by Beowulf
his keenness of courage, though kinsmen had found him
unsure at the sword-play. The Scylding queen spoke:
“Quaff of this cup, my king and lord,
1170 breaker of rings, and blithe be thou,
“sinces brytta; þū on sǣlum wes,
“gold-wine gumena, and tō Gēatum sprec
“mildum wordum! Swā sceal man dōn.
“Bēo wið Gēatas glæd, geofena gemyndig;
1175 “nēan and feorran þū nū friðu hafast.
gold-friend of men; to the Geats here speak
such words of mildness as man should use.
Be glad with thy Geats; of those gifts be mindful,
or near or far, which now thou hast.
1175 Men say to me, as son thou wishest
“Mē man sægde, þæt þū þē for sunu wolde
“here-rinc habban. Heorot is gefǣlsod,
“bēah-sele beorhta; brūc þenden þū mōte
“manigra mēda and þīnum māgum lǣf
1180 “folc and rīce, þonne þū forð scyle
yon hero to hold. Thy Heorot purged,
jewel-hall brightest, enjoy while thou canst,
with many a largess; and leave to thy kin
folk and realm when forth thou goest
1180 to greet thy doom. For gracious I deem
“metod-sceaft sēon. Ic mīnne can
“glædne Hrōðulf, þæt hē þā geogoðe wile
“ārum healdan, gyf þū ǣr þonne hē,
“wine Scildinga, worold oflǣtest;
1185 “wēne ic, þæt hē mid gōde gyldan wille
my Hrothulf, willing to hold and rule
nobly our youths, if thou yield up first,
prince of Scyldings, thy part in the world.
I ween with good he will well requite
1185 offspring of ours, when all he minds
“uncran eaferan, gif hē þæt eal gemon,
“hwæt wit tō willan and tō worð-myndum
“umbor wesendum ǣr ārna gefremedon.”
Hwearf þā bī bence, þǣr hyre byre wǣron,
1190 Hrēðrīc and Hrōðmund, and hæleða bearn,
that for him we did in his helpless days
of gift and grace to gain him honor!”
Then she turned to the seat where her sons were placed,
Hrethric and Hrothmund, with heroes’ bairns,
1190 young men together: the Geat, too, sat there,
giogoð ætgædere; þǣr se gōda sæt
Bēowulf Gēata be þǣm gebrōðrum twǣm.
Beowulf brave, the brothers between.
XIX. BĒOWULF’S JEWELLED COLLAR. THE HEROES REST.
Him wæs ful boren and frēond-laðu
wordum bewægned and wunden gold
1195 ēstum geēawed, earm-hrēade twā,
A cup she gave him, with kindly greeting
and winsome words. Of wounden gold,
she offered, to honor him, arm-jewels twain,
1195 corselet and rings, and of collars the noblest
hrægl and hringas, heals-bēaga mǣst
þāra þe ic on foldan gefrægen hæbbe.
Nǣnigne ic under swegle sēlran hy¯rde
hord-māððum hæleða, syððan Hāma ætwæg
1200 tō þǣre byrhtan byrig Brōsinga mene,
that ever I knew the earth around.
Ne’er heard I so mighty, ‘neath heaven’s dome,
a hoard-gem of heroes, since Hama bore
to his bright-built burg the Brisings’ necklace,
1200 jewel and gem casket. — Jealousy fled he,
sigle and sinc-fæt, searo-nīðas fealh
Eormenrīces, gecēas ēcne rǣd.
Þone hring hæfde Higelāc Gēata,
nefa Swertinges, ny¯hstan sīðe,
1205 siððan hē under segne sinc ealgode,
Eormenric’s hate: chose help eternal.
Hygelac Geat, grandson of Swerting,
on the last of his raids this ring bore with him,
under his banner the booty defending,
1205 the war-spoil warding; but Wyrd o’er whelmed him
wæl-rēaf werede; hyne Wyrd fornam,
syððan hē for wlenco wēan āhsode,
fǣhðe tō Fry¯sum; hē þā frætwe wæg,
eorclan-stānas ofer y¯ða ful,
1210 rīce þēoden, hē under rande gecranc;
what time, in his daring, dangers he sought,
feud with Frisians. Fairest of gems
he bore with him over the beaker-of-waves,
sovran strong: under shield he died.
