Bókastaðir

An Old Norse Library
Chapter 36
Wīglāf wæs hātenWēoxstānes sunu,
lēoflīc lind-wiga,lēod Scylfinga,
mǣg Ælfheres:geseah his mon-dryhten
under here-grīmanhāt þrowian. Gemunde þā þā āre,þē hē him ǣr forgeaf
wīc-stede weligneWǣgmundinga,
folc-rihta gehwylc,swā his fæder āhte; ne mihte þā forhabban,hond rond gefēng,
geolwe linde,gomel swyrd getēah,
þæt wæs mid eldumĒanmundes lāf,
suna Ōhteres,þām æt sæcce wearð
wracu wine-lēasumWēohstānes bana
mēces ecgum,and his māgum ætbær
brūn-fāgne helm,hringde byrnan,
eald sweord eotonisc,þæt him Onela forgeaf,
his gædelingesgūð-gewǣdu,
fyrd-searo fūslīc:nō ymbe þā fǣhðe spræc,
þēah þe hē his brōðorbearn ābredwade. Hē frætwe gehēoldfela missēra,
bill and byrnan,oð þæt his byre mihte
eorl-scipe efnan,swā his ǣr-fæder; geaf him þā mid Gēatumgūð-gewǣda
ǣghwæs unrīm;þā hē of ealdre gewāt,
frōd on forð-weg.Þā wæs forma sīð
geongan cempan,þæt hē gūðe rǣs
mid his frēo-dryhtnefremman sceolde; ne gemealt him se mōd-sefa,nē his mǣges lāf
gewāc æt wīge:þæt se wyrm onfand,
syððan hīe tōgædregegān hæfdon. Wīglāf maðelodeword-rihta fela,
sægde gesīðum,him wæs sefa geōmor: "Ic þæt mǣl geman,þǣr wē medu þēgun,
þonne wē gehētonūssum hlāforde
in bīor-sele,þē ūs þās bēagas geaf,
þæt wē him þā gūð-geatwagyldan woldon,
gif him þyslīcuþearf gelumpe,
helmas and heard sweord:þē hē ūsic on herge gecēas
tō þyssum sīð-fatesylfes willum,
onmunde ūsic mǣrðaand mē þās māðmas geaf,
þē hē ūsic gār-wīgendgōde tealde,
hwate helm-berend,þēah þe hlāford ūs
þis ellen-weorcāna āþōhte
tō gefremmanne,folces hyrde,
forþām hē manna mǣstmǣrða gefremede,
dǣda dollīcra.Nū is sē dæg cumen,
þæt ūre man-dryhtenmægenes behōfað
gōdra gūð-rinca:wutun gangan tō,
helpan hild-fruman,þenden hyt sȳ,
glēd-egesa grim!God wāt on mec,
þæt mē is micle lēofre,þæt mīnne līc-haman
mid mīnne gold-gyfanglēd fæðmie. Ne þynceð mē gerysne,þæt wē rondas beren
eft tō earde,nemne wē ǣror mǣgen
fāne gefyllan,feorh ealgian
Wedra þīodnes.Ic wāt geare,
þæt nǣron eald-gewyrht,þæt hē āna scyle
Gēata duguðegnorn þrowian,
gesīgan æt sæcce:sceal ūrum þæt sweord and helm,
byrne and byrdu-scrūdbām gemǣne." Wōd þā þurh þone wæl-rēc,wīg-heafolan bær
frēan on fultum,fēa worda cwæð: "Lēofa Bīowulf,lǣst eall tela,
swā þū on geoguð-fēoregeāra gecwǣde,
þæt þū ne ālǣtebe þē lifigendum
dōm gedrēosan:scealt nū dǣdum rōf,
æðeling ān-hȳdig,ealle mægene
feorh ealgian;ic þē fullǣstu!" Æfter þām wordumwyrm yrre cwōm,
atol inwit-gæstōðre sīðe,
fȳr-wylmum fāhfīonda nīosan,
lāðra manna;līg-ȳðum forborn
bord wið ronde:byrne ne meahte
geongum gār-wigangēoce gefremman: ac se maga geongaunder his mǣges scyld
elne geēode,þā his āgen wæs
glēdum forgrunden.Þā gēn gūð-cyning
mǣrða gemunde,mægen-strengo,
slōh hilde-bille,þæt hyt on heafolan stōd
nīðe genȳded:Nægling forbærst,
geswāc æt sæccesweord Bīowulfes
gomol and grǣg-mǣl.Him þæt gifeðe ne wæs,
þæt him īrennaecge mihton
helpan æt hilde;wæs sīo hond tō strong,
sē þe mēca gehwanemīne gefrǣge
swenge ofersōhte,þonne hē tō sæcce bær
wǣpen wundrum heard,næs him wihte þē sēl. Þā wæs þēod-sceaðaþriddan sīðe,
frēcne fȳr-dracafǣhða gemyndig,
rǣsde on þone rōfan,þā him rūm āgeald,
hāt and heaðo-grim,heals ealne ymbefēng
biteran bānum;hē geblōdegod wearð
sāwul-drīore;swāt ȳðum wēoll.
