BEOWULF

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XXXI

 

Swá se ðéodkyning    þéawum lyfde·

 

So the king of the people    lived according to proper custom;
nealles ic ðám léanum    forloren hæfde

 

I by no means the gifts     had lost,
mægnes méde    ac hé mé maðma geaf

 

strength's reward,     but he gave me treasures,
sunu Healfdenes    on mínne sylfes dóm

  2147

the son of Half-Dane,    according to my own glory,
ðá ic ðé, beorncyning,    bringan wylle,

 

these I to thee, warrior-king,    wish to bring,
éstum geýwan·    gén is eall æt ðé

 

graciously to offer;    still is all in thee
lissa gelong·    ic lýt hafo

 

dependent upon your favour;    I have few
héafodmága     nefne, Hygelác, ðec.'

 

near kinsmen    except you Hygelac.'
Hét ðá in beran    eafor héafodsegn

  2152

Then he commanded to be brought in    the boar-crested standard,
heaðostéapne helm    háre byrnan

 

the battle-steep helm,    hoar-silver byrnie,
gúðsweord geatolíc·    gyd æfter wræc:

 

the beautiful war-sword;    the tale thereafter uttered:
'Mé ðis hildesceorp     Hróðgár sealde

 

'To me this battle-equipment    Hrothgar gave,
snotra fengel·    sume worde hét

 

the clever ruler;    with some words he ordered,
þæt ic his aérest ðé     ést gesægde·

  2157

that I first you its    legacy relate;
cwæð þæt hyt hæfde     Hiorogár cyning

 

he said it owned    King Heorogar,
léod Scyldunga    lange hwíle·

 

the leader of the Scyldings    a long time;
nó ðý aér suna sínum    syllan wolde

 

no sooner for that to his son    did he wish to give,
hwatum Heorowearde    þéah hé him hold waére

 

to bold Heoroweard,    though he was loyal to him,
bréostgewaédu.     Brúc ealles well.'

  2162

the breast-armour.    Use it all well.'
Hýrde ic þæt þám frætwum    féower méaras

 

I heard that with the treasure    four mares
lungre gelíce    lást weardode

 

swift, all alike,    followed behind,
æppelfealuwe·    hé him ést getéah

 

apple-yellow;     he to him offered the gifts,
méara ond máðma.    Swá sceal maég dön:

 

horses and riches.    So should a kinsman act:
nealles inwitnet    óðrum bregdon

  2167

not at all malice-nets    weave for others,
dyrnum cræfte    déað rénian

 

with hidden arts    contrive death
hondgesteallan.     Hygeláce wæs

 

of hand-companions.    To Hygelac was
níða heardum    nefa swýðe hold

 

in fierce strife    his nephew very loyal,
ond gehwæðer óðrum    hróþra gemyndig·

 

and each the other's    benefit remembered;
hýrde ic þæt hé ðone healsbéah    Hygde gesealde

  2172

I heard that he the neck-ring    gave to Hygd,
wraétlicne wundurmáððum    ðone þe him Wealhðéo geaf

 

the exquisite marvel-jewel,    which Wealhtheow gave him,
ðéodnes dohtor    þrío wicg somod

 

chieftain's daughter,    three horses also
swancor ond sadolbeorht·    hyre syððan wæs

 

supple and bright with saddles;    then was her,
æfter béahðege    bréost geweorðod.

 

after receiving the ring,    breast adorned.
Swá bealdode    bearn Ecgðéowes

  2177

Thus he was bold,    the son of Edgetheow,
guma gúðum cúð    gódum daédum·

 

man famed in war,    for good deeds;
dréah æfter dóme·    nealles druncne slóg

 

he led his life for glory,    never, having drunk, slew
heorðgenéatas·     næs him hréoh sefa

 

his hearth-companions;    a troubled heart was not in him,
ac hé mancynnes    maéste cræfte

 

but he mankind's    greatest strength,
ginfæstan gife    þé him god sealde

  2182

--that ample gift,    which God gave him--
héold hildedéor.    Héan wæs lange

 

he held, battle-daring.    Long had he been abject
swá hyne Géata bearn    gódne ne tealdon

 

so the sons of the Geats    did not reckon him good,
né hyne on medobence    micles wyrðne

 

nor to him on the mead-bench    much honour
drihten wereda    gedón wolde·

 

the commander of the troops    would grant;
swýðe sægdon    þæt hé sléac waére

  2187

they especially said,    that he was slack,
æðeling unfrom·    edwenden cwóm

 

no bold noble;    a turn-around came
tíréadigum menn    torna gehwylces.

 

to the glory-blessed man    for each of these miseries.
Hét ðá eorla hléo    in gefetian,

 

Then the protector of heroes ordered    to be fetched in,
heaðoróf cyning,    Hréðles láfe

 

the war-noble king,    Hrethel's heirloom,
golde gegyrede·    næs mid Géatum ðá

  2192

fitted out in gold;    there was not among the Geats then
sincmáðþum sélra    on sweordes hád·

 

a better precious treasure    in the manner of a sword;
þæt hé on Bíowulfes    bearm álegde

 

that he in Beowulf's    lap layed,
ond him gesealde    seofan þúsendo,

 

and gave him    seven thousand hides of land,
bold ond bregostól.    Him wæs bám samod

 

residence and ruler's seat.    Theirs was both together
on ðám léodscipe    lond gecynde

  2197

in that nation    inherited land,
eard éðelriht,    óðrum swíðor

 

earth by ancestral privelege,    to the second more
síde ríce    þám ðaér sélra wæs.

 

of that broad kingdom    to him who was higher.
Eft þæt geíode    ufaran dógrum

 

After that it came to pass    in later days
hildehlæmmum·     syððan Hygelác læg

 

in battle-clashes,    when Hygelac lay dead,
ond Heardréde    hildeméceas

  2202

and for Heardred     battle-maiches,
under bordhréoðan    tó bonan wurdon

 

under the cover of his shield,    became the instruments of his death,
ðá hyne gesóhtan    on sigeþéode

 

when they sought him out    in the victory-tribe,
hearde hildefrecan    Heaðo-Scilfingas·

 

the fierce battle-ready warriors,    the Battle-Scilfings,
níða genaégdan    nefan Hereríces·

 

with enmity they attacked    the nephew of Hereric;
syððan Béowulfe    braéde ríce

  2207

thereupon to Beowulf    the broad kingdom
on hand gehwearf·    hé gehéold tela

 

passed into his hands;    he ruled well
fiftig wintra    --wæs ðá fród cyning

 

for fifty winters    --then he was a wise king,
eald éþelweard--    oð ðæt ón ongan

 

an old warden of the fatherland--    until one began
deorcum nihtum    draca rícsian

 

in the dark nights,    a dragon to rule,
sé ðe on héaum hofe    hord beweotode

  2212

he who in a high house    watched over a hoard,
stánbeorh stéarcne·    stíg under læg

 

a stark stone barrow;    the path below lay
eldum uncúð.    Þaér on innan gíong

 

unknown to men.    There went inside
niða náthwylc    ond néah geféng

 

a man, I know not which,    and he groped near
haéðnum horde·    hond gewríþenne

 

the heathen hoard,    his hands wrapped round
since fáhne    hé þæt syððan beget

  2217

an ornamented bauble,    he got that afterwards;
þéah ðe hé slaépende     besyred hæfde

 

though he who sleeping    had been tricked
þéofes cræfte·    þæt síe ðíod onfand

 

by thief's cunning;    the people discovered that,
búfolc beorna    þæt hé gebolgen wæs.

 

the neighbouring folk of men,    that he was enraged.