Beowulf (Bilingual Edition) Read online

  sēcean wyn-lēas wīc; wiste þē geornor,

  þæt his aldres wæs ende gegongen,

  dōgera dæg-rīm. Denum eallum wearð

  æfter þām wæl-rǣse willa gelumpen.

  Hæfde þā gefǣlsod, sē þe ǣr feorran cōm,

  snotor ond swȳð-ferhð, sele Hrōðgāres,

  genered wið nīðe. Niht-weorce gefeh,

  ellen-mǣrþum. Hæfde Ēast-Denum

  Gēat-mecga lēod gilp gelǣsted,

  830

  swylce oncȳþðe ealle gebētte,

  inwid-sorge, þē hīe ǣr drugon

  ond for þrēa-nȳdum þolian scoldon,

  torn unlȳtel. Þæt wæs tācen sweotol,

  syþðan hilde-dēor hond ālegde,

  earm ond eaxle —þǣr wæs eal geador

  Grendles grāpe— under gēapne hrōf.

  Đā wæs on morgen, mīne gefrǣge,

  ymb þā gif-healle gūð-rinc monig;

  fērdon folc-togan feorran ond nēan

  840

  geond wīd-wegas wundor scēawian,

  lāþes lāstas. Nō his līf-gedāl

  sārlīc þūhte secga ǣnegum,

  þāra þe tīr-lēases trode scēawode,

  hū hē wērig-mōd on weg þanon,

  nīða ofercumen, on nicera mere,

  fǣge ond geflȳmed feorh-lāstas bær.

  Đǣr wæs on blōde brim weallende,

  atol ȳða geswing, eal gemenged,

  hāton heolfre, heoro-drēore wēol;

  850

  dēað-fǣge dēog, siððan drēama lēas

  in fen-freoðo feorh ālegde,

  hǣþene sāwle; þǣr him hel onfēng.

  Þanon eft gewiton eald-gesīðas,

  swylce geong manig of gomen-wāþe,

  fram mere mōdge mēarum rīdan,

  beornas on blancum. Đǣr wǣs Bēowulfes

  mǣrðo mǣned; monig oft gecwæð,

  þætto sūð nē norð be sǣm twēonum

  ofer eormen-grund ōþer nǣnig

  860

  under swegles begong sēlra nǣre

  rond-hæbbendra, rīces wyrðra.

  Nē hīe hūru wine-drihten wiht ne lōgon,

  glædne Hrōðgār, ac þæt wæs gōd cyning.

  Hwīlum heaþo-rōfe hlēapan lēton,

  on geflit faran fealwe mēaras,

  ðǣr him fold-wegas fægere þūhton,

  cystum cūðe; hwīlum cyninges þegn,

  guma gilp-hlæden, gidda gemyndig,

  sē ðe eal-fela eald-gesegena

  870

  worn gemunde, word ōþer fand

  sōðe gebunden. Secg eft ongan

  sīð Bēowulfes snyttrum styrian

  ond on spēd wrecan spel gerāde,

  wordum wrixlan. Wēl-hwylc gecwæð,

  þæt hē fram Sigemunde secgan hȳrde,

  ellen-dǣdum, uncūþes fela,

  Wælsinges gewin, wīde sīðas,

  þāra þe gumena bearn gearwe ne wiston,

  fǣhðe ond fyrena, būton Fitela mid hine,

  880

  þonne hē swulces hwæt secgan wolde,

  ēam his nefan, swā hīe ā wǣron

  æt nīða gehwām nȳd-gesteallan;

  hæfdon eal-fela eotena cynnes

  sweordum gesǣged. Sigemunde gesprong

  æfter dēað-dæge dōm unlȳtel,

  syþðan wīges heard wyrm ācwealde,

  hordes hyrde. Hē under hārne stān,

  æþelinges bearn, āna genēðde

  frēcne dǣde; ne wæs him Fitela mid;

  890

  hwæþre him gesǣlde, ðæt þæt swurd þurhwōd

  wrǣtlīcne wyrm, þæt hit on wealle æstōd,

  dryhtlīc īren; draca morðre swealt.

  Hæfde āglǣca elne gegongen,

  þæt hē bēah-hordes brūcan mōste

  selfes dōme; sǣ-bāt gehleōd,

  bær on bearm scipes beorhte frætwa,

  Wælses eafera; wyrm hāt gemealt.

