Chapter 21
Hrōðgār maðelode,helm Scildinga: "Ne frīn þū æfter sǣlum!Sorh is genīwod
"Denigea lēodum.Dēad is Æsc-here,
"Yrmenlāfesyldra brōðor,
"mīn rūn-witaand mīn rǣd-bora,
"eaxl-gestealla,þonne wē on orlege
"hafelan weredon,þonne hniton fēðan,
"eoferas cnysedan;swylc scolde eorl wesan
"æðeling ǣr-gōd,swylc Æsc-here wæs. "Wearð him on Heorotetō hand-banan
"wæl-gǣst wǣfre;ic ne wāt hwæder
"atol ǣse wlanceft-sīðas tēah,
"fylle gefrǣgnod.Hēo þā fǣhðe wræc,
"þē þū gystran nihtGrendel cwealdest
"þurh hǣstne hādheardum clammum,
"forþan hē tō langelēode mīne
"wanode and wyrde.Hē æt wīge gecrang
"ealdres scyldig,and nū ōðer cwōm
"mihtig mān-scaða,wolde hyre mǣg wrecan,
"gē feor hafaðfǣhðe gestǣled,
"þæs þe þincean mægþegne monegum,
"sē þe æfter sinc-gyfanon sefan grēoteð,
"hreðer-bealo hearde;nū sēo hand ligeð,
"sē þe ēow wēl-hwylcrawilna dohte. "Ic þæt lond-būendlēode mīne
"sele-rǣdendesecgan hȳrde,
"þæt hīe gesāwonswylce twēgen
"micle mearc-stapanmōras healdan,
"ellor-gǣstas:þǣra ōðer wæs,
"þæs þe hīe gewislīcostgewitan meahton,
"idese onlīcnes,ōðer earm-sceapen
"on weres wæstmumwræc-lāstas træd,
"næfne hē wæs māraþonne ǣnig man ōðer,
"þone on geār-dagumGrendel nemdon
"fold-būende:nō hīe fæder cunnon,
"hwæðer him ǣnig wæsǣr ācenned
"dyrnra gāsta.Hīe dȳgel lond
"warigeað, wulf-hleoðu,windige næssas,
"frēcne fen-gelād,þǣr fyrgen-strēam
"under næssa genipuniðer gewīteð,
"flōd under foldan;nis þæt feor heonon
"mīl-gemearces,þæt se mere standeð,
"ofer þǣm hongiaðhrīmge bearwas,
"wudu wyrtum fæst,wæter oferhelmað. "Þǣr mæg nihta gehwǣmnīð-wundor sēon,
"fȳr on flōde;nō þæs frōd leofað
"gumena bearna,þæt þone grund wite; "þēah þe hǣð-stapahundum geswenced,
"heorot hornum trumholt-wudu sēce,
"feorran geflȳmed,ǣr hē feorh seleð,
"aldor on ōfre,ǣr hē in wille,
"hafelan hȳdan.Nis þæt hēoru stōw: "þonon ȳð-geblondup āstīgeð
"won tō wolcnum,þonne wind styreð
"lāð gewidru,oð þæt lyft drysmað,
"roderas rēotað.Nū is rǣd gelang
"eft æt þē ānum!Eard gīt ne const,
"frēcne stōwe,þǣr þū findan miht
"sinnigne secg:sēc gif þū dyrre! "Ic þē þā fǣhðefēo lēanige,
"eald-gestrēonum,swā ic ǣr dyde,
"wundnum golde,gyf þū on weg cymest."
Chapter 22
Bēowulf maðelode,bearn Ecgþēowes: "Ne sorga, snotor guma!sēlre bið ǣghwǣm,
"þæt hē his frēond wrece,þonne hē fela murne; "ūre ǣghwylc scealende gebīdan
"worolde līfes;wyrce sē þe mōte
"dōmes ǣr dēaðe!þæt bið driht-guman
"unlifgendumæfter sēlest. "Ārīs, rīces weard;uton hraðe fēran,
"Grendles māgangang scēawigan! "Ic hit þē gehāte:nō hē on helm losað,
"nē on foldan fæðm,nē on fyrgen-holt,
"nē on gyfenes grund,gā þǣr hē wille. "Þȳs dōgor þūgeþyld hafa
"wēana gehwylces,swā ic þē wēne tō!" Āhlēop þā se gomela,gode þancode,
mihtigan drihtne,þæs se man gespræc. Þā wæs Hrōðgārehors gebǣted,
wicg wunden-feax.Wīsa fengel
geatolīc gengde;gum-fēða stōp
lind-hæbbendra.Lāstas wǣron
æfter wald-swaðumwīde gesȳne,
gang ofer grundas;gegnum fōr þā
ofer myrcan mōr,mago-þegna bær
þone sēlestansāwol-lēasne,
þāra þe mid Hrōðgārehām eahtode. Ofer-ēode þāæðelinga bearn
stēap stān-hliðo,stīge nearwe,
enge ān-paðas,un-cūð gelād,
neowle næssas,nicor-hūsa fela; hē fēara sumbeforan gengde
wīsra monna,wong scēawian,
oð þæt hē fǣringafyrgen-bēamas
ofer hārne stānhleonian funde,
wyn-lēasne wudu;wæter under stōd
drēorig and gedrēfed.Denum eallum wæs,
winum Scyldinga,weorce on mōde,
tō geþolianneþegne monegum,
oncȳð eorla gehwǣm,syððan Æsc-heres
on þām holm-clifehafelan mētton. Flōd blōde wēol(folc tō sǣgon)
hātan heolfre.Horn stundum song
fūslīc fyrd-lēoð.Fēða eal gesæt; gesāwon þā æfter wæterewyrm-cynnes fela,
sellīce sǣ-dracansund cunnian,
swylce on næs-hleoðumnicras licgean,
þā on undern-mǣloft bewitigað
sorh-fulne sīðon segl-rāde,
wyrmas and wil-dēor;hīe on weg hruron
bitere and gebolgne,bearhtm ongeāton,
gūð-horn galan.Sumne Gēata lēod
of flān-boganfēores getwǣfde,
ȳð-gewinnes,þæt him on aldre stōd
here-strǣl hearda;hē on holme wæs
sundes þē sǣnra,þē hyne swylt fornam. Hræðe wearð on ȳðummid eofer-sprēotum
heoro-hōcyhtumhearde genearwod,
nīða genǣgedand on næs togen
wundorlīc wǣg-bora;weras scēawedon
gryrelīcne gist.Gyrede hine Bēowulf
eorl-gewǣdum,nalles for ealdre mearn: scolde here-byrnehondum gebrōden,
sīd and searo-fāh,sund cunnian,
sēo þe bān-cofanbeorgan cūðe,
þæt him hilde-grāphreðre ne mihte,
eorres inwit-feng,aldre gesceððan; ac se hwīta helmhafelan werede,
sē þe mere-grundasmengan scolde,
sēcan sund-geblandsince geweorðad,
befongen frēa-wrāsnum,swā hine fyrn-dagum
worhte wǣpna smið,wundrum tēode,
besette swīn-līcum,þæt hine syððan nō
brond nē beado-mēcasbītan ne meahton. Næs þæt þonne mǣtostmægen-fultuma,
þæt him on þearfe lāhþyle Hrōðgāres; wæs þǣm hæft-mēceHrunting nama,
þæt wæs ān foraneald-gestrēona; ecg wæs īrenāter-tēarum fāh,
āhyrded heaðo-swāte;nǣfre hit æt hilde ne swāc
manna ǣngumþāra þe hit mid mundum bewand,
sē þe gryre-sīðasgegān dorste,
folc-stede fāra;næs þæt forma sīð,
þæt hit ellen-weorcæfnan scolde. Hūru ne gemundemago Ecglāfes
eafoðes cræftig,þæt hē ǣr gespræc
wīne druncen,þā hē þæs wǣpnes onlāh
sēlran sweord-frecan:selfa ne dorste
under ȳða gewinaldre genēðan,
driht-scype drēogan;þǣr hē dōme forlēas,
ellen-mǣrðum.Ne wæs þǣm ōðrum swā,
syððan hē hine tō gūðegegyred hæfde.
Chapter 23
Bēowulf maðelode,bearn Ecgþēowes: "geþenc nū, se mǣramaga Healfdenes,
"snottra fengel,nū ic eom sīðes fūs,
"gold-wine gumena,hwæt wit geō sprǣcon,
"gif ic æt þearfeþīnre scolde
"aldre linnan,þæt þū mē ā wǣre
"forð-gewitenumon fæder stǣle; "wes þū mund-bora mīnummago-þegnum,
"hond-gesellum,gif mec hild nime: "swylce þū þā mādmas,þē þū mē sealdest,
"Hrōðgār lēofa,Higelāce onsend. "Mæg þonne on þǣm golde ongitanGēata dryhten,
"gesēon sunu Hrēðles,þonne hē on þæt sinc starað,
"þæt ic gum-cystumgōdne funde
"bēaga bryttan,brēac þonne mōste. "And þū Unferð lǣtealde lāfe,
"wrǣtlīc wǣg-sweordwīd-cūðne man
"heard-ecg habban;ic mē mid Hruntinge
"dōm gewyrce,oððe mec dēað nimeð." Æfter þǣm wordumWeder-Gēata lēod
efste mid elne,nalas andsware
bīdan wolde;brim-wylm onfēng
hilde-rince.Þā wæs hwīl dæges,
ǣr hē þone grund-wongongytan mehte. Sōna þæt onfunde,sē þe flōda begong
heoro-gīfre behēoldhund missēra,
grim and grǣdig,þæt þǣr gumena sum
æl-wihta eardufan cunnode. Grāp þā tōgēanes,gūð-rinc gefēng
atolan clommum;nō þȳ ǣr in gescōd
hālan līce:hring ūtan ymb-bearh,
þæt hēo þone fyrd-homþurh-fōn ne mihte,
locene leoðo-syrcanlāðan fingrum. Bær þā sēo brim-wylf,þā hēo tō botme cōm,
hringa þengeltō hofe sīnum,
swā hē ne mihte nō(hē þæs mōdig wæs)
wǣpna gewealdan,ac hine wundra þæs fela
swencte on sunde,sǣ-dēor monig
hilde-tūxumhere-syrcan bræc,
ēhton āglǣcan.Þā se eorl ongeat,
þæt hē in nið-selenāt-hwylcum wæs,
þǣr him nǣnig wæterwihte ne sceðede,
nē him for hrōf-selehrīnan ne mehte
fǣr-gripe flōdes:fȳr-lēoht geseah,
blācne lēomanbeorhte scīnan. Ongeat þā se gōdagrund-wyrgenne,
mere-wīf mihtig;mægen-rǣs forgeaf
hilde-bille,hond swenge ne oftēah,
þæt hire on hafelanhring-mǣl āgōl
grǣdig gūð-lēoð.Þā se gist onfand,
þæt se beado-lēomabītan nolde,
aldre sceððan,ac sēo ecg geswāc
þēodne æt þearfe:þolode ǣr fela
hond-gemōta,helm oft gescær,
fǣges fyrd-hrægl:þæt wæs forma sīð
dēorum māðme,þæt his dōm ālæg. Eft wæs ān-rǣd,nalas elnes læt,
mǣrða gemyndigmǣg Hygelāces; wearp þā wunden-mǣlwrǣttum gebunden
yrre ōretta,þæt hit on eorðan læg,
stīð and stȳl-ecg;strenge getruwode,
mund-gripe mægenes.Swā sceal man dōn,
þonne hē æt gūðegegān þenceð
longsumne lof,nā ymb his līf cearað. Gefēng þā be eaxle(nalas for fǣhðe mearn)
Gūð-Gēata lēodGrendles mōdor; brægd þā beadwe heard,þā hē gebolgen wæs,
feorh-genīðlan,þæt hēo on flet gebēah. Hēo him eft hraðeand-lēan forgeald
grimman grāpumand him tōgēanes fēng; oferwearp þā wērig-mōdwigena strengest,
fēðe-cempa,þæt hē on fylle wearð. Ofsæt þā þone sele-gystand hyre seaxe getēah,
brād and brūn-ecgwolde hire bearn wrecan,
āngan eaferan.Him on eaxle læg
brēost-net brōden;þæt gebearh fēore,
wið ord and wið ecgeingang forstōd. Hæfde þā forsīðodsunu Ecgþēowes
under gynne grund,Gēata cempa,
nemne him heaðo-byrnehelpe gefremede,
here-net hearde,and hālig god
gewēold wīg-sigor,wītig drihten; rodera rǣdendhit on ryht gescēd,
ȳðelīcesyððan hē eft āstōd.
Chapter 24
Geseah þā on searwumsige-ēadig bil,
eald sweord eoteniscecgum þȳhtig,
wigena weorð-mynd:þæt wæs wǣpna cyst,
būton hit wæs māreþonne ǣnig mon ōðer
tō beadu-lāceætberan meahte
gōd and geatolīcgīganta geweorc. Hē gefēng þā fetel-hilt,freca Scildinga,
hrēoh and heoro-grimhring-mǣl gebrægd,
aldres orwēna,yrringa slōh,
þæt hire wið halseheard grāpode,
bān-hringas bræc,bil eal þurh-wōd
fǣgne flǣsc-homan,hēo on flet gecrong; sweord wæs swātig,secg weorce gefeh. Līxte se lēoma,lēoht inne stōd,
efne swā of hefenehādre scīneð
rodores candel.Hē æfter recede wlāt,
hwearf þā be wealle,wǣpen hafenade
heard be hiltumHigelāces þegn,
yrre and ān-rǣd.Næs sēo ecg fracod
hilde-rince,ac hē hraðe wolde
Grendle forgyldangūð-rǣsa fela
þāra þe hē geworhtetō West-Denum
oftor micleþonne on ǣnne sīð,
þonne hē Hrōðgāresheorð-genēatas
slōh on sweofote,slǣpende fræt
folces Denigeafȳf-tȳne men
and ōðer swylcūt of-ferede,
lāðlīcu lāc.Hē him þæs lēan forgeald,
rēðe cempa,tō þæs þe hē on ræste geseah
gūð-wērigneGrendel licgan,
aldor-lēasne,swā him ǣr gescōd
hild æt Heorote;hrā wīde sprong,
syððan hē æfter dēaðedrepe þrowade,
heoro-sweng heardne,and hine þā hēafde becearf,
Sōna þæt gesāwonsnottre ceorlas,
þā þe mid Hrōðgāreon holm wliton,
þæt wæs ȳð-geblondeal gemenged,
brim blōde fāh:blonden-feaxe
gomele ymb gōdneongeador sprǣcon,
þæt hig þæs æðelingeseft ne wēndon,
þæt hē sige-hrēðigsēcean cōme
mǣrne þēoden;þā þæs monige gewearð,
þæt hine sēo brim-wylfābroten hæfde. Þā cōm nōn dæges.Næs ofgēafon
hwate Scyldingas; gewāt him hām þonon
gold-wine gumena.Gistas sētan,
mōdes sēoce,and on mere staredon,
wiston and ne wēndon,þæt hīe heora wine-drihten
selfne gesāwon.Þā þæt sweord ongan
æfter heaðo-swātehilde-gicelum
wīg-bil wanian;þæt wæs wundra sum,
þæt hit eal gemealtīse gelīcost,
þonne forstes bendfæder onlǣteð,
onwindeð wæl-rāpas,sē þe geweald hafað
sǣla and mǣla;þæt is sōð metod. Ne nom hē in þǣm wīcum,Weder-Gēata lēod,
māðm-ǣhta mā,þēh hē þǣr monige geseah,
būton þone hafelanand þā hilt somod,
since fāge;sweord ǣr gemealt,
forbarn brōden mǣl:wæs þæt blōd tō þæs hāt,
ǣttren ellor-gǣst,sē þǣr inne swealt. Sōna wæs on sunde,sē þe ǣr æt sæcce gebād
wīg-hryre wrāðra,wæter up þurh-dēaf; wǣron ȳð-geblandeal gefǣlsod,
ēacne eardas,þā se ellor-gāst
oflēt līf-dagasand þās lǣnan gesceaft. Cōm þā tō landelid-manna helm
swīð-mōd swymman,sǣ-lāce gefeah,
mægen-byrðenneþāra þe hē him mid hæfde. Ēodon him þā tōgēanes,gode þancodon,
þrȳðlīc þegna hēap,þēodnes gefēgon,
þæs þe hī hyne gesundnegesēon mōston. Þā wæs of þǣm hrōranhelm and byrne
lungre ālȳsed:lagu drūsade,
wæter under wolcnum,wæl-drēore fāg. Fērdon forð þononfēðe-lāstum
ferhðum fægne,fold-weg mǣton,
cūðe strǣte;cyning-balde men
from þǣm holm-clifehafelan bǣron
earfoðlīceheora ǣghwæðrum
fela-mōdigra:fēower scoldon
on ðæm wæl-stengeweorcum geferian
tō þǣm gold-seleGrendles hēafod,
oð þæt semningatō sele cōmon
frome fyrd-hwatefēower-tȳne
Gēata gongan;gum-dryhten mid
mōdig on gemongemeodo-wongas træd. Þā cōm in gānealdor þegna,
dǣd-cēne mondōme gewurðad,
hæle hilde-dēor.Hrōðgār grētan: Þā wæs be feaxeon flet boren
Grendles hēafod,þǣr guman druncon,
egeslīc for eorlumand þǣre idese mid: wlite-sēon wrǣtlīcweras onsāwon.
Chapter 25
Bēowulf maðelode,bearn Ecgþēowes: "Hwæt! wē þē þās sǣ-lāc,sunu Healfdenes,
"lēod Scyldinga,lustum brōhton,
"tīres tō tācne,þē þū hēr tō lōcast. "Ic þæt unsōfteealdre gedīgde: "wigge under wætereweorc genēðde
"earfoðlīce,æt-rihte wæs
"gūð getwǣfed,nymðe mec god scylde. "Ne meahte ic æt hildemid Hruntinge
"wiht gewyrcan,þēah þæt wǣpen duge,
"ac mē geūðeylda waldend,
"þæt ic on wāge geseahwlitig hangian
"eald sweord ēacen(oftost wīsode
"winigea lēasum)þæt ic þȳ wǣpne gebrǣ. "Ofslōh þā æt þǣre sæcce(þā mē sǣl āgeald)
"hūses hyrdas.Þā þæt hilde-bil
"forbarn, brogden mǣl,swā þæt blōd gesprang,
"hātost heaðo-swāta:ic þæt hilt þanan
"fēondum ætferede;fyren-dǣda wræc,
"dēað-cwealm Denigea,swā hit gedēfe wæs. "Ic hit þē þonne gehāte,þæt þū on Heorote mōst
"sorh-lēas swefanmid þīnra secga gedryht,
"and þegna gehwylcþīnra lēoda,
"duguðe and iogoðe,þæt þū him ondrǣdan ne þearft,
"þēoden Scyldinga,on þā healfe,
"aldor-bealu eorlum,swā þū ǣr dydest." Þā wæs gylden hiltgamelum rince. hārum hild-fruman,on hand gyfen,
