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Beowulf (Bilingual Edition)

Page 13

by Seamus Heaney


  fīftig wintra— wæs ðā frōd cyning,

  2210

  eald ēþel-weard— oððæt ān ongan

  deorcum nihtum, draca rīcsian

  sē ðe on hēaum hofe hord beweotode,

  stān-beorh stēapne; stīg under læg

  eldum uncūð; þǣr on innan gīong

  niða nāt-hwylc . . . . . . gefēng

  hǣðnum horde hond . . . . . . . . . . .

  since fāhne hē þæt syððan . . . . . .

  þēah ðe hē slǣpende besyred wurde

  þēofes cræfte; þæt sīe ðīod onfand,

  2220

  bū-folc beorna, þæt hē gebolgen wæs.

  Nealles mid gewealdum wyrm-hord ābræc,

  sylfes willum, sē ðe him sāre gesceōd,

  ac for þrēa-nēdlan þēow nāt-hwylces

  hæleða bearna hete-swengeas flēoh,

  ærnes þearfa, ond ðǣr inne fealh,

  secg syn-bysig. Sōna onfunde,

  þæt . . . . . ðām gyste gryre-brōga stōd;

  hwæðre earm-sceapen . . . . . . . . . .

  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . sceapen

  2230

  . . . . . . þā hyne se fǣr begeat,

  sinc-fæt . . . . . þǣr wæs swylcra fela

  in ðām eorð-hūse ǣr-gestrēona,

  swā hȳ on geār-dagum gumena nāt-hwylc,

  eormen-lāfe æþelan cynnes,

  þanc-hycgende þǣr gehȳdde,

  dēore māðmas. Ealle hīe dēað fornam

  ǣrran mǣlum, ond se ān ðā gēn

  lēoda duguðe, sē ðǣr lengest hwearf,

  weard wine-geōmor, wēnde þæs ylcan

  2240

  þæt hē lȳtel fæc long-gestrēona

  brūcan mōste. Beorh eall-gearo

  wunode on wonge wæter-ȳðum nēah,

  nīwe be næsse, nearo-cræftum fæst.

  Þǣr on innan bær eorl-gestrēona

  hringa hyrde hord-wyrðne dǣl,

  fǣttan goldes, fēa worda cwæð:

  “Heald þū nū, hrūse, nū hæleð ne mōstan,

  eorla ǣhte! Hwæt hyt ǣr on ðē

  gōde begēaton. Gūð-dēað fornam,

  2250

  feorh-bealo frēcne, fȳra gehwylcne

  lēoda mīnra, þāra ðe þis līf ofgeaf,

  gesāwon sele-drēam; nāh, hwā sweord wege

  oððe feormie fǣted wǣge,

  drync-fæt dēore; duguð ellor scōc.

  Sceal se hearda helm, hyrsted golde

  fǣtum befeallen; feormynd swefað,

  þā ðe beado-grīman bȳwan sceoldon;

  gē swylce sēo here-pād, sīo æt hilde gebād

  ofer borda gebræc bite īrena,

  2260

  brosnað æfter beorne; ne mæg byrnan hring

  æfter wīg-fruman wīde fēran

  hæleðum be healfe. Næs hearpan wyn,

  gomen glēo-bēames, nē gōd hafoc

  geond sæl swingeð, nē se swifta mearh

  burh-stede bēateð. Bealo-cwealm hafað

  fela feorh-cynna forð onsended!”

  Swā giōmor-mōd giohðo mǣnde,

  ān æfter eallum, unblīðe hwearf,

  dæges ond nihtes, oððæt dēaðes wylm

  2270

  hrān æt heortan. Hord-wynne fond

  eald ūht-sceaða opene standan,

  sē ðe byrnende biorgas sēceð,

  nacod nīð-draca, nihtes flēogeð

  fȳre befangen; hyne fold-būend

  swiðe ondrǣdað. Hē gesēcean sceall

  hord on hrūsan, þǣr hē hǣðen gold

  warað wintrum frōd; ne byð him wihte ðȳ sēl.

  Swā se ðēod-sceaða þrēo hund wintra

  hēold on hrūsan hord-ærna sum

  2280

  ēacen-cræftig, oððæt hyne ān ābealch

  mon on mōde; man-dryhtne bær

  fǣted wǣge, frioðo-wǣre bæd

  hlāford sīnne. Đā wæs hord rāsod,

  onboren bēaga hord, bēne getīðad

  fēasceaftum men. Frēa scēawode

  fīra fyrn-geweorc forman sīðe.