  Sē wæs wreccena wīde mǣrost

  ofer wer-þēode, wīgendra hlēo,

  900

  ellen-dǣdum —hē þæs ǣr onðāh—

  siððan Heremōdes hild sweðrode,

  eafoð ond ellen; hē mid eotenum wearð

  on fēonda geweald forð forlācen

  snūde forsended. Hine sorh-wylmas

  lemede tō lange; hē his lēodum wearð,

  eallum æþellingum tō aldor-ceare.

  Swylce oft bemearn ǣrran mǣlum

  swīð-ferhþes sīð snotor ceorl monig,

  sē þe him bealwa tō bōte gelȳfde,

  910

  þæt þæt ðēodnes bearn geþēon scolde,

  fæder-æþelum onfōn, folc gehealdan,

  hord ond hlēo-burh, hæleþa rīce,

  ēðel Scyldinga. Hē þǣr eallum wearð,

  mǣg Higelāces, manna cynne,

  frēondum gefægra; hine fyren onwōd.

  Hwīlum flītende fealwe strǣte

  mēarum mǣton. Đā wæs morgen-lēoht

  scofen ond scynded. Ēode scealc monig

  swīð-hicgende tō sele þām hēan,

  920

  searo-wundor sēon; swylce self cyning

  of brȳd-būre, bēah-horda weard,

  tryddode tīr-fæst getrume micle,

  cystum gecȳþed, ond his cwēn mid him

  medo-stigge mæt mægþa hōse.

  Hrōðgār maþelode —hē tō healle gēong,

  stōd on stapole, geseah stēapne hrōf

  golde fāhne ond Grendles hond:

  “Đisse ansȳne Al-wealdan þanc

  lungre gelimpe! Fela ic lāþes gebād,

  930

  grynna æt Grendle; ā mæg God wyrcan

  wunder æfter wundre, wuldres Hyrde.

  Đæt wæs ungeāra, þæt ic ǣnigra mē

  wēana ne wēnde tō wīdan feore

  bōte gebīdan, þonne blōde fāh

  hūsa sēlest heoro-drērig stōd,

  wēa wīd-scofen witena gehwylcum

  ðāra þe ne wēndon, þæt hīe wīde-ferhð

  lēoda land-geweorc lāþum beweredon

  scuccum ond scinnum. Nū scealc hafað

  940

  þurh Drihtnes miht dǣd gefremede,

  ðe wē ealle ǣr ne meahton

  snyttrum besyrwan. Hwæt, þæt secgan mæg

  efne swā hwylc mægþa, swā ðone magan cende

  æfter gum-cynnum, gyf hēo gȳt lyfað,

  þæt hyre Eald-metod ēste wǣre

  bearn-gebyrdo. Nū ic, Bēowulf, þec,

  secg betsta, mē for sunu wylle

  frēogan on ferhþe; heald forð tela

  nīwe sibbe. Ne bið þē nǣnigre gād

  950

  worolde wilna, þē ic geweald hæbbe.

  Ful oft ic for lǣssan lēan teohhode,

  hord-weorþunge hnāhran rince,

  sǣmran æt sæcce. Þū þē self hafast

  dǣdum gefremed, þæt þīn dōm lyfað

  āwa tō aldre. Al-walda þec

  gōde forgylde, swā hē nū gȳt dyde!”

  Bēowulf maþelode, bearn Ecgþēowes:

  Wē þæt ellen-weorc ēstum miclum,

  feohtan fremedon, frēcne genēðdon

  960

  eafoð uncūþes. Ūþe ic swīþor,

  þæt ðū hine selfne gesēon mōste,

  fēond on frætewum fyl-wērigne!

  Ic hine hrædlīce heardan clammum

  on wæl-bedde wrīþan þōhte,

  þæt hē for mund-gripe mīnum scolde

  licgean līf-bysig, būtan his līc swice.

  Ic hine ne mihte, þē Metod nolde,

  ganges getwǣman, nō ic him þæs georne ætfealh,

  feorh-genīðlan; wæs tō fore-mihtig

  970

  fēond on fēþe. Hwæþere hē his folme forlēt

  tō līf-wraþe lāst weardian,

  earm ond eaxle; nō þǣr ǣnige swā þēah

  fēasceaft gu
ma frōfre gebohte;

  nō þȳ leng leofað lāð-getēona

  synnum geswenced, ac hyne sār hafað

  in nīd-gripe nearwe befongen,

  balwon bendum; ðǣr ābīdan sceal

  maga māne fāh miclan dōmes,

  hū him scīr Metod scrīfan wille.”

