by Beowulf
the blade’s fell blow, to bairn of Hygelac;
but the son of Ongentheow sought again
house and home when Heardred fell,
leaving Beowulf lord of Geats
2390 and gift-seat’s master. — A good king he!
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
The fall of his lord he was fain to requite
in after days; and to Eadgils he proved
friend to the friendless, and forces sent
over the sea to the son of Ohtere,
2395 weapons and warriors: well repaid he
wigum and wǣpnum: hē gewræc syððan
cealdum cear-sīðum, cyning ealdre binēat.
Swā hē nīða gehwane genesen hæfde,
slīðra geslyhta, sunu Ecgþīowes,
2400 ellen-weorca, oð þone ānne dæg,
those care-paths cold when the king he slew.
Thus safe through struggles the son of Ecgtheow
had passed a plenty, through perils dire,
with daring deeds, till this day was come
2400 that doomed him now with the dragon to strive.
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
With comrades eleven the lord of Geats
swollen in rage went seeking the dragon.
He had heard whence all the harm arose
and the killing of clansmen; that cup of price
2405 on the lap of the lord had been laid by the finder.
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
In the throng was this one thirteenth man,
starter of all the strife and ill,
care-laden captive; cringing thence
forced and reluctant, he led them on
2410 till he came in ken of that cavern-hall,
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,
the barrow delved near billowy surges,
flood of ocean. Within ’twas full
of wire-gold and jewels; a jealous warden,
warrior trusty, the treasures held,
2415 lurked in his lair. Not light the task
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,
of entrance for any of earth-born men!
Sat on the headland the hero king,
spake words of hail to his hearth-companions,
gold-friend of Geats. All gloomy his soul,
2420 wavering, death-bound. Wyrd full nigh
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.
stood ready to greet the gray-haired man,
to seize his soul-hoard, sunder apart
life and body. Not long would be
the warrior’s spirit enwound with flesh.
2425 Beowulf spake, the bairn of Ecgtheow: —
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,
“Through store of struggles I strove in youth,
mighty feuds; I mind them all.
I was seven years old when the sovran of rings,
friend-of-his-folk, from my father took me,
2430 had me, and held me, Hrethel the king,
“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.
with food and fee, faithful in kinship.
Ne’er, while I lived there, he loathlier found me,
bairn in the burg, than his birthright sons,
Herebeald and Hæthcyn and Hygelac mine.
2435 For the eldest of these, by unmeet chance,
“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,
by kinsman’s deed, was the death-bed strewn,
when Hæthcyn killed him with horny bow,
his own dear liege laid low with an arrow,
missed the mark and his mate shot down,
2440 one brother the other, with bloody shaft.
“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
A feeless fight and a fearful sin,
horror to Hrethel; yet, hard as it was,
unavenged must the atheling die!
Too awful it is for an agéd man
2445 to bide and bear, that his bairn so young
“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.
rides on the gallows. A rime he makes,
sorrow-song for his son there hanging
as rapture of ravens; no rescue now
can come from the old, disabled man!
2450 Still is he minded, as morning breaks,
“Symble bið gemyndgad morna gehwylce
“eaforan ellor-sīð; ōðres ne gy¯með
“tō gebīdanne burgum on innan
“yrfe-weardes, þonne se ān hafað
2455 “þurh dēaðes ny¯d dǣda gefondad.
of the heir gone elsewhere; another he hopes not
he will bide to see his burg within
as ward for his wealth, now the one has found
doom of death that the deed incurred.
2455 Forlorn he looks on the lodge of his son,
“Gesyhð sorh-cearig on his suna būre
“wīn-sele wēstne, wind-gereste,
“rēote berofene; rīdend swefað
“hæleð in hoðman; nis þǣr hearpan swēg,
2460 “gomen in geardum, swylce þǣr iū wǣron.
wine-hall waste and wind-swept chambers
reft of revel. The rider sleepeth,
the hero, far-hidden; no harp resounds,
in the courts no wassail, as once was heard.
2460 “Then he goes to his chamber, a grief-song chants
XXXV. MEMORIES OF PAST TIME. — THE FEUD WITH THE FIRE-DRAKE.
“Gewīteð þonne on sealman, sorh-lēoð gæleð
“ān æfter
ānum: þūhte him eall tō rūm,
“wongas and wīc-stede. Swā Wedra helm
“æfter Herebealde heortan sorge
2465 “weallende wæg, wihte ne meahte
alone for his lost. Too large all seems,
homestead and house. So the helmet-of-Weders
hid in his heart for Herebeald
waves of woe. No way could he take
2465 to avenge on the slayer slaughter so foul;
“on þām feorh-bonan fǣhðe gebētan:
“nō þy¯ ǣr hē þone heaðo-rinc hatian ne meahte
“lāðum dǣdum, þēah him lēof ne wæs.
