Beowulf (Bilingual Edition) Read online

  rēoc ond rēþe, ond on ræste genam

  þrītig þegna; þanon eft gewāt

  hūðe hrēmig tō hām faran,

  mid þǣre wæl-fylle wīca nēosan.

  Đā wæs on ūhtan mid ǣr-dæge

  Grendles gūð-cræft gumum undyrne;

  þā wæs æfter wiste wōp up āhafen,

  micel morgen-swēg. Mǣre þēoden,

  130

  æþeling ǣr-gōd, unblīðe sæt,

  þolode ðrȳð-swȳð, þegn-sorge drēah,

  syðþan hīe þæs lāðan lāst scēawedon

  wergan gāstes. Wæs þæt gewin tō strang,

  lāð ond longsum. Næs hit lengra fyrst,

  ac ymb āne niht eft gefremede

  morð-beala māre ond nō mearn fore,

  fǣhðe ond fyrene; wæs tō fæst on þām.

  Þā wæs eāð-fynde þe him elles hwǣr

  gerūmlīcor ræste sōhte,

  140

  bed æfter būrum, ðā him gebēacnod wæs,

  gesægd sōðlīce sweotolan tācne

  heal-ðegnes hete; hēold hyne syðþan

  fyr ond fæstor sē þǣm fēonde ætwand.

  Swā rīxode ond wið rihte wan

  āna wið eallum, oðþæt īdel stōd

  hūsa sēlest. Wæs sēo hwīl micel:

  twelf wintra tīd torn geþolode

  wine Scyldinga, wēana gehwelcne,

  sīdra sorga; forðām secgum wearð,

  150

  ylda bearnum, undyrne cūð,

  gyddum geōmore, þætte Grendel wan

  hwīle wið Hrōþgār, hete-nīðas wæg,

  fyrene ond fǣhðe fela missēra,

  singāle sæce; sibbe ne wolde

  wið manna hwone mægenes Deniga,

  feorh-bealo feorran, fēa þingian,

  nē þǣr nǣnig witena wēnan þorfte

  beorhtre bōte tō banan folmum;

  ac se ǣglǣca ēhtende wæs,

  160

  deorc dēaþ-scūa duguþe ond geogoþe,

  seomade ond syrede; sin-nihte hēold

  mistige mōras; men ne cunnon

  hwyder hel-rūnan hwyrftum scrīþað.

  Swā fela fyrena fēond man-cynnes,

  atol ān-gengea, oft gefremede,

  heardra hȳnða; Heorot eardode,

  sinc-fāge sel sweartum nihtum;

  nō hē þone gif-stōl grētan mōste,

  māþðum for Metode, nē his myne wisse.

  170

  Þæt wæs wrǣc micel wine Scyldinga,

  mōdes brecða. Monig oft gesæt

  rīce tō rūne, rǣd eahtedon,

  hwæt swīð-ferhðum sēlest wǣre

  wið fǣr-gryrum tō gefremmanne.

  Hwīlum hīe gehēton æt hærg-trafum

  wīg-weorþunga, wordum bǣdon,

  þæt him gāst-bona gēoce gefremede

  wið þēod-þrēaum. Swylc wæs þēaw hyra,

  hǣþenra hyht; helle gemundon

  180

  in mōd-sefan, Metod hīe ne cūþon,

  dǣda Dēmend, ne wiston hīe Drihten God

  nē hīe hūru heofena Helm herian ne cūþon,

  wuldres Waldend. Wā bið þǣm ðe sceal

  þurh slīðne nīð sāwle bescūfan

  in fȳres fæþm, frōfre ne wēnan,

  wihte gewendan! Wēl bið þǣm þe mōt

  æfter dēað-dæge Drihten sēcean

  ond tō Fæder fæþmum freoðo wilnian!

  Swā ðā mǣl-ceare maga Healfdenes

  190

  singāla sēað; ne mihte snotor hæleð

  wēan onwendan; wæs þæt gewin tō swȳð,

  lāþ ond longsum, þe on ðā lēode becōm,

  nȳd-wracu nīþ-grim, niht-bealwa mæst.

  Þæt fram hām gefrægn Higelāces þegn,

  gōd mid Gēatum, Grendles dǣda;

  sē wæs mon-cynnes mægenes strengest

  on þǣm dæge þysses līfes,

  æþele ond ēacen. Hēt him ȳð-lidan

  gōdne gegyrwan; cwæð, hē gūð-cyning

  200

  ofer swan-rāde sēcean wolde,

  mǣrne þēoden, þā him wæs manna þearf.

