by Beowulf
serg (?) cearig sǣlde geneahhe
þæt hīo hyre . . . . gas hearde
3155 . . . . . ede wælfylla wonn . .
hildes egesan hyðo
haf mid heofon rēce swealh (?)
Geworhton þā Wedra lēode
hlǣw on hlīðe, sē wæs hēah and brād,
3160 wǣg-līðendum wīde gesy¯ne,
and betimbredon on ty¯n dagum
beadu-rōfes bēcn: bronda betost
wealle beworhton, swā hyt weorðlīcost
fore-snotre men findan mihton.
3165 Hī on beorg dydon bēg and siglu,
eall swylce hyrsta, swylce on horde ǣr
nīð-hy¯dige men genumen hæfdon;
forlēton eorla gestrēon eorðan healdan,
gold on grēote, þǣr hit nū gēn lifað
3170 eldum swā unnyt, swā hit ǣror wæs.
Þā ymbe hlǣw riodan hilde-dēore,
æðelinga bearn ealra twelfa,
woldon ceare cwīðan, kyning mǣnan,
word-gyd wrecan and ymb wer sprecan,
3175 eahtodan eorl-scipe and his ellen-weorc
duguðum dēmdon, swā hit ge-dēfe bið,
þæt mon his wine-dryhten wordum herge,
ferhðum frēoge, þonne hē forð scile
of līc-haman lǣne weorðan.
3180 Swā begnornodon Gēata lēode
hlāfordes hryre, heorð-genēatas,
cwǣdon þæt hē wǣre woruld-cyning
mannum mildust and mon-þwǣrust,
lēodum līðost and lof-geornost.
APPENDIX: THE ATTACK ON FINNSBURG.
“. . . . . . . . næs byrnað nǣfre.”
Hleoðrode þā heaðo-geong cyning:
“Ne þis ne dagað ēastan, ne hēr draca ne flēogeð,
“ne hēr þisse healle hornas ne byrnað,
5 “ac fēr forð berað fugelas singað,
“gylleð grǣg-hama, gūð-wudu hlynneð,
“scyld scefte oncwyð. Nū scy¯neð þes mōna
“waðol under wolcnum; nū ārīsað wēa-dǣda,
“þē þisne folces nīð fremman willað.
10 “Ac onwacnigeað nū, wīgend mīne,
“hebbað ēowre handa, hicgeað on ellen,
“winnað on orde, wesað on mōde!”
Þā ārās monig gold-hladen þegn, gyrde hine his swurde;
þā tō dura ēodon drihtlīce cempan,
15 Sigeferð and Eaha, hyra sweord getugon,
and æt ōðrum durum Ordlāf and Gūðlāf,
and Hengest sylf; hwearf him on lāste.
Þā gīt Gārulf Gūðere styrode,
þæt hīe swā frēolīc feorh forman sīðe
20 tō þǣre healle durum hyrsta ne bǣran,
nū hyt nīða heard ānyman wolde:
ac hē frægn ofer eal undearninga,
dēor-mōd hæleð, hwā þā duru hēolde.
“Sigeferð is mīn nama (cwæð hē), ic eom Secgena lēod,
25 “wrecca wīde cūð. Fela ic wēana gebād,
“heardra hilda; þē is gy¯t hēr witod,
“swæðer þū sylf tō mē sēcean wylle.”
Þā wæs on wealle wæl-slihta gehlyn,
sceolde cēlod bord cēnum on handa
30 bān-helm berstan. Buruh-þelu dynede,
oð þæt æt þǣre gūðe Gārulf gecrang,
ealra ǣrest eorð-būendra,
Gūðlāfes sunu; ymbe hine gōdra fela.
Hwearf flacra hrǣw hræfn, wandrode
35 sweart and sealo-brūn; swurd-lēoma stōd
swylce eal Finns-buruh fy¯renu wǣre.
Ne gefrægn ic nǣfre wurðlīcor æt wera hilde
sixtig sige-beorna sēl gebǣran,
ne nǣfre swānas swētne medo sēl forgyldan,
40 þonne Hnæfe guldon his hæg-stealdas.
Hig fuhton fīf dagas, swā hyra nān ne fēol
driht-gesīða, ac hig þā duru hēoldon.
