Chapter 26
"Þonne bið on hreðreunder helm drepen
biteran strǣle:him bebeorgan ne con
wom wundor-bebodumwergan gāstes; þinceð him tō lȳtel,þæt hē tō lange hēold,
gȳtsað grom-hȳdig,nallas on gylp seleð
fǣtte bēagasand hē þā forð-gesceaft
forgyteð and forgȳmeð,þæs þe him ǣr god sealde
wuldres waldend,weorð-mynda dǣl. Hit on ende-stæfeft gelimpeð,
þæt se līc-homalǣne gedrēoseð,
fǣge gefealleð;fēhð ōðer tō,
sē þe unmurnlīcemādmas dǣleð,
eorles ǣr-gestrēon,egesan ne gȳmeð. Bebeorh þē þone bealo-nīð,Bēowulf lēofa,
secg se betsta,and þē þæt sēlre gecēos,
ēce rǣdas;oferhȳda ne gȳm,
mǣre cempa!Nū is þīnes mægnes blǣd
āne hwīle;eft sōna bið,
þæt þec ādl oððe ecgeafoðes getwǣfeð,
oððe fȳres fengoððe flōdes wylm,
oððe gripe mēcesoððe gāres fliht,
oððe atol yldo,oððe ēagena bearhtm
forsiteð and forsworceð;semninga bið,
þæt þec, dryht-guma,dēað oferswȳðeð. Swā ic Hring-Denahund missēra
wēold under wolcnum,and hig wigge belēac
manigum mǣgðageond þysne middan-geard,
æscum and ecgum,þæt ic mē ǣnigne
under swegles begonggesacan ne tealde. Hwæt! mē þæs on ēðleedwenden cwōm,
gyrn æfter gomene,seoððan Grendel wearð,
eald-gewinna,in-genga mīn: ic þǣre sōcnesingāles wæg
mōd-ceare micle.Þæs sig metode þanc,
ēcean drihtne,þæs þe ic on aldre gebād,
þæt ic on þone hafelanheoro-drēorigne
ofer eald gewinēagum starige! Gā nū tō setle,symbel-wynne drēoh
wīgge weorðad:unc sceal worn fela
māðma gemǣnra,siððan morgen bið." Gēat wæs glæd-mōd,gēong sōna tō,
setles nēosan,swā se snottra heht. Þā wæs eft swā ǣrellen-rōfum,
flet-sittendumfægere gereorded
nīowan stefne.Niht-helm geswearc
deorc ofer dryht-gumum.Duguð eal ārās; wolde blonden-feaxbeddes nēosan,
gamela Scylding.Gēat ungemetes wēl,
rōfne rand-wiganrestan lyste: sōna him sele-þegnsīðes wērgum,
feorran-cundumforð wīsade,
se for andrysnumealle beweotede
þegnes þearfe,swylce þȳ dōgore
hēaðo-līðendehabban scoldon. Reste hine þā rūm-heort;reced hlīfade
gēap and gold-fāh,gæst inne swæf,
oð þæt hrefn blacaheofones wynne
blīð-heort bodode.Þā cōm beorht sunne
scacan ofer grundas;scaðan ōnetton,
wǣron æðelingaseft tō lēodum
fūse tō farenne,wolde feor þanon
cuma collen-ferhðcēoles nēosan. Heht þā se heardaHrunting beran,
sunu Ecglāfes,heht his sweord niman,
lēoflīc īren;sægde him þæs lēanes þanc,
cwæð hē þone gūð-winegōdne tealde,
wīg-cræftigne,nales wordum lōg
mēces ecge:þæt wæs mōdig secg. And þā sīð-fromesearwum gearwe
wīgend wǣron,ēode weorð Denum
æðeling tō yppan,þǣr se ōðer wæs
hæle hilde-dēor,Hrōðgār grētte.
