Beowulf (Bilingual Edition) Read online

  eald ond unhār mid his eorla gedriht;

  ēode ellen-rōf, þæt hē for eaxlum gestōd

  Deniga frēan: cūþe hē duguðe þēaw.

  360

  Wulfgār maðelode tō his wine-drihtne:

  “Hēr syndon geferede, feorran cumene

  ofer geofenes begang Gēata lēode;

  þone yldestan ōret-mecgas

  Bēowulf nemnað; hȳ bēnan synt,

  þæt hīe, þēoden mīn, wið þē mōton

  wordum wrixlan. Nō ðū him wearne getēoh

  ðīnra gegn-cwida, glæd-man Hrōðgār:

  hȳ on wīg-getāwum wyrðe þinceað

  eorla geæhtlan; hūru se aldor dēah,

  370

  sē þǣm heaðo-rincum hider wīsade.”

  Hrōðgār maþelode, helm Scyldinga:

  “Ic hine cūðe cniht-wesende;

  wæs his eald-fæder Ecgþēo hāten,

  ðǣm tō hām forgeaf Hrēþel Gēata

  āngan dohtor; is his eafora nū

  heard hēr cumen, sōhte holdne wine.

  Đonne sægdon þæt sǣ-līþende,

  þā ðe gif-sceattas Gēata fyredon

  þyder tō þance, þæt hē þrītiges

  380

  manna mægen-cræft on his mund-gripe,

  heaþo-rōf hæbbe. Hine hālig God

  for ār-stafum ūs onsende

  tō West-Denum, þæs ic wēn hæbbe,

  wið Grendles gryre. Ic þǣm gōdan sceal

  for his mōd-þræce mādmas bēodan.

  Bēo ðū on ofeste, hāt in gān,

  sēon sibbe-gedriht samod ætgædere;

  gesaga him ēac wordum þæt hīe sint wil-cuman

  Deniga lēodum!” Þā tō dura healle

  390

  Wulfgār ēode, word inne ābēad:

  Ēow hēt secgan sige-drihten mīn,

  aldor Ēast-Dena, þæt hē ēower æþelu can:

  ond gē him syndon ofer sǣ-wylmas,

  heard-hicgende, hider wil-cuman.

  Nū gē mōton gangan in ēowrum gūð-getāwum,

  under here-grīman, Hrōðgār gesēon;

  lǣtað hilde-bord hēr onbīdan,

  wudu, wæl-sceaftas, worda geþinges.”

  Ārās þā se rīca, ymb hine rinc manig,

  400

  prȳðlīc þegna hēap; sume þǣr bidon,

  heaðo-rēaf hēoldon, swā him se hearda bebēad.

  Snyredon ætsomne, þā secg wīsode,

  under Heorotes hrōf; ēode hilde-dēor,

  heard under helme, þæt hē on hēoðe gestōd.

  Bēowulf maðelode —on him byrne scān,

  searo-net seowed smiþes orþancum

  “Wæs þū, Hrōðgār, hāl! Ic eom Higelāces

  mǣg ond mago-ðegn; hæbbe ic mǣrða fela

  ongunnen on geogoþe. Mē wearð Grendles þing

  410

  on mīnre ēþel-tyrf undyrne cūð;

  secgað sǣ-līðend, þæt þæs sele stande,

  reced sēlesta, rinca gehwylcum

  īdel ond unnyt, siððan ǣ fen-lēoht

  under heofenes hādor beholen weorþeð.

  Þā mē þæt gelǣrdon lēode mīne,

  þā sēlestan, snotere ceorlas,

  þēoden Hrōðgār, þæt ic þē sōhte,

  forþan hīe mægenes cræft mīne cū þon:

  selfe ofersāwon, ðā ic of searwum cwōm,

  420

  fāh from fēondum, þǣr ic fīfe geband,

  ȳðde eotena cyn, ond on ȳðum slōg

  niceras nihtes, nearo-þearfe drēah,

  wræc Wedera nīð —wēan āhsodon—

  forgrand gramum: ond nū wið Grendel sceal,

  wið þām āglǣ can āna gehēgan

  ðing wið þyrse. Ic þē nū ðā,

  brego Beorht-Dena, biddan wille,

  eodor Scyldinga, ānre bēne:

  þæt ðū mē ne forwyrne, wīgendra hlēo,

  430

  frēo-wine folca, nū ic þus feorran cōm,

  þæt ic mōte āna ond mīnra eorla gedryht,

  þes hearda hēap, Heorot fǣlsian.

