Beowulf (Bilingual Edition)

Home > Other > Beowulf (Bilingual Edition) > Page 10
Beowulf (Bilingual Edition) Page 10

by Seamus Heaney


  blācne lēoman beorhte scīnan.

  Ongeat þā se gōda grund-wyrgenne,

  mere-wīf mihtig; mægen-rǣs forgeaf

  1520

  hilde-bille, hond sweng ne oftēah,

  þæt hire on hafelan hring-mǣl āgōl

  grǣdig gūð-lēoð. Đā se gist onfand,

  þæt se beado-lēoma bītan nolde,

  aldre sceþðan, ac sēo ecg geswāc

  ðēodne æt þearfe; ðolode ǣr fela

  hond-gemōta, helm oft gescær,

  fǣges fyrd-hrægl; ðā wæs forma sīð

  dēorum mādme, þæt his dōm ālæg.

  Eft wæs ān-rǣd, nalas elnes læt,

  1530

  mǣrða gemyndig mǣg Hȳlāces.

  Wearp ðā wunden-mǣl wrǣttum gebunden

  yrre ōretta, þæt hit on eorðan læg,

  stīð ond stȳl-ecg; strenge getruwode,

  mund-gripe mægenes. Swā sceal man dōn,

  þonne hē æt gūðe gegān þenceð

  longsumne lof; nā ymb his līf cearað.

  Gefēng þā be eaxle —nalas for fǣhðe mearn—

  Gūð-Gēata lēod Grendles mōdor;

  brægd þā beadwe heard, þā hē gebolgen wæs,

  1540

  feorh-genīðlan, þæt hēo on flet gebēah.

  Hēo him eft hraþe andlēan forgeald

  grimman grāpum, ond him tōgēanes fēng.

  Oferwearp þā wērig-mōd wigena strengest,

  fēþe-cempa, þæt hē on fylle wearð.

  Ofsæt þā þone sele-gyst ond hyre seax getēah,

  brād, brūn-ecg; wolde hire bearn wrecan,

  āngan eaferan. Him on eaxle læg

  brēost-net brōden; þæt gebearh fēore,

  wið ord ond wið ecge ingang forstōd.

  1550

  Hæfde ðā forsīðod sunu Ecgþēowes

  under gynne grund, Gēata cempa,

  nemne him heaðo-byrne helpe gefremede,

  here-net hearde, ond hālig God

  gewēold wīg-sigor, wītig Drihten,

  rodera Rǣdend, hit on ryht gescēd

  ȳðelīce, syþðan hē eft āstōd.

  Geseah ðā on searwum sige-ēadig bil,

  eald-sweord eotenisc ecgum þȳhtig,

  wigena weorð-mynd; þæt wæs wǣpna cyst,

  1560

  būton hit wæs māre ðonne ǣnig mon ōðer

  tō beadu-lāce ætberan meahte,

  gōd ond geatolīc, gīganta geweorc.

  Hē gefēng þā fetel-hilt, freca Scyldinga,

  hrēoh ond heoro-grim, hring-mǣl gebrægd

  aldres orwēna, yrringa slōh,

  þæt hire wið halse heard grāpode,

  bān-hringas bræc; bil eal ðurhwōd

  fǣgne flǣsc-homan; hēo on flet gecrong,

  sweord wæs swātig, secg weorce gefeh.

  1570

  Līxte se lēoma, lēoht inne stōd,

  efne swā of hefene hādre scīneð

  rodores candel. Hē æfter recede wlāt;

  hwearf þā be wealle, wǣpen hafenade

  heard be hiltum Higelāces ðegn,

  yrre ond ān-rǣd. Næs sēo ecg fracod

  hilde-rince, ac hē hraþe wolde

  Grendle forgyldan gūð-rǣsa fela,

  ðāra þe hē geworhte tō West-Denum

  oftor micle ðonne on ǣnne sīð

  1580

  þonne hē Hrōðgāres heorð-genēatas

  slōh on sweofote, slǣpende frǣt

  folces Denigea fȳf-tȳne men,

  ond ōðer swylc ūt offerede,

  lāðlicu lāc. Hē him þæs lēan forgeald,

  rēþe cempa, tō ðæs þe hē on ræste geseah

  gūð-wērigne Grendel licgan,

  aldor-lēasne, swā him ǣr gescōd

  hild æt Heorote. Hrā wīde sprong,

  syþðan hē æfter dēaðe drepe þrōwade,

  1590

  heoro-sweng heardne, ond hine þā hēafde becearf.

