by Beowulf
“lēofes and lāðes. Nū ys lēodum wēn
“orleg-hwīle, syððan underne
“Froncum and Fry¯sum fyll cyninges
“wīde weorðeð. Wæs sīo wrōht scepen
2915 “heard wið Hūgas, syððan Higelāc cwōm
for waging of war when once unhidden
to Frisian and Frank the fall of the king
is spread afar. — The strife began
when hot on the Hugas Hygelac fell
2915 and fared with his fleet to the Frisian land.
“faran flot-herge on Frēsna land,
“þǣr hyne Hetware hilde gehnǣgdon,
“elne geēodon mid ofer-mægene,
“þæt se byrn-wiga būgan sceolde,
2920 “fēoll on fēðan: nalles frætwe geaf
Him there the Hetwaras humbled in war,
plied with such prowess their power o’erwhelming
that the bold-in-battle bowed beneath it
and fell in fight. To his friends no wise
2920 could that earl give treasure! And ever since
“ealdor dugoðe; ūs wæs ā syððan
“Merewīoinga milts ungyfeðe.
“Nē ic tō Swēo-þēode sibbe oððe trēowe
“wihte ne wēne; ac wæs wīde cūð,
2925 “þætte Ongenþīo ealdre besnyðede
the Merowings’ favor has failed us wholly.
Nor aught expect I of peace and faith
from Swedish folk. ’Twas spread afar
how Ongentheow reft at Ravenswood
2925 Hæthcyn Hrethling of hope and life,
“Hæðcyn Hrēðling wið Hrefna-wudu,
“þā for on-mēdlan ǣrest gesōhton
“Gēata lēode Gūð-scilfingas.
“Sōna him se frōda fæder Ōhtheres,
2930 “eald and eges-full ond-slyht āgeaf,
when the folk of Geats for the first time sought
in wanton pride the Warlike-Scylfings.
Soon the sage old sire of Ohtere,
ancient and awful, gave answering blow;
2930 the sea-king he slew, and his spouse redeemed,
“ābrēot brim-wīsan, bry¯d āhēorde,
“gomela īo-meowlan golde berofene,
“Onelan mōdor and Ōhtheres,
“and þā folgode feorh-genīðlan
2935 “oð þæt hī oðēodon earfoðlīce
his good wife rescued, though robbed of her gold,
mother of Ohtere and Onela.
Then he followed his foes, who fled before him
sore beset and stole their way,
2935 bereft of a ruler, to Ravenswood.
“in Hrefnes-holt hlāford-lēase.
“Besæt þā sin-herge sweorda lāfe
“wundum wērge, wēan oft gehēt
“earmre teohhe andlonge niht:
2940 “cwæð hē on mergenne mēces ecgum
With his host he besieged there what swords had left,
the weary and wounded; woes he threatened
the whole night through to that hard-pressed throng:
some with the morrow his sword should kill,
2940 some should go to the gallows-tree
“gētan wolde, sume on galg-trēowum
“fuglum tō gamene. Frōfor eft gelamp
“sārig-mōdum somod ǣr-dæge,
“syððan hīe Hygelāces horn and by¯man
2945 “gealdor ongeāton. Þā se gōda cōm
“lēoda dugoðe on lāst faran.
for rapture of ravens. But rescue came
with dawn of day for those desperate men
when they heard the horn of Hygelac sound,
tones of his trumpet; the trusty king
2945 had followed their trail with faithful band.
XLI. HE TELLS OF THE SWEDES AND THE GEATAS
“Wæs sīo swāt-swaðu Swēona and Gēata,
“wæl-rǣs wera wīde gesy¯ne,
“hū þā folc mid him fǣhðe tōwehton.
2950 “Gewāt him þā se gōda mid his gædelingum,
“The bloody swath of Swedes and Geats
and the storm of their strife, were seen afar,
how folk against folk the fight had wakened.
The ancient king with his atheling band
2950 sought his citadel, sorrowing much:
“frōd fela geōmor fæsten sēcean,
“eorl Ongenþīo ufor oncirde;
“hæfde Higelāces hilde gefrūnen,
“wlonces wīg-cræft, wiðres ne truwode,
2955 “þæt hē sǣ-mannum onsacan mihte,
Ongentheow earl went up to his burg.
