BEOWULF
diacritically-marked text and facing translation
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last updated on 14-December-2005
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XX |
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| Hróðgár maþelode helm Scyldinga: |
| Hrothgar spoke, the Helm of the Scyldings: | ||
| 'Ne frín þú æfter saélum· sorh is geníwod |
| 'Do not you ask after pleasures; sorrow is renewed | ||
| Denigea léodum· déad is Æschere |
1323 | for the Danish nation; Æschere is dead, | ||
| Yrmenláfes yldra bróþor |
| Yrmenlaf's elder brother, | ||
| mín rúnwita ond mín raédbora |
| my confident and my chief counsellor, | ||
| eaxlgestealla ðonne wé on orlege |
| shoulder-companion, when we in war | ||
| hafelan weredon þonne hniton féþan |
| protected the head, when clashed with foot-soldiers, | ||
| eoferas cnysedan· swylc eorl scolde |
1328 | dashed boars (atop helmets); so ought a man | ||
| wesan aérgód swylc Æschere wæs. |
| be experienced and noble, as Æschere was. | ||
| Wearð him on Heorote tó handbanan |
| In Heorot for him was a hand-slayer, | ||
| wælgaést waéfre· ic ne wát hwæþer |
| restless death-spirit; I know not whether, | ||
| atol aése wlanc eftsíðas téah |
| glorying in the carcass, she undertook a return journey, | ||
| fylle gefraégnod· héo þá faéhðe wræc |
1333 | contented by her feast; she avenged the feud | ||
| þe þú gystran niht Grendel cwealdest |
| in which you yester-night Grendel quelled | ||
| þurh haéstne hád heardum clammum |
| through violent means in harsh embrace, | ||
| forþan hé tó lange léode míne |
| because he for too long my people | ||
| wanode ond wyrde hé æt wíge gecrang |
| diminished and destroyed, he fell in the fight, | ||
| ealdres scyldig ond nú óþer cwóm |
1338 | having forfeited his life, and now the other has come, | ||
| mihtig mánscaða· wolde hyre maég wrecan· |
| the mighty crime-wreaker, she wants to avenge her kinsman, | ||
| gé feor hafað faéhðe gestaéled |
| and has very far carried her feud, | ||
| þæs þe þincean mæg þegne monegum |
| as it must seem to many a thane, | ||
| sé þe æfter sincgyfan on sefan gréoteþ: |
| who for the treasure-giver weeps in his heart: | ||
| hreþerbealo hearde· nú séo hand ligeð |
1343 | hard mind-grief! now the hand has fallen away, | ||
| sé þe éow wélhwylcra wilna dohte. |
| which in all of you had sustained wishes. | ||
| Ic þæt londbúend léode míne |
| I it, land-dwellers, my people, | ||
| seleraédende secgan hýrde |
| hall-counsellors have heard tell | ||
| þæt híe gesáwon swylce twégen |
| that they saw two such | ||
| micle mearcstapan móras healdan, |
1348 | massive marchers of no-man's land haunting the moors, | ||
| ellorgaéstas· ðaéra óðer wæs |
| alien spirits; one of them was, | ||
| þæs þe híe gewislícost gewitan meahton |
| as they most certainly were able to discern, | ||
| idese onlícnæs· óðer earmsceapen |
| of the likeness of a woman; the other one wretchedly shaped | ||
| on weres wæstmum wraéclástas træd |
| in the form of a man trod in the tracks of an exile, | ||
| næfne hé wæs mára þonne aénig man óðer· |
1353 | except he was larger than any other man; | ||
| þone on géardagum Grendel nemdon |
| in days of yore him 'Grendel' named | ||
| foldbúende· nó híe fæder cunnon· |
| the earth-dwellers; they did not know of his father, | ||
| hwæþer him aénig wæs aér ácenned |
| whether of them any were born previously | ||
| dyrnra gásta. Híe dýgel lond |
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| warigeað wulfhleoþu windige næssas |
1358 | inhabited, wolf-slopes, windy water-capes, | ||
| frécne fengelád ðaér fyrgenstréam |
| a dangerous passage over the fen-waters, where mountain-stream | ||
| under næssa genipu niþer gewíteð |
| under the darkness of the headlands descended downward, | ||
| flód under foldan· nis þæt feor heonon |
| the flood under the earth; it is not that far hence | ||
| mílgemearces þæt se mere standeð· |
| in mile-marks, that the mere stands; | ||
| ofer þaém hongiað hrímge bearwas· |
1363 | over it hangs frost-covered groves, | ||
| wudu wyrtum fæst wæter oferhelmað· |
| tree held fast by its roots overshadows the water; | ||
| þaér mæg nihta gehwaém níðwundor séon |
| there one may every night a horrible marvel see: | ||
| fýr on flóde· nó þæs fród leofað |
| fire on the water; not even the wise of them lives, | ||
| gumena bearna þæt þone grund wite. |
| of men's sons, that knows the bottom. | ||
| Ðéah þe haéðstapa hundum geswenced |
1368 | Though the heath-stepper harrassed by hounds, | ||
| heorot hornum trum holtwudu séce |
| the hart with strong horns, seeks the forest, | ||
| feorran geflýmed· aér hé feorh seleð |
| put to flight from far, first he will give up his life, | ||
| aldor on ófre aér hé in wille |
| existence on the shore, before he will (leap) in | ||
| hafelan helan· nis þæt héoru stów· |
| to hide his head; it is not a pleasant place; | ||
| þonon ýðgeblond úp ástígeð |
1373 | thence a maelström of the waves rises up, | ||
| won tó wolcnum þonne wind styreþ |
| dark to the clouds, when the wind stirs | ||
| láð gewidru oð þæt lyft drysmaþ· |
| grievous storms, until the air grows dark, | ||
| roderas réotað. Nú is se raéd gelang |
| the skies weep. Now is the remedy dependent upon | ||
| eft æt þé ánum· eard gít ne const |
| you alone once again; you do not know the region yet, | ||
| frécne stówe ðaér þú findan miht |
1378 | terrible place where you might find | ||
| felasinnigne secg· séc gif þú dyrre· |
| the much-sinning creature; seek if you dare; | ||
| ic þé þá faéhðe féo léanige |
| for the feud you I would reward with wealth, | ||
| ealdgestréonum swá ic aér dyde, |
| with old treasures, as I did before, | ||
| wundungolde gyf þú on weg cymest.' |
| with twisted-gold, if you come away.' |