Beówulf | Page 9

ealdre þînum,
"hýnðo on Heorote, gif þîn hige wære,
595 "sefa swâ
searo-grim, swâ þu self talast.
"Ac he hafað onfunden, þät he þâ fæhðe ne þearf,
"atole ecg-þräce eówer leóde

"swîðe onsittan, Sige-Scyldinga;
"nymeð nýd-bâde, nænegum ârað
600 "leóde Deniga,
ac he on lust wîgeð,
"swefeð ond sendeð, secce ne wêneð
"tô Gâr-Denum. Ac him Geáta sceal
"eafoð and
ellen ungeâra nu
"gûðe gebeódan. Gæð eft se þe môt
605 "tô medo môdig, siððan
morgen-leóht
"ofer ylda bearn ôðres dôgores,
"sunne swegl-wered sûðan scîneð!"
Þâ wäs on sâlum
sinces brytta
gamol-feax and gûð-rôf, geóce gelýfde
610 brego Beorht-Dena; gehýrde
on Beówulfe
folces hyrde fäst-rædne geþôht.
Þær wäs häleða hleahtor; hlyn swynsode,
word
wæron wynsume. Eode Wealhþeów forð,
cwên Hrôðgâres, cynna gemyndig,
615
grêtte gold-hroden guman on healle,
and þâ freólîc wîf ful gesealde
ærest Eást-Dena êðel-wearde,
bäd hine blîðne ät þære
beór-þege,
leódum leófne; he on lust geþeah
620 symbel and sele-ful, sige-rôf kyning.
Ymb-eode þâ ides Helminga
duguðe and geogoðe dæl æghwylcne;
sinc-fato sealde,
ôð þät sæl âlamp,
þät hió Beówulfe, beág-hroden cwên,
625 môde geþungen,
medo-ful ätbär;
grêtte Geáta leód, gode þancode
wîs-fäst wordum, þäs þe hire se willa gelamp,
þät
heó on ænigne eorl gelýfde
fyrena frôfre. He þät ful geþeah,
630 wäl-reów wîga ät
Wealhþeón,

and þâ gyddode gûðe gefýsed,
Beówulf maðelode, bearn Ecgþeówes:
"Ic þät hogode,
þâ ic on holm gestâh,
"sæ-bât gesät mid mînra secga gedriht,
635 "þät ic ânunga
eówra leóda
"willan geworhte, oððe on wäl crunge,
"feónd-grâpum fäst. Ic gefremman sceal

"eorlîc ellen, oððe ende-däg
"on þisse meodu-healle mînne gebîdan."
640 Þam wîfe
þâ word wel lîcodon,
gilp-cwide Geátes; eode gold-hroden
freólîcu folc-cwên tô hire freán sittan.
Þâ wäs
eft swâ ær inne on healle
þryð-word sprecen, þeód on sælum,
645 sige-folca swêg, ôð
þät semninga
sunu Healfdenes sêcean wolde
æfen-räste; wiste ät þäm ahlæcan
tô þäm heáh-sele
hilde geþinged,
siððan hie sunnan leóht geseón ne meahton,
650 oððe nîpende niht
ofer ealle,
scadu-helma gesceapu scrîðan cwôman,
wan under wolcnum. Werod eall ârâs.
Grêtte
þâ giddum guma ôðerne,
Hrôðgâr Beówulf, and him hæl âbeád,
655 wîn-ärnes
geweald and þät word âcwäð:
"Næfre ic ænegum men ær âlýfde,
"siððan ic hond and rond hebban mihte,
"þryð-ärn
Dena bûton þe nu þâ.
"Hafa nu and geheald hûsa sêlest;
660 "gemyne mærðo,
mägen-ellen cýð,
"waca wið wrâðum! Ne bið þe wilna gâd,
"gif þu þät ellen-weorc aldre gedîgest."
XI. THE WATCH FOR GRENDEL.
Þâ him Hrôðgâr gewât mid his häleða gedryht,
eodur Scyldinga ût of healle;
665
wolde wîg-fruma Wealhþeó sêcan,
cwên tô gebeddan Häfde kyninga wuldor
Grendle tô-geánes, swâ guman gefrungon,

sele-weard âseted, sundor-nytte beheóld
ymb aldor Dena, eoton weard âbeád;
670
hûru Geáta leód georne trûwode
môdgan mägnes, metodes hyldo.
Þâ he him of dyde îsern-byrnan,
helm of hafelan,
sealde his hyrsted sweord,
îrena cyst ombiht-þegne,
675 and gehealdan hêt
hilde-geatwe.
Gespräc þâ se gôda gylp-worda sum
Beówulf Geáta, ær he on bed stige:

"Nô ic me an
here-wæsmum hnâgran talige
"gûð-geweorca, þonne Grendel hine;
680 "forþan ic
hine sweorde swebban nelle,
"aldre beneótan, þeáh ic eal mæge.
"Nât he þâra gôda, þät he me on-geán sleá,
"rand
geheáwe, þeáh þe he rôf sîe
"nîð-geweorca; ac wit on niht sculon
685 "secge

ofersittan, gif he gesêcean dear
"wîg ofer wæpen, and siððan witig god
"on swâ hwäðere hond hâlig dryhten
"mærðo
dême, swâ him gemet þince."
Hylde hine þâ heaðo-deór, hleór-bolster onfêng
690
eorles andwlitan; and hine ymb monig
snellîc sæ-rinc sele-reste gebeáh.
Nænig heora þôhte þät he þanon scolde
eft
eard-lufan æfre gesêcean,
folc oððe freó-burh, þær he âfêded wäs,
695 ac hie häfdon
gefrunen, þät hie ær tô fela micles
in þäm wîn-sele wäl-deáð fornam,
Denigea leóde. Ac him dryhten forgeaf
wîg-spêda
gewiofu, Wedera leódum
frôfor and fultum, þät hie feónd heora
700 þurh ânes cräft
ealle ofercômon,
selfes mihtum: sôð is gecýðed,
þät mihtig god manna cynnes
weóld wîde-ferhð. Com
on wanre niht
scrîðan sceadu-genga. Sceótend swæfon,
705 þâ þät horn-reced healdan
scoldon,
ealle bûton ânum. Þät wäs yldum cûð,
þät hie ne môste, þâ metod nolde,
se syn-scaða
under sceadu bregdan;
ac he wäccende wrâðum on andan
710 bâd bolgen-môd
beadwa geþinges.
XII. GRENDEL'S RAID.
Þâ com of môre under mist-hleoðum
Grendel gongan, godes yrre bär.
Mynte se
mân-scaða manna cynnes
sumne besyrwan in sele þam heán;
715 wôd under
wolcnum, tô þäs þe he wîn-reced,
gold-sele gumena, gearwost wisse
fättum fâhne. Ne wäs þät forma sîð,
þät he
Hrôðgâres hâm gesôhte:
næfre he on aldor-dagum ær ne siððan
720 heardran häle,
heal-þegnas fand!
Com þâ tô recede rinc sîðian
dreámum bedæled. Duru sôna onarn
fýr-bendum fäst,
syððan he hire folmum hrân;
onbräd þâ bealo-hydig, þâ he âbolgen wäs,
725 recedes
mûðan. Raðe äfter þon
on fâgne flôr feónd treddode,
eode yrre-môd; him of eágum stôd
lîge gelîcost leóht
unfäger.
Geseah he in recede rinca manige,
730 swefan sibbe-gedriht samod ätgädere,
mago-rinca heáp: þâ his môd âhlôg,
mynte þät he gedælde, ær þon däg cwôme,
atol
aglæca, ânra gehwylces
lîf wið lîce, þâ him âlumpen wäs
735 wist-fylle wên. Ne wäs
þät wyrd þâ gen,
þät he mâ môste manna cynnes
þicgean ofer þâ niht. Þrýð-swýð beheóld
mæg
Higelâces, hû se mân-scaða
under fær-gripum gefaran wolde.
740 Ne þät se aglæca

yldan þôhte,
ac he gefêng hraðe forman siðe
slæpendne rinc, slât unwearnum,
bât bân-locan, blôd
êdrum dranc,
syn-snædum swealh: sôna häfde
745 unlyfigendes eal gefeormod
fêt and folma. Forð neár ätstôp,
nam þâ mid handa hige-þihtigne
rinc on räste; ræhte
ongeán
feónd mid folme, he onfêng hraðe
750 inwit-þancum and wið earm gesät.
Sôna þät onfunde fyrena hyrde,
þät he ne mêtte middan-geardes
eorðan sceáta on
elran