Chapter 37
Þā ic æt þearfe gefrægnþēod-cyninges
and-longne eorlellen cȳðan,
cræft and cēnðu,swā him gecynde wæs; ne hēdde hē þæs heafolan,ac sīo hand gebarn
mōdiges mannes,þǣr hē his mǣges healp,
þæt hē þone nīð-gæstnioðor hwēne slōh,
secg on searwum,þæt þæt sweord gedēaf
fāh and fǣted,þæt þæt fȳr ongon
sweðrian syððan.Þā gēn sylf cyning
gewēold his gewitte,wæll-seaxe gebrǣ,
biter and beadu-scearp,þæt hē on byrnan wæg: forwrāt Wedra helmwyrm on middan. Fēond gefyldan(ferh ellen wræc),
and hī hyne þā bēgenābroten hæfdon,
sib-æðelingas:swylc sceolde secg wesan,
þegn æt þearfe.Þæt þām þēodne wæs
sīðast sīge-hwīlesylfes dǣdum,
worlde geweorces.Þā sīo wund ongon,
þē him se eorð-dracaǣr geworhte,
swelan and swellan.Hē þæt sōna onfand,
þæt him on brēostumbealo-nīð wēoll,
attor on innan.Þā se æðeling gīong,
þæt hē bī wealle,wīs-hycgende,
gesæt on sesse;seah on enta geweorc,
hū þā stān-boganstapulum fæste
ēce eorð-recedinnan hēoldon. Hyne þā mid handaheoro-drēorigne
þēoden mǣrneþegn ungemete till,
wine-dryhten hiswætere gelafede,
hilde-sædneand his helm onspēon. Bīowulf maðelode,hē ofer benne spræc,
wunde wæl-blēate(wisse hē gearwe,
þæt hē dæg-hwīlagedrogen hæfde
eorðan wynne;þā wæs eall sceacen
dōgor-gerīmes,dēað ungemete nēah): "Nū ic suna mīnumsyllan wolde
gūð-gewǣdu,þǣr mē gifeðe swā
ǣnig yrfe-weardæfter wurde,
līce gelenge.Ic þās lēode hēold
fīftig wintra:næs se folc-cyning
ymbe-sittendraǣnig þāra,
þē mec gūð-winumgrētan dorste,
egesan þēon.Ic on earde bād
mǣl-gesceafta,hēold mīn tela,
ne sōhte searo-nīðas,nē mē swōr fela
āða on unriht.Ic þæs ealles mæg,
feorh-bennum sēoc,gefēan habban: forþām mē wītan ne þearfwaldend fīra
morðor-bealo māga,þonne mīn sceaceð
līf of līce.Nū þū lungre
geong, hord scēawianunder hārne stān,
Wīglāf lēofa,nū se wyrm ligeð,
swefeð sāre wund,since berēafod. Bīo nū on ofoste,þæt ic ǣr-welan,
gold-ǣht ongite,gearo scēawige
swegle searo-gimmas,þæt ic þȳ sēft mǣge
æfter māððum-welanmīn ālǣtan
līf and lēod-scipe,þone ic longe hēold."