He had tested Hygelac’s hardihood,
the proud one’s prowess, would prove it no longer,
defied no more those fighting-wanderers
2955 nor hoped from the seamen to save his hoard,
“hēaðo-līðendum hord forstandan,
“bearn and bry¯de; bēah eft þonan
“eald under eorð-weall. Þā wæs ǣht boden
“Swēona lēodum, segn Higelāce.
2960 “Freoðo-wong þone forð oferēodon,
his bairn and his bride: so he bent him again,
old, to his earth-walls. Yet after him came
with slaughter for Swedes the standards of Hygelac
o’er peaceful plains in pride advancing,
2960 till Hrethelings fought in the fencéd town.
“syððan Hrēðlingas tō hagan þrungon.
“Þǣr wearð Ongenþīo ecgum sweorda,
“blonden-fexa on bīd wrecen,
“þæt se þēod-cyning þafian sceolde
2965 “Eofores ānne dōm: hyne yrringa
Then Ongentheow with edge of sword,
the hoary-bearded, was held at bay,
and the folk-king there was forced to suffer
Eofor’s anger. In ire, at the king
2965 Wulf Wonreding with weapon struck;
“Wulf Wonrēding wǣpne gerǣhte,
“þæt him for swenge swāt ǣdrum sprong
“forð under fexe. Næs hē forht swā þēh,
“gomela Scilfing, ac forgeald hraðe
2970 “wyrsan wrixle wæl-hlem þone,
and the chieftain’s blood, for that blow, in streams
flowed ‘neath his hair. No fear felt he,
stout old Scylfing, but straightway repaid
in better bargain that bitter stroke
2970 and faced his foe with fell intent.
“syððan þēod-cyning þyder oncirde:
“ne meahte se snella sunu Wonrēdes
“ealdum ceorle ond-slyht giofan,
“ac hē him on hēafde helm ǣr gescer,
2975 “þæt hē blōde fāh būgan sceolde,
Nor swift enough was the son of Wonred
answer to render the agéd chief;
too soon on his head the helm was cloven;
blood-bedecked he bowed to earth,
22975 and fell adown: not doomed was he yet,
“fēoll on foldan; næs hē fǣge þā gīt,
“ac hē hyne gewyrpte, þēah þe him wund hrīne,
“Lēt se hearda Higelāces þegn
“brādne mēce, þā his brōðor læg,
2980 “eald sweord eotonisc, entiscne helm,
and well he waxed, though the wound was sore.
Then the hardy Hygelac-thane,
when his brother fell, with broad brand smote,
giants’-sword crashing through giants’-helm
2980 across the shield-wall: sank the king,
“brecan ofer bord-weal: þā gebēah cyning,
“folces hyrde, wæs in feorh dropen.
“Þā wǣron monige, þē his mǣg wriðon,
“ricone ārǣrdon, þā him gery¯med wearð,
2985 “þæt hīe wæl-stōwe wealdan mōston.
his folk’s old herdsman, fatally hurt.
There were many to bind the brother’s wounds
> and lift him, fast as fate allowed
his people to wield the place-of-war.
2985 But Eofor took from Ongentheow,
“Þenden rēafode rinc ōðerne,
“nam on Ongenþīo īren-byrnan,
“heard swyrd hilted and his helm somod;
“hāres hyrste Higelāce bær.
2990 “Hē þām frætwum fēng and him fægre gehēt
earl from other, the iron-breastplate,
hard sword hilted, and helmet too,
and the hoar-chief’s harness to Hygelac carried,
who took the trappings, and truly promised
2990 rich fee ‘mid folk, — and fulfilled it so.
“lēana fore lēodum and gelǣste swā:
“geald þone gūð-rǣs Gēata dryhten,
“Hrēðles eafora, þā hē tō hām becōm,
“Jofore and Wulfe mid ofer-māðmum,
2995 “sealde hiora gehwæðrum hund þūsenda
For that grim strife gave the Geatish lord,
Hrethel’s offspring, when home he came,
to Eofor and Wulf a wealth of treasure.
Each of them had a hundred thousand
2995 in land and linked rings; nor at less price reckoned
“landes and locenra bēaga; ne þorfte him þā lēan oðwītan
“mon on middan-gearde, syððan hīe þā mǣrða geslōgon;
“and þā Jofore forgeaf āngan dōhtor,
“hām-weorðunge, hyldo tō wedde.