1210 Fell the corpse of the king into keeping of Franks,
gehwearf þā in Francna fæðm feorh cyninges,
brēost-gewǣdu and se bēah somod:
wyrsan wīg-frecan wæl rēafedon
æfter gūð-sceare, Gēata lēode
1215 hreā-wīc hēoldon. Heal swēge onfēng.
gear of the breast, and that gorgeous ring;
weaker warriors won the spoil,
after gripe of battle, from Geatland’s lord,
and held the death-field.
Din rose in hall.
1215 Wealhtheow spake amid warriors, and said: —
Wealhþēo maðelode, hēo fore þǣm werede spræc:
“Brūc þisses bēages, Bēowulf, lēofa
“hyse, mid hǣle, and þisses hrægles nēot
“þēod-gestrēona, and geþēoh tela,
1220 “cen þec mid cræfte and þyssum cnyhtum wes
“This jewel enjoy in thy jocund youth,
Beowulf lov’d, these battle-weeds wear,
a royal treasure, and richly thrive!
Preserve thy strength, and these striplings here
1220 counsel in kindness: requital be mine.
“lāra līðe! ic þē þæs lēan geman.
“Hafast þū gefēred, þæt þē feor and nēah
“ealne wīde-ferhð weras ehtigað,
“efne swā sīde swā sǣ bebūgeð
1225 “windige weallas. Wes, þenden þū lifige,
Hast done such deeds, that for days to come
thou art famed among folk both far and near,
so wide as washeth the wave of Ocean
his windy walls. Through the ways of life
1225 prosper, O prince! I pray for thee
“æðeling ēadig! ic þē an tela
“sinc-gestrēona. Bēo þū suna mīnum
“dǣdum gedēfe drēam healdende!
“Hēr is ǣghwylc eorl ōðrum getry¯we,
1230 “mōdes milde, man-drihtne hold,
rich possessions. To son of mine
be helpful in deed and uphold his joys!
Here every earl to the other is true,
mild of mood, to the master loyal!
1230 Thanes are friendly, the throng obedient,
“þegnas syndon geþwǣre, þēod eal gearo:
“druncne dryht-guman, dōð swā ic bidde!”
Ēode þā tō setle. Þǣr wæs symbla cyst,
druncon wīn weras: wyrd ne cūðon,
1235 geō-sceaft grimme, swā hit āgangen wearð
liegemen are revelling: list and obey!”
Went then to her place. — That was proudest of feasts;
flowed wine for the warriors. Wyrd they knew not,
destiny dire, and the doom to be seen
1235 by many an earl when eve should come,
eorla manegum, syððan ǣfen cwōm
and him Hrōðgār gewāt tō hofe sīnum,
rīce tō ræste. Reced weardode
unrīm eorla, swā hīe oft ǣr dydon:
1240 benc-þelu beredon, hit geond-brǣded wearð
and Hrothgar homeward hasten away,
royal, to rest. The room was guarded
by an army of earls, as erst was done.
They bared the bench-boards; abroad they spread
1240 beds and bolsters. — One beer-carouser<
br />
beddum and bolstrum. Bēor-scealca sum
fūs and fǣge flet-ræste gebēag.
Setton him tō hēafdum hilde-randas,
bord-wudu beorhtan; þǣr on bence wæs
1245 ofer æðelinge y¯ð-gesēne
in danger of doom lay down in the hall. —
At their heads they set their shields of war,
bucklers bright; on the bench were there
over each atheling, easy to see,
1245 the high battle-helmet, the haughty spear,
heaðo-stēapa helm, hringed byrne,
þrec-wudu þrymlīc. Wæs þēaw hyra,
þæt hīe oft wǣron an wīg gearwe,
gē æt hām gē on herge, gē gehwæðer þāra
1250 efne swylce mǣla, swylce hira man-dryhtne
þearf gesǣlde; wæs sēo þēod tilu.
the corselet of rings. ’Twas their custom so
ever to be for battle prepared,
at home, or harrying, which it were,
even as oft as evil threatened
1250 their sovran king. — They were clansmen good.
XX. GRENDEL’S MOTHER ATTACKS THE RING-DANES.
Sigon þā tō slǣpe. Sum sāre angeald
ǣfen-ræste, swā him ful-oft gelamp,
siððan gold-sele Grendel warode,
1255 unriht æfnde, oð þæt ende becwōm,
Then sank they to sleep. With sorrow one bought
his rest of the evening, — as ofttime had happened
when Grendel guarded that golden hall,
evil wrought, till his end drew nigh,
1255 slaughter for sins. ’Twas seen and told
swylt æfter synnum. Þæt gesy¯ne wearð,
wīd-cūð werum, þætte wrecend þā gy¯t
lifde æfter lāðum, lange þrāge
æfter gūð-ceare; Grendles mōdor,
1260 ides āglǣc-wīf yrmðe gemunde,
how an avenger survived the fiend,
as was learned afar. The livelong time
after that grim fight, Grendel’s mother,
monster of women, mourned her woe.
1260 She was doomed to dwell in the dreary waters,
sē þe wæter-egesan wunian scolde,
cealde strēamas, siððan Cain wearð
tō ecg-banan āngan brēðer,
fæderen-mǣge; hē þā fāg gewāt,
1265 morðre gemearcod man-drēam flēon,
cold sea-courses, since Cain cut down
with edge of the sword his only brother,
his father’s offspring: outlawed he fled,
marked with murder, from men’s delights,
1265 warded the wilds. — There woke from him
wēsten warode. Þanon wōc fela
geōsceaft-gāsta; wæs þǣra Grendel sum,
heoro-wearh hetelīc, sē æt Heorote fand
wæccendne wer wīges bīdan,
1270 þǣr him āglǣca æt-grǣpe wearð;
such fate-sent ghosts as Grendel, who,
war-wolf horrid, at Heorot found
a warrior watching and waiting the fray,
with whom the grisly one grappled amain.
1270 But the man remembered his mighty power,
hwæðre hē gemunde mægenes strenge,
gim-fæste gife, þē him god sealde,
and him tō anwaldan āre gely¯fde,
frōfre and fultum: þy¯ hē þone fēond ofercwōm,
1275 gehnǣgde helle gāst: þā hē hēan gewāt,
the glorious gift that God had sent him.
in his Maker’s mercy put his trust
for comfort and help: so he conquered the foe,
felled the fiend, who fled abject,
1275 reft of joy, to the realms of death,
drēame bedǣled dēað-wīc sēon,
man-cynnes fēond. And his mōdor þā gy¯t
gīfre and galg-mōd gegān wolde
sorh-fulne sīð, suna dēað wrecan.
1280 Cōm þā tō Heorote, þǣr Hring-Dene
mankind’s foe. And his mother now,
gloomy and grim, would go that quest
of sorrow, the death of her son to avenge.
To Heorot came she, where helmeted Danes
1280 slept in the hall. Too soon came back
geond þæt sæld swǣfun. Þā þǣr sōna wearð
ed-hwyrft eorlum, siððan inne fealh
Grendles mōdor; wæs se gryre lǣssa
efne swā micle, swā bið mægða cræft,
1285 wīg-gryre wīfes be wǣpned-men,
old ills of the earls, when in she burst,
the mother of Grendel. Less grim, though, that terror,
e’en as terror of woman in war is less,
might of maid, than of men in arms
1285 when, hammer-forgéd, the falchion hard,
þonne heoru bunden, hamere geþuren,
sweord swāte fāh swīn ofer helme,
ecgum dyhtig andweard scireð.
Þā wæs on healle heard-ecg togen,
1290 sweord ofer setlum, sīd-rand manig
sword gore-stained, through swine of the helm,
crested, with keen blade carves amain.
Then was in hall the hard-edge drawn,
the swords on the settles, and shields a-many
1290 firm held in hand: nor helmet minded
hafen handa fæst; helm ne gemunde,
byrnan sīde, þe hine se brōga angeat.
Hēo wæs on ofste, wolde ūt þanon
fēore beorgan, þā hēo onfunden wæs;
1295 hraðe hēo æðelinga ānne hæfde
nor harness of mail, whom that horror seized.
Haste was hers; she would hie afar
and save her life when the liegemen saw her.
Yet a single atheling up she seized
1295 fast and firm, as she fled to the moor.
fæste befangen, þā hēo tō fenne gang;
sē wæs Hrōðgāre hæleða lēofost
on gesīðes hād be sǣm tweonum,
rīce rand-wiga, þone þe hēo on ræste ābrēat,
1300 blǣd-fæstne beorn. Næs Bēowulf þǣr,
He was for Hrothgar of heroes the dearest,
of trusty vassals betwixt the seas,
whom she killed on his couch, a clansman famous,
in battle brave. — Nor was Beowulf there;
1300 another house had been held apart,
ac wæs ōðer in ǣr geteohhod
æfter māððum-gife mǣrum Gēate.
Hrēam wearð on Heorote. Hēo under heolfre genam
cūðe folme; cearu wæs genīwod
1305 geworden in wīcum: ne wæs þæt gewrixle til,
after giving of gold, for the Geat renowned. —
Uproar filled Heorot; the hand all had viewed,
blood-flecked, she bore with her; bale was returned,
dole in the dwellings: ’twas dire exchange
1305 where Dane and Geat were doomed to give
þæt hīe on bā healfa bicgan scoldon
frēonda fēorum. Þā wæs frōd cyning,
hār hilde-rinc, on hrēon mōde,
syððan hē aldor-þegn unlyfigendne,
1310 þone dēorestan dēadne wisse.
the lives of loved ones. Long-tried king,
the hoary hero, at heart was sad
when he knew his noble no more lived,
and dead indeed was his dearest thane.
1310 To his bower was Beowulf brought in haste,
Hraðe wæs tō būre Bēowulf fetod,
sigor-ēadig secg. Samod ǣr-dæge
ēode eorla sum, æðele cempa
self mid gesīðum, þǣr se snottra bād,
1315 hwæðre him al-walda ǣfre wille
dauntless victor. As daylight broke,
along with his earls the atheling lord,
with his clansmen, came, where the king abode
waiting to see if the Wielder-of-All
1315 would turn this tale of trouble and woe.
æfter wēa-spelle wyrpe gefremman.
Gang þā æfter flōre fyrd-wyrðe man
mid his hand-scale (heal-wudu dynede)
þæt hē þone wīsan wordum hnǣgde
1320 frēan Ingwina; frægn gif him wǣre æfter nēod-laðu niht getǣse.
Strode o’er floor the famed-in-strife,
with his hand-companions, — the hall resounded, —
wishing to greet the wise old king,
Ingwines’ lord; he asked if the night
1320 had passed in peace to the prince’s mind.
XXI. SORROW AT HEOROT: AESCHERE’S DEATH
Hrōðgār maðelode, helm Scildinga:
“Ne frīn þū æfter sǣlum! Sorh is genīwod
“Denigea lēodum. Dēad is Æsc-here,
1325 “Yrmenlāfes yldra brōðor,
Hrothgar spake, helmet-of-Scyldings: —
“Ask not of pleasure! Pain is renewed
to Danish folk. Dead is Æschere,
of Yrmenlaf the elder brother,
1325 my sage adviser and stay in council,
“mīn rūn-wita and mīn rǣd-bora,
“eaxl-gestealla, þonne wē on orlege
“hafelan weredon, þonne hniton fēðan,
“eoferas cnysedan; swylc scolde eorl wesan
1330 “æðeling ǣr-gōd, swylc Æsc-here wæs.
shoulder-comrade in stress of fight
when warriors clashed and we warded our heads,
hewed the helm-boars: hero famed
should be every earl as Æschere was!
1330 But here in Heorot a hand hath slain him
“Wearð him on Heorote tō hand-banan
“wæl-gǣst wǣfre; ic ne wāt hwæder
“atol ǣse wlanc eft-sīðas tēah,
“fylle gefrǣgnod. Hēo þā fǣhðe wræc,
1335 “þē þū gystran niht Grendel cwealdest
of wandering death-sprite. I wot not whither,
proud of the prey, her path she took,
fain of her fill. The feud she avenged
that yesternight, unyieldingly,
1335 Grendel in grimmest grasp thou killedst, —
“þurh hǣstne hād heardum clammum,
“forþan hē tō lange lēode mīne
“wanode and wyrde. Hē æt wīge gecrang
“ealdres scyldig, and nū ōðer cwōm
1340 “mihtig mān-scaða, wolde hyre mǣg wrecan,
seeing how long these liegemen mine
he ruined and ravaged. Reft of life,
in arms he fell. Now another comes,
keen and cruel, her kin to avenge,
1340 faring far in feud of blood:
“gē feor hafað fǣhðe gestǣled,
“þæs þe þincean mæg þegne monegum,
“sē þe æfter sinc-gyfan on sefan grēoteð,
“hreðer-bealo hearde; nū sēo hand ligeð,