Chapter 38
Þā ic snūde gefrægnsunu Wīhstānes
æfter word-cwydumwundum dryhtne
hȳran heaðo-sīocum,hring-net beran,
brogdne beadu-serceanunder beorges hrōf. Geseah þā sige-hrēðig,þā hē bī sesse gēong,
mago-þegn mōdigmāððum-sigla fela,
gold glitiniangrunde getenge,
wundur on wealleand þæs wyrmes denn,
ealdes ūht-flogan,orcas stondan,
fyrn-manna fatufeormend-lēase,
hyrstum behrorene:þǣr wæs helm monig,
eald and ōmig,earm-bēaga fela,
searwum gesǣled.Sinc ēaðe mæg,
gold on grunde,gumena cynnes
gehwone ofer-hīgian,hȳde sē þe wylle! Swylce hē siomian geseahsegn eall-gylden
hēah ofer horde,hond-wundra mǣst,
gelocen leoðo-cræftum:of þām lēoma stōd,
þæt hē þone grund-wongongitan meahte,
wrǣte giond-wlītan.Næs þæs wyrmes þǣr
onsȳn ǣnig,ac hyne ecg fornam. Þā ic on hlǣwegefrægn hord rēafian,
eald enta geweorcānne mannan,
him on bearm hladanbunan and discas
sylfes dōme,segn ēac genom,
bēacna beorhtost;bill ǣr-gescōd
(ecg wæs īren)eald-hlāfordes
þām þāra māðmamund-bora wæs
longe hwīle,līg-egesan wæg
hātne for horde,hioro-weallende,
middel-nihtum,oð þæt hē morðre swealt. Ār wæs on ofosteeft-sīðes georn,
frætwum gefyrðred:hyne fyrwet bræc,
hwæðer collen-ferðcwicne gemētte
in þām wong-stedeWedra þēoden,
ellen-sīocne,þǣr hē hine ǣr forlēt. Hē þā mid þām māðmummǣrne þīoden,
dryhten sīnnedrīorigne fand
ealdres æt ende:hē hine eft ongon
wæteres weorpan,oð þæt wordes ord
brēost-hord þurhbræc.Bēowulf maðelode,
gomel on giohðe(gold scēawode): "Ic þāra frætwafrēan ealles þanc
wuldur-cyningewordum secge,
ēcum dryhtne,þē ic hēr on starie,
þæs þe ic mōstemīnum lēodum
ǣr swylt-dægeswylc gestrȳnan. Nū ic on māðma hordmīne bebohte
frōde feorh-lege,fremmað gē nū
lēoda þearfe;ne mæg ic hēr leng wesan. Hātað heaðo-mǣrehlǣw gewyrcean,
beorhtne æfter bǣleæt brimes nosan; se scel tō gemyndummīnum lēodum
hēah hlīfianon Hrones næsse,
þæt hit sǣ-līðendsyððan hātan
Bīowulfes biorh,þā þe brentingas
ofer flōda genipufeorran drīfað." Dyde him of healsehring gyldenne
þīoden þrīst-hȳdig,þegne gesealde,
geongum gār-wigan,gold-fāhne helm,
bēah and byrnan,hēt hyne brūcan well: "Þū eart ende-lāfūsses cynnes,
Wǣgmundinga;ealle Wyrd forswēof,
mīne māgastō metod-sceafte,
eorlas on elne:ic him æfter sceal." Þæt wæs þām gomelangingeste word
brēost-gehygdum,ǣr hē bǣl cure,
hāte heaðo-wylmas:him of hreðre gewāt
sāwol sēceansōð-fæstra dōm.
Chapter 39
Þā wæs gegongenguman unfrōdum
earfoðlīce,þæt hē on eorðan geseah
þone lēofestanlīfes æt ende
blēate gebǣran.Bona swylce læg,
egeslīc eorð-draca,ealdre berēafod,
bealwe gebǣded:bēah-hordum leng
wyrm wōh-bogenwealdan ne mōste,
ac him īrennaecga fornāmon,
hearde heaðo-scearpehomera lāfe,
þæt se wīd-flogawundum stille
hrēas on hrūsanhord-ærne nēah,
nalles æfter lyftelācende hwearf
middel-nihtum,māðm-ǣhta wlonc
ansȳn ȳwde:ac hē eorðan gefēoll
for þæs hild-frumanhond-geweorce. Hūru þæt on landelȳt manna þāh
mægen-āgendramīne gefrǣge,
þēah þe hē dǣda gehwæsdyrstig wǣre,
þæt hē wið attor-sceaðanoreðe gerǣsde,
oððe hring-selehondum styrede,
gif hē wæccendeweard onfunde
būan on beorge.Bīowulfe wearð
dryht-māðma dǣldēaðe forgolden; hæfde ǣghwæðerende gefēred
lǣnan līfes.Næs þā lang tō þon,
þæt þā hild-latanholt ofgēfan,
tȳdre trēow-logantȳne ætsomne,