3000 “Þæt ys sīo fǣhðo and se fēond-scipe,
mid-earth men such mighty deeds!
And to Eofor he gave his only daughter
in pledge of grace, the pride of his home.
“Such is the feud, the foeman’s rage,
3000 death-hate of men: so I deem it sure
“wæl-nīð wera, þæs þe ic wēn hafo,
“þē ūs sēceað tō Swēona lēode,
“syððan hīe gefricgeað frēan ūserne
“ealdor-lēasne, þone þe ǣr gehēold
3005 “wið hettendum hord and rīce,
that the Swedish folk will seek us home
for this fall of their friends, the fighting-Scylfings,
when once they learn that our warrior leader
lifeless lies, who land and hoard
3005 ever defended from all his foes,
“æfter hæleða hryre hwate Scylfingas,
“folc-rǣd fremede oððe furður gēn
“eorl-scipe efnde. Nū is ofost betost,
“þæt wē þēod-cyning þǣr scēawian
3010 “and þone gebringan, þē ūs bēagas geaf,
furthered his folk’s weal, finished his course
a hardy hero. — Now haste is best,
that we go to gaze on our Geatish lord,
and bear the bountiful breaker-of-rings
3010 to the funeral pyre. No fragments merely
“on ād-fære. Ne scel ānes hwæt
“meltan mid þām mōdigan, ac þǣr is māðma hord.
“gold unrīme grimme gecēapod
“and nū æt sīðestan sylfes fēore
3015 “bēagas gebohte; þā sceal brond fretan,
shall burn with the warrior. Wealth of jewels,
gold untold and gained in terror,
treasure at last with his life obtained,
all of that booty the brands shall take,
3015 fire shall eat it. No earl must carry
“ǣled þeccean, nalles eorl wegan
“māððum tō gemyndum, nē mægð scy¯ne
“habban on healse hring-weorðunge,
“ac sceall geōmor-mōd golde berēafod
3020 “oft nalles ǣne el-land tredan,
memorial jewel. No maiden fair
shall wreathe her neck with noble ring:
nay, sad in spirit and shorn of her gold,
oft shall she pass o’er paths of exile
3020 now our lord all laughter has laid aside,
“nū se here-wīsa hleahtor ālegde,
“gamen and glēo-drēam. Forþon sceall gār wesan
“monig morgen-ceald mundum bewunden,
“hæfen on handa, nalles hearpan swēg
3025 “wīgend weccean, ac se wonna hrefn
all mirth and revel. Many a spear
morning-cold shall be clasped amain,
lifted aloft; nor shall lilt of harp
those warriors wake; but the wan-hued raven,
3025 fain o’er the fallen, his feast shall praise
“fūs ofer fǣgum, fela reordian,
“earne secgan, hū him æt ǣte spēow,
“þenden hē wið wulf wæl rēafode.”
Swā se secg hwata secgende wæs
3030 lāðra spella; hē ne lēag fela
and boast to the eagle how bravely he ate
when he and the wolf were wasting the slain.”
So he told his sorrowful tidings,
and little he lied, the loyal man
3030 of word or of work. The warriors rose;
wyrda nē worda. Weorod eall ārās,
ēodon unblīðe under Earna næs
wollen-tēare wundur scēawian.
Fundon þā on sande sāwul-lēasne
3035 hlim-bed healdan, þone þe him hringas geaf
sad, they climbed to the Cliff-of-Eagles,
went, welling with tears, the wonder to view.
Found on the sand there, stretched at rest,
their lifeless lord, who had lavished rings
3035 of old upon them. Ending-day
ǣrran mǣlum: þā wæs ende-dæg
gōdum gegongen, þæt se gūð-cyning,
Wedra þēoden, wundor-dēaðe swealt.
Ǣr hī gesēgan syllīcran wiht,
3040 wyrm on wonge wiðer-ræhtes þǣr
had dawned on the doughty-one; death had seized
in woful slaughter the Weders’ king.