  980

  Đā wæs swīgra secg, sunu Ecglāfes,

  on gylp-sprǣce gūð-geweorca,

  siþðan æþelingas eorles cræfte

  ofer hēanne hrōf hand scēawedon,

  fēondes fingras. Foran ǣghwylc wæs,

  steda nægla gehwylc stȳle gelīcost,

  hǣþenes hand-sporu, hilde-rinces

  egl unhēoru. Ǣghwylc gecwæð

  þæt him heardra nān hrīnan wolde

  īren ǣr-gōd, þæt ðæs āhlǣcan

  990

  blōdge beadu-folme onberan wolde.

  Đā wæs hāten hreþe Heort innanweard

  folmum gefrætwod; fela þǣra wæs,

  wera ond wīfa, þe þæt wīn-reced,

  gest-sele gyredon. Gold-fāg scinon

  web æfter wāgum, wundor-sı īona fela

  secga gehwylcum þāra þe on swylc starað.

  Wæs þæt beorhte bold tōbrocen swīðe,

  eal inneweard īren-bendum fæst,

  heorras tōhlidene; hrōf āna genæs

  1000

  ealles ansund, þē se āglǣca

  fyren-dǣdum fāg on flēam gewand,

  aldres orwēna. Nō þæt ȳðe byð

  tō beflēonne —fremme sē þe wille—

  ac gesēcan sceal sāwl-berendra

  nȳde genȳdde, niþða bearna,

  grund-būendra gearwe stōwe,

  þǣr his līc-homa, leger-bedde fæst,

  swefeþ æfter symle.

  Þā wæs sǣl ond mǣl

  þæt tō healle gang Healfdenes sunu;

  1010

  wolde self cyning symbel þicgan.

  Ne gefrægen ic þā mǣgþe māran weorode

  ymb hyra sinc-gyfan sēl gebǣran.

  Bugon þā tō bence blǣd-āgande,

  fylle gefǣgon; fægere geþǣgon

  medo-ful manig māgas þāra,

  swīð-hicgende, on sele þām hēan,

  Hrōðgār ond Hroþulf. Heorot innan wæs

  frēondum āfylled; nalles fācen-stafas

  Þēod-Scyldingas þenden fremedon.

  1020

  Forgeaf þā Bēowulfe brand Healfdenes

  segen gyldenne sigores tō lēane,

  hroden hilde-cumbor, helm ond byrnan;

  mǣre māðþum-sweord manige gesāwon

  beforan beorn beran. Bēowulf geþah

  ful on flette; nō hē þǣre feoh-gyfte

  for sceotendum scamigan ðorfte.

  Ne gefrægn ic frēondlīcor fēower mādmas

  golde gegyrede gum-manna fela

  in ealo-bence ōðrum gesellan.

  1030

  Ymb þæs helmes hrōf hēafod-beorge

  wīrum bewunden walu ūtan hēold,

  þæt him fēla lāfe frēcne ne meahton

  scūr-heard sceþðan, þonne scyld-freca

  ongēan gramum gangan scolde.

  Heht ðā eorla hlēo eahta mēaras

  fǣted-hlēore on flet tēon,

  in under eoderas; þāra ānum stōd

  sadol swearwum fāh, since gewurþad.

  Þæt wæs hilde-setl hēah-cyninges,

  1040

  ðonne sweorda gelāc sunu Healfdenes

  efnan wolde; nǣfre on ōre læg

  wīd-cūþes wīg, ðonne walu fēollon.

  Ond ðā Bēowulfe bēga gehwæþres

  eodor Ingwina onweald getēah,

  wicga ond wǣpna; hēt hine wēl brūcan.

  Swā manlīce mǣre þēoden,

  hord-weard hæleþa heaþo-rǣsas geald

  mēarum ond mādmum, swā hȳ nǣfre man lyhð,

  sē þe secgan wile sōð æfter rihte.

  1050

  Đā gȳt ǣghwylcum eorla drihten

  þāra þe mid Bēowulfe brim-lāde tēah,

  on þǣre medu-bence māþðum gesealde,

  yrfe-lāfe, ond þone ǣnne heht

  golde forgyldan, þone ðe Grendel ǣr

  māne ācwealde, swā hē hyra mā wolde,