Chapter 27
Bēowulf maðelode,bearn Ecgþēowes: "Nū wē sǣ-līðendsecgan wyllað
feorran cumene,þæt wē fundiað
Higelāc sēcan.Wǣron hēr tela
willum bewenede;þū ūs wēl dohtest. Gif ic þonne on eorðanōwihte mæg
þīnre mōd-lufanmāran tilian,
gumena dryhten,þonne ic gȳt dyde,
gūð-geweorcaic bēo gearo sōna. Gif ic þæt gefricgeofer flōda begang,
þæt þec ymbe-sittendegesan þȳwað,
swā þec hetendehwīlum dydon,
ic þē þūsendaþegna bringe,
hæleða tō helpe.Ic on Higelāce wāt,
Gēata dryhten,þēah þe hē geong sȳ,
folces hyrde,þæt hē mec fremman wile
wordum and worcum,þæt ic þē wēl herige,
and þē tō gēocegār-holt bere
mægenes fultum,þǣr þē bið manna þearf; gif him þonne Hrēðrīctō hofum Gēata
geþingeð, þēodnes bearn,hē mæg þǣr fela
frēonda findan:feor-cȳððe bēoð
sēlran gesōhteþǣm þe him selfa dēah." Hrōðgār maðelodehim on andsware: "Þē þā word-cwydaswittig drihten
on sefan sende!ne hȳrde ic snotorlīcor
on swā geongum feoreguman þingian: þū eart mægenes strangand on mōde frōd,
wīs word-cwida.Wēn ic talige,
gif þæt gegangeð,þæt þe gār nymeð,
hild heoru-grimmeHrēðles eaferan,
ādl oððe īrenealdor þīnne,
folces hyrde,and þū þīn feorh hafast,
þæt þe Sǣ-Gēatassēlran næbben
tō gecēosennecyning ǣnigne,
hord-weard hæleða,gif þū healdan wylt
māga rīce.Mē þīn mōd-sefa
līcað leng swā wēl,lēofa Bēowulf: hafast þū gefēred,þæt þām folcum sceal,
Gēata lēodumand Gār-Denum
sib gemǣnumand sacu restan,
inwit-nīðas,þē hīe ǣr drugon; wesan, þenden ic wealdewīdan rīces,
māðmas gemǣne,manig ōðerne
gōdum gegrētanofer ganotes bæð; sceal hring-nacaofer hēaðu bringan
lāc and luf-tācen.Ic þā lēode wāt
gē wið fēond gē wið frēondfæste geworhte
ǣghwæs untǣleealde wīsan." Þā gīt him eorla hlēoinne gesealde,
mago Healfdenesmāðmas twelfe,
hēt hine mid þǣm lācumlēode swǣse
sēcean on gesyntum,snūde eft cuman. Gecyste þācyning æðelum gōd,
þēoden Scildinga,þegen betstan
and be healse genam;hruron him tēaras,
blonden-feaxum:him wæs bēga wēn,
ealdum infrōdum,ōðres swīðor,
þæt hī seoððangesēon mōston
mōdige on meðle.Wæs him se man tō þon lēof,
þæt hē þone brēost-wylmforberan ne mehte,
ac him on hreðrehyge-bendum fæst
æfter dēorum mendyrne langað
beorn wið blōde.Him Bēowulf þanan,
gūð-rinc gold-wlancgræs-moldan træd,
since hrēmig:sǣ-genga bād
āgend-frēan,sē þe on ancre rād. Þā wæs on gangegifu Hrōðgāres
oft geæhted:þæt wæs ān cyning
ǣghwæs orleahtre,oð þæt hine yldo benam
mægenes wynnum,sē þe oft manegum scōd.
Chapter 28
Cwōm þā tō flōdefela-mōdigra
hæg-stealdra hēap;hring-net bǣron,
locene leoðo-syrcan.Land-weard onfand
eft-sīð eorla,swā hē ǣr dyde; nō hē mid hearmeof hlīðes nosan
gæstas grētte,ac him tōgēanes rād; cwæð þæt wilcumanWedera lēodum
scawan scīr-hametō scipe fōron. Þā wæs on sandesǣ-gēap naca
hladen here-wǣdum,hringed-stefna
mēarum and māðmum:mæst hlīfade
ofer Hrōðgāreshord-gestrēonum. Hē þǣm bāt-weardebunden golde
swurd gesealde,þæt hē syððan wæs
on meodu-bencemāðme þȳ weorðra,
yrfe-lāfe.Gewāt him on ȳð-nacan,
drēfan dēop wæter,Dena land ofgeaf. Þā wæs be mæstemere-hrægla sum,
segl sāle fæst.Sund-wudu þunede,
nō þǣr wēg-flotanwind ofer ȳðum
sīðes getwǣfde;sǣ-genga fōr,
flēat fāmig-healsforð ofer ȳðe,
bunden-stefnaofer brim-strēamas,
þæt hīe Gēata clifuongitan meahton,
cūðe næssas.Cēol up geþrang,
lyft-geswencedon lande stōd. Hraðe wæs æt holmehȳð-weard gearo,
sē þe ǣr lange tīd,lēofra manna
fūs, æt faroðefeor wlātode; sǣlde tō sandesīd-fæðme scip
oncer-bendum fæst,þȳ lǣs hym ȳða þrym
wudu wynsumanforwrecan meahte. Hēt þā up beranæðelinga gestrēon,
frætwe and fǣt-gold;næs him feor þanon
tō gesēcannesinces bryttan: Higelāc Hrēðlingþǣr æt hām wunað,
selfa mid gesīðumsǣ-wealle nēah; bold wæs betlīc,brego-rōf cyning,
hēa on healle,Hygd swīðe geong,
wīs, wēl-þungen,þēah þe wintra lȳt
under burh-locangebiden hæbbe
Hæreðes dōhtor:næs hīo hnāh swā þēah,
nē tō gnēað gifaGēata lēodum,
māðm-gestrēona.Mōd Þrȳðo wæg,
fremu folces cwēn,firen ondrysne: nǣnig þæt dorstedēor genēðan
swǣsra gesīða,nefne sin-frēa,
þæt hire an dægesēagum starede; ac him wæl-bendeweotode tealde,
hand-gewriðene:hraðe seoððan wæs
æfter mund-gripemēce geþinged,
þæt hit sceaðen-mǣlscȳran mōste,
cwealm-bealu cȳðan.Ne bið swylc cwēnlīc þēaw
idese tō efnanne,þēah þe hīo ǣnlīcu sȳ,
þætte freoðu-webbefēores onsæce
æfter līge-tornelēofne mannan. Hūru þæt onhōhsnodeHeminges mǣg; ealo drincendeōðer sǣdan,
þæt hīo lēod-bealewalǣs gefremede,
inwit-nīða,syððan ǣrest wearð
gyfen gold-hrodengeongum cempan,
æðelum dīore,syððan hīo Offan flet
ofer fealone flōdbe fæder lāre
sīðe gesōhte,þǣr hīo syððan wēl
in gum-stōle,gōde mǣre,
līf-gesceaftalifigende brēac,
hīold hēah-lufanwið hæleða brego,
ealles mon-cynnesmīne gefrǣge
þone sēlestanbī sǣm twēonum
eormen-cynnes;forþām Offa wæs
geofum and gūðumgār-cēne man,
wīde geweorðod;wīsdōme hēold
ēðel sīnne,þonon Ēomǣr wōc
hæleðum tō helpe,Heminges mǣg,
nefa Gārmundes,nīða cræftig.