  Hæbbe ic ēac geāhsod, þæt se ǣglǣca

  for his won-hȳdum wǣpna ne recceð.

  Ic þæt þonne forhicge, swā mē Higelāc sīe,

  mīn mon-drihten, mōdes blīðe,

  þæt ic sweord bere oþðe sīdne scyld,

  geolo-rand tō gūþe; ac ic mid grāpe sceal

  fōn wið fēonde ond ymb feorh sacan,

  440

  lāð wið lāþum; ðǣr gelȳfan sceal

  Dryhtnes dōme sē þe hine dēað nimeð.

  Wēn’ ic þæt hē wille, gif hē wealdan mōt,

  in þǣm gū ð-sele Gēotena lēode

  etan unforhte, swā hē oft dyde,

  mægen hrēð-manna. Nā þū mīnne þearft

  hafalan hȳdan, ac hē mē habban wile

  drēore fāhne, gif mec dēað nimeð;

  byreð blōdig wæl, byrgean þenceð;

  eteð ān-genga unmurnlīce,

  450

  mearcað mōr-hopu; nō ðū ymb mīnes ne þearft

  līces feorme leng sorgian.

  Onsend Higelāce, gif mec hild nime,

  beadu-scrūda betst, þæt mīne brēost wereð,

  hrægla sēlest; þæt is Hrǣdlan lāf,

  Wēlandes geweorc. Gǣð ā wyrd swā hīo scel!”

  Hrōðgār maþelode, helm Scyldinga:

  “For were-fyhtum þū, wine mīn Bēowulf,

  ond for ār-stafum ūsic sōhtest.

  Geslōh þīn fæder fǣhðe mǣste,

  460

  wearþ hē Heaþolāfe tō hand-bonan

  mid Wilfingum; ðā hine wāra cyn

  for here-brōgan habban ne mihte.

  Þanon hē gesōhte Sūð-Dena folc

  ofer ȳða gewealc, Ār-Scyldinga;

  ðā ic furþum wēold folce Deniga

  ond on geogoðe hēold grimme-rīce,

  hord-burh hæleþa; ðā wæs Heregār dēad,

  mīn yldra mǣg unlifigende,

  bearn Healfdenes; sē wæs betera ðonne ic!

  470

  Siððan þā fǣhðe fēo þingode;

  sende ic Wylfingum ofer wæteres hrycg

  ealde mādmas; hē mē āþas swōr.

  Sorh is mē tō secganne on sefan mīnum

  gumena ǣngum, hwæt mē Grendel hafað

  hȳnðo on Heorote mid his hete-þancum,

  fǣr-nīða gefremed; is mīn flet-werod,

  wīg-hēap gewanod; hīe wyrd forswēop

  on Grendles gryre. God ēaþe mæg

  þone dol-sceaðan dǣda getwǣfan!

  480

  Ful oft gebēotedon bēore druncne

  ofer ealo-wǣge ōret-mecgas,

  þæt hīe in bēor-sele bīdan woldon

  Grendles gūþe mid gryrum ecga.

  Đonne wæs þēos medo-heal on morgen-tīd,

  driht-sele drēor-fāh, þonne dæg līxte,

  eal benc-þelu blōde bestȳmed,

  heall heoru-drēore; āhte ic holdra þȳ lǣs

  dēorre duguðe, þē þā dēað fornam.

  Site nū tō symle, ond on sǣl meoto

  490

  sige hrēð-secga, swā þīn sefa hwette!”

  Þā wæs Gēat-mæcgum geador ætsomne

  on bēor-sele benc gerȳmed;

  þǣr swīð-ferhþe sittan ēodon,

  þrȳðum dealle; þegn nytte behēold,

  sē þe on handa bær hroden ealo-wǣge,

  scencte scīr-wered; scop hwīlum sang

  hādor on Heorote; þǣr wæs hæleða drēam,

  duguð unlȳtel Dena ond Wedera.

  Unferð maþelode, Ecglāfes bearn,

  500

  þe æt fōtum sæt frēan Scyldinga,

  onband beadu-rūne: wæs him Bēowulfes sīð,

  mōdges mere-faran, micel æfþunca,

  forþon þe hē ne ūþe, þæt ǣnig ōðer man

  ǣfre mǣrða þo
n mā middan-geardes

  gehēdde under heofenum þonne hē sylfa:

  “Eart þū sē Bēowulf, sē þe wið Brecan wunne,

  on sīdne sǣ ymb sund flite,

  ðǣr git for wlence wada cunnedon

  ond for dol-gilpe on dēop wæter

  510

  aldrum nēþdon? Nē inc ǣnig mon,

  nē lēof nē lāð, belēan mihte

  sorh-fullne sīð, þā git on sund rēon;

  þǣr git ēagor-strēam earmum þehton,

  mǣton mere-strǣta, mundum brugdon,

  glidon ofer gār-secg. Geofon ȳþum wēol,

  wintrys wylmum; git on wæteres ǣht

  seofon niht swuncon; hē þē æt sunde oferflāt,

  hæfde māre mægen; þā hine on morgen-tīd

  on Heaþo-Rǣmes holm up ætbær.

  520

  Đonon hē gesōhte swǣsne ēðel,

  lēof his lēodum, lond Brondinga,

  freoðo-burh fægere, þǣr hē folc āhte,

  burh ond bēagas. Bēot eal wið þē

  sunu Bēanstānes sōðe gelǣste.

  Đonne wēne ic tō þē wyrsan geþingea,

  ðēah þū heaðo-rǣsa gehwǣr dohte,

  grimre gū ðe, gif þū Grendles dearst

  niht-longne fyrst nēan bīdan.”

  Bēowulf maþelode, bearn Ecgþēowes:

  530

  “Hwæt þū worn fela, wine mīn Unferð,

  bēore druncen ymb Brecan sprǣce,

  sægdest from his sīðe! Sō ð ic talige

  þæt ic mere-strengo māran āhte,

  earfeþo on ȳþum, ðonne ǣnig ōþer man.

  Wit þæt gecwǣdon cniht-wesende

  ond gebēotedon —wǣron bēgen þā gīt

  on geogoð-fēore— þæt wit on gār-secg ūt

  aldrum nēðdon; ond þæt geæfndon swā.

  Hæfdon swurd nacod, þā wit on sund rēon,

  540

  heard on handa; wit unc wið hron-fixas

  werian þōhton; nō hē wiht fram mē

  flōd-ȳþum feor flēotan meahte,

  hraþor on holme, nō ic fram him wolde.

  Đā wit ætsomne on sǣ wǣron

  fīf nihta fyrst, oþþæt unc flōd tōdrāf,

  wado weallende, wedera cealdost,

  nīpende niht, ond norþan-wind

  heaðo-grim ondhwearf. Hrēo wǣron ȳþa,

  wæs mere-fixa mōd onhrēred.

  550

  Þǣr mē wið lāðum līc-syrce mīn,

  heard, hond-locen, helpe gefremede,

  beado-hrægl brōden on brēostum læg

  golde gegyrwed. Mē tō grunde tēah

  fāh fēond-scaða, fæste hæfde

  grim on grāpe; hwæþre mē gyfeþe wearð,

  þæt ic āglǣcan orde gerǣhte,

  hilde-bille; heaþo-rǣs fornam

  mihtig mere-dēor þurh mīne hand.

  “Swā mec gelōme lāðo-getēonan

  560

  þrēatedon þearle; ic him þēnode

  dēoran sweorde, swā hit gedēfe wæs.

  Næs hīe ðǣre fylle gefēan hæfdon,

  mān-fordǣdlan, þæt hīe mē þēgon,

  symbel ymbsæton sǣ-grunde nēah;

  ac on mergenne mēcum wunde

  be ȳð-lāfe uppe lǣgon,

  sweordum āswefede, þæt syðþan nā

  ymb brontne ford brim-līðende

  lāde ne letton. Lēoht ēastan cōm,

  570

  beorht bēacen Godes; brimu swaþredon

  þæt ic sǣ-nǣssas gesēon mihte,

  windige weallas. Wyrd oft nereð

  unfǣgne eorl, þonne his ellen dēah.

  Hwæþere mē gesǣlde, þæt ic mid sweorde ofslōh

  niceras nigene. Nō ic on niht gefrægn

  under heofones hwealf heardran feohtan,

  nē on ēg-strēamum earmran mannon.

  Hwæþere ic fāra feng fēore gedīgde,

  sīþes wērig. Đā mec sǣ oþbær,

  580

  flōd æfter faroðe on Finna land,

  wadu weallendu. Nō ic wiht fram þē

  swylcra searo-nīða secgan hȳrde,

  billa brōgan. Breca nǣfre gīt

  æt heaðo-lāce, nē gehwæþer incer,

  swā dēorlīce dǣd gefremede

  fāgum sweordum —nō ic þæs fela gylpe—

  þēah ðū þīnum brōðrum tō banan wurde,