BEOWULF
diacritically-marked text and facing translation
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XXXIIII |
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| Sé ðæs léodhryres léan gemunde |
| He for the prince's fall requital remembered | ||
| uferan dógrum· Éadgilse wearð |
| in later days, to Eadgils he became | ||
| féasceaftum fréond· folce gestépte |
| a friend in his plight; with men he supported | ||
| ofer saé síde sunu Óhteres |
2394 | over the wide sea the son of Ohtere, | ||
| wigum ond waépnum· hé gewræc syððan |
| with warriors and weapons; he had vengeance then | ||
| cealdum cearsiðum· cyning ealdre binéat: |
| in cold grief-bringing ventures, he deprived the king of his life: | ||
| swá hé níða gehwane genesen hæfde |
| so he each of the enmities had survived, | ||
| slíðra geslyhta, sunu Ecgðíowes, |
| dire conflicts, the son of Ecgetheow, | ||
| ellenweorca oð ðone ánne dæg |
2399 | deeds of courage, until the one day, | ||
| þé hé wið þám wyrme gewegan sceolde. |
| when he with the serpent must struggle. | ||
| Gewát þá twelfa sum torne gebolgen |
| Then he went, one of twelve, swollen with anger, | ||
| dryhten Géata, dracan scéawian· |
| the lord of the Geats, to behold the dragon; | ||
| hæfde þá gefrúnen hwanan sío faéhð árás |
| he had heard then whence this feud arose, | ||
| bealoníð biorna: him tó bearme cwóm |
2404 | wicked hostility for men: to his bosom came | ||
| máðþumfæt maére, þurh ðæs meldan hond· |
| the precious vessel, through the informer's hand; | ||
| sé wæs on ðám ðréate þreottéoða secg |
| he was in that group the thirteenth man, | ||
| sé ðæs orleges ór onstealde |
| he who this strife's origin brought about, | ||
| hæft hygegiómor· sceolde héan ðonon |
| the gloomy-minded captive; he was obliged, humbly, thence | ||
| wong wísian· hé ofer willan gíong |
2409 | to lead the way to the place; he went against his will | ||
| tó ðæs ðe hé eorðsele ánne wisse |
| to where the earth-hall he alone knew, | ||
| hlaéw under hrúsan holmwylme néh |
| the cairn under the ground near the surging of the sea, | ||
| ýðgewinne· sé wæs innan full |
| the struggle of the waves; it was full inside | ||
| wraétta ond wíra· weard unhíore |
| of jewels and intricate metal-work; an unpleasant guard, | ||
| gearo gúðfreca goldmáðmas héold |
2414 | ready, eager war-fighter held golden treasures | ||
| eald under eorðan· næs þæt ýðe céap |
| old under the earth; that was not an easy bargain, | ||
| tó gegangenne gumena aénigum. |
| to obtain for any man. | ||
| Gesæt ðá on næsse níðheard cyning· |
| Then on the headland sat the violence-hard king, | ||
| þenden haélo ábéad heorðgenéatum |
| while prosperity bid to his hearth-companions, | ||
| goldwine Géata· him wæs geómor sefa |
2419 | the gold-friend of the Geats; in him his heart was sad, | ||
| waéfre ond wælfús, wyrd ungemete néah |
| restless and slaughter-eager, fate all too near | ||
| sé ðone gomelan grétan sceolde, |
| which the old man must greet, | ||
| sécean sáwle hord, sundur gedaélan |
| seeking the treasure of his soul, sever asunder | ||
| líf wið líce· nó þon lange wæs |
| life from limb; it was not for long then | ||
| feorh æþelinges flaésce bewunden. |
2424 | the nobleman's life would be wound in his flesh. | ||
| Bíowulf maþelade bearn Ecgðéowes: |
| Beowulf spoke, the son of Edgetheow: | ||
| 'Fela ic on giogoðe gúðraésa genæs |
| 'In youth I many war-storms survived, | ||
| orleghwíla· ic þæt eall gemon· |
| in battle-times; I remember all of that; | ||
| ic wæs syfanwintre þá mec sinca baldor |
| I was seven-winters (old) when me the lord of treasure, | ||
| fréawine folca æt mínum fæder genam· |
2429 | the lord and friend of the folk, took from my father; | ||
| héold mec ond hæfde Hréðel cyning· |
| held and had me King Hrethel, | ||
| geaf mé sinc ond symbel· sibbe gemunde· |
| gave me treasure and feast, recalled kinship; | ||
| næs ic him tó life láðra ówihte |
| I was not by him in life less in aught, | ||
| beorn in burgum þonne his bearna hwylc |
| a man in citadel, than each of his own sons, | ||
| Herebeald ond Hæðcyn oððe Hygelác mín. |
2434 | Herebeald and Haethcyn or my Hygelac. | ||
| Wæs þám yldestan ungedéfelice |
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| maéges daédum morþorbed strëd |
| by a kinsman's deeds a death-bed strewed, | ||
| syððan hyne Hæðcyn of hornbogan |
| when him Haethcyn from a horn-bow | ||
| his fréawine fláne geswencte· |
| his friend and lord struck down with an arrow, | ||
| miste mercelses ond his maég ofscét |
2439 | missed his mark and his kinsman shot dead, | ||
| bróðor óðerne blódigan gáre· |
| the one brother the other with a bloody bolt; | ||
| þæt wæs feohléas gefeoht fyrenum gesyngad, |
| that was an irreparable fight, grieviously wronged, | ||
| hreðre hygeméðe· sceolde hwæðre swá þéah |
| heart-wearying in the breast; yet must though | ||
| æðeling unwrecen ealdres linnan. |
| the noble unavenged be parted from life. | ||
| Swá bið geómorlíc gomelum ceorle |
2444 | In the same way it is tragic for an old man | ||
| tó gebídanne þæt his byre ríde |
| to abide that his son rides | ||
| giong on galgan: þonne hé gyd wrece, |
| young on the gallows: then he utters a dirge, | ||
| sárigne sang þonne his sunu hangað |
| a sorrowing song, that his son hangs | ||
| hrefne tó hróðre ond hé him helpan ne mæg |
| for the pleasure of the raven, and he can not him help, | ||
| eald ond infród aénige gefremman· |
2449 | old and experienced, any provide; | ||
| symble bið gemyndgad morna gehwylce |
| ever is reminded each morning, | ||
| eaforan ellorsíð· óðres ne gýmeð |
| of the other-world journey of his son; another he heeds not | ||
| tó gebídanne burgum in innan |
| to wait for within the strongholds, | ||
| yrfeweardas þonne se án hafað |
| guardian of inheritance, when the one he has | ||
| þurh déaðes nýd daéda gefondad· |
2454 | through Death's compulsion experienced deeds; | ||
| gesyhð sorhcearig on his suna búre |
| he sees, sad and sorrowful, in his son's dwelling | ||
| wínsele wéstne windge reste |
| a wine-hall wasted, a wind-swept resting place | ||
| réote berofene· rídend swefað |
| bereft of joy; the riders sleep, | ||
| hæleð in hoðman· nis þaér hearpan swég |
| heroes hidden in graves; there is not sound of harp, | ||
| gomen in geardum swylce ðaér iú waéron. |
2459 | revelry in the courts, such as long ago there was. |