  Þā se wyrm onwōc, wrōht wæs genīwad;

  stonc ðā æfter stāne, stearc-heort onfand

  fēondes fōt-lāst; hē tō forð gestōp

  2290

  dyrnan cræfte, dracan hēafde nēah.

  Swā mæg unfæge ēaðe gedīgan

  wēan ond wrǣc-sīð, sē ðe Waldendes

  hyldo gehealdeþ. Hord-weard sōhte

  georne æfter grunde, wolde guman findan,

  þone þe him on sweofote sāre getēode;

  hāt ond hrēoh-mōd hlǣw oft ymbe-hwearf,

  ealne ūtanweardne; nē ðǣr ǣnig mon

  on þǣre wēstenne; hwæðre wīges gefeh,

  beaduwe weorces; hwīlum on beorh æthwearf,

  2300

  sinc-fæt sōhte; hē þæt sōna onfand,

  ðæt hæfde gumena sum goldes gefandod,

  hēah-gestrēona. Hord-weard onbād

  earfoðlīce, oððæt ǣfen cwōm.

  Wæs ðā gebolgen beorges hyrde,

  wolde se lāða līge forgyldan

  drinc-fæt dȳre. Þā wæs dæg sceacen

  wyrme on willan; nō on wealle læng

  bīdan wolde, ac mid bǣle fōr,

  fȳre gefȳsed. Wæs se fruma egeslīc

  2310

  lēodum on lande, swā hyt lungre wearð

  on hyra sinc-gifan sāre geendod.

  Đā se gæst ongan glēdum spīwan,

  beorht hofu bærnan; bryne-lēoma stōd

  eldum on andan; nō ðǣr āht cwices

  lāð lyft-floga lǣfan wolde.

  Wæs þæs wyrmes wīg wīde gesȳne,

  nearo-fāges nīð nēan ond feorran,

  hū se gūð-sceaða Geata lēode

  hatode ond hȳnde. Hord eft gescēat

  2320

  dryht-sele dyrnne ǣr dæges hwīle.

  Hæfde land-wara līge befangen,

  bǣle ond bronde; beorges getruwode,

  wīges ond wealles; him sēo wēn gelēah.

  Þā wæs Bīowulfe brōga gecȳðed

  snūde tō sōðe, þæt his sylfes hām,

  bolda sēlest, bryne-wylmum mealt,

  gif-stōl Gēata. Þæt ðām gōdan wæs

  hrēow on hreðre, hyge-sorga mǣst.

  Wēnde se wīsa, þæt hē Wealdende

  2330

  ofer ealde riht, ēcean Dryhtne,

  bitre gebulge; brēost innan wēoll

  þēostrum geþoncum, swā him geþȳwe ne wæs.

  Hæfde līg-draca lēoda fæsten,

  ēa-lond ūtan, eorð-weard ðone

  glēdum forgrunden; him ðæs gūð-kyning,

  Wedera þīoden, wræce leornode.

  Heht him þā gewyrcean wīgendra hlēo

  eall-īrenne, eorla dryhten,

  wīg-bord wrǣtlīc; wisse hē gearwe,

  2340

  þæt him holt-wudu helþan ne meahte,

  lind wið līge. Sceolde lǣn-daga

  æþeling ǣr-gōd ende gebīdan,

  worulde līfes, ond se wyrm somod,

  þēah ðe hord-welan hēolde lange.

  Oferhogode ðā hringa fengel,

  þæt hē þone wīd-flogan weorode gesōhte,

  sīdan herge; nō hē him þā sæcce ondrēd,

  nē him þæs wyrmes wīg for wiht dyde,

  eafoð ond ellen, forðon hē ǣr fela

  2350

  nearo nēðende nīða gedīgde,

  hilde-hlemma, syððan hē Hrōðgāres,

  sigor-ēadig secg, sele fǣlsode

  ond æt gūðe forgrāp Grendeles mǣgum

  lāðan cynnes.

  Nō þæt lǣsest wæs

  hond-gemōta, þǣr mon Hygelāc slōh,

  syððan Gēata cyning gūðe rǣsum,

  frēa-wine folca Frēs-londum on,

  Hrēðles eafora hiora-dryncum swealt,

  bille geb
ēaten. Þonan Bīowulf cōm

  2360

  sylfes cræfte, sund-nytte drēah;

  hæfde him on earme āna þrītig

  hilde-geatwa, þā hē tō holme stāg.