Þā gewāt him wund hæleð on wæg gangan,
sǣde þæt his byrne ābrocen wǣre,
45 here-sceorpum hrōr, and ēac wæs his helm þyrl.
Þā hine sōna frægn folces hyrde,
hū þā wīgend hyra wunda genǣson
oððe hwæðer þǣra hyssa . . . . . . .
The Dual Text
Ohthere’s Mound located in the Vendel parish, Uppland, Sweden — the semi-legendary king Ohthere of Sweden is one of the real-life figures referenced in ‘Beowulf’.
CONTENTS OF THE DUAL TEXT
Translated by Francis B. Gummere
In this part of the eBook, readers can view a section by section text of Beowulf, alternating between the original Old English and Gummere’s modern English translation.
CONTENTS
I. THE PASSING OF SCYLD.
II. THE HALL HEOROT.
III. GRENDEL’S VISITS.
IV. HYGELAC’S THANE.
V. THE ERRAND.
VI. BĒOWULF’S SPEECH.
VII. HROTHGAR’S WELCOME.
VIII. HROTHGAR TELLS OF GRENDEL.
IX. HUNFERTH OBJECTS TO BĒOWULF.
X. BĒOWULF’S CONTEST WITH BRECA. — THE FEAST.
XI. THE WATCH FOR GRENDEL.
XII. GRENDEL’S RAID.
XIII. BĒOWULF TEARS OFF GRENDEL’S ARM.
XIV. THE JOY AT HEOROT.
XV. HROTHGAR’S GRATULATION.
XVI. THE BANQUET AND THE GIFTS.
XVII. SONG OF HROTHGAR’S POET — THE LAY OF HNAEF AND HENGEST.
XVIII. THE GLEEMAN’S TALE IS ENDED.
XIX. BĒOWULF’S JEWELLED COLLAR. THE HEROES REST.
XX. GRENDEL’S MOTHER ATTACKS THE RING-DANES.
XXI. SORROW AT HEOROT: AESCHERE’S DEATH
XXII. BĒOWULF SEEKS THE MONSTER IN THE HAUNTS OF THE NIXIES.
XXIII. THE BATTLE WITH THE WATER-DRAKE.
XXIV. BĒOWULF SLAYS THE SPRITE.
XXV. HROTHGAR’S GRATITUDE: HE DISCOURSES.
XXVI. THE DISCOURSE IS ENDED. — BĒOWULF PREPARES TO LEAVE.
XXVII. THE PARTING WORDS.
XXVIII. BĒOWULF RETURNS TO GEATLAND. — THE QUEENS HYGD AND THRYTHO.
XXIX. HIS ARRIVAL. HYGELAC’S RECEPTION.
XXX. BĒOWULF’S STORY OF THE SLAYINGS.
XXXI. HE GIVES PRESENTS TO HYGELAC. HYGELAC REWARDS HIM. HYGELAC’S DEATH. BĒOWULF REIGNS.
XXXII. THE FIRE-DRAKE. THE HOARD.
XXXIII. BEOWULF RESOLVES TO KILL THE FIRE-DRAKE.
XXXIV. RETROSPECT OF BĒOWULF. — STRIFE BETWEEN SWEONAS AND GEATAS.
XXXV. MEMORIES OF PAST TIME. — THE FEUD WITH THE FIRE-DRAKE.
XXXVI. WIGLAF HELPS BĒOWULF IN THE FEUD
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.
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.
Lo, praise of the prowess of people-kings
of spear-armed Danes, in days long sped,
we have heard, and what honor the athelings won!
Oft Scyld the Scefing from squadroned foes,
5 from many a tribe, the mead-bench tore,
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,
awing the earls. Since erst he lay
friend
less, a foundling, fate repaid him:
for he waxed under welkin, in wealth he throve,
till before him the folk, both far and near,
10 who house by the whale-path, heard his mandate,
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
gave him gifts: a good king he!
To him an heir was afterward born,
a son in his halls, whom heaven sent
to favor the folk, feeling their woe
15 that erst they had lacked an earl for leader
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,
so long a while; the Lord endowed him,
the Wielder of Wonder, with world’s renown.
