BEOWULF

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XX

 

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

 

of obscure spirits.      They a secret land
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.'