enta ǣr-geweorc,hit on ǣht gehwearf
æfter dēofla hryreDenigea frēan,
wundor-smiða geweorc,and þā þās worold ofgeaf
grom-heort guma,godes andsaca,
morðres scyldig,and his mōdor ēac; on geweald gehwearfworold-cyninga
þǣm sēlestanbe sǣm twēonum
þāra þe on Sceden-iggesceattas dǣlde. Hrōðgār maðelode,hylt scēawode,
ealde lāfe,on þǣm wæs ōr writen
fyrn-gewinnes:syððan flōd ofslōh,
gifen gēotende,gīganta cyn,
frēcne gefērdon:þæt wæs fremde þēod
ēcean dryhtne,him þæs ende-lēan
þurh wæteres wylmwaldend sealde. Swā wæs on þǣm scennumscīran goldes
þurh rūn-stafasrihte gemearcod,
geseted and gesǣd,hwām þæt sweord geworht,
īrena cystǣrest wǣre,
wreoðen-hilt and wyrm-fāh.þā se wīsa spræc
sunu Healfdenes(swīgedon ealle): "Þæt lā mæg secgan,sē þe sōð and riht
"fremeð on folce,(feor eal gemon
"eald ēðel-weard),þæt þes eorl wǣre
"geboren betera!Blǣd is ārǣred
"geond wīd-wegas,wine mīn Bēowulf,
"þīn ofer þēoda gehwylce.Eal þū hit geþyldum healdest,
"mægen mid mōdes snyttrum.Ic þē sceal mīne gelǣstan
"frēode, swā wit furðum sprǣcon;þū scealt tō frōfre weorðan
"eal lang-twidiglēodum þīnum,
"hæleðum tō helpe.Ne wearð Heremōd swā
"eaforum Ecgwelan,Ār-Scyldingum; "ne gewēox hē him tō willan,ac tō wæl-fealle
"and tō dēað-cwalumDeniga lēodum; "brēat bolgen-mōdbēod-genēatas,
"eaxl-gesteallan,oð þæt hē āna hwearf,
"mǣre þēoden.mon-drēamum from: "þēah þe hine mihtig godmægenes wynnum,
"eafeðum stēpte,ofer ealle men
"forð gefremede,hwæðere him on ferhðe grēow
"brēost-hord blōd-rēow:nallas bēagas geaf
"Denum æfter dōme;drēam-lēas gebād,
"þæt hē þæs gewinnesweorc þrowade,
"lēod-bealo longsum.Þū þē lǣr be þon,
"gum-cyste ongit!ic þis gid be þē
"āwræc wintrum frōd.Wundor is tō secganne,
"hū mihtig godmanna cynne
"þurh sīdne sefansnyttru bryttað,
"eard and eorl-scipe,hē āh ealra geweald. "Hwīlum hē on lufanlǣteð hworfan
"monnes mōd-geþoncmǣran cynnes,
"seleð him on ēðleeorðan wynne,
"tō healdannehlēo-burh wera,
"gedēð him swā gewealdeneworolde dǣlas,
"sīde rīce,þæt hē his selfa ne mæg
"for his un-snyttrumende geþencean; "wunað hē on wiste,nō hine wiht dweleð,
"ādl nē yldo,nē him inwit-sorh
"on sefan sweorceð,nē gesacu ōhwǣr,
"ecg-hete ēoweð,ac him eal worold
"wendeð on willan;hē þæt wyrse ne con,
"oð þæt him on innanofer-hygda dǣl
"weaxeð and wridað,þonne se weard swefeð,
"sāwele hyrde:bið se slǣp tō fæst,
"bisgum gebunden,bona swīðe nēah,
"sē þe of flān-boganfyrenum scēoteð.