ne wæs þæt ēðe sīð,

  þæt se mǣra maga Ecgþēowes

  grund-wong þone ofgyfan wolde;

  2590 sceolde wyrmes willan wīc eardian

  excellent iron!— ’Twas no easy path

  that Ecgtheow’s honored heir must tread

  over the plain to the place of the foe;

  for against his will he must win a home

  2590 elsewhere far, as must all men, leaving

  elles hwergen, swā sceal ǣghwylc mon

  ālǣtan lǣn-dagas. Næs þā long tō þon,

  þæt þā āglǣcean hy¯ eft gemētton.

  Hyrte hyne hord-weard, hreðer ǣðme wēoll,

  2595 nīwan stefne: nearo þrowode

  this lapsing life! — Not long it was

  ere those champions grimly closed again.

  The hoard-guard was heartened; high heaved his breast

  once more; and by peril was pressed again,

  2595 enfolded in flames, the folk-commander!

  fy¯re befongen sē þe ǣr folce wēold.

  Nealles him on hēape hand-gesteallan,

  æðelinga bearn ymbe gestōdon

  hilde-cystum, ac hy¯ on holt bugon,

  2600 ealdre burgan. Hiora in ānum wēoll

  Nor yet about him his band of comrades,

  sons of athelings, arméd stood

  with warlike front: to the woods they bent them,

  their lives to save. But the soul of one

  2600 with care was cumbered. Kinship true

  sefa wið sorgum: sibb ǣfre ne mæg

  wiht onwendan, þām þe wēl þenceð.

  can never be marred in a noble mind!

  XXXVI. WIGLAF HELPS BĒOWULF IN THE FEUD

  Wīglāf wæs hāten Wēoxstānes sunu,

  lēoflīc lind-wiga, lēod Scylfinga,

  2605 mǣg Ælfheres: geseah his mon-dryhten

  Wiglaf his name was, Weohstan’s son,

  linden-thane loved, the lord of Scylfings,

  Ælfhere’s kinsman. His king he now saw

  2605 with heat under helmet hard oppressed.

  under here-grīman hāt þrowian.

  Gemunde þā þā āre, þē hē him ǣr forgeaf

  wīc-stede weligne Wǣgmundinga,

  folc-rihta gehwylc, swā his fæder āhte;

  2610 ne mihte þā forhabban, hond rond gefēng,

  He minded the prizes his prince had given him,

  wealthy seat of the Wægmunding line,

  and folk-rights that his father owned.

  Not long he lingered. The linden yellow,

  2610 his shield, he seized; the old sword he drew: —

  geolwe linde, gomel swyrd getēah,

  þæt wæs mid eldum Ēanmundes lāf,

  suna Ōhteres, þām æt sæcce wearð

  wracu wine-lēasum Wēohstānes bana

  2615 mēces ecgum, and his māgum ætbær

  as heirloom of Eanmund earth-dwellers knew it,

  who was slain by the sword-edge, son of Ohtere,

  friendless exile, erst in fray

  killed by Weohstan, who won for his kin

  2615 brown-bright helmet, breastplate ringed,

  brūn-fāgne helm, hringde byrnan,

  eald sweord eotonisc, þæt him Onela forgeaf,

  his gædelinges gūð-gewǣdu,

  fyrd-searo fūslīc: nō ymbe þā fǣhðe spræc,

  2620 þēah þe hē his brōðor bearn ābredwade.

  old sword of Eotens, Onela’s gift,

  weeds of war of the warrior-thane,

  battle-gear brave: though a brother’s child

  had been felled, the feud was unfelt by Onela.

  2620 For winters this war-gear Weohstan kept,

  Hē frætwe gehēold fela missēra,

  bill and byrnan, oð þæt his byre mihte

  eorl-scipe efnan, swā his ǣr-fæder;

  geaf him þā mid Gēatum gūð-gewǣda

  2625 ǣghwæs unrīm; þā hē of ealdre gewāt,

  breastplate and board, till his bairn had grown

  earlship to earn as the old sire did:

  then he gave him, mid Geats, the gear of battle,

  portion huge, when he passed from life,

  2625 fared agéd forth. For the first time now

  frōd on forð-weg. Þā wæs forma sīð

  geongan cempan, þæt hē gūðe rǣs

  mid his frēo-dryhtne fremman sceolde;

  ne gemealt him se mōd-sefa, nē his mǣges lāf

  2630 gewāc æt wīge: þæt se wyrm onfand,

  with his leader-lord the liegeman young

  was bidden to share the shock of battle.

  Neither softened his soul, nor the sire’s bequest

  weakened in war. So the worm found out

  2630 when once in fight the foes had met!

  syððan hīe tōgædre gegān hæfdon.