  Sōna þæt gesāwon snottre ceorlas,

  þā ðe mid Hrōðgāre on holm wliton,

  þæt wæs ȳð-geblond eal gemenged,

  brim blōde fāh. Blonden-feaxe

  gomele ymb gōdne ongeador sprǣcon

  þæt hig þæs æðelinges eft ne wēndon,

  þæt hē sige-hrēðig sēcean cōme

  mǣrne þēoden; þā ðæs monige gewearð

  þæt hine sēo brim-wylf ābroten hæfde.

  1600

  Đā cōm nōn dæges. Næs ofgēafon

  hwate Scyldingas; gewāt him hām þonon

  gold-wine gumena; gistas sētan

  mōdes sēoce, ond on mere staredon;

  wīston ond ne wēndon, þæt hīe heora wine-drihten

  selfne gesāwon.

  Þā þæt sweord ongan

  æfter heaþo-swāte hilde-gicelum,

  wīg-bil wanian. Þæt wæs wundra sum,

  þæt hit eal gemealt īse gelīcost,

  ðonne forstes bend Fæder onlǣteð,

  1610

  onwindeð wǣl-rāpas, sē geweald hafað

  sǣla ond mǣla; þæt is sōð Metod.

  Ne nōm hē in þǣm wīcum, Weder-Gēata lēod,

  māðm-ǣhta mā, þēh hē þǣr monige geseah,

  būton þone hafelan ond þā hilt somod,

  since fāge; sweord ǣr gemealt,

  forbarn brōden-mǣl; wæs þæt blōd tō þæs hāt,

  ættren ellor-gǣst, sē þǣr inne swealt.

  Sōna wæs on sunde, sē þe ǣr æt sæcce gebād

  wīg-hryre wrāðra, wæter up þurhdeāf;

  1620

  wǣron ȳð-gebland eal gefælsod,

  ēacne eardas, þā se ellor-gāst

  oflēt līf-dagas ond þās lǣnan gesceaft.

  Cōm þā tō lande lid-manna helm

  swīð-mōd swymman, sǣ-lāce gefeah,

  mægen-byrþenne þāra þe hē him mid hæfde.

  Ēodon him þā tōgēanes, Gode þancodon,

  ðrȳðlīc þegna hēap, þēodnes gefēgon,

  þæs þe hī hyne gesundne gesēon mōston.

  Đā wæs of þǣm hrōran helm ond byrne

  1630

  lungre ālȳsed. Lagu drūsade,

  wæter under wolcnum, wæl-drēore fāg.

  Fērdon forð þonon fēþe-lāstum,

  ferhþum fægne, fold-weg mǣton,

  cūþe strǣte; cyning-balde men

  from þǣm holm-clife hafelan bǣron

  earfoðlīce heora ǣghwæþrum

  fela-mōdigra. Fēower scoldon

  on þǣm wæl-stenge weorcum geferian

  tō þǣm gold-sele Grendles hēafod,

  1640

  oþðæt semninga tō sele cōmon

  frome, fyrd-hwate fēower-tȳne

  Gēata gongan; gum-dryhten mid

  mōdig on gemonge meodo-wongas træd.

  Đā cōm in gān ealdor ðegna,

  dǣd-cēne mon dōme gewurþad,

  hæle hilde-dēor, Hrōðgār grētan.

  Þā wæs be feaxe on flet boren

  Grendles hēafod, þǣr guman druncon,

  egeslīc for eorlum ond þǣre idese mid;

  1650

  wlite-sēon wrǣtlic weras on sāwon.

  Bēowulf maþelode, bearn Ecgþēowes:

  “Hwæt, wē þē þās sǣ-lāc, sunu Healfdenes,

  lēod Scyldinga, lustum brōhton,

  tīres tō tācne, þe þū hēr tō lōcast.

  Ic þæt unsōfte ealdre gedīgde,

  wigge under wætere, weorc genēþde

  earfoðlīce; ætrihte wæs

  gūð getwǣfed, nymðe mec God scylde.

  Ne meahte ic æt hilde mid Hruntinge

  1660

  wiht gewyrcan, þēah þæt wǣpen duge;

  ac mē geūðe ylda Waldend

  þæt ic on wāge geseah wlitig hangian

  eald-sweord ēacen —oftost wīsode

  winigea lēasum— þæt ic ðȳ wǣpne gebrǣd.
r />   Ofslōh ðā æt þǣre sæcce, þā mē sǣl āgeald,

  hūses hyrdas. Þā þæt hilde-bil

  forbarn, brogden-mǣl, swā þæt blōd gesprang,

  hātost heaþo-swāta. Ic þæt hilt þanan

  fēondum ætferede, fyren-dǣda wræc,

  1670

  dēað-cwealm Denigea, swā hit gedēfe wæs.