  Nealles Hetware hrēmge þorfton

  fēðe-wīges, þē him foran ongēan

  linde bǣron; lȳt eft becwōm

  fram þām hild-frecan hāmes nīosan.

  Oferswam ðā sioleða bigong sunu Ecgðēowes,

  earm ān-haga eft tō lēodum;

  þǣr him Hygd gebēad hord ond rīce,

  2370

  bēagas ond brego-stōl; bearne ne truwode,

  þæt hē wið æl-fylcum ēþel-stōlas

  healdan cūðe, ðā wæs Hygelāc dēad.

  Nō ðȳ ǣr fēasceafte findan meahton

  æt ðām æðelinge ǣnige ðinga,

  þæt hē Heardrēde hlāford wǣre,

  oððe þone cynedōm cīosan wolde.

  Hwæðre hē hine on folce frēond-lārum hēold,

  ēstum mid āre, oððæt hē yldra wearð,

  Weder-Gēatum wēold. Hyne wrǣc-mæcgas

  2380

  ofer sǣ sōhtan, suna Ōhteres;

  hæfdon hȳ forhealden helm Scylfinga,

  þone sēlestan sǣ-cyninga,

  þāra ðe in Swīo-rīce sinc brytnade,

  mǣrne þēoden. Him þæt tō mearce wearð;

  hē þǣr for feorme feorh-wunde hlēat,

  sweordes swengum, sunu Hygelāces;

  ond him eft gewāt Ongenðīoes bearn

  hāmes nīosan, syððan Heardrēd læg,

  lēt ðone brego-stōl Bīowulf healdan,

  2390

  Gēatum wealdan; þæt wæs gōd cyning.

  Sē ðæs lēod-hryres lēan gemunde

  uferan dōgrum, Ēadgilse wearð,

  fēasceaftum frēond; folce gestēpte

  ofer sǣ sīde sunu Ōhteres,

  wigum ond wǣpnum; hē gewræc syððan

  cealdum cear-sīðum, cyning ealdre binēat.

  Swā hē nīða gehwane genesen hæfde,

  slīðra geslyhta, sunu Ecgðīowes,

  ellen-weorca, oð ðone ānne dæg,

  2400

  þē hē wið þām wyrme gewegan sceolde.

  Gewāt þā twelfa sum, torne gebolgen,

  dryhten Gēata dracan scēawian.

  Hæfde þā gefrūnen, hwanan sīo fǣhð ārās,

  bealo-nīð biorna; him tō bearme cwōm

  māðþum-fæt mǣre þurh ðæs meldan hond.

  Sē wæs on ðām ðrēate þrēottēoða secg,

  sē ðæs orleges ōr onstealde,

  hæft hyge-giōmor, sceolde hēan ðonon

  wong wīsian. Hē ofer willan gīong,

  2410

  tō ðæs ðe hē eorð-sele ānne wisse,

  hlǣw under hrūsan holm-wylme nēh,

  ȳð-gewinne, sē wæs innan full

  wrǣtta ond wīra. Weard unhīore,

  gearo gūð-freca gold-māðmas hēold,

  eald under eorðan; næs þæt ȳðe cēap

  tō gegangenne gumena ǣnigum.

  Gesæt ðā on næsse nīð-heard cyning

  þenden hǣlo ābēad heorð-genēatum,

  gold-wine Gēata. Him wæs geōmor sefa,

  2420

  wǣfre ond wæl-fūs, wyrd ungemete nēah,

  sē ðone gomelan grētan sceolde,

  sēcean sāwle hord, sundur gedǣlan

  līf wið līce; nō þon lange wæs

  feorh æþelinges flǣsce bewunden.

  Bīowulf maþelade, bearn Ecgðēowes:

  “Fela ic on giogoðe gūð-rǣsa genæs,

  orleg-hwīla; ic þæt eall gemon.

  Ic wæs syfan-wintre, þā mec sinca baldor,

  frēa-wine folca æt mīnum fæder genam.

  2430

  Hēold mec ond hæfde Hrēðel cyning,

  geaf mē sinc ond symbel, sibbe gemunde;

  næs ic him tō līfe lāðra ōwihte

  beorn in burgum þonne his bearna hwylc,

  Herebeald ond Hæðcyn, oððe Hygelāc mīn.

  Wæs þām yldestan ungedēfelīce

  mǣges dǣdum morþor-bed strēd,

  syððan hyne Hæðcyn of horn-bogan,

  his frēa-wine flāne geswencte,

  miste mercelses ond his mǣg ofscēt,

  2440

  brōðor ōðerne, blōdigan gāre.

 

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