Beowulf - Delphi Poets Series

by Beowulf

  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.

  APPENDIX: 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.

  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,

  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

  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,

  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.

  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,

  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,

  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

  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

  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

  secgan tō soðe sele-rǣdende,

  hæleð under heofenum, hwā þǣm hlæste onfēng.

  II. THE HALL HEOROT.

  Þā wæs on burgum Bēowulf Scyldinga,

  lēof lēod-cyning, longe þrāge

  55 folcum gefrǣge (fæder ellor hwearf,

  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,

  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

  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,

  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,

  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,

  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.

  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

  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,

  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

  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,

  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.

  Þanon unty¯dras ealle onwōcon,

  eotenas and ylfe and orcnēas,

  swylce gīgantas, þā wið gode wunnon

  lange þrāge; hē him þæs lēan forgeald.

  III. GRENDEL’S VISITS.

  115 Gewāt þā nēosian, syððan niht becōm,

  hēan hūses, hū hit Hring-Dene

  æfter bēor-þege gebūn hæfdon.

  Fand þā þǣr inne æðelinga gedriht

  swefan æfter symble; sorge ne cūðon,

  120 won-sceaft wera. Wiht unhǣlo

  grim and grǣdig gearo sōna wæs,

  rēoc and rēðe, and on ræste genam

  þrītig þegna: þanon eft gewāt

  hūðe hrēmig tō hām faran,

  125 mid þǣre wæl-fylle wīca nēosan.

  Þā wæs on ūhtan mid ǣr-dæge

  Grendles gūð-cræft gumum undyrne:

  þā wæs æfter wiste wōp up āhafen,

  micel morgen-swēg. Mǣre þēoden,

  130 æðeling ǣr-gōd, unblīðe sæt,

  þolode þry¯ð-swy¯ð, þegn-sorge drēah,

  syððan hīe þæs lāðan lāst scēawedon,

  wergan gāstes; wæs þæt gewin tō strang,

  lāð and longsum. Næs hit lengra fyrst,

  135 ac ymb āne niht eft gefremede

  morð-beala māre and nō mearn fore

  fǣhðe and fyrene; wæs tō fæst on þām.

  Þā wæs ēað-fynde, þē him elles hwǣr

  gerūmlīcor ræste sōhte,

  140 bed æfter būrum, þā him gebēacnod wæs,

  gesægd sōðlīce sweotolan tācne

  heal-þegnes hete; hēold hine syððan

  fyr and fæstor, sē þǣm fēonde ætwand.

  Swā rīxode and wið rihte wan

  145 āna wið eallum, oð þæt īdel stōd

 
hūsa sēlest. Wæs sēo hwīl micel:

  twelf wintra tīd torn geþolode

  wine Scyldinga, wēana gehwelcne,

  sīdra sorga; forþām syððan wearð

  150 ylda bearnum undyrne cūð,

  gyddum geōmore, þætte Grendel wan,

  hwīle wið Hrōðgār; — hete-nīðas wæg,

  fyrene and fǣhðe fela missēra,

  singāle sæce, sibbe ne wolde

  155 wið manna hwone mægenes Deniga

  feorh-bealo feorran, fēo þingian,

  nē þǣr nǣnig witena wēnan þorfte

  beorhtre bōte tō banan folmum;

  atol ǣglǣca ēhtende wæs,

  160 deorc dēað-scūa duguðe and geogoðe

  seomade and syrede. Sin-nihte hēold

  mistige mōras; men ne cunnon,

  hwyder hel-rūnan hwyrftum scrīðað.

  Swā fela fyrena fēond man-cynnes,

  165 atol ān-gengea, oft gefremede

  heardra hy¯nða; Heorot eardode,

  sinc-fāge sel sweartum nihtum

  (nō hē þone gif-stōl grētan mōste,

  māððum for metode, nē his myne wisse);

  170 þæt wæs wrǣc micel wine Scyldinga,

  mōdes brecða. Monig-oft gesæt

  rīce tō rūne; rǣd eahtedon,

  hwæt swīð-ferhðum sēlest wǣre

  wið fǣr-gryrum tō gefremmanne.

  175 Hwīlum hīe gehēton æt hærg-trafum

  wīg-weorðunga, wordum bǣdon,

  þæt him gāst-bona gēoce gefremede

  wið þēod-þrēaum. Swylc wæs þēaw hyra,

  hǣðenra hyht; helle gemundon

  180 in mōd-sefan, metod hīe ne cūðon,

  dǣda dēmend, ne wiston hīe drihten god,

  nē hīe hūru heofena helm herian ne cūðon,

  wuldres waldend. Wā bið þǣm þe sceal

  þurh slīðne nīð sāwle bescūfan

  185 in fy¯res fæðm, frōfre ne wēnan,

  wihte gewendan; wēl bið þǣm þe mōt

  æfter dēað-dæge drihten sēcean

  and tō fæder fæðmum freoðo wilnian.