  Đone sīð-fæt him snotere ceorlas

  lȳt-hwōn lōgon, þēah hē him lēof wǣre;

  hwetton hige-rōfne, hǣl scēawedon.

  Hæfde se gōda Gēata lēoda

  cempan gecorone, þāra þe hē cēnoste

  findan mihte; fīf-tȳna sum

  sund-wudu sōhte; secg wīsade,

  lagu-cræftig mon, land-gemyrcu.

  210

  Fyrst forð gewāt; flota wæs on ȳðum,

  bāt under beorge. Beornas gearwe

  on stefn stigon— strēamas wundon,

  sund wið sande; secgas bǣron

  on bearm nacan beorhte frætwe,

  gūð-searo geatolīc; guman ūt scufon,

  weras on wil-sīð wudu bundenne.

  Gewāt þā ofer wǣg-holm, winde gefȳsed,

  flota fāmī-heals, fugle gelīcost,

  oðþæt ymb ān-tīd ōþres dōgores

  220

  wunden-stefna gewaden hæfde,

  þæt ðā līðende land gesāwon,

  brim-clifu blīcan, beorgas stēape,

  sīde sǣ-næssas; þā wæs sund liden,

  ēo-letes æt ende. Þanon up hraðe

  Wedera lēode on wang stigon,

  sǣ-wudu sǣldon —syrcan hrysedon,

  gūð-gewǣdo; Gode þancedon,

  þæs þe him ȳþ-lāde ēaðe wurdon.

  Þā of wealle geseah weard Scildinga,

  230

  sē þe holm-clifu healdan scolde,

  beran ofer bolcan beorhte randas,

  fyrd-searu fūslicu; hine fyrwyt bræc

  mōd-gehygdum, hwæt þā men wǣron.

  Gewāt him þā tō waroðe wicge rīdan

  þegn Hrōðgāres, þrymmum cwehte

  mægen-wudu mundum, meþel-wordum frægn:

  “Hwæt syndon gē searo-hæbbendra,

  byrnum werede, þe þus brontne cēol

  ofer lagu-strǣte lǣdan cwōmon,

  240

  hider ofer holmas? Ic hwīle wæs

  ende-sǣta, ǣg-wearde hēold,

  þē on land Dena lāðra nǣnig

  mid scip-herge sceðþan ne meahte.

  Nō hēr cūðlīcor cuman ongunnon

  lind-hæbbende; nē gē lēafnes-word

  gūð-fremmendra gearwe ne wisson,

  māga gemēdu. Nǣfre ic māran geseah

  eorla ofer eorþan, ðonne is ēower sum,

  secg on searwum; nis þæt seld-guma,

  250

  wǣpnum geweorðad; nǣfre him his wlite lēoge,

  ǣnlīc ansȳn. Nū ic ēower sceal

  frum-cyn witan, ǣr gē fyr heonan

  lēas-scēaweras on land Dena

  furþur fēran. Nū gē feor-būend,

  mere-līðende, mīnne gehȳrað

  ānfealdne geþōht; ofost is sēlest

  tō gecȳðanne hwanan ēowre cyme syndon.”

  Him se yldesta andswarode,

  werodes wīsa, word-hord onlēac:

  260

  “Wē synt gum-cynnes Gēata lēode

  ond Higelāces heorð-genēatas;

  wæs mīn fæder folcum gecȳþed,

  æþele ord-fruma Ecgþēow hāten,—

  gebād wintra worn, ǣr hē on weg hwurfe,

  gamol of geardum; hine gearwe geman

  witena wēl-hwylc wīde geond eorþan.

  Wē þurh holdne hige hlāford þīnne,

  sunu Healfdenes, sēcean cwōmon,

  lēod-gebyrgean; wes þū ūs lārena gōd!

  270

  Habbað wē tō þǣm mǣran micel ǣrende,

  Deniga frēan; ne sceal þǣr dyrne sum

  wesan, þæs ic wēne. Þū wāst—gif hit is,

  swā wē sōþlīce secgan hȳrdon—

  þæt mid Scyldingum sceaðona ic nāt hwylc,

  dēogo
l dǣd-hata, deorcum nihtum

  ēaweð þurh egsan uncū ðne nīð,

  hȳnðu ond hrā-fyl. Ic þæs Hrōðgār mæg

  þurh rūmne sefan rǣd gelǣran,

  hū hē frōd ond gōd fēond oferswȳðeþ—

  280

  gyf him edwenden ǣfre scolde

  bealuwa bisigu, bōt eft cuman—

  ond þā cear-wylmas cōlran wurðaþ;

  oððe ā syþðan earfoð-þrāge,

  þrēa-nȳd þolað, þenden þǣr wunað

  on hēah-stede hūsa sēlest.”