þā ne dorston ǣrdareðum lācan
on hyra man-dryhtnesmiclan þearfe; ac hȳ scamiendescyldas bǣran,
gūð-gewǣdu,þǣr se gomela læg: wlitan on Wīglāf.Hē gewērgad sæt,
fēðe-cempafrēan eaxlum nēah,
wehte hyne wætre;him wiht ne spēow; ne meahte hē on eorðan,þēah hē ūðe wēl,
on þām frum-gārefeorh gehealdan,
nē þæs wealdendes willanwiht oncirran; wolde dōm godesdǣdum rǣdan
gumena gehwylcum,swā hē nū gēn dēð. Þā wæs æt þām geongangrim andswaru
ēð-begēte þām þe ǣrhis elne forlēas. Wīglāf maðelode,Wēohstānes sunu,
secg sārig-ferðseah on unlēofe: "Þæt lā mæg secgan,sē þe wyle sōð sprecan,
þæt se mon-dryhten,se ēow þā māðmas geaf,
ēored-geatwe,þē gē þǣr on standað,
þonne hē on ealu-benceoft gesealde
heal-sittendumhelm and byrnan,
þēoden his þegnum,swylce hē þrȳðlīcost
ōhwǣr feor oððe nēahfindan meahte,
þæt hē gēnungagūð-gewǣdu
wrāðe forwurpe.Þā hyne wīg beget,
nealles folc-cyningfyrd-gesteallum
gylpan þorfte;hwæðre him god ūðe,
sigora waldend,þæt hē hyne sylfne gewræc
āna mid ecge,þā him wæs elnes þearf,
Ic him līf-wraðelȳtle meahte
ætgifan æt gūðeand ongan swā þēah
ofer mīn gemetmǣges helpan: symle wæs þȳ sǣmra,þonne ic sweorde drep
ferhð-genīðlan,fȳr unswīðor
wēoll of gewitte.Wergendra tō lȳt
þrong ymbe þēoden,þā hyne sīo þrāg becwōm. Nū sceal sinc-þegoand swyrd-gifu
eall ēðel-wynēowrum cynne,
lufen ālicgean:lond-rihtes mōt
þǣre mǣg-burgemonna ǣghwylc
īdel hweorfan,syððan æðelingas
feorran gefricgeanflēam ēowerne,
dōm-lēasan dǣd.Dēað bið sēlla
eorla gehwylcumþonne edwīt-līf!"
Chapter 40
Heht þā þæt heaðo-weorctō hagan bīodan
up ofer ēg-clif,þǣr þæt eorl-weorod
morgen-longne dægmōd-giōmor sæt,
bord-hæbbende,bēga on wēnum
ende-dōgoresand eft-cymes
lēofes monnes.Lȳt swīgode
nīwra spella,sē þe næs gerād,
ac hē sōðlīcesægde ofer ealle; "Nū is wil-geofaWedra lēoda,
dryhten Gēatadēað-bedde fæst,
wunað wæl-restewyrmes dǣdum; him on efn ligeðealdor-gewinna,
siex-bennum sēoc:sweorde ne meahte
on þām āglǣceanǣnige þinga
wunde gewyrcean.Wīglāf siteð
ofer Bīowulfe,byre Wīhstānes,
eorl ofer ōðrumunlifigendum,
healdeð hige-mēðumhēafod-wearde
lēofes and lāðes.Nū ys lēodum wēn
orleg-hwīle,syððan underne
Froncum and Frȳsumfyll cyninges
wīde weorðeð.Wæs sīo wrōht scepen
heard wið Hūgas,syððan Higelāc cwōm
faran flot-hergeon Frēsna land,
þǣr hyne Hetwarehilde gehnǣgdon,
elne geēodonmid ofer-mægene,
þæt se byrn-wigabūgan sceolde,
fēoll on fēðan:nalles frætwe geaf
ealdor dugoðe;ūs wæs ā syððan
Merewīoingamilts ungyfeðe. Nē ic tō Swēo-þēodesibbe oððe trēowe
wihte ne wēne;ac wæs wīde cūð,
þætte Ongenþīoealdre besnyðede
Hæðcyn Hrēðlingwið Hrefna-wudu,
þā for on-mēdlanǣrest gesōhton
Gēata lēodeGūð-scilfingas. Sōna him se frōdafæder Ōhtheres,
eald and eges-fullond-slyht āgeaf,
ābrēot brim-wīsan,brȳd āhēorde,
gomela īo-meowlangolde berofene,
Onelan mōdorand Ōhtheres,
and þā folgodefeorh-genīðlan
oð þæt hī oðēodonearfoðlīce
in Hrefnes-holthlāford-lēase. Besæt þā sin-hergesweorda lāfe
wundum wērge,wēan oft gehēt
earmre teohheandlonge niht: cwæð hē on mergennemēces ecgum
gētan wolde,sume on galg-trēowum
fuglum tō gamene.Frōfor eft gelamp
sārig-mōdumsomod ǣr-dæge,
syððan hīe Hygelāceshorn and bȳman
gealdor ongeāton.Þā se gōda cōm
lēoda dugoðeon lāst faran.