BEOWULF

diacritically-marked text and facing translation

last updated on 29-August-2012

(click on the 'lyre icon' [ ] to listen to a reading of selected passages in Old English)

XXII
Béowulf maðelode      bearn Ecgþéowes:	1473	Beowulf spoke,      the son of Edgetheow:
'Geþenc nú, se maéra      maga Healfdenes		'Think now, glorious      kinsman of Half-Dane,
snottra fengel·      nú ic eom síðes fús·		wise chieftain,      now I am eager for the adventure,
goldwine gumena,      hwæt wit géo spraécon:		gold-friend of man,      what we spoke of earlier:
gif ic æt þearfe      þínre scolde		if I in employment      of yours should
aldre linnan·      þæt ðú mé á waére	1478	be parted from life,      that you for me ever would be,
forðgewitenum      on fæder staéle·		having passed on,      in the place of a father;
wes þú mundbora mínum      magoþegnum		be you hand-bearer to my      young retainers,
hondgesellum      gif mec hild nime		hand-companions,      if battle takes me,
swylce þú ðá mádmas,      þé þú mé sealdest,		so too you the treasures,      those which you gave me,
Hróðgár léofa,      Higeláce onsend·	1483	beloved Hrothgar,      send on to Hygelac;
mæg þonne on þaém golde ongitan      Géata dryhten,		he then will able to in the gold observe,      the lord of the Geats,
geséon sunu Hraédles      þonne hé on þæt sinc starað		to perceive, the son of Hrethel,      when he on that treasures stares,
þæt ic gumcystum      gódne funde		that I one of noble virtues,      a good king, had found,
béaga bryttan      bréac þonne móste.		dispenser of rings,      enjoyed while I could.
Ond þú Hunferð laét      ealde láfe	1488	And let Unferth      the old heirloom,
wraétlíc waégsweord      wídcúðne man		the glorious wave-sword,      (let) the widely-known man
heardecg habban·      ic mé mid Hruntinge		have that hard-edged (sword);      I for myself with Hrunting
dóm gewyrce      oþðe mec déað nimeð.'		will gain glory,      unless Death takes me.'
Æfter þaém wordum      Weder-Géata léod		After these words      the man of the Weder-Geats
efste mid elne·      nalas andsware	1493	hastened with courage;      not in the least for a reply
bídan wolde·      brimwylm onfeng		did he wish to await;      the surging-lake enfolded
hilderince.      Ðá wæs hwíl dæges,		the battle-warrior.      Then it was a long part of a day,
aér hé þone grundwong      ongytan mehte		ere he the bottom      could perceive,
sóna þæt onfunde      sé ðe flóda begong		at once she found it out,      --she who the floods' expanse,
heorogífre behéold      hund misséra	1498	fiercely-ravenous, held      a hundred half-years,
grim ond graédig      þæt þaér gumena sum		wrathful and greedy--      that there one of the humans
ælwihta eard      ufan cunnode·		the realm of strange being      explored from above;
gráp þá tógéanes·      gúðrinc geféng		then she groped towards,      seized the warrior
atolan clommum·      nó þý aér in gescód		in terrible clasps;      Not the sooner she crushed inside
hálan líce·      hring útan ymbbearh	1503	his hale body;      the ring-mail gave him protection from without,
þæt héo þone fyrdhom      ðurhfón ne mihte		that she the soldier-garment      could not penetrate,
locene leoðosyrcan      láþan fingrum.		the interlocked limb-coat,      with her loathsome fingers.
Bær þá séo brimwylf      þá héo tó botme cóm		Then the sea-wolf bore,      when she had come to the bottom,
hringa þengel      tó hofe sínum		the lord of those rings      to her court,
swá hé ne mihte      --nó hé þæs módig wæs--	1508	so he could not      --no matter how brave he was--
waépna gewealdan      ac hine wundra þæs fela		wield his weapon,      but him so many bizarre things
swecte on sunde·      saédéor monig		smelled in the deep,      many sea-beasts
hildetúxum      heresyrcan bræc·		with battle-tusks      tore at his army-mail,
éhton áglaécan.      Ðá se eorl ongeat		the horrors attacked.      Then the earl saw
þæt hé níðsele      náthwylcum wæs	1513	that he in a hall of hatred      --I know not which-- was,
þaér him naénig wæter      wihte ne sceþede		where not any water him      oppressed at all,
né him for hrófsele      hrínan ne mehte		nor him, due to the the hall's roof,      was not able to reach
faérgripe flódes·      fýrléoht geseah,		the sudden onrush of the flood;      he saw firelight,
blácne léoman      beorhte scínan·		a pale light      shining vividly;
ongeat þá se góda      grundwyrgenne	1518	then the good man saw      the accursèd one of the deep,
merewíf mihtig·      mægenraés forgeaf		the mighty mere-wife;      he gave a powerful thrust
hildebille·      hondswenge ne oftéah		to the battle-bill,      did not withhold the swing of his hand,
þæt hire on hafelan      hringmaél ágól		so that on her head      the ring-marked sang out
graédig gúðléoð·      ðá se gist onfand		a greedy war-song;      then the guest discovered
þæt se beadoléoma      bítan nolde,	1523	that the battle-brand      did not wish to bite,
aldre sceþðan      ac séo ecg geswác		to crush life,      rather the edge failed
ðéodne æt þearfe·      ðolode aér fela		the noble in his need;      it had endured already many
hondgemóta·      helm oft gescær		hand-to-hand encounters,      often split helm,
faéges fyrdhrægl·      ðá wæs forma síð		the war-garments of the doomed;      this was the first time
déorum mádme      þæt his dóm álæg.	1528	for the precious treasure      that its glory failed.
Eft wæs anraéd,      nalas elnes læt		Again was resolute,      not at all slackening in courage,
maérða gemyndig      maég Hýgláces		mindful of fame      the kinsman of Hygelac
wearp ðá wundenmaél      wraéttum gebunden		then he threw aside the twisting pattern (sword),      adorned with ornaments,
yrre óretta      þæt hit on eorðan læg		the angry warrior,      so that it lay on the earth,
stíð ond stýlecg·      strenge getrúwode,	1533	firm and steel-edged;      he trusted to strength,
mundgripe mægenes·      swá sceal man doön		his hand-grip of might;      so must a man do,
þonne hé æt gúðe      gegán þenceð		when he in war      intends to gain
longsumne lof·      ná ymb his líf cearað.		long-lasting praise;      he cares not for his life.
Geféng þá be eaxle      --nalas for faéhðe mearn--		Grabbed her then by the shoulder      --not in the least regretting the feud--
Gúð-Géata léod,      Grendles módor·	1538	the prince of the War-Geats,      Grendel's mother;
brægd þá beadwe heard      þá hé gebolgen wæs		the hard man of conflict then heaved,      now that he was enraged,
feorhgeníðlan      þæt héo on flet gebéah·		the deadly foe,      so that she fell to the floor;
héo him eft hraþe      handlean forgeald		she again him quickly      gave hand-reward
grimman grápum      ond him tógéanes féng·		with wrathful grips      and clutched him against herself;
oferwearp þá wérigmód      wigena strengest	1543	then, weary in spirit, he stumbled,      the strongest man,
féþecempa      þæt hé on fylle wearð·		warrior on foot,      so that he was in a fall;
ofsæt þá þone selegyst      ond hyre seax getéah		then she bestrode the guest in her hall,      and drew her seax,
brád ond brúnecg·      wolde hire bearn wrecan		broad and bright-edged;      she wished to avenge her son,
ángan eaferan·      him on eaxle læg		only offspring;      on his shoulder lay
bréostnet bróden;      þæt gebearh féore	1548	woven breast-net;      it protected life,
wið ord ond wið ecge      ingang forstód.		against point and against edge      it withstood entry.
Hæfde ðá forsíðod      sunu Ecgþéowes		Then he would have perished,      the son of Edgetheow,
under gynne grund      Géata cempa		under the yawning ground,      the champion of the Geats,
nemne him heaðobyrne      helpe gefremede		except that him the war-byrnie      provided help,
herenet hearde--      ond hálig god	1553	firm army-net--      and holy God
gewéold wígsigor·      wítig drihten		controlled the war-victory;      the wise Lord,
rodera raédend      hit on ryht gescéd		the Ruler of the heavens,      decided it rightly,
ýðelíce      syþðan hé eft ástód.		easily,      thereupon he stood up again.