Beówulf | Page 7

rûmne sefan ræd gelæran,
"hû he frôd and gôd feónd oferswýðeð,
280 "gyf him
ed-wendan æfre scolde
"bealuwa bisigu, bôt eft cuman
"and þâ cear-wylmas côlran wurðað;
"oððe â syððan
earfoð-þrage,
"þreá-nýd þolað, þenden þær wunað
285 "on heáh-stede hûsa sêlest."
Weard maðelode, þær on wicge sät
ombeht unforht: "Æghwäðres sceal
"scearp
scyld-wîga gescâd witan,
"worda and worca, se þe wel þenceð.
290 "Ic þät gehýre,
þät þis is hold weorod
"freán Scyldinga. Gewîtað forð beran
"wæpen and gewædu, ic eów wîsige:
"swylce ic
magu-þegnas mîne hâte
"wið feónda gehwone flotan eówerne,

295 "niw-tyrwedne
nacan on sande
"ârum healdan, ôð þät eft byreð
"ofer lagu-streámas leófne mannan
"wudu
wunden-hals tô Weder-mearce.
"Gûð-fremmendra swylcum gifeðe bið,
300 "þät þone
hilde-ræs hâl gedîgeð."
Gewiton him þâ fêran (flota stille bâd,
seomode on sâle sîd-fäðmed scyp,
on ancre

fäst); eofor-lîc scionon
ofer hleór-beran gehroden golde
305 fâh and fýr-heard, ferh
wearde heóld.
Gûðmôde grummon, guman onetton,
sigon ätsomne, ôð þät hy säl timbred
geatolîc
and gold-fâh ongytan mihton;
þät wäs fore-mærost fold-bûendum
310 receda under
roderum, on þäm se rîca bâd;
lixte se leóma ofer landa fela.
Him þâ hilde-deór hof môdigra
torht getæhte, þät hie
him tô mihton
gegnum gangan; gûð-beorna sum
315 wicg gewende, word äfter cwäð:
"Mæl is me tô fêran; fäder alwalda
"mid âr-stafum eówic gehealde
"sîða gesunde! ic
tô sæ wille,
"wið wrâð werod wearde healdan."
VI. BEÓWULF'S SPEECH.
320 Stræt wäs stân-fâh, stîg wîsode
gumum ätgädere. Gûð-byrne scân
heard hond-locen, hring-îren scîr
song in searwum,
þâ hie tô sele furðum
in hyra gryre-geatwum gangan cwômon.
325 Setton sæ-mêðe
sîde scyldas,
rondas regn-hearde wið þäs recedes weal,
bugon þâ tô bence; byrnan hringdon,

gûð-searo gumena; gâras stôdon,
sæ-manna searo, samod ätgädere,
330 äsc-holt ufan
græg: wäs se îren-þreát
wæpnum gewurðad. Þâ þær wlonc häleð
oret-mecgas äfter äðelum frägn:
"Hwanon
ferigeað ge fätte scyldas,
"græge syrcan and grîm-helmas,
335 "here-sceafta heáp?--
Ic eom Hrôðgâres
"âr and ombiht. Ne seah ic el-þeódige
"þus manige men môdiglîcran.
"Wên' ic þät ge
for wlenco, nalles for wräc-sîðum, "ac for hige-þrymmum Hrôðgâr sôhton."
340 Him
þâ ellen-rôf andswarode,
wlanc Wedera leód word äfter spräc,
heard under helme: "We synt Higelâces

"beód-geneátas; Beówulf is mîn nama.
"Wille ic âsecgan suna Healfdenes,
345
"mærum þeódne mîn ærende,
"aldre þînum, gif he ûs geunnan wile,
"þät we hine swâ gôdne grêtan môton."

Wulfgâr maðelode (þät wäs Wendla leód,
wäs his môd-sefa manegum gecýðed,
350
wîg and wîs-dôm): "ic þäs wine Deniga,
"freán Scildinga frinan wille,
"beága bryttan, swâ þu bêna eart,
"þeóden mærne ymb
þînne sîð ;
"and þe þâ andsware ädre gecýðan,
355 "þe me se gôda âgifan þenceð."
Hwearf þâ hrädlîce, þær Hrôðgâr sät,
eald and unhâr mid his eorla gedriht;
eode

ellen-rôf, þät he for eaxlum gestôd
Deniga freán, cûðe he duguðe þeáw.
360 Wulfgâr
maðelode tô his wine-drihtne:
"Her syndon geferede feorran cumene
"ofer geofenes begang Geáta leóde:
"þone
yldestan oret-mecgas
"Beówulf nemnað. Hy bênan synt,
365 "þät hie, þeóden mîn,
wið þe môton
"wordum wrixlan; nô þu him wearne geteóh,
"þînra gegn-cwida glädnian, Hrôðgâr!