There saw they, besides, the strangest being,
loathsome, lying their leader near,
3040 prone on the field. The fiery dragon,
lāðne licgean: wæs se lēg-draca,
grimlīc gryre-gæst, glēdum beswǣled,
sē wæs fīftiges fōt-gemearces.
lang on legere, lyft-wynne hēold
3045 nihtes hwīlum, nyðer eft gewāt
fearful fiend, with flame was scorched.
Reckoned by feet, it was fifty measures
in length as it lay. Aloft erewhile
it had revelled by night, and anon come back,
3045 seeking its den; now in death’s sure clutch
dennes nīosian; wæs þā dēaðe fæst,
hæfde eorð-scrafa ende genyttod.
Him big stōdan bunan and orcas,
discas lāgon and dy¯re swyrd,
3050 ōmige þurh-etone, swā hīe wið eorðan fæðm
it had come to the end of its earth-hall joys.
By it there stood the stoups and jars;
dishes lay there, and dear-decked swords
eaten with rust, as, on earth’s lap resting,
3050 a thousand winters they waited there.
þūsend wintra þǣr eardodon:
þonne wæs þæt yrfe ēacen-cræftig,
iū-monna gold galdre bewunden,
þæt þām hring-sele hrīnan ne mōste
3055 gumena ǣnig, nefne god sylfa,
For all that heritage huge, that gold
of bygone men, was bound by a spell,
so the treasure-hall could be touched by none
of human kind, — save that Heaven’s King,
3055 God himself, might give whom he would.
sigora sōð-cyning, sealde þām þe hē wolde
(hē is manna gehyld) hord openian,
efne swā hwylcum manna, swā him gemet þūhte.
Helper of Heroes, the hoard to open, —
even such a man as seemed to him meet.
XLII. WĪGLAF SPEAKS. THE BUILDING OF
THE BALE-FIRE.
Þā wæs gesy¯ne, þæt se sīð ne þāh
3060 þām þe unrihte inne gehy¯dde
A perilous path, it proved, he trod
who heinously hid, that hall within,
3060 wealth under wall! Its watcher had killed
wrǣte under wealle. Weard ǣr ofslōh
fēara sumne; þā sīo fǣhð gewearð
gewrecen wrāðlīce. Wundur hwār, þonne
eorl ellen-rōf ende gefēre
3065 līf-gesceafta, þonne leng ne mæg
one of a few, and the feud was avenged
in woful fashion. Wondrous seems it,
what manner a man of might and valor
oft ends his life, when the earl no longer
3035 in mead-hall may live with loving friends.
mon mid his māgum medu-seld būan.
Swā wæs Bīowulfe, þā hē biorges weard
sōhte, searo-nīðas: seolfa ne cūðe,
þurh hwæt his worulde gedāl weorðan sceolde;
3070 swā hit oð dōmes dæg dīope benemdon
So Beowulf, when that barrow’s warden
he sought, and the struggle; himself knew not
in what wise he should wend from the world at last.
For princes potent, who placed the gold,
3070 with a curse to doomsday covered it deep,
þēodnas mǣre, þā þæt þǣr dydon,
þæt se secg wǣre synnum scildig,
hergum geheaðerod, hell-bendum fæst,
wommum gewītnad, sē þone wong strāde.
3075 Næs hē gold-hwæt: gearwor hæfde
so that marked with sin the man should be,
hedged with horrors, in hell-bonds fast,
racked with plagues, who should rob their hoard.
Yet no greed for gold, but the grace of heaven,
3075 ever the king had kept in view.
āgendes ēst ǣr gescēawod.
Wīglāf maðelode, Wīhstānes sunu:
“Oft sceall eorl monig ānes willan
“wrǣc ādrēogan, swā ūs geworden is.
3080 “Ne meahton wē gelǣran lēofne þēoden,
Wiglaf spake, the son of Weohstan: —
“At the mandate of one, oft warriors many
sorrow must suffer; and so must we.
The people’s-shepherd showed not aught
3080 of care for our counsel, king belovéd!
“rīces hyrde rǣd ǣnigne,
“þæt hē ne grētte gold-weard þone,
“lēte hyne licgean, þǣr hē longe wæs,
“wīcum wunian oð woruld-ende.
3085 “Hēoldon hēah gesceap: hord ys gescēawod,
That guardian of gold he should grapple not, urged we,
but let him lie where he long had been
in his earth-hall waiting the end of the world,
the hest of heaven. — This hoard is ours,