Famed was this Beowulf: far flew the boast of him,
son of Scyld, in the Scandian lands.
20 So becomes it a youth to quit him well
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.
with his father’s friends, by fee and gift,
that to aid him, agéd, in after days,
come warriors willing, should war draw nigh,
liegemen loyal: by lauded deeds
25 shall an earl have honor in every clan.
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,
Forth he fared at the fated moment,
sturdy Scyld to the shelter of God.
Then they bore him over to ocean’s billow,
loving clansmen, as late he charged them,
30 while wielded words the winsome Scyld,
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,
the leader belovéd who long had ruled. . . .
In the roadstead rocked a ring-dight vessel,
ice-flecked, outbound, atheling’s barge:
there laid they down their darling lord
35 on the breast of the boat, the breaker-of-rings,
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
by the mast the mighty one. Many a treasure
fetched from far was freighted with him.
No ship have I known so nobly dight
with weapons of war and weeds of battle,
40 with breastplate and blade: on his bosom lay
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
a heapéd hoard that hence should go
far o’er the flood with him floating away.
No less these loaded the lordly gifts,
thanes’ huge treasure, than those had done
45 who in former time forth had sent him
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
sole on the seas, a suckling child.
High o’er his head they hoist the standard,
a gold-wove banner; let billows take him,
gave him to ocean. Grave were their spirits,
50 mournful their mood. No man is able
secgan tō soðe sele-rǣdende,
hæleð under heofenum, hwā þǣm hlæste onfēng.
to say in sooth, no son of the halls,
no hero ‘neath heaven, — who harbored that freight!
II. THE HALL HEOROT.
Þā wæs on burgum Bēowulf Scyldinga,
lēof lēod-cyning, longe þrāge
55 folcum gefrǣge (fæder ellor hwearf,
Now Beowulf bode in the burg of the Scyldings,
leader belovéd, and long he ruled
55 in fame with all folk, since his father had gone
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,
away from the world, till awoke an heir,
haughty Healfdene, who held through life,
sage and sturdy, the Scyldings glad.
Then, one after one, there woke to him,
60 to the chieftain of clansmen, children four:
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
Heorogar, then Hrothgar, then Halga brave;
and I heard that —— was — — ‘s queen,
the Heathoscylfing’s helpmate dear.
To Hrothgar was given such glory of war,
65 such honor of combat, that all his kin
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,
obeyed him gladly till great grew his band
of youthful comrades. It came in his mind
to bid his henchmen a hall uprear,
a master mead-house, mightier far
70 than ever was seen by the sons of earth,
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,
and within it, then, to old and young
he would all allot that the Lord had sent him,
save only the land and the lives of his men.
Wide, I heard, was the work commanded,
75 for many a tribe this mid-earth round,
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,
to fashion the folkstead. It fell, as he ordered,
in rapid achievement that ready it stood there,
of halls the noblest: Heorot he named it
whose message had might in many a land.
80 Not reckless of promise, the rings he dealt,
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.
treasure at banquet: there towered the hall,
high, gabled wide, the hot surge waiting
of
furious flame. Nor far was that day
when father and son-in-law stood in feud
85 for warfare and hatred that woke again.
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
With envy and anger an evil spirit
endured the dole in his dark abode,
that he heard each day the din of revel
high in the hall: there harps rang out,
90 clear song of the singer. He sang who knew
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,
tales of the early time of man,
how the Almighty, made the earth,
fairest fields enfolded by water,
set, triumphant, sun and moon
95 for a light to lighten the land-dwellers,
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
and braided bright the breast of earth
with limbs and leaves, made life for all
of mortal beings that breathe and move.
So lived the clansmen in cheer and revel
100 a winsome life, till one began
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,
to fashion evils, that fiend of hell.
Grendel this monster grim was called,
march-riever mighty, in moorland living,
in fen and fastness; fief of the giants
105 the hapless wight a while had kept
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.
since the Creator his exile doomed.
On kin of Cain was the killing avenged
by sovran God for slaughtered Abel.
Ill fared his feud, and far was he driven,
110 for the slaughter’s sake, from sight of men.
Þanon unty¯dras ealle onwōcon,
eotenas and ylfe and orcnēas,