"Hy on wîg-geatwum wyrðe þinceað
"eorla geæhtlan; hûru se aldor deáh,
370 "se
þæm heaðo-rincum hider wîsade."
VII. HROTHGAR'S WELCOME.
Hrôðgâr maðelode, helm Scyldinga:
"Ic hine cûðe cniht-wesende.
"Wäs his eald-fäder
Ecgþeó hâten,
"þäm tô hâm forgeaf Hrêðel Geáta
375 "ângan dôhtor; is his eafora nu
"heard her cumen, sôhte holdne wine.
"þonne sägdon þät sæ-lîðende,
"þâ þe
gif-sceattas Geáta fyredon
"þyder tô þance, þät he þrittiges
380 "manna mägen-cräft
on his mund-grîpe
"heaðo-rôf häbbe. Hine hâlig god
"for âr-stafum us onsende,
"tô West-Denum, þäs ic
wên häbbe,
"wið Grendles gryre: ic þäm gôdan sceal
385 "for his môd-þräce mâdmas
beódan.
"Beó þu on ôfeste, hât hig in gân,
"seón sibbe-gedriht samod ätgädere;
"gesaga him
eác wordum, þät hie sint wil-cuman
"Deniga leódum." Þâ wið duru healle
390
Wulfgâr eode, word inne âbeád:
"Eów hêt secgan sige-drihten mîn,
"aldor Eást-Dena, þät he eówer äðelu can
"and ge
him syndon ofer sæ-wylmas,
"heard-hicgende, hider wil-cuman.
395 "Nu ge môton
gangan in eówrum guð-geatawum,
"under here-grîman, Hrôðgâr geseón;
"lætað hilde-bord her onbidian,
"wudu
wäl-sceaftas, worda geþinges."
Ârâs þâ se rîca, ymb hine rinc manig,
400 þryðlîc
þegna heáp; sume þær bidon,
heaðo-reáf heóldon, swâ him se hearda bebeád.
Snyredon ätsomne, þâ secg wîsode

under Heorotes hrôf; hyge-rôf eode,
heard under helme, þät he on heoðe gestôd.

405
Beówulf maðelode (on him byrne scân,
searo-net seówed smiðes or-þancum):
"Wes þu Hrôðgâr hâl! ic eom Higelâces
"mæg
and mago-þegn; häbbe ic mærða fela
"ongunnen on geogoðe. Me wearð Grendles þing

410 "on mînre êðel-tyrf undyrne cûð:
"secgað sæ-lîðend, þät þes sele stande,
"reced sêlesta, rinca gehwylcum
"îdel and

unnyt, siððan æfen-leóht
"under heofenes hâdor beholen weorðeð.
415 "Þâ me þät
gelærdon leóde mîne,
"þâ sêlestan, snotere ceorlas,
"þeóden Hrôðgâr, þät ic þe sôhte;
"forþan hie mägenes
cräft mînne cûðon:
"selfe ofersâwon, þâ ic of searwum cwom,
420 "fâh from
feóndum, þær ic fîfe geband,
"ýðde eotena cyn, and on ýðum slôg
"niceras nihtes, nearo-þearfe dreáh,
"wräc
Wedera nîð (weán âhsodon)
"forgrand gramum; and nu wið Grendel sceal,
425 "wið
þam aglæcan, âna gehegan
"þing wið þyrse. Ic þe nu þâ,
"brego Beorht-Dena, biddan wille,
"eodor Scyldinga,
ânre bêne;
"þät þu me ne forwyrne, wîgendra hleó,
430 "freó-wine folca, nu ic þus
feorran com,
"þät ic môte âna and mînra eorla gedryht,
"þes hearda heáp, Heorot fælsian.
"Häbbe
ic eác geâhsod, þät se äglæca
"for his won-hýdum wæpna ne rêceð;
435 "ic þät þonne
forhicge, swâ me Higelâc sîe,
"mîn mon-drihten, môdes blîðe,
"þät ic sweord bere oððe sîdne scyld
"geolo-rand tô
gûðe; ac ic mid grâpe sceal
"fôn wið feónde and