Chapter 29
Gewāt him þā se heardamid his hond-scole
sylf æfter sandesǣ-wong tredan,
wīde waroðas.Woruld-candel scān,
sigel sūðan fūs:hī sīð drugon,
elne geēodon,tō þæs þe eorla hlēo,
bonan Ongenþēowesburgum on innan,
geongne gūð-cyninggōdne gefrūnon
hringas dǣlan.Higelāce wæs
sīð Bēowulfessnūde gecȳðed,
þæt þǣr on worðigwīgendra hlēo,
lind-gesteallalifigende cwōm,
heaðo-lāces hāltō hofe gongan. Hraðe wæs gerȳmed,swā se rīca bebēad,
fēðe-gestumflet innan-weard. Gesæt þā wið sylfne,sē þā sæcce genæs,
mǣg wið mǣge,syððan man-dryhten
þurh hlēoðor-cwydeholdne gegrētte
mēaglum wordum.Meodu-scencum
hwearf geond þæt recedHæreðes dōhtor: lufode þā lēode,līð-wǣge bær
hǣlum tō handa.Higelāc ongan
sīnne geseldanin sele þām hēan
fægre fricgean,hyne fyrwet bræc,
hwylce Sǣ-Gēatasīðas wǣron: "Hū lomp ēow on lāde,lēofa Bīowulf,
þā þū fǣringafeorr gehogodest,
sæcce sēceanofer sealt wæter,
hilde tō Hiorote?Ac þū Hrōðgāre
wīd-cūðne wēanwihte gebēttest,
mǣrum þēodne?Ic þæs mōd-ceare
sorh-wylmum sēað,sīðe ne truwode
lēofes mannes;ic þē lange bæd,
þæt þū þone wæl-gǣstwihte ne grētte,
lēte Sūð-Denesylfe geweorðan
gūðe wið Grendel.Gode ic þanc secge,
þæs þe ic þē gesundnegesēon mōste." Bīowulf maðelode,bearn Ecgþīowes: "Þæt is undyrne,dryhten Higelāc,
mǣre gemētingmonegum fīra,
hwylc orleg-hwīluncer Grendles
wearð on þām wange,þǣr hē worna fela
Sige-Scildingumsorge gefremede,
yrmðe tō aldre;ic þæt eal gewræc,
swā ne gylpan þearfGrendeles māga
ǣnig ofer eorðanūht-hlem þone,
sē þe lengest leofaðlāðan cynnes,
fenne bifongen.Ic þǣr furðum cwōm,
tō þām hring-seleHrōðgār grētan: sōna mē se mǣramago Healfdenes,
syððan hē mōd-sefanmīnne cūðe,
wið his sylfes sunusetl getǣhte. Weorod wæs on wynne;ne seah ic wīdan feorh
under heofenes hwealfheal-sittendra
medu-drēam māran.Hwīlum mǣru cwēn,
friðu-sibb folcaflet eall geond-hwearf,
bǣdde byre geonge;oft hīo bēah-wriðan
secge sealde,ǣr hīo tō setle gēong. Hwīlum for duguðedōhtor Hrōðgāres
eorlum on endeealu-wǣge bær,
þā ic Frēawareflet-sittende
nemnan hȳrde,þǣr hīo nægled sinc
hæleðum sealde:sīo gehāten wæs,
geong gold-hroden,gladum suna Frōdan; hafað þæs gewordenwine Scyldinga
rīces hyrdeand þæt rǣd talað,
þæt hē mid þȳ wīfewæl-fǣhða dǣl,
sæcca gesette.Oft nō seldan hwǣr
æfter lēod-hryrelȳtle hwīle
bon-gār būgeð,þēah sēo brȳd duge!
Chapter 30
"Mæg þæs þonne ofþyncanþēoden Heaðobeardna
and þegna gehwāmþāra lēoda,
þonne hē mid fǣmnanon flett gǣð,
dryht-bearn Denaduguða biwenede: on him gladiaðgomelra lāfe
heard and hring-mǣl,Heaðobeardna gestrēon,
þenden hīe þām wǣpnumwealdan mōston,
oð þæt hīe forlǣddantō þām lind-plegan
swǣse gesīðasond hyra sylfra feorh. Þonne cwið æt bēore,sē þe bēah gesyhð,
eald æsc-wiga,sē þe eall geman
gār-cwealm gumena(him bið grim sefa),
onginneð geōmor-mōdgeongne cempan
þurh hreðra gehygdhiges cunnian,
wīg-bealu wecceanand þæt word ācwyð: ‘Meaht þū, mīn wine,mēce gecnāwan,
þone þin fædertō gefeohte bær
under here-grīmanhindeman sīðe,
dȳre īren,þǣr hyne Dene slōgon,
wēoldon wæl-stōwe,syððan wiðer-gyld læg,
æfter hæleða hryre,hwate Scyldungas? Nu hēr þāra banenabyre nāt-hwylces,
frætwum hrēmigon flet gǣð,
morðres gylpeðand þone māððum byreð,
þone þe þū mid rihterǣdan sceoldest!’