  Wīglāf maðelode word-rihta fela,

  sægde gesīðum, him wæs sefa geōmor:

  “Ic þæt mǣl geman, þǣr wē medu þēgun,

  2635 “þonne wē gehēton ūssum hlāforde

  Wiglaf spake, — and his words were sage;

  sad in spirit, he said to his comrades: —

  “I remember the time, when mead we took,

  what promise we made to this prince of ours

&nb
sp; 2635 in the banquet-hall, to our breaker-of-rings,

  “in bīor-sele, þē ūs þās bēagas geaf,

  “þæt wē him þā gūð-geatwa gyldan woldon,

  “gif him þyslīcu þearf gelumpe,

  “helmas and heard sweord: þē hē ūsic on herge gecēas

  2640 “tō þyssum sīð-fate sylfes willum,

  for gear of combat to give him requital,

  for hard-sword and helmet, if hap should bring

  stress of this sort! Himself who chose us

  from all his army to aid him now,

  2640 urged us to glory, and gave these treasures,

  “onmunde ūsic mǣrða and mē þās māðmas geaf,

  “þē hē ūsic gār-wīgend gōde tealde,

  “hwate helm-berend, þēah þe hlāford ūs

  “þis ellen-weorc āna āþōhte

  2645 “tō gefremmanne, folces hyrde,

  because he counted us keen with the spear

  and hardy ‘neath helm, though this hero-work

  our leader hoped unhelped and alone

  to finish for us, — folk-defender

  2645 who hath got him glory greater than all men

  “forþām hē manna mǣst mǣrða gefremede,

  “dǣda dollīcra. Nū is sē dæg cumen,

  “þæt ūre man-dryhten mægenes behōfað

  “gōdra gūð-rinca: wutun gangan tō,

  2650 “helpan hild-fruman, þenden hyt sy¯,

  for daring deeds! Now the day is come

  that our noble master has need of the might

  of warriors stout. Let us stride along

  the hero to help while the heat is about him

  2650 glowing and grim! For God is my witness

  “glēd-egesa grim! God wāt on mec,

  “þæt mē is micle lēofre, þæt mīnne līc-haman

  “mid mīnne gold-gyfan glēd fæðmie.

  “Ne þynceð mē gerysne, þæt wē rondas beren

  2655 “eft tō earde, nemne wē ǣror mǣgen

  I am far more fain the fire should seize

  along with my lord these limbs of mine!

  Unsuiting it seems our shields to bear

  homeward hence, save here we essay

  2655 to fell the foe and defend the life

  “fāne gefyllan, feorh ealgian

  “Wedra þīodnes. Ic wāt geare,

  “þæt nǣron eald-gewyrht, þæt hē āna scyle

  “Gēata duguðe gnorn þrowian,

  2660 “gesīgan æt sæcce: sceal ūrum þæt sweord and helm,

  of the Weders’ lord. I wot ‘twere shame

  on the law of our land if alone the king

  out of Geatish warriors woe endured

  and sank in the struggle! My sword and helmet,

  2660 breastplate and board, for us both shall serve!”

  “byrne and byrdu-scrūd bām gemǣne.”

  Wōd þā þurh þone wæl-rēc, wīg-heafolan bær

  frēan on fultum, fēa worda cwæð:

  “Lēofa Bīowulf, lǣst eall tela,

  2665 “swā þū on geoguð-fēore geāra gecwǣde,

  Through slaughter-reek strode he to succor his chieftain,

  his battle-helm bore, and brief words spake: —

  “Beowulf dearest, do all bravely,

  as in youthful days of yore thou vowedst

  2665 that while life should last thou wouldst let no wise

  “þæt þū ne ālǣte be þē lifigendum

  “dōm gedrēosan: scealt nū dǣdum rōf,

  “æðeling ān-hy¯dig, ealle mægene

  “feorh ealgian; ic þē fullǣstu!”

  2670 Æfter þām wordum wyrm yrre cwōm,

  thy glory droop! Now, great in deeds,

  atheling steadfast, with all thy strength

  shield thy life! I will stand to help thee.”

  At the words the worm came once again,

  2670 murderous monster mad with rage,

  atol inwit-gæst ōðre sīðe,

  fy¯r-wylmum fāh fīonda nīosan,

  lāðra manna; līg-y¯ðum forborn

  bord wið ronde: byrne ne meahte

  2675 geongum gār-wigan gēoce gefremman:

  with fire-billows flaming, its foes to seek,

  the hated men. In heat-waves burned

  that board to the boss, and the breastplate failed

  to shelter at all the spear-thane young.

  2675 Yet quickly under his kinsman’s shield

  ac se maga geonga under his mǣges scyld

  elne geēode, þā his āgen wæs

  glēdum forgrunden. Þā gēn gūð-cyning

  mǣrða gemunde, mægen-strengo,

  2680 slōh hilde-bille, þæt hyt on heafolan stōd

  went eager the earl, since his own was now

  all burned by the blaze. The bold king again

  had mind of his glory: with might his glaive

  was driven into the dragon’s head, —

  2680 blow nerved by hate. But Nægling was shivered,

  nīðe geny¯ded: Nægling forbærst,

  geswāc æt sæcce sweord Bīowulfes

  gomol and grǣg-mǣl. Him þæt gifeðe ne wæs,

  þæt him īrenna ecge mihton

  2685 helpan æt hilde; wæs sīo hond tō strong,

  broken in battle was Beowulf’s sword,

  old and gray. ’Twas granted him not

  that ever the edge of iron at all

  could help him at strife: too strong was his hand,

  2685 so the tale is told, and he tried too far

  sē þe mēca gehwane mīne gefrǣge

  swenge ofersōhte, þonne hē tō sæcce bær

  wǣpen wundrum heard, næs him wihte þē sēl.

