Beowulf ch. XX
Beowulf 21x — ed. Tarrin Wills
Not published: do not cite (Beowulