earls'
possessions. Listen, it formerly from you
|
góde
begéaton· gúðdéað fornam
|
2249
|
was obtained
by good men; war-death has taken
away,
|
|
feorhbeale
frécne fyrena gehwylcne
|
|
terrible
murder of life, of crimes each
one,
|
|
léoda
mínra þá mé ðe þis
ofgeaf:
|
|
my
belovèd people, they gave
this up to me:
|
|
gesáwon seledréam· hé náh
hwá sweord wege
|
|
they had seen
joy in the hall; he I have not, who
might wield sword
|
|
oððe
fægrie faéted waége
|
|
or make
beautiful this gilded
flagon,
|
|
dryncfæt déore· duguð ellor
séoc·
|
2254
|
this precious
drinking vessel; the veteran
warriors are ill elsewhere;
|
|
sceal se
hearda helm hyrstedgolde
|
|
must the stern
helmet adorned with gold
|
|
faétum
befeallen· feormynd swefað
|
|
stripped of
its ornaments; the burnishers
slumbers,
|
|
þá ðe beadogríman býwan
sceoldon·
|
|
they who
war-masks ought to
brighten;
|
|
gé
swylce séo herepád sío æt hilde
gebád
|
|
also so the
army's coats of mail, which in
battle endured
|
|
ofer borda
gebræc bite írena
|
2259
|
over the
shattering of shield-boards the
bite of iron,
|
|
brosnað
æfter beorne· ne mæg byrnan hring
|
|
decay along
with the men; byrnie's ring may
not
|
|
æfter
wígfruman wíde féran
|
|
with
war-fighter fare widely,
|
|
hæleðum be healfe· næs hearpan
wyn
|
|
alongside
heroes; there was not harp's
joy,
|
|
gomen
gléobéames né gód hafoc
|
|
delight of glee-wood, nor good
hawk
|
|
geond
sæl swingeð né se swifta mearh
|
2264
|
soaring
through the hall, nor swift
horse
|
|
burhstede
béateð· bealocwealm hafað
|
|
trampling the
courtyard; baleful death has
|
|
fela
feorhcynna forð onsended.'
|
|
many of my
living kin sent forth.'
|
|
Swá
giómormód giohðo maénde
|
|
Thus sad at
heart in grief he bemoaned
|
|
án
æfter eallum· unbliðe hwearf
|
|
one after
all, unhappily passed
|
|
dæges
ond nihtes oð ðæt déaðes wylm
|
2269
|
days and
nights, until the flood of
Death
|
|
hrán
æt heortan. Hordwynne fond
|
|
reached to his
heart. Hoard-joy he found,
|
|
eald
úhtsceaða opene standan
|
|
the old twilight-scather, standing open,
|
|
sé
ðe byrnende biorgas séceð
|
|
he who,
burning, seeks barrows,
|
|
nacod
níðdraca· nihtes fléogeð
|
|
the naked
malevolent dragon; he flies by
night,
|
|
fýre
befangen· hyne foldbúend
|
2274
|
encircled in
fire; him earth-dwellers
|
|
: : : : : : :
: : : : :nan. Hé gesécean sceall
|
|
………………
He
has to seek
|
|
hearm on
hrúsan þaér hé haéðen
gold
|
|
harm in the
ground, where he heathen
gold
|
|
warað
wintrum fród· ne byð him wihte ðý
sél.
|
|
guards, wise
in winters; he is not a bit better
for that.
|
|
Swá
se ðéodsceaða þréo hund
wintra
|
|
So the
people-scather three hundred
winters
|
|
héold
on hrúsan hordærna
sum
|
2279
|
ruled in the
earth of one of the
hoard-halls,
|
|
éacencræftig
oð ðæt hyne án ábealch
|
|
vastly
powerful, until one angered
him,
|
|
mon on
móde: mandryhtne bær
|
|
a man in
pride: he bore to his liege-lord
|
|
faéted
waége· frioðowaére bæd
|
|
the
gold-adorned cup, begged
peace-truce
|
|
hláford sínne· ðá wæs
hord rásod,
|
|
from his
lord; then was the
hoard ransacked,
|
|
onboren
béaga hord, béne getíðad
|
2284
|
rings' hoard
borne off, a boon was
granted
|
|
féasceaftum men· fréa
scéawode
|
|
to the
wretched man; a lord
examined
|
|
fíra
fyrngeweorc forman síðe.
|
|
the ancient
work of men for the first
time.
|
|
Þá se wyrm onwóc --wróht wæs
geníwad--
|
|
then the
worm awoke, --quarrel was
renewed--
|
|
stonc
ðá æfter stáne· stearcheort
onfand
|
|
he sniffed along the stone, the
harsh-hearted one found
|
|
féondes fótlást· hé
tó forð gestóp
|
2289
|
the foot-print
of his foe; he too far forward had stepped
|
dyrnan
cræfte dracan héafde néah.
|
|
in his stealthy
craft near the dragon's
head.
|
|
Swá
mæg unfaége éaðe gedígan
|
| Provided that, one not doomed may easily survive
|
|
wéan
ond wraécsíð sé ðe
waldendes
|
|
woe and
hardship, he who the
Ruler's
|
|
hyldo
gehealdeþ. Hordweard sóhte
|
|
grace
protects. The hoard-ward sought
|
|
georne
æfter grunde· wolde guman findan
|
2294
|
eagerly along
the ground, he wished to find the
man,
|
|
þone
þe him on sweofote sáre getéode·
|
|
the one who
him in his slumber had sorely
harmed;
|
|
hát
ond hréohmód hlaéwum oft
ymbehwearf
|
|
hot and
fierce-minded, he often circled
among the mounds
|
|
ealne
útanweardne --né ðaér aénig
mon
|
|
all round the
outside --not any man there
|
|
on
þám wéstenne hwæðre hilde
gefeh
|
|
in that
wilderness, but he rejoiced in
battle,
|
|
beadu
weorces --hwílum on beorh
æthwearf·
|
2299
|
of
battle-work --sometimes he turned
back to the barrow,
|
|
sincfæt
sóhte· hé þaét sóna
onfand·
|
|
sought the
treasure-cup; he suddenly
discovered,
|
|
ðæt
hæfde gumena sum goldes gefandod
|
|
that a certain
man had disturbed the gold,
|
|
héahgestréona· hordweard onbád
|
|
the high
treasures; the hoard-ward
waited
|
|
earfoðlíce oð
ðæt aéfen cwóm·
|
|
with great
difficulty, until evening
came;
|
|
wæs
ðá gebolgen beorges hyrde·
|
2304
|
then was
enraged the keeper of the
barrow,
|
|
wolde se
láða líge forgyldan
|
|
he wished the
injury to repay with flame,
|
|
drincfæt dýre. Þá wæs
dæg sceacen
|
|
the dear
drinking-vessel. Then the day was
departed
|
|
wyrme on
willan· nó on wealle læg
|
|
to the joy of
the wyrm; he did not lie within the
wall,
|
|
bídan
wolde ac mid baéle fór
|
|
(nor) wished
to wait, but with bale-fire set
forth,
|
|
fýre
gefýsed· wæs se fruma egeslíc
|
2309
|
infused with
flame; this beginning was
terrible
|
|
léodum
on lande swá hyt lungre wearð
|
|
for the people
in the land, as it soon
was
|
|
on hyra
sincgifan sáre geendod.
|
|
upon their treasure-giver
painfully ended.
| |
] to listen to a reading of selected passages in Old
English)