Beowulf - Delphi Poets Series

by Beowulf

  “hwæðre him sīo swīðre swaðe weardade

  2100 “hand on Hiorte and hē hēan þonan,

  “mōdes geōmor mere-grund gefēoll.

  “Mē þone wæl-rǣs wine Scildunga

  “fǣttan golde fela lēanode,

  “manegum māðmum, syððan mergen cōm

  2105 “and wē tō symble geseten hæfdon.

  “Þǣr wæs gidd and glēo; gomela Scilding

  “fela fricgende feorran rehte;

  “hwīlum hilde-dēor hearpan wynne,

  “gomen-wudu grētte; hwīlum gyd āwræc

  2110 “sōð and sārlīc; hwīlum syllīc spell

  “rehte æfter rihte rūm-heort cyning.

  “Hwīlum eft ongan eldo gebunden,

  “gomel gūð-wiga gioguðe cwīðan

  “hilde-strengo; hreðer inne wēoll,

  2115 “þonne hē wintrum frōd worn gemunde.

  “Swā wē þǣr inne andlangne dæg

  “nīode nāman, oð þæt niht becwōm

  “ōðer tō yldum. Þā wæs eft hraðe

  “gearo gyrn-wræce Grendeles mōdor,

  2120 “sīðode sorh-full; sunu dēað fornam,

  “wīg-hete Wedra. Wīf unhy¯re

  “hyre bearn gewræc, beorn ācwealde

  “ellenlīce; þǣr wæs Æsc-here,

  “frōdan fyrn-witan, feorh ūðgenge;

  2125 “nōðer hy¯ hine ne mōston, syððan mergen cwōm,

  “dēað-wērigne Denia lēode

  “bronde forbærnan, nē on bǣl hladan

  “lēofne mannan: hīo þæt līc ætbær

  “fēondes fæðmum under firgen-strēam.

  2130 “Þæt wæs Hrōðgāre hrēowa tornost

  “þāra þe lēod-fruman lange begeāte;

  “þā se þēoden mec þīne līfe

  “healsode hrēoh-mōd, þæt ic on holma geþring

  “eorl-scipe efnde, ealdre genēðde,

  2135 “mǣrðo fremede: hē mē mēde gehēt.

  “Ic þā þæs wælmes, þē is wīde cūð,

  “grimne gryrelīcne grund-hyrde fond.

  “Þǣr unc hwīle wæs hand gemǣne;

  “holm heolfre wēoll and ic hēafde becearf

  2140 “in þām grund-sele Grendeles mōdor

  “ēacnum ecgum, unsōfte þonan

  “feorh oðferede; næs ic fǣge þā gy¯t,

  “ac mē eorla hlēo eft gesealde

  “māðma menigeo, maga Healfdenes.

  XXXI. HE GIVES PRESENTS TO HYGELAC. HYGELAC REWARDS HIM. HYGELAC’S DEATH. BĒOWULF REIGNS.

  2145 “Swā se þēod-kyning þēawum lyfde;

  “nealles ic þām lēanum forloren hæfde,

  “mægnes mēde, ac hē mē māðmas geaf,

  “sunu Healfdenes, on sīnne sylfes dōm;

  “þā ic þē, beorn-cyning, bringan wylle,

  2150 “ēstum gey¯wan. Gēn is eall æt þē

  “lissa gelong: ic ly¯t hafo

  “hēafod-māga, nefne Hygelāc þec!”

  Hēt þā in beran eafor, hēafod-segn,

  heaðo-stēapne helm, hāre byrnan,

  2155 gūð-sweord geatolīc, gyd æfter wræc:

  “Mē þis hilde-sceorp Hrōðgār sealde,

  “snotra fengel, sume worde hēt,

  “þæt ic his ǣrest þē eft gesægde,

  “cwæð þæt hyt hæfde Hiorogār cyning,

  2160 “lēod Scyldunga lange hwīle:

  “nō þy¯ ǣr suna sīnum syllan wolde,

  “hwatum Heorowearde, þēah hē him hold wǣre,

  “brēost-gewǣdu. Brūc ealles well!”

  Hy¯rde ic þæt þām frætwum fēower mēaras

  2165 lungre gelīce lāst weardode,

  æppel-fealuwe; hē him ēst getēah

  mēara and māðma. Swā sceal mǣg dōn,

  nealles inwit-net ōðrum bregdan,

  dyrnum cræfte dēað rēnian

  2170 hond-gesteallan. Hygelāce wæs,

  nīða heardum, nefa swy¯ðe hold

  and gehwæðer ōðrum hrōðra gemyndig.

  Hy¯rde ic þæt hē þone heals-bēah Hygde gesealde,

  wrǣtlīcne wundur-māððum, þone þe him Wealhþēo geaf,

  2175 þēodnes dōhtor, þrīo wicg somod

  swancor and sadol-beorht; hyre syððan wæs

  æfter bēah-þege brēost geweorðod.

  Swā bealdode bearn Ecgþēowes,

  guma gūðum cūð, gōdum dǣdum,

  2180 drēah æfter dōme, nealles druncne slōg

  heorð-genēatas; næs him hrēoh sefa,

  ac hē man-cynnes mǣste cræfte

  gin-fæstan gife, þē him god sealde,

  hēold hilde-dēor. Hēan wæs lange,

  2185 swā hyne Gēata bearn gōdne ne tealdon,

  nē hyne on medo-bence micles wyrðne

  drihten wereda gedōn wolde;

  swy¯ðe oft sægdon, þæt hē slēac wǣre,

  æðeling unfrom: edwenden cwōm

  2190 tīr-ēadigum menn torna gehwylces.

  Hēt þā eorla hlēo in gefetian,

  heaðo-rōf cyning, Hrēðles lāfe,

  golde gegyrede; næs mid Gēatum þā

  sinc-māððum sēlra on sweordes hād;

  2195 þæt hē on Bīowulfes bearm ālegde,

  and him gesealde seofan þūsendo,

  bold and brego-stōl. Him wæs bām samod

  on þām lēod-scipe lond gecynde,

  eard ēðel-riht, ōðrum swīðor

  2200 sīde rīce, þām þǣr sēlra wæs.

  Eft þæt geīode ufaran dōgrum

  hilde-hlæmmum, syððan Hygelāc læg

  and Heardrēde hilde-mēceas

  under bord-hrēoðan tō bonan wurdon,

  2205 þā hyne gesōhtan on sige-þēode

  hearde hilde-frecan, Heaðo-Scilfingas,

  nīða genǣgdan nefan Hererīces.

  Syððan Bēowulfe brāde rīce

  on hand gehwearf: hē gehēold tela

  2210 fīftig wintru (wæs þā frōd cyning,

  eald ēðel-weard), oð þæt ān ongan

  deorcum nihtum draca rīcsian,

  sē þe on hēare hǣðe hord beweotode,

  stān-beorh stēapne: stīg under læg,

  2215 eldum uncūð. Þǣr on innan gīong

  niða nāt-hwylces nēode gefēng

  hǣðnum horde hond . d . . geþ . . hwylc

  since fāhne, hē þæt syððan . . . . .

  . . . þ . . . lð . þ . . l . g

  2220 slǣpende be fy¯re, fyrena hyrde

  þēofes cræfte, þæt sie . . . . ðioð . . . . .

  . idh . folc-beorn, þæt hē gebolgen wæs.

  XXXII. THE FIRE-DRAKE. THE HOARD.

  Nealles mid geweoldum wyrm-horda . . . cræft

  sōhte sylfes willum, sē þe him sāre gesceōd,

  2225 ac for þrēa-nēdlan þēow nāt-hwylces

  hæleða bearna hete-swengeas flēah,

  for ofer-þearfe and þǣr inne fealh

  secg syn-bysig. Sōna in þā tīde

  þæt . . . . . þām gyste . . . . br . g . stōd,

  2230 hwæðre earm-sceapen . . . . . . .

  . . ð . . . sceapen o . . . . i r . . e se fǣs begeat,

  sinc-fæt geseah: þǣr wæs swylcra fela

  in þām eorð-scræfe ǣr-gestrēona,

  swā hy¯ on geār-dagum gumena nāt-hwylc

  2235 eormen-lāfe æðelan cynnes

  þanc-hycgende þǣr gehy¯dde,

  dēore māðmas. Ealle hīe dēað fornam

  ǣrran mǣlum, and se ān þā gēn

  lēoda duguðe, sē þǣr lengest hwearf,

  2240 weard wine-geōmor wīscte þæs yldan,

  þæt hē ly¯tel fæc long-gestrēona

  brūcan mōste. Beorh eal gearo

  wunode on wonge wæter-y¯ðum nēah,

  nīwe be næsse nearo-cræftum fæst:

  2245 þǣr on innan bær eorl-gestrēona

  hringa hyrde hard-fyrdne dǣl
<
br />   fǣttan goldes, fēa worda cwæð:

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

  “eorla ǣhte. Hwæt! hit ǣr on þē

  2250 “gōde begeāton; gūð-dēað fornam,

  “feorh-bealo frēcne fy¯ra gehwylcne,

  “lēoda mīnra, þāra þe þis līf ofgeaf,

  “gesāwon sele-drēam. Nāh hwā sweord wege

  “oððe fetige fǣted wǣge,

  2255 “drync-fæt dēore: duguð ellor scōc.

  “Sceal se hearda helm hyrsted golde

  “fǣtum befeallen: feormiend swefað,

  “þā þe beado-grīman by¯wan sceoldon,

  “gē swylce sēo here-pād, sīo æt hilde gebād

  2260 “ofer borda gebræc bite īrena,

  “brosnað æfter beorne. Ne mæg byrnan hring

  “æfter wīg-fruman wīde fēran

  “hæleðum be healfe; næs hearpan wyn,

  “gomen glēo-bēames, nē gōd hafoc

  2265 “geond sæl swingeð, nē se swifta mearh

  “burh-stede bēateð. Bealo-cwealm hafað

  “fela feorh-cynna feorr onsended!”

  Swā giōmor-mōd giohðo mǣnde,

  ān æfter eallum unblīðe hwēop,

  2270 dæges and nihtes, oð þæt dēaðes wylm

  hrān æt heortan. Hord-wynne fond

  eald ūht-sceaða opene standan,

  sē þe byrnende biorgas sēceð

  nacod nīð-draca, nihtes flēogeð

  2275 fy¯re befangen; hyne fold-būend

  wīde gesāwon. Hē gēwunian sceall

  hlāw under hrūsan, þǣr hē hǣðen gold

  warað wintrum frōd; ne byð him wihte þē sēl.

  Swā se þēod-sceaða þrēo hund wintra

  2280 hēold on hrūsan hord-ærna sum

  ēacen-cræftig, oð þæt hyne ān ābealh

  mon on mōde: man-dryhtne bær

  fǣted wǣge, frioðo-wǣre bæd

  hlāford sīnne. Þā wæs hord rāsod,

  2285 onboren bēaga hord, bēne getīðad

  fēa-sceaftum men. Frēa scēawode

  fīra fyrn-geweorc forman sīðe.

  Þā se wyrm onwōc, wrōht wæs genīwad;

  stonc þā æfter stāne, stearc-heort onfand

  2290 fēondes fōt-lāst; hē tō forð gestōp,

  dyrnan cræfte, dracan hēafde nēah.

  Swā mæg unfǣge ēaðe gedīgan

  wēan and wræc-sīð, sē þe waldendes

  hyldo gehealdeð. Hord-weard sōhte

  2295 georne æfter grunde, wolde guman findan,

  þone þe him on sweofote sāre getēode:

  hāt and hrēoh-mōd hlǣw oft ymbe hwearf,

  ealne ūtan-weardne; nē þǣr ǣnig mon

  wæs on þǣre wēstenne. Hwæðre hilde gefeh,

  2300 beado-weorces: hwīlum on beorh æthwearf,

  sinc-fæt sōhte; hē þæt sōna onfand,

  þæt hæfde gumena sum goldes gefandod

  hēah-gestrēona. Hord-weard onbād

  earfoðlīce, oð þæt ǣfen cwōm;

  2305 wæs þā gebolgen beorges hyrde,

  wolde se lāða līge forgyldan

  drinc-fæt dy¯re. Þā wæs dæg sceacen

  wyrme on willan, nō on wealle leng

  bīdan wolde, ac mid bǣle fōr,

  2310 fy¯re gefy¯sed. Wæs se fruma egeslīc

  lēodum on lande, swā hyt lungre wearð

  on hyra sinc-gifan sāre geendod.