  IV. HYGELAC’S THANE.

  Swā þā mǣl-ceare maga Healfdenes

  190 singāla sēað; ne mihte snotor hæleð

  wēan onwendan: wæs þæt gewin tō swy¯ð,

  lāð and longsum, þē on þā lēode becōm,

  ny¯d-wracu nīð-grim, niht-bealwa mǣst.

  Þæt fram hām gefrægn Higelāces þegn,

  195 gōd mid Gēatum, Grendles dǣda:

  sē wæs mon-cynnes mægenes strengest

  on þǣm dæge þysses līfes,

  æðele and ēacen. Hēt him y¯ð-lidan

  gōdne gegyrwan; cwæð hē gūð-cyning

  200 ofer swan-rāde sēcean wolde,

  mǣrne þēoden, þā him wæs manna þearf.

  Þone sīð-fæt him snotere ceorlas

  ly¯t-hwōn lōgon, þēah hē him lēof wǣre;

  hwetton higerōfne, hǣl scēawedon.

  205 Hæfde se gōda Gēata lēoda

  cempan gecorone, þāra þe hē cēnoste

  findan mihte; fīfty¯na sum

  sund-wudu sōhte; secg wīsade,

  lagu-cræftig mon, land-gemyrcu.

  210 Fyrst forð gewāt: flota wæs on y¯ðum,

  bāt under beorge. Beornas gearwe

  on stefn stigon; strēamas wundon

  sund wið sande; secgas bǣron

  on bearm nacan beorhte frætwe,

  215 gūð-searo geatolīc; guman ūt scufon,

  weras on wil-sīð wudu bundenne.

  Gewāt þā ofer wǣg-holm winde gefy¯sed

  flota fāmig-heals fugle gelīcost,

  oð þæt ymb ān-tīd ōðres dōgores

  220 wunden-stefna gewaden hæfde,

  þæt þā līðende land gesāwon,

  brim-clifu blīcan, beorgas stēape,

  sīde sǣ-næssas: þā wæs sund liden,

  eoletes æt ende. Þanon up hraðe

  225 Wedera lēode on wang stigon,

  sǣ-wudu sǣldon (syrcan hrysedon,

  gūð-gewǣdo); gode þancedon,

  þæs þe him y¯ð-lāde ēaðe wurdon.

  Þā of wealle geseah weard Scildinga,

  230 sē þe holm-clifu healdan scolde,

  beran ofer bolcan beorhte randas,

  fyrd-searu fūslīcu; hine fyrwyt bræc

  mōd-gehygdum, hwæt þā men wǣron.

  Gewāt him þā tō waroðe wicge rīdan

  235 þegn Hrōðgāres, þrymmum cwehte

  mægen-wudu mundum, meðel-wordum frægn:

  “Hwæt syndon gē searo-hæbbendra

  “byrnum werede, þē þus brontne cēol

  “ofer lagu-strǣte lǣdan cwōmon,

  240 “hider ofer holmas helmas bǣron?

  “Ic wæs ende-sǣta, ǣg-wearde hēold,

  “þæt on land Dena lāðra nǣnig

  “mid scip-herge sceððan ne meahte.

  “Nō hēr cūðlīcor cuman ongunnon

  245 “lind-hæbbende; nē gē lēafnes-word

  “gūð-fremmendra gearwe ne wisson,

  “māga gemēdu. Nǣfre ic māran geseah

  “eorla ofer eorðan, þonne is ēower sum,

  “secg on searwum; nis þæt seld-guma

  250 “wǣpnum geweorðad, næfne him his wlite lēoge,

  “ǣnlīc an-sy¯n. Nū ic ēower sceal

  “frum-cyn witan, ǣr gē fyr heonan

  “lēase scēaweras on land Dena

  “furður fēran. Nū gē feor-būend,

  255 “mere-līðende, mīnne gehy¯rað

  “ān-fealdne geþōht: ofost is sēlest

  “tō gecy¯ðanne, hwanan ēowre cyme syndon.”

  V. THE ERRAND.

  Him se yldesta andswarode,

  werodes wīsa, word-hord onlēac:

  260 “Wē synt gum-cynnes Gēata lēode

  “and Higelāces heorð-genēatas.

  “Wæs mīn fæder folcum gecy¯ðed,

  “æðele ord-fruma Ecgþēow hāten;

  “gebād wintra worn, ǣr hē on weg hwurfe,

  265 “gamol of geardum; hine gearwe geman

  “witena wēl-hwylc wīde geond eorðan. —

  “Wē þurh holdne hige hlāford þinne,

  “sunu Healfdenes, sēcean cwōmon,

  “lēod-gebyrgean: wes þū ūs lārena gōd!