Manað swā and myndgaðmǣla gehwylce
sārum wordum,oð þæt sǣl cymeð,
þæt se fǣmnan þegnfore fæder dǣdum
æfter billes biteblōd-fāg swefeð,
ealdres scyldig;him se ōðer þonan
losað lifigende,con him land geare. Þonne bīoð broceneon bā healfe
āð-sweord eorla;syððan Ingelde
weallað wæl-nīðasand him wīf-lufan
æfter cear-wælmumcōlran weorðað. Þȳ ic Heaðobeardnahyldo ne telge,
dryht-sibbe dǣlDenum unfǣcne,
frēond-scipe fæstne.Ic sceal forð sprecan
gēn ymbe Grendel,þæt þū geare cunne,
sinces brytta,tō hwan syððan wearð
hond-rǣs hæleða.Syððan heofones gim
glād ofer grundas,gæst yrre cwōm,
eatol ǣfen-grom,ūser nēosan,
þǣr wē gesundesæl weardodon; þǣr wæs Hondscīohild onsǣge,
feorh-bealu fǣgum,hē fyrmest læg,
gyrded cempa;him Grendel wearð,
mǣrum magu-þegnetō mūð-bonan,
lēofes manneslīc eall forswealg. Nō þȳ ǣr ūt þā gēnīdel-hende
bona blōdig-tōðbealewa gemyndig,
of þām gold-selegongan wolde,
ac hē mægnes rōfmīn costode,
grāpode gearo-folm.Glōf hangode
sīd and syllīcsearo-bendum fæst,
sīo wæs orþoncumeall gegyrwed
dēofles cræftumand dracan fellum: hē mec þǣr on innanunsynnigne,
dīor dǣd-fruma,gedōn wolde,
manigra sumne:hyt ne mihte swā,
syððan ic on yrreupp-riht āstōd. Tō lang ys tō reccenne,hū ic þām lēod-sceaðan
yfla gehwylcesond-lēan forgeald; þǣr ic, þēoden mīn,þīne lēode
weorðode weorcum.Hē on weg losade,
lȳtle hwīlelīf-wynna brēac; hwæðre him sīo swīðreswaðe weardade
hand on Hiorteand hē hēan þonan,
mōdes geōmormere-grund gefēoll. Mē þone wæl-rǣswine Scildunga
fǣttan goldefela lēanode,
manegum māðmum,syððan mergen cōm
and wē tō symblegeseten hæfdon. Þǣr wæs gidd and glēo;gomela Scilding
fela fricgendefeorran rehte; hwīlum hilde-dēorhearpan wynne,
gomen-wudu grētte;hwīlum gyd āwræc
sōð and sārlīc;hwīlum syllīc spell
rehte æfter rihterūm-heort cyning. Hwīlum eft onganeldo gebunden,
gomel gūð-wigagioguðe cwīðan
hilde-strengo;hreðer inne wēoll,
þonne hē wintrum frōdworn gemunde. Swā wē þǣr inneandlangne dæg
nīode nāman,oð þæt niht becwōm
ōðer tō yldum.Þā wæs eft hraðe
gearo gyrn-wræceGrendeles mōdor,
sīðode sorh-full;sunu dēað fornam,
wīg-hete Wedra.Wīf unhȳre
hyre bearn gewræc,beorn ācwealde
ellenlīce;þǣr wæs Æsc-here,
frōdan fyrn-witan,feorh ūðgenge; nōðer hȳ hine ne mōston,syððan mergen cwōm,
dēað-wērigneDenia lēode
bronde forbærnan,nē on bǣl hladan
lēofne mannan:hīo þæt līc ætbær
fēondes fæðmumunder firgen-strēam. Þæt wæs Hrōðgārehrēowa tornost
þāra þe lēod-frumanlange begeāte; þā se þēoden mecþīne līfe
healsode hrēoh-mōd,þæt ic on holma geþring
eorl-scipe efnde,ealdre genēðde,
mǣrðo fremede:hē mē mēde gehēt. Ic þā þæs wælmes,þē is wīde cūð,
grimne gryrelīcnegrund-hyrde fond. Þǣr unc hwīle wæshand gemǣne; holm heolfre wēolland ic hēafde becearf
in þām grund-seleGrendeles mōdor
ēacnum ecgum,unsōfte þonan
feorh oðferede;næs ic fǣge þā gȳt,
ac mē eorla hlēoeft gesealde
māðma menigeo,maga Healfdenes.