  XXXIII. BEOWULF RESOLVES TO KILL THE FIRE-DRAKE.

  Þā se gæst ongan glēdum spīwan,

  beorht hofu bærnan; bryne-lēoma stōd

  2315 eldum on andan; nō þǣr āht cwices

  lāð lyft-floga lǣfan wolde.

  Wæs þæs wyrmes wīg wīde gesy¯ne,

  nearo-fāges nīð nēan and feorran,

  hū se gūð-sceaða Gēata lēode

  2320 hatode and hy¯nde: hord eft gescēat,

  dryht-sele dyrnne ǣr dæges hwīle.

  Hæfde land-wara līge befangen,

  bǣle and bronde; beorges getruwode,

  wīges and wealles: him sēo wēn gelēah.

  2325 Þā wæs Bīowulfe brōga gecy¯ðed

  snūde tō sōðe, þæt his sylfes him

  bolda sēlest bryne-wylmum mealt,

  gif-stōl Gēata. Þæt þām gōdan wæs

  hrēow on hreðre, hyge-sorga mǣst:

  2330 wēnde se wīsa, þæt hē wealdende,

  ofer ealde riht, ēcean dryhtne

  bitre gebulge: brēost innan wēoll

  þēostrum geþoncum, swā him geþy¯we ne wæs.

  Hæfde līg-draca lēoda fæsten,

  2335 ēa-lond ūtan, eorð-weard þone

  glēdum forgrunden. Him þæs gūð-cyning,

  Wedera þīoden, wræce leornode.

  Heht him þā gewyrcean wīgendra hlēo

  eall-īrenne, eorla dryhten

  2340 wīg-bord wrǣtlīc; wisse hē gearwe,

  þæt him holt-wudu helpan ne meahte,

  lind wið līge. Sceolde lǣn-daga

  æðeling ǣr-gōd ende gebīdan

  worulde līfes and se wyrm somod;

  2345 þēah þe hord-welan hēolde lange.

  Oferhogode þā 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,

  2350 eafoð and ellen; forþon hē ǣr fela

  nearo nēðende nīða gedīgde,

  hilde-hlemma, syððan hē Hrōðgāres,

  sigor-ēadig secg, sele fǣlsode

  and æt gūðe forgrāp Grendeles mǣgum,

  2355 lāðan cynnes. Nō þæt lǣsest wæs

  hond-gemota, þǣr mon Hygelāc slōh,

  syððan Gēata cyning gūðe rǣsum,

  frēa-wine folces Frēslondum on,

  Hrēðles eafora hioro-dryncum swealt,

  2360 bille gebēaten; þonan Bīowulf cōm

  sylfes cræfte, sund-nytte drēah;

  hæfde him on earme ... XXX

  hilde-geatwa, þā hē tō holme stāg.

  Nealles Hetware hrēmge þorfton

  2365 fēðe-wīges, þē him foran ongēan

  linde bǣron: ly¯t eft becwōm

  fram þām hild-frecan hāmes nīosan.

  Oferswam þā sioleða bigong sunu Ecgþēowes,

  earm ān-haga eft tō lēodum,

  2370 þǣr him Hygd gebēad hord and rīce,

  bēagas and brego-stōl: bearne ne truwode,

  þæt hē wið æl-fylcum ēðel-stōlas

  healdan cūðe, þā wæs Hygelāc dēad.

  Nō þy¯ ǣr fēa-sceafte findan meahton

  2375 æt þām æðelinge ǣnige þinga,

  þæt hē Heardrēde hlāford wǣre,

  oððe þone cyne-dōm cīosan wolde;

  hwæðre hē him on folce frēond-lārum hēold,

  ēstum mid āre, oð þæt hē yldra wearð,

  2380 Weder-Gēatum wēold. Hyne wræc-mæcgas

  ofer sǣ sōhtan, suna Ōhteres:

  hæfdon hy¯ forhealden helm Scylfinga,

  þone sēlestan sǣ-cyninga,

  þāra þe in Swīo-rīce sinc brytnade,

  2385 mǣrne þēoden. Him þæt tō mearce wearð;

  hē þǣr orfeorme feorh-wunde hlēat

  sweordes swengum, sunu Hygelāces;

  and him eft gewāt Ongenþīowes bearn

  hāmes nīosan, syððan Heardrēd læg;

  2390 lēt þone brego-stōl Bīowulf healdan,

  Gēatum wealdan: þæt wæs gōd cyning.

  XXXIV. RETROSPECT OF BĒOWULF. — STRIFE BETWEEN SWEONAS AND GEATAS.

  Sē þæs lēod-hryres lēan gemunde

  uferan dōgrum, Ēadgilse wearð

  fēa-sceaftum fēond. Folce gestepte

  2395 ofer sǣ sīde sunu Ōhteres

  wigum and wǣpnum: hē gewræc syððan

  cealdum cear-sīðum, cyning ealdre bin
ēat.

  Swā hē nīða gehwane genesen hæfde,

  slīðra geslyhta, sunu Ecgþīowes,

  2400 ellen-weorca, oð þone ānne dæg,

  þē hē wið þām wyrme gewegan sceolde.

  Gewāt þā twelfa sum torne gebolgen

  dryhten Gēata dracan scēawian;

  hæfde þā gefrūnen, hwanan sīo fǣhð ārās,

  2405 bealo-nīð biorna; him tō bearme cwōm

  māððum-fæt mǣre þurh þæs meldan hond,

  Sē wæs on þām þrēate þreotteoða secg,

  sē þæs orleges ōr onstealde,

  hæft hyge-giōmor, sceolde hēan þonon

  2410 wong wīsian: hē ofer willan gīong

  tō þæs þe hē eorð-sele ānne wisse,

  hlǣw under hrūsan holm-wylme nēh,

  y¯ð-gewinne, sē wæs innan full

  wrǣtta and wīra: weard unhīore,

  2415 gearo gūð-freca, gold-māðmas hēold,

  eald under eorðan; næs þæt y¯ðe cēap,

  tō gegangenne gumena ǣnigum.

  Gesæt þā on næsse nīð-heard cyning,

  þenden hǣlo ābēad heorð-genēatum

  2420 gold-wine Gēata: him wæs geōmor sefa,

  wǣfre and wæl-fūs, Wyrd ungemete nēah,

  sē þone gomelan grētan sceolde,

  sēcean sāwle hord, sundur gedǣlan

  līf wið līce: nō þon lange wæs

  2425 feorh æðelinges flǣsce bewunden.

  Bīowulf maðelade, bearn Ecgþēowes:

  “Fela ic on giogoðe guð-rǣsa genæs,

  “orleg-hwīla: ic þæt eall gemon.

  “Ic wæs syfan-wintre, þā mec sinca baldor,

  2430 “frēa-wine folca æt mīnum fæder genam,

  “hēold mec and hæfde Hrēðel cyning,

  “geaf mē sinc and symbel, sibbe gemunde;

  “næs ic him tō līfe lāðra ōwihte

  “beorn in burgum, þonne his bearna hwylc,

  2435 “Herebeald and Hæðcyn, oððe Hygelāc mīn.

  “Wæs þām yldestan ungedēfelīce

  “mǣges dǣdum morðor-bed strēd,

  “syððan hyne Hæðcyn of horn-bogan,

  “his frēa-wine flāne geswencte,

  2440 “miste mercelses and his mǣg ofscēt,

  “brōðor ōðerne, blōdigan gāre:

  “þæt wæs feoh-lēas gefeoht, fyrenum gesyngad

  “hreðre hyge-mēðe; sceolde hwæðre swā þēah

  “æðeling unwrecen ealdres linnan.

  2445 “Swā bið geōmorlīc gomelum ceorle

  “tō gebīdanne, þæt his byre rīde

  “giong on galgan, þonne hē gyd wrece,

  “sārigne sang, þonne his sunu hangað

  “hrefne tō hrōðre and hē him helpe ne mæg,

  2450 “eald and in-frōd, ǣnige gefremman.

  “Symble bið gemyndgad morna gehwylce