  270 “Habbað wē tō þǣm mǣran micel ǣrende

  “Deniga frēan; ne sceal þǣr dyrne sum

  “wesan, þæs ic wēne. Þū wāst, gif hit is,

  “swā wē sōðlice secgan hy¯rdon,

  “þæt mid Scyldingum sceaða ic nāt hwylc,

  275 “dēogol dǣd-hata, deorcum nihtum

  “ēaweð þurh egsan uncūðne nīð,

  “hy¯nðu and hrā-fyl. Ic þæs Hrōðgār mæg

  “þurh rūmne sefan rǣd gelǣran,

  “hū hē frōd and gōd fēond oferswy¯ðeð,

  280 “gyf him ed-wendan ǣfre scolde

  “bealuwa bisigu, bōt eft cuman

  “and þā cear-wylmas cōlran wurðað;

  “oððe ā syððan earfoð-þrāge,

  “þrēa-ny¯d þolað, þenden þǣr wunað

  285 “on hēah-stede hūsa sēlest.”

  Weard maðelode, þǣr on wicge sæt

  ombeht unforht: ”Ǣghwæðres sceal

  “scearp scyld-wiga gescād witan,

  “worda and worca, sē þe wēl þenceð.

  290 “Ic þæt gehy¯re, þæt þis is hold weorod

  “frēan Scyldinga. Gewītað forð beran

  “wǣpen and gewǣdu, ic ēow wīsige:

  “swylce ic magu-þegnas mīne hāte

  “wið fēonda gehwone flotan ēowerne,

  295 “nīw-tyrwedne nacan on sande

  “ārum healdan, oð þæt eft byreð

  “ofer lagu-strēamas lēofne mannan

  “wudu wunden-hals tō Weder-mearce.

  “Gūð-fremmendra s
wylcum gifeðe bið,

  300 “þæt þone hilde-rǣs hāl gedīgeð.”

  Gewiton him þā fēran (flota stille bād,

  seomode on sāle sīd-fæðmed scyp,

  on ancre fæst); eofor-līc scionon

  ofer hlēor-beran gehroden golde

  305 fāh and fy¯r-heard, ferh wearde hēold.

  Gūðmōde grummon, guman ōnetton,

  sigon ætsomne, oð þæt hy¯ sæl timbred

  geatolīc and gold-fāh ongytan mihton;

  þæt wæs fore-mǣrost fold-būendum

  310 receda under roderum, on þǣm se rīca bād;

  līxte se lēoma ofer landa fela.

  Him þā hilde-dēor hof mōdigra

  torht getǣhte, þæt hīe him tō mihton

  gegnum gangan; gūð-beorna sum

  315 wicg gewende, word æfter cwæð:

  “Mǣl is mē tō fēran; fæder alwalda

  “mid ār-stafum ēowic gehealde

  “sīða gesunde! ic tō sǣ wille,

  “wið wrāð werod wearde healdan.”

  VI. BĒOWULF’S SPEECH.

  320 Strǣt wæs stān-fāh, stīg wīsode

  gumum ætgædere. Gūð-byrne scān

  heard hond-locen, hring-īren scīr

  song in searwum, þā hīe tō sele furðum

  in hyra gryre-geatwum gangan cwōmon.

  325 Setton sǣ-mēðe sīde scyldas,

  rondas regn-hearde wið þæs recedes weal,

  bugon þā tō bence; byrnan hringdon,

  gūð-searo gumena; gāras stōdon,

  sǣ-manna searo, samod ætgædere,

  330 æsc-holt ufan grǣg: wæs se īren-þrēat

  wǣpnum gewurðad. Þā þǣr wlonc hæleð

  ōret-mecgas æfter æðelum frægn:

  “Hwanon ferigeað gē fǣtte scyldas,

  “grǣge syrcan and grīm-helmas,

  335 “here-sceafta hēap? — Ic eom Hrōðgāres

  “ār and ombiht. Ne seah ic el-þēodige

  “þus manige men mōdiglīcran.

  “Wēn’ ic þæt gē for wlenco, nalles for wræc-sīðum,

  “ac for hige-þrymmum Hrōðgār sōhton.”

  340 Him þā ellen-rōf andswarode,

  wlanc Wedera lēod word æfter spræc,

  heard under helme: ”Wē synt Higelāces

  “bēod-genēatas; Bēowulf is mīn nama.

  “Wille ic āsecgan suna Healfdenes,

  345 “mǣrum þēodne mīn ǣrende,

  “aldre þīnum, gif hē ūs geunnan wile,

  “þæt wē hine swā gōdne grētan mōton.”

  Wulfgār maðelode (þæt wæs Wendla lēod,

  wæs his mōd-sefa manegum gecy¯ðed,

  350 wīg and wīs-dōm): ”ic þæs wine Deniga,

  “frēan Scildinga frīnan wille,

  “bēaga bryttan, swā þū bēna eart,

  “þēoden mǣrne ymb þīnne sīð ;