  Weard maþelode, ðǣr on wicge sæt,

  ombeht unforht; “Ǣghwæþres sceal

  scearp scyld-wiga gescād witan,

  worda ond worca, sē þe wēl þenceð.

  290

  Ic þæt gehȳre, þæt þis is hold weorod

  frēan Scyldinga. Gewītaþ forð beran

  wǣpen ond gewǣdu; ic ēow wīsige:

  swylce ic magu-þegnas mīne hāte

  wið fēonda gehwone flotan ēowerne,

  nīw-tyrwydne nacan on sande

  ārum healdan, oþðæt eft byreð

  ofer lagu-strēamas lēofne mannan

  wudu wunden-hals tō Weder-mearce:

  gōd-fremmendra swylcum gifeþe bið,

  300

  þæt þone hilde-rǣs hāl gedīgeð.”

  Gewiton him þā fēran. Flota stille bād,

  seomode on sāle sīd-fæþmed scip,

  on ancre fæst. Eofor-līc scionon

  ofer hlēor-bergan: gehroden golde,

  fāh ond fȳ-heard, ferh wearde hēold:

  gūþ-mōd grummon. Guman ōnetton,

  sigon ætsomne, oþþæt hȳ sæl timbred,

  geatolīc ond gold-fāh ongyton mihton;

  þæt wæs fore-mǣrost fold-būendum

  310

  receda under roderum, on þǣm se rīca bād;

  līxte se lēoma ofer landa fela.

  Him þā hilde-dēor hof mōdigra

  torht getǣhte, þæt hīe him tō mihton

  gegnum gangan; gūð-beorna sum

  wicg gewende, word æfter cwæð:

  “Mǣl is mē tō fēran. Fæder al-walda

  mid ār-stafum ēowic gehealde

  sīða gesunde! Ic tō sǣ wille,

  wið wrāð werod wearde healdan.”

  320

  Strǣt wæs stān-fāh, stīg wīsode

  gumum ætgædere. Gūð-byrne scān,

  heard, hond-locen, hring-īren scīr

  song in searwum. Þā hī tō sele furðum

  in hyra gryre-geatwum gangan cwōmon,

  setton sǣ-mēþe sīde scyldas,

  rondas regn-hearde, wið þæs recedes weal;

  bugon þā tō bence, byrnan hringdon,

  gūð-searo gumena. Gāras stōdon,

  sǣ-manna searo, samod ætgædere,

  330

  æsc-holt ufan grǣg; wæs sē īren-þrēat

  wǣpnum gewurþad. Þā ðǣr wlonc hæleð

  ōret-mecgas æfter æþelum frægn:

  “Hwanon ferigeað gē fǣtte scyldas,

  grǣge syrcan ond grīm-helmas,

  here-sceafta hēap? Ic eom Hrōðgāres

  ār ond ombiht. Ne seah ic elþēodige

  þus manige men mōdiglīcran.

  Wēn’ ic þæt gē for wlenco, nalles for wrǣc-sīðum,

  ac for hige-þrymmum Hrōðgār sōhton.”

  340

  Him þā ellen-rōf andswarode,

  wlanc Wedera lēod, word æfter spræc,

  heard under helme: “Wē synt Higelāces

  bēod-genēatas; Bēowulf is mīn nama.

  Wille ic āsecgan sunu Healfdenes,

  mǣrum þēodne mīn ǣrende,

  aldre þīnum, gif hē ūs geunnan wile,

  þæt wē hine swā gōdne grētan mōton.”

  Wulfgār maþelode: þæt wæs Wendla lēod,

  wæs his mōd-sefa manegum gecȳðed,

  350

  wīg ond wīsdōm: “Ic þæs wine Deniga

  frēan Scildinga frīnan wille,

  bēaga bryttan, swā þū bēna eart,

  þēoden mǣrne, ymb þīnne sīð,

  ond þē þā andsware ǣdre gecȳðan,

  ðe mē se gōda āgifan þenceð.”

  Hwearf þā hrædlīce, þǣr Hrōðgār sæt,