  Þā wæs þēod-sceaða þriddan sīðe,

  2690 frēcne fy¯r-draca fǣhða gemyndig,

  with strength of stroke all swords he wielded,

  though sturdy their steel: they steaded him nought.

  Then for the third time thought on its feud

  that folk-destroyer, fire-dread dragon,

  2690 and rushed on the hero, where room allowed,

  rǣsde on þone rōfan, þā him rūm āgeald,

  hāt and heaðo-grim, heals ealne ymbefēng

  biteran bānum; hē geblōdegod wearð

  sāwul-drīore; swāt y¯ðum wēoll.

  battle-grim, burning; its bitter teeth

  closed on his neck, and covered him

  with waves of blood from his breast that welled.

  XXXVII. BĒOWULF WOUNDED TO DEATH.

  2695 Þā ic æt þearfe gefrægn þēod-cyninges

  ’Twas now, men say, in his sovran’s need

  2695 that the earl made known his noble strain,

  and-longne eorl ellen cy¯ðan,

  cræft and cēnðu, swā him gecynde wæs;

  ne hēdde hē þæs heafolan, ac sīo hand gebarn

  mōdiges mannes, þǣr hē his mǣges healp,

  2700 þæt hē þone nīð-gæst nioðor hwēne slōh,

  craft and keenness and courage enduring.

  Heedless of harm, though his hand was burned,

  hardy-hearted, he helped his kinsman.

  A little lower the loathsome beast

  2700 he smote with sword; his steel drove in

  secg on searwum, þæt þæt sweord gedēaf

  fāh and fǣted, þæt þæt fy¯r ongon

  sweðrian syððan. Þā gēn sylf cyning

  gewēold his gewitte, wæll-seaxe gebrǣ,

  2705 biter and beadu-scearp, þæt hē on byrnan wæg:

  bright and burnished; that blaze began

  to lose and lessen. At last the king

  wielded his wits again, war-knife drew,

  a biting blade by his breastplate hanging,

  2705 and the Weders’-helm smote that worm asunder,

  forwrāt Wedra helm wyrm on middan.

  Fēond gefyldan (ferh ellen wræc),

  and hī hyne þā bēgen ābroten hæfdon,
r />   sib-æðelingas: swylc sceolde secg wesan,

  2710 þegn æt þearfe. Þæt þām þēodne wæs

  felled the foe, flung forth its life.

  So had they killed it, kinsmen both,

  athelings twain: thus an earl should be

  in danger’s day! — Of deeds of valor

  2710 this conqueror’s-hour of the king was last,

  sīðast sīge-hwīle sylfes dǣdum,

  worlde geweorces. Þā sīo wund ongon,

  þē him se eorð-draca ǣr geworhte,

  swelan and swellan. Hē þæt sōna onfand,

  2715 þæt him on brēostum bealo-nīð wēoll,

  of his work in the world. The wound began,

  which that dragon-of-earth had erst inflicted,

  to swell and smart; and soon he found

  in his breast was boiling, baleful and deep,

  2715 pain of poison. The prince walked on,

  attor on innan. Þā se æðeling gīong,

  þæt hē bī wealle, wīs-hycgende,

  gesæt on sesse; seah on enta geweorc,

  hū þā stān-bogan stapulum fæste

  2720 ēce eorð-reced innan hēoldon.

  wise in his thought, to the wall of rock;

  then sat, and stared at the structure of giants,

  where arch of stone and steadfast column

  upheld forever that hall in earth.

  2720 Yet here must the hand of the henchman peerless

  Hyne þā mid handa heoro-drēorigne

  þēoden mǣrne þegn ungemete till,

  wine-dryhten his wætere gelafede,

  hilde-sædne and his helm onspēon.

  2725 Bīowulf maðelode, hē ofer benne spræc,

  lave with water his winsome lord,

  the king and conqueror covered with blood,

  with struggle spent, and unspan his helmet.

  Beowulf spake in spite of his hurt,

  2725 his mortal wound; full well he knew

  wunde wæl-blēate (wisse hē gearwe,

  þæt hē dæg-hwīla gedrogen hæfde

  eorðan wynne; þā wæs eall sceacen

  dōgor-gerīmes, dēað ungemete nēah):

  2730 “Nū ic suna mīnum syllan wolde

  his portion now was past and gone

  of earthly bliss, and all had fled

  of his file of days, and death was near:

  “I would fain bestow on son of mine

  2730 this gear of war, were given me now

  “gūð-gewǣdu, þǣr mē gifeðe swā

  “ǣnig yrfe-weard æfter wurde,

  “līce gelenge. Ic þās lēode hēold

  “fīftig wintra: næs se folc-cyning

  2735 “ymbe-sittendra ǣnig þāra,

  that any heir should after me come

  of my proper blood. This people I ruled

  fifty winters. No folk-king was there,

  none at all, of the neighboring clans