BEOWULF

diacritically-marked text and facing translation

Images of the Beowulf MS are reproduced by kind permission of the British Library Board (who retain copyright)
All other material on this site under copyright 2002-5, Benjamin Slade
Please include proper citation reference if quoting a short passage;
otherwise no part of these documents may be reproduced without expressed permission from the author.

last updated on 16-July-2005


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

XXXVIII

 

Ðá ic snúde gefrægn    sunu Wíhstánes

 

Then I heard swiftly    the son of Weohstan,
æfter wordcwydum    wundum dryhtne

 

after the word-speech    the wounded lord,
hýran heaðosíocum,    hringnet beran

  2754

listened to the battle-sick one,    bore a net of rings,
brogdne beadusercean    under beorges hróf.

 

woven battle-shirt    under the barrow's roof.
Geseah ðá sigehréðig    þá hé bí sesse géong

 

He saw then victorious,    when he went by the seat,
magoþegnmódig    máððumsigla fealo,

 

the spirited young thane,    many precious jewels,
gold glitinian    grunde getenge

 

glittering gold    close to the ground,
wundur on wealle    ond þæs wyrmes denn

  2759

wonders on the wall,    and the wyrm's den,
ealdes úhtflogan,    orcas stondan

 

the old twilight-flier,    beakers standing,
fyrnmanna fatu    feormendléase

 

the vessels of men of old    lacking a burnisher,
hyrstum behrorene·    þaér wæs helm monig

 

stripped of adornments;    there was a multitude of helms
eald ond ómig,    earmbéaga fela

 

old and rusty,    many arm-rings
searwum gesaéled    --sinc éaðe mæg

  2764

cleverly fastened    --treasure easily may,
gold on grunde    gumcynnes gehwone

 

gold in the ground,    any one of mankind
oferhígian    hýde sé ðe wylle--

 

overpower,     hide he who will--
swylce hé siomian geseah    segn eallgylden

 

also he saw hanging    a standard all-golden
héah ofer horde,    hondwundra maést

 

high over the hoard,    the greatest of hand-wrought wonders,
gelocen leoðocræftum·    of ðám léoman stód

  2769

linked with skill of hands;    from it light issued,
þæt hé þone grundwong    ongitan meahte,

 

so that he on the ground    could perceive,
wraéte giondwlítan·    næs ðæs wyrmes þaér

 

look over the ornament;    there was not of the wyrm
onsýn aénig    ac hyne ecg fornam.

 

any appearance,    for him the blade-edge took.
Ðá ic on hlaéwe gefrægn     hord réafian

 

Then I heard in the mound    the hoard plundered,
eald enta geweorc    ánne mannan,

  2774

old work of giants,    one man,
him on bearm hlódon    bunan ond discas

 

him on his bosom loaded    goblets and plates
sylfes dóme    segn éac genóm

 

of his own judgement    he also took the banner,
béacna beorhtost·    bill aér gescód

 

the brightest beacon;� the bill     had already wounded
--ecg wæs íren--    ealdhláfordes

 

--the edge was iron--    of that old lord
þám ðára máðma     mundbora wæs

  2779

him who the treasures'    protector was
longe hwíle·    lígegesan wæg

 

for a long while;    the fire-terror had endured
hátne for horde    hioroweallende

 

hot for sake of the hoard,    fiercely welling up
middelnihtum    oð þæt hé morðre swealt.

 

in the middle of nights    until he died in violence.
Ár wæs on ofoste     eftsíðes georn

 

The messenger was in haste,    eager for return,
frætwum gefyrðred·    hyne fyrwet bræc

  2784

urged on by treasures;    curiosity burst in him,
hwæðer collenferð    cwicne gemétte

 

whether bold-hearted    he would meet alive
in ðám wongstede    Wedra þéoden

 

in that place,    the chief of the Wederas
ellensíocne     þaér hé hine aér forlét·

 

ill in strength,    where he had left him earlier;
hé ðá mid þám máðmum     maérne þíoden

 

he then with that treasures    to the glorious chieftain,
dryhten sínne    dríorigne fand

  2789

his lord,    found bleeding,
ealdres æt ende·    hé hine eft ongon

 

of life at an end;    he again began on him
wæteres weorpan    oð þæt wordes ord

 

to sprinkle water,    until the word's point
bréosthord þurhbræc

 

broke through the breast-hoard,
gomel on giogoðe    gold scéawode:

 

the old one on the youth    saw gold:
'Ic ðára frætwa    fréan ealles ðanc

  2794

'I, for these riches,    to the Lord of All, thanks
wuldurcyninge    wordum secge

 

to the Glory-King    say by words,
écum dryhtne    þé ic hér on starie

 

to the eternal Lord,    which I look on here,
þæs ðe ic móste    mínum léodum

 

that I was able    for my people
aér swyltdæge    swylc gestrýnan

 

before my death-day    to gain such riches,
nú ic on máðma hord    minne bebohte

  2799

now I for the hoard of treasures    have paid with my
fróde feorhlege    fremmað géna

 

old span of life.    Tend still
léoda þearfe·    ne mæg ic hér leng wesan·

 

the need of the nation.    I cannot be here longer;
hátað heaðomaére    hlaéw gewyrcean

 

order war-famed men    to construct a mound
beorhtne æfter baéle    æt brimes nósan·

 

bright after the fire,    at the ocean's cape;
sé scel tó gemyndum    mínum léodum

  2804

it shall to remind    my people
héah hlífian    on hrones næsse

 

tower high    on headland of whales,
þæt hit saélíðend     syððan hátan

 

so that it sea-farers    then will name
Bíowulfes Biorh    ðá ðe brentingas

 

Beowulf's Barrow,    those who ships
ofer flóda genipu    feorran drífað.'

 

over the seas' mists    drive from afar.'
Dyde him of healse    hring gyldenne

  2809

Took him from his neck    the golden ring,
þíoden þrísthýdig·     þegne gesealde

 

the valiant chief,    to the thane gave,
geongum gárwigan    goldfáhne helm

 

to the young spear-warrior,    gold-adorned helm,
béah ond byrnan·    hét hyne brúcan well:

 

ring and byrnie,    told him to use them well:
'Þú eart endeláf     ússes cynnes

 

'You are the last remainder    of our race,
Waégmundinga·    ealle wyrd forswéop

  2814

of the Waegmundings;    Fate has swept off all
míne mágas    tó metodsceafte

 

of my kinsmen    into destined death,
eorlas on elne·    ic him æfter sceal.'

 

earls in their strength;    I must go after them.'
Þæt wæs þám gomelan    gingæste word

 

That was for the old man    the final word
bréostgehygdum     aér hé baél cure

 

of the thoughts of his breast,    ere he chose funeral fire,
háte heaðowylmas·    him of hwæðre gewát

  2819

hot furious seething;    yet from him went
sáwol sécean    sóðfæstra dóm.

 

his soul to seek     truth-fast judgement.