Beowulf ch. VI
Beowulf 7x — ed. Tarrin Wills
Not published: do not cite (Beowulf ch. VI)
text and translation
The new edition is either unpublished or unavailable. The following is taken from an old edition (Skj where relevant):
Hroðgar maþelode, | helm Scyldinga:
"Ic hine cuðe | cnihtwesende.
Wæs his ealdfæder | Ecgþeo haten,
ðæm to ham forgeaf | Hreþel Geata
angan dohtor; | is his eafora nu
heard her cumen, | sohte holdne wine.
ðonne sægdon þæt | sæliþende,
þa ðe gifsceattas | Geata fyredon
þyder to þance, | þæt he XXXtiges
manna mægencræft | on his mundgripe
heaþorof hæbbe. | Hine halig god
for arstafum | us onsende,
to Westdenum, | þæs ic wen hæbbe,
wið Grendles gryre. | Ic þæm godan sceal
for his modþræce | madmas beodan.
Beo ðu on ofeste, | hat in gan
seon sibbegedriht | samod ætgædere;
gesaga him eac wordum | þæt hie sint wilcuman
Deniga leodum." |
word inne abead:
"Eow het secgan | sigedrihten min,
aldor Eastdena, | þæt he eower æþelu can,
ond ge him syndon | ofer sæwylmas
heardhicgende | hider wilcuman.
Nu ge moton gangan | in eowrum guðgeatawum
under heregriman | Hroðgar geseon;
lætað hildebord | her onbidan,
wudu, wælsceaftas, | worda geþinges."
Aras þa se rica, | ymb hine rinc manig,
þryðlic þegna heap; | sume þær bidon,
heaðoreaf heoldon, | swa him se hearda bebead.
Snyredon ætsomne, | þa secg wisode,
under Heorotes hrof |
heard under helme, | þæt he on heoðe gestod.
Beowulf maðelode | (on him byrne scan,
searonet seowed | smiþes orþancum):
"Wæs þu, Hroðgar, hal! | Ic eom Higelaces
mæg ond magoðegn; | hæbbe ic mærða fela
ongunnen on geogoþe. | Me wearð Grendles þing
on minre eþeltyrf | undyrne cuð;
secgað sæliðend | þæt þæs sele stande,
reced selesta, | rinca gehwylcum
idel ond unnyt, | siððan æfenleoht
under heofenes hador | beholen weorþeð.
þa me þæt gelærdon | leode mine
þa selestan, | snotere ceorlas,
þeoden Hroðgar, | þæt ic þe sohte,
forþan hie mægenes cræft | minne cuþon,
selfe ofersawon, | ða ic of searwum cwom,
fah from feondum, | þær ic fife geband,
yðde eotena cyn | ond on yðum slog
niceras nihtes, | nearoþearfe dreah,
wræc Wedera nið | (wean ahsodon),
forgrand gramum, | ond nu wið Grendel sceal,
wið þam aglæcan, | ana gehegan
ðing wið þyrse. | Ic þe nu ða,
brego Beorhtdena, | biddan wille,
eodor Scyldinga, | anre bene,
þæt ðu me ne forwyrne, | wigendra hleo,
freowine folca, | nu ic þus feorran com,
þæt ic mote ana | ond minra eorla gedryht,
þes hearda heap, | Heorot fælsian.
Hæbbe ic eac geahsod | þæt se æglæca
for his wonhydum | wæpna ne recceð.
Ic þæt þonne forhicge | (swa me Higelac sie,
min mondrihten, | modes bliðe),
þæt ic sweord bere | oþðe sidne scyld,
geolorand to guþe, | ac ic mid grape sceal
fon wið feonde | ond ymb feorh sacan,
lað wið laþum; | ðær gelyfan sceal
dryhtnes dome | se þe hine deað nimeð.
Wen ic þæt he wille, | gif he wealdan mot,
in þæm guðsele | Geotena leode
etan unforhte, | swa he oft dyde,
mægen Hreðmanna. | Na þu minne þearft
hafalan hydan, | ac he me habban wile
dreore fahne, | gif mec deað nimeð.
Byreð blodig wæl, | byrgean þenceð,
eteð angenga | unmurnlice,
mearcað morhopu; | no ðu ymb mines ne þearft
lices feorme | leng sorgian.
Onsend Higelace, | gif mec hild nime,
beaduscruda betst, | þæt mine breost wereð,
hrægla selest; | þæt is Hrædlan laf,
Welandes geweorc. | Gæð a wyrd swa hio scel."
sources
Text is based on reconstruction from the base text and variant apparatus and may contain alternative spellings and other normalisations not visible in the manuscript text. Transcriptions may not have been checked and should not be cited.
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