  Ic hit þē þonne gehāte, þæt þū on Heorote mōst

  sorh-lēas swefan mid þīnra secga gedryht,

  ond þegna gehwylc þīnra lēoda,

  duguðe ond iogoþe, þæt hū him ondrǣdan ne þearft,

  þēoden Scyldinga, on þā healfe,

  aldor-bealu eorlum, swā þū ǣr dydest.”

  Đā wæs gylden hilt gamelum rince,

  hārum hild-fruman on hand gyfen,

  enta ǣr-geweorc; hit on ǣht gehwearf

  1680

  æfter dēofla hryre Denigea frēan,

  wundor-smiþa geweorc; ond þā þās worold ofgeaf

  grom-heort guma, Godes andsaca,

  morðres scyldig, ond his mōdor ēac;

  on geweald gehwearf worold-cyninga

  ðǣm sēlestan be sǣm twēonum,

  ðāra þe on Sceden-igge sceattas dǣlde.

  Hrōðgār maðelode, hylt scēawode,

  ealde lāfe. On ðǣm wæs ōr writen

  fyrn-gewinnes, syðþan flōd ofslōh,

  1690

  gifen gēotende, gīganta cyn;

  frēcne gefērdon; þæt wæs fremde þēod

  ēcean Dryhtne; him þæs ende-lēan

  þurh wæteres wylm Waldend sealde.

  Swā wæs on ðǣm scennum scīran goldes

  þurh rūn-stafas rihte gemearcod,

  geseted ond gesǣd, hwām þæt sweord geworht,

  īrena cyst, ǣrest wǣre,

  wreoþen-hilt ond wyrm-fāh. Đā se wīsa spræc,

  sunu Healfdenes —swīgedon ealle—:

  1700

  “Þæt lā mæg secgan, sē þe sōð ond riht

  fremeð on folce, feor eal gemon,

  eald ēðel-weard, þæt ðes eorl wǣre

  geboren betera! Blǣd is ārǣred

  geond wīd-wegas, wine mīn Bēowulf,

  ðīn ofer þēoda gehwylce. Eal þū hit geþyldum healdest,

  mægen mid mōdes snyttrum. Ic þē sceal mīne gelǣstan

  frēode, swā wit furðum sprǣcon. Đū scealt tō frōfre

  weorþan

  eal lang-twīdig lēodum þīnum

  hæleðum tō helpe.

  Ne wearð Heremōd swā

  1710

  eaforum Ecgwelan, Ār-Scyldingum;

  ne gewēox hē him tō willan, ac tō wæl-fealle

  ond tō dēað-cwalum Deniga lēodum.

  Brēat bolgen-mōd bēod-genēatas,

  eaxl-gesteallan, oþþæt hē āna hwearf,

  mǣre, þēoden, mon-drēamum from,

  ðēah þe hine mihtig God mægenes wynnum,

  eafeþum stēpte, ofer ealle men

  forð gefremede. Hwæþere him on ferhþe grēow

  brēost-hord blōd-rēow; nallas bēagas geaf

  1720

  Denum æfter dōme. Drēam-lēas gebād,

  þæt hē þæs gewinnes weorc þrōwade,

  lēod-bealo longsum. Đū þē lǣr be þon,

  gum-cyste ongit! Ic þis gid be þē

  āwræc wintrum frōd.

  Wundor is tō secganne,

  hū mihtig God manna cynne

  þurh sīdne sefan snyttru bryttað,

  eard ond eorlscipe; hē āh ealra geweald.

  Hwīlum hē on lufan lǣteð hworfan

  monnes mōd-geþonc mǣran cynnes,

  1730

  seleð him on ēþle eorþan wynne

  tō healdanne, hlēo-burh wera;

  gedēð him swā gewealdene worolde dǣlas,

  sīde rīce, þæt hē his selfa ne mæg

  for his unsnyttrum ende geþencean.

  Wunað hē on wiste, nō hine wiht dweleð

  ādl nē yldo, nē him inwit-sorh

  on sefan sweorceð, nē gesacu ōhwǣr

  ecg-hete ēoweð, ac him eal worold

  wendeð on willan. Hē þæt wyrse ne con,

  1740

  oðþæt him on innan ofer-hygda dǣl

  weaxeð ond wrīdað, þonne se weard swefeð,

  sāwele hyrde; bið se slǣp tō fæst,

  bisgum begunden; bona swīðe nēah,

 

‹ Prev