Beowulf - Delphi Poets Series

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Beowulf - Delphi Poets Series Page 31

by Beowulf


  “and þē þā andsware ǣdre gecy¯ðan,

  355 “þē mē se gōda āgifan þenceð.”

  Hwearf þā hrædlīce, þǣr Hrōðgār sæt,

  eald and unhār mid his eorla gedriht;

  ēode ellen-rōf, þæt hē for eaxlum gestōd

  Deniga frēan, cūðe hē duguðe þēaw.

  360 Wulfgār maðelode tō his wine-drihtne:

  “Hēr syndon geferede feorran cumene

  “ofer geofenes begang Gēata lēode:

  “þone yldestan ōret-mecgas

  “Bēowulf nemnað. Hy¯ bēnan synt,

  365 “þæt hīe, þēoden mīn, wið þē mōton

  “wordum wrixlan; nō þū him wearne getēoh,

  “þīnra gegn-cwida glædnian, Hrōðgār!

  “Hy¯ on wīg-geatwum wyrðe þinceað

  “eorla geæhtlan; hūru se aldor dēah,

  370 “sē þǣm heaðo-rincum hider wīsade.”

  VII. HROTHGAR’S WELCOME.

  Hrōðgār maðelode, helm Scyldinga:

  “Ic hine cūðe cniht-wesende.

  “Wæs his eald-fæder Ecgþēo hāten,

  “þǣm tō hām forgeaf Hrēðel Gēata

  375 “āngan dōhtor; is his eafora nū

  “heard hēr cumen, sōhte holdne wine.

  “þonne sægdon þæt sǣ-līðende,

  “þā þe gif-sceattas Gēata fyredon

  “þyder tō þance, þæt hē þrīttiges

  380 “manna mægen-cræft on his mund-grīpe

  “heaðo-rōf hæbbe. Hine hālig god

  “for ār-stafum us onsende,

  “tō West-Denum, þæs ic wēn hæbbe,

  “wið Grendles gryre: ic þǣm gōdan sceal

  385 “for his mōd-þræce mādmas bēodan.

  “Bēo þū on ofeste, hāt hig in gān,

  “sēon sibbe-gedriht samod ætgædere;

  “gesaga him ēac wordum, þæt hīe sint wil-cuman

  “Deniga lēodum.” Þā wið duru healle

  390 Wulfgār ēode, word inne ābēad:

  “Ēow hēt secgan sige-drihten mīn,

  “aldor Ēast-Dena, þæt hē ēower æðelu can

  “and gē him syndon ofer sǣ-wylmas,

  “heard-hicgende, hider wil-cuman.

  395 “Nū gē mōton gangan in ēowrum guð-geatawum,

  “under here-grīman, Hrōðgār gesēon;

  “lǣtað hilde-bord hēr onbidian,

  “wudu wæl-sceaftas, worda geþinges.”

  Ārās þā se rīca, ymb hine rinc manig,

  400 þry¯ðlīc þegna hēap; sume þǣr bidon,

  heaðo-rēaf hēoldon, swā him se hearda bebēad.

  Snyredon ætsomne, þā secg wīsode

  under Heorotes hrōf; hyge-rōf ēode,

  heard under helme, þæt hē on heoðe gestōd.

  405 Bēowulf maðelode (on him byrne scān,

  searo-net sēowed smiðes or-þancum):

  “Wes þū Hrōðgār hāl! ic eom Higelāces

  “mǣg and mago-þegn; hæbbe ic mǣrða fela

  “ongunnen on geogoðe. Mē wearð Grendles þing

  410 “on mīnre ēðel-tyrf undyrne cūð:

  “secgað sǣ-līðend, þæt þes sele stande,

  “reced sēlesta, rinca gehwylcum

  “īdel and unnyt, siððan ǣfen-lēoht

  “under heofenes hādor beholen weorðeð.

  415 “Þā mē þæt gelǣrdon lēode mīne,

  “þā sēlestan, snotere ceorlas,

  “þēoden Hrōðgār, þæt ic þē sōhte;

  “forþan hīe mægenes cræft mīnne cūðon:

  “selfe ofersāwon, þā ic of searwum cwōm,

  420 “fāh from fēondum, þǣr ic fīfe geband,

  “y¯ðde eotena cyn, and on y¯ðum slōg

  “niceras nihtes, nearo-þearfe drēah,

  “wræc Wedera nīð (wēan āhsodon)

  “forgrand gramum; and nū wið Grendel sceal,

  425 “wið þām āglǣcan, āna gehegan

  “þing wið þyrse. Ic þē nū þā,

  “brego Beorht-Dena, biddan wille,

  “eodor Scyldinga, ānre bēne;

  “þæt þū mē ne forwyrne, wīgendra hlēo,

  430 “frēo-wine folca, nū ic þus feorran cōm,

  “þæt ic mōte āna and mīnra eorla gedryht,

  “þes hearda hēap, Heorot fǣlsian.

  “Hæbbe ic ēac geāhsod, þæt se ǣglǣca

  “for his won-hy¯dum wǣpna ne rēceð;

  435 “ic þæt þonne forhicge, swā mē Higelāc sīe,

  “mīn mon-drihten, mōdes blīðe,

  “þæt ic sweord bere oððe sīdne scyld

  “geolo-rand tō gūðe; ac ic mid grāpe sceal

  “fōn wið fēonde and ymb feorh sacan,

  440 “lāð wið lāðum; þǣr gely¯fan sceal

  “dryhtnes dōme sē þe hine dēað nimeð.

  “Wēn’ ic þæt hē wille, gif hē wealdan mōt,

  “in þǣm gūð-sele Gēatena lēode

  “etan unforhte, swā hē oft dyde

  445 “mægen Hrēðmanna. Nā þū mīnne þearft

  “hafalan hy¯dan, ac hē mē habban wile

  “drēore fāhne, gif mec dēað nimeð;

  “byreð blōdig wæl, byrgean þenceð,

  “eteð ān-genga unmurnlīce,

  450 “mearcað mōr-hopu: nō þū ymb mīnes ne þearft

  “līces feorme leng sorgian.

  “Onsend Higelāce, gif mec hild nime,

  “beadu-scrūda betst, þæt mīne brēost wereð,

  “hrægla sēlest; þæt is Hrēðlan lāf,

  455 “Wēlandes geweorc. Gǣð ā Wyrd swā hīo scel!”

  VIII. HROTHGAR TELLS OF GRENDEL.

  Hrōðgār maðelode, helm Scyldinga:

  “for were-fyhtum þū, wine mīn Bēowulf,

  “and for ār-stafum ūsic sōhtest.

  “Geslōh þin fæder fǣhðe mǣste,

  460 “wearð hē Heaðolāfe tō hand-bonan

  “mid Wilfingum; þā hine Wedera cyn

  “for here-brōgan habban ne mihte.

  “Þanon hē gesōhte Sūð-Dena folc

  “ofer y¯ða gewealc, Ār-Scyldinga;

  465 “þā ic furðum wēold folce Deninga,

  “and on geogoðe hēold gimme-rīce

  “hord-burh hæleða: þā wæs Heregār dēad,

  “mīn yldra mǣg unlifigende,

  “bearn Healfdenes. Sē wæs betera þonne ic!

  470 “Siððan þā fǣhðe fēo þingode;

  “sende ic Wylfingum ofer wæteres hrycg

  “ealde mādmas: hē mē āðas swōr.

  “Sorh is mē tō secganne on sefan mīnum

  “gumena ǣngum, hwæt mē Grendel hafað

  475 “hy¯nðo on Heorote mid his hete-þancum,

  “fǣr-nīða gefremed. Is mīn flet-werod,

  “wīg-hēap gewanod; hīe Wyrd forswēop

  “on Grendles gryre. God ēaðe mæg

  “þone dol-scaðan dǣda getwǣfan!

  480 “Ful oft gebēotedon bēore druncne

  “ofer ealo-wǣge ōret-mecgas,

  “þæt hīe in bēor-sele bīdan woldon

  “Grendles gūðe mid gryrum ecga.

  “Þonne wæs þēos medo-heal on morgen-tīd,

  485 “driht-sele drēor-fāh, þonne dæg līxte,

  “eal benc-þelu blōde besty¯med,

  “heall heoru-drēore: āhte ic holdra þy¯ lǣs,

  “dēorre duguðe, þē þā dēað fornam.

  “Site nū tō symle and onsǣl meoto,

  490 “sige-hrēð secgum, swā þīn sefa hwette!”

  Þā wæs Gēat-mæcgum geador ætsomne

  on bēor-sele benc gery¯med;

  þǣr swīð-ferhðe sittan ēodon

  þry¯ðum dealle. Þegn nytte behēold,

  495 sē þe on handa bær hroden ealo-wǣge,

  scencte scīr wered. Scop hwīlum sang

  hādor on Heorote; þǣr wæs
hæleða drēam,

  duguð unly¯tel Dena and Wedera.

  IX. HUNFERTH OBJECTS TO BĒOWULF.

  Unferð maðelode, Ecglāfes bearn,

  500 þē æt fōtum sæt frēan Scyldinga;

  onband beadu-rūne (wæs him Bēowulfes sīð,

  mōdges mere-faran, micel æf-þunca,

  forþon þe hē ne ūðe, þæt ǣnig ōðer man

  ǣfre mǣrða þon mā middan-geardes

  505 gehēdde under heofenum þonne hē sylfa):

  “Eart þū sē Bēowulf, sē þe wið Brecan wunne,

  “on sīdne sǣ ymb sund flite,

  “þǣr git for wlence wada cunnedon

  “and for dol-gilpe on dēop wæter

  510 “aldrum nēðdon? Nē inc ǣnig mon,

  “nē lēof nē lāð, belēan mihte

  “sorh-fullne sīð; þā git on sund rēon,

  “þǣr git ēagor-strēam earmum þehton,

  “mǣton mere-strǣta, mundum brugdon,

  515 “glidon ofer gār-secg; geofon y¯ðum wēol,

  “wintres wylme. Git on wæteres ǣht

  “seofon niht swuncon; hē þē æt sunde oferflāt,

  “hæfde māre mægen. Þā hine on morgen-tīd

  “on Heaðo-rǣmas holm up ætbær,

  520 “þonon hē gesōhte swǣsne ēðel

  “lēof his lēodum lond Brondinga,

  “freoðo-burh fægere, þǣr hē folc āhte,

  “burg and bēagas. Bēot eal wið þē

  “sunu Bēanstānes sōðe gelǣste.

  525 “Þonne wēne ic tō þē wyrsan geþinges,

  “þēah þū heaðo-rǣsa gehwǣr dohte,

  “grimre gūðe, gif þū Grendles dearst

  “niht-longne fyrst nēan bīdan!”

  Bēowulf maðelode, bearn Ecgþēowes:

  530 “Hwæt! þū worn fela, wine mīn Unferð,

  “bēore druncen ymb Brecan sprǣce,

  “sægdest from his sīðe! Sōð ic talige,

  “þæt ic mere-strengo māran āhte,

  “earfeðo on y¯ðum, þonne ǣnig ōðer man.

  535 “Wit þæt gecwǣdon cniht-wesende

  “and gebēotedon (wǣron bēgen þā gīt

  “on geogoð-feore) þæt wit on gār-secg ūt

  “aldrum nēðdon; and þæt geæfndon swā.

  “Hæfdon swurd nacod, þā wit on sund rēon,

  540 “heard on handa, wit unc wið hron-fixas

  “werian þōhton. Nō hē wiht fram mē

  “flōd-y¯ðum feor flēotan meahte,

  “hraðor on holme, nō ic fram him wolde.

  “Þā wit ætsomne on sǣ wǣron

  545 “fīf nihta fyrst, oð þæt unc flōd tōdrāf,

  “wado weallende, wedera cealdost,

  “nīpende niht and norðan wind

  “heaðo-grim andhwearf; hrēo wǣron y¯ða,

  “Wæs mere-fixa mōd onhrēred:

  550 “þǣr mē wið lāðum līc-syrce mīn,

  “heard hond-locen, helpe gefremede;

  “beado-hrægl brōden on brēostum læg,

  “golde gegyrwed. Mē tō grunde tēah

  “fāh fēond-scaða, fæste hæfde

  555 “grim on grāpe: hwæðre mē gyfeðe wearð,

  “þæt ic āglǣcan orde gerǣhte,

  “hilde-bille; heaðo-rǣs fornam

  “mihtig mere-dēor þurh mīne hand.

  X. BĒOWULF’S CONTEST WITH BRECA. — THE FEAST.

  “Swā mec gelōme lāð-getēonan

  560 “þrēatedon þearle. Ic him þēnode

  “dēoran sweorde, swā hit gedēfe wæs;

  “næs hīe þǣre fylle gefēan hæfdon,

  “mān-fordǣdlan, þæt hīe mē þēgon,

  “symbel ymb-sǣton sǣ-grunde nēah,

  565 “ac on mergenne mēcum wunde

  “be y¯ð-lāfe uppe lǣgon,

  “sweordum āswefede, þæt syððan nā

  “ymb brontne ford brim-līðende

  “lāde ne letton. Lēoht ēastan cōm,

  570 “beorht bēacen godes; brimu swaðredon,

  “þæt ic sǣ-næssas gesēon mihte,

  “windige weallas. Wyrd oft nereð

  “unfǣgne eorl, ðonne his ellen dēah!

  “Hwæðere mē gesǣlde, þæt ic mid sweorde ofslōh

  575 “niceras nigene. Nō ic on niht gefrægn

  “under heofones hwealf heardran feohtan,

  “nē on ēg-strēamum earmran mannan;

  “hwæðere ic fāra feng fēore gedīgde,

  “siðes wērig. Þā mec sǣ oðbær,

  580 “flōd æfter faroðe, on Finna land,

  “wadu weallendu. Nō ic wiht fram þē

  “swylcra searo-nīða secgan hy¯rde,

  “billa brōgan: Breca nǣfre gīt

  “æt heaðo-lāce, nē gehwæðer incer

  585 “swā dēorlīce dǣd gefremede

  “fāgum sweordum . . . . . . .

  “. . . . . . . nō ic þæs gylpe;

  “þēah þū þīnum brōðrum tō banan wurde,

  “hēafod-mǣgum; þæs þū in helle scealt

  590 “werhðo drēogan, þēah þīn wit duge,

  “Secge ic þē tō sōðe, sunu Ecglāfes,

  “þæt nǣfre Grendel swā fela gryra gefremede,

  “atol ǣglǣca ealdre þīnum,

  “hy¯nðo on Heorote, gif þīn hige wǣre,

  595 “sefa swā searo-grim, swā þū self talast.

  “Ac hē hafað onfunden, þæt hē þā fǣhðe ne þearf,

  “atole ecg-þræce ēower lēode

  “swīðe onsittan, Sige-Scyldinga;

  “nymeð ny¯d-bāde, nǣnegum ārað

  600 “lēode Deniga, ac hē on lust wīgeð,

  “swefeð ond sendeð, secce ne wēneð

  “tō Gār-Denum. Ac him Gēata sceal

  “eafoð and ellen ungeāra nū

  “gūðe gebēodan. Gǣð eft sē þe mōt

  605 “tō medo mōdig, siððan morgen-lēoht

  “ofer ylda bearn ōðres dōgores,

  “sunne swegl-wered sūðan scīneð!”

  Þā wæs on sālum sinces brytta

  gamol-feax and gūð-rōf, gēoce gely¯fde

  610 brego Beorht-Dena; gehy¯rde on Bēowulfe

  folces hyrde fæst-rǣdne geþōht.

  Þǣr wæs hæleða hleahtor; hlyn swynsode,

  word wǣron wynsume. Ēode Wealhþēow forð,

  cwēn Hrōðgāres, cynna gemyndig,

  615 grētte gold-hroden guman on healle,

  and þā frēolīc wīf ful gesealde

  ǣrest Ēast-Dena ēðel-wearde,

  bæd hine blīðne æt þǣre bēor-þege,

  lēodum lēofne; hē on lust geþeah

  620 symbel and sele-ful, sige-rōf kyning.

  Ymb-ēode þā ides Helminga

  duguðe and geogoðe dǣl ǣghwylcne;

  sinc-fato sealde, oð þæt sǣl ālamp,

  þæt hīo Bēowulfe, bēag-hroden cwēn,

  625 mōde geþungen, medo-ful ætbær;

  grētte Gēata lēod, gode þancode

  wīs-fæst wordum, þæs þe hire se willa gelamp,

  þæt hēo on ǣnigne eorl gely¯fde

  fyrena frōfre. Hē þæt ful geþeah,

  630 wæl-rēow wiga æt Wealhþēon,

  and þā gyddode gūðe gefy¯sed,

  Bēowulf maðelode, bearn Ecgþēowes:

  “Ic þæt hogode, þā ic on holm gestāh,

  “sǣ-bāt gesæt mid mīnra secga gedriht,

  635 “þæt ic ānunga ēowra lēoda

  “willan geworhte, oððe on wæl crunge,

  “fēond-grāpum fæst. Ic gefremman sceal

  “eorlīc ellen, oððe ende-dæg

  “on þisse meodu-healle mīnne gebīdan.”

  640 Þām wīfe þā word wēl līcodon,

  gilp-cwide Gēates; ēode gold-hroden

  frēolīcu folc-cwēn tō hire frēan sittan.

  Þā wæs eft swā ǣr inne on healle

>   þry¯ð-word sprecen, þēod on sǣlum,

  645 sige-folca swēg, oð þæt semninga

  sunu Healfdenes sēcean wolde

  ǣfen-ræste; wiste æt þǣm āhlǣcan

  tō þǣm hēah-sele hilde geþinged,

  siððan hīe sunnan lēoht gesēon ne meahton,

  650 oððe nīpende niht ofer ealle,

  scadu-helma gesceapu scrīðan cwōman,

  wan under wolcnum. Werod eall ārās.

  Grētte þā giddum guma ōðerne,

  Hrōðgār Bēowulf, and him hǣl ābēad,

  655 wīn-ærnes geweald and þæt word ācwæð:

  “Nǣfre ic ǣnegum men ǣr āly¯fde,

  “siððan ic hond and rond hebban mihte,

  “þry¯ð-ærn Dena būton þē nū þā.

  “Hafa nū and geheald hūsa sēlest;

  660 “gemyne mǣrðo, mægen-ellen cy¯ð,

  “waca wið wrāðum! Ne bið þē wilna gād,

  “gif þū þæt ellen-weorc aldre gedīgest.”

  XI. THE WATCH FOR GRENDEL.

  Þā him Hrōðgār gewāt mid his hæleða gedryht,

  eodur Scyldinga ūt of healle;

  665 wolde wīg-fruma Wealhþēo sēcan,

  cwēn tō gebeddan Hæfde kyninga wuldor

  Grendle tō-gēanes, swā guman gefrungon,

  sele-weard āseted, sundor-nytte behēold

  ymb aldor Dena, eoton weard ābēad;

  670 hūru Gēata lēod georne truwode

  mōdgan mægnes, metodes hyldo.

  Þā hē him of dyde īsern-byrnan,

  helm of hafelan, sealde his hyrsted sweord,

  īrena cyst ombiht-þegne,

  675 and gehealdan hēt hilde-geatwe.

  Gespræc þā se gōda gylp-worda sum

  Bēowulf Gēata, ǣr hē on bed stige:

  “Nō ic mē an here-wǣsmum hnāgran talige

  “gūð-geweorca, þonne Grendel hine;

  680 “forþan ic hine sweorde swebban nelle,

  “aldre benēotan, þēah ic eal mǣge.

  “Nāt hē þāra gōda, þæt hē mē on-gēan slēa,

  “rand gehēawe, þēah þe hē rōf sīe

  “nīð-geweorca; ac wit on niht sculon

  685 “secge ofersittan, gif hē gesēcean dear

  “wīg ofer wǣpen, and siððan wītig god

  “on swā hwæðere hond hālig dryhten

  “mǣrðo dēme, swā him gemet þince.”

  Hylde hine þā heaðo-dēor, hlēor-bolster onfēng

  690 eorles andwlitan; and hine ymb monig

  snellīc sǣ-rinc sele-reste gebēah.

  Nǣnig heora þōhte þæt hē þanon scolde

  eft eard-lufan ǣfre gesēcean,

  folc oððe frēo-burh, þǣr hē āfēded wæs,

  695 ac hīe hæfdon gefrūnen, þæt hīe ǣr tō fela micles

  in þǣm wīn-sele wæl-dēað fornam,

 

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