“Hē þā mid þǣre sorge, þē him sīo sār belamp,
2470 “gum-drēam ofgeaf, godes lēoht gecēas;
nor e’en could he harass that hero at all
with loathing deed, though he loved him not.
And so for the sorrow his soul endured,
men’s gladness he gave up and God’s light chose.
2470 Lands and cities he left his sons
“eaferum lǣfde, swā dēð ēadig mon,
“lond and lēod-byrig, þā hē of līfe gewāt.
“Þā wæs synn and sacu Swēona and Gēata,
“ofer wīd wæter wrōht gemǣne,
2475 “here-nīð hearda, syððan Hrēðel swealt,
(as the wealthy do) when he went from earth.
There was strife and struggle ‘twixt Swede and Geat
o’er the width of waters; war arose,
hard battle-horror, when Hrethel died,
2475 and Ongentheow’s offspring grew
“oððe him Ongenþēowes eaferan wǣran
“frome fyrd-hwate, frēode ne woldon
“ofer heafo healdan, ac ymb Hrēosna-beorh
“eatolne inwit-scear oft gefremedon.
2480 “Þæt mǣg-wine mīne gewrǣcan,
strife-keen, bold, nor brooked o’er the seas
pact of peace, but pushed their hosts
to harass in hatred by Hreosnabeorh.
Men of my folk for that feud had vengeance,
2480 for woful war (’tis widely known),
“fǣhðe and fyrene, swā hyt gefrǣge wæs,
“þēah þe ōðer hit ealdre gebohte,
“heardan cēape: Hæðcynne wearð,
“Gēata dryhtne, gūð onsǣge.
2485 “Þā ic on morgne gefrægn mǣg ōðerne
though one of them bought it with blood of his heart,
a bargain hard: for Hæthcyn proved
fatal that fray, for the first-of-Geats.
At morn, I heard, was the murderer killed
2485 by kinsman for kinsman, with clash of sword,
“billes ecgum on bonan stǣlan,
“þǣr Ongenþēow Eofores nīosade:
“gūð-helm tōglād, gomela Scylfing
“hrēas heoro-blāc; hond gemunde
2490 “fǣhðo genōge, feorh-sweng ne oftēah.
when Ongentheow met Eofor there.
Wide split the war-helm: wan he fell,
hoary Scylfing; the hand that smote him
of feud was mindful, nor flinched from the death-blow.
2490— “For all that he gave me, my gleaming sword
“Ic him þā māðmas, þē hē mē sealde,
“geald æt gūðe, swā mē gifeðe wæs,
“lēohtan sweorde: hē mē lond forgeaf,
“eard ēðel-wyn. Næs him ǣnig þearf,
2495 “þæt hē tō Gifðum oððe tō Gār-Denum
repaid him at war, — such power I wielded, —
for lordly treasure: with land he entrusted me,
homestead and house. He had no need
from Swedish realm, or from Spear-Dane folk,
2495 or from men of the Gifths, to get him help, —
“oððe in Swīo-rīce sēcean þurfe
“wyrsan wīg-frecan, weorðe gecy¯pan;
“symle ic him on fēðan beforan wolde,
“āna on orde, and swā tō aldre sceall
2500 “sæcce fremman, þenden þis sweord þolað,
some warrior worse for wage to buy!
Ever I fought in the front of all,
sole to the fore; and so shall I fight
while I bide in life and this blade shall last
2500 that early and late hath loyal proved
“þæt mec ǣr and sīð oft gelǣste,
“syððan ic for dugeðum Dæghrefne wearð
“tō hand-bonan, Hūga cempan:
“nalles hē þā frætwe Frēs-cyninge,
2505 “brēost-weorðunge bringan mōste,
since for my doughtiness Dæghrefn fell,
slain by my hand, the Hugas’ champion.
Nor fared he thence to the Frisian king
with the booty back, and breast-adornments;
2505 but, slain in struggle, that standard-bearer
“ac in campe gecrong cumbles hyrde,
“æðeling on elne. Ne wæs ecg bona,
“ac him hilde-grāp heortan wylmas,
“bān-hūs gebræc. Nū sceall billes ecg,
2510 “hond and heard sweord ymb hord wīgan.”
fell, atheling brave. Not with blade was he slain,
but his bones were broken by brawny gripe,
his heart-waves stilled. — The sword-edge now,
hard blade and my hand, for the hoard shall strive.”
2510 Beowulf spake, and a battle-vow made,
Bēowulf maðelode, bēot-wordum spræc
nīehstan sīðe: ”Ic genēðde fela
“gūða on geogoðe; gy¯t ic wylle,
“frōd folces weard, fǣhðe sēcan,
2515 “mǣrðum fremman, gif mec se mān-sceaða
his last of all: “I have lived through many
wars in my youth; now once again,
old folk-defender, feud will I seek,
do doughty deeds, if the dark destroyer
2515 forth from his cavern come to fight me!”
“of eorð-sele ūt gesēceð!”
Gegrētte þā gumena gehwylcne,
hwate helm-berend hindeman sīðe,
swǣse gesīðas: ”Nolde ic sweord beran,
2520 “wǣpen tō wyrme, gif ic wiste hū
Then hailed he the helmeted heroes all,
for the last time greeting his liegemen dear,
comrades of war: “I should carry no weapon,
no sword to the serpent, if sure I knew
2520 how, with such enemy, else my vows
“wið þām āglǣcean elles meahte
“gylpe wiðgrīpan, swā ic giō wið Grendle dyde;
“ac ic þǣr heaðu-fy¯res hātes wēne,
“rēðes and-hāttres: forþon ic mē on hafu
2525 “bord and byrnan. Nelle ic beorges weard
I could gain as I did in Grendel’s day.
But fire in this fight I must fear me now,
and poisonous breath; so I bring with me
breastplate and board. From the barrow’s keeper
2525 no footbreadth flee I. One fight shall end
“oferflēon fōtes trem, fēond unhy¯re,
“ac unc sceal weorðan æt wealle, swā unc Wyrd getēoð,
“metod manna gehwæs. Ic eom on mōde from,
“þæt ic wið þone gūð-flogan gylp ofersitte.
2530 “Gebīde gē on beorge byrnum werede,
our war by the wall, as Wyrd allots,
all mankind’s master. My mood is bold
but forbears to boast o’er this battling-flyer.
— Now abide by the barrow, ye breastplate-mailed,
2530 ye heroes in harness, which of us twain
“secgas on searwum, hwæðer sēl mǣge
“æfter wæl-rǣse wunde gedy¯gan
“uncer twēga. Nis þæt ēower sīð,
“nē gemet mannes, nefne mīn ānes,
2535 “þæt hē wið āglǣcean eofoðo dǣle,
better from battle-rush bear hi
s wounds.
Wait ye the finish. The fight is not yours,
nor meet for any but me alone
to measure might with this monster here
2535 and play the hero. Hardily I
“eorl-scype efne. Ic mid elne sceall
“gold gegangan oððe gūð nimeð,
“feorh-bealu frēcne, frēan ēowerne!”
Ārās þā bī ronde rōf ōretta,
2540 heard under helm, hioro-sercean bær
shall win that wealth, or war shall seize,
cruel killing, your king and lord!”
Up stood then with shield the sturdy champion,
stayed by the strength of his single manhood,
2540 and hardy ‘neath helmet his harness bore
under stān-cleofu, strengo getruwode
ānes mannes: ne bið swylc earges sīð.
Geseah þā be wealle, sē þe worna fela,
gum-cystum gōd, gūða gedīgde,
2545 hilde-hlemma, þonne hnitan fēðan,
under cleft of the cliffs: no coward’s path!
Soon spied by the wall that warrior chief,
survivor of many a victory-field
where foemen fought with furious clashings,
2545 an arch of stone; and within, a stream
(stōd on stān-bogan) strēam ūt þonan
brecan of beorge; wæs þǣre burnan wælm
heaðo-fy¯rum hāt: ne meahte horde nēah
unbyrnende ǣnige hwīle
2550 dēop gedy¯gan for dracan lēge.
that broke from the barrow. The brooklet’s wave
was hot with fire. The hoard that way
he never could hope unharmed to near,
or endure those deeps, for the dragon’s flame.
2550 Then let from his breast, for he burst with rage,
Lēt þā of brēostum, þā hē gebolgen wæs,
Weder-Gēata lēod word ūt faran,
stearc-heort styrmde; stefn in becōm
heaðo-torht hlynnan under hārne stān.
2555 Hete wæs onhrēred, hord-weard oncnīow
the Weder-Geat prince a word outgo;
stormed the stark-heart; stern went ringing
and clear his cry ‘neath the cliff-rocks gray.
The hoard-guard heard a human voice;
2555 his rage was enkindled. No respite now
mannes reorde; næs þǣr māra fyrst,
frēode tō friclan. From ǣrest cwōm
oruð āglǣcean ūt of stāne,
hāt hilde-swāt; hrūse dynede.
2560 Biorn under beorge bord-rand onswāf
for pact of peace! The poison-breath
of that foul worm first came forth from the cave,
hot reek-of-fight: the rocks resounded.
Stout by the stone-way his shield he raised,
2560 lord of the Geats, against the loathed-one;
wið þām gryre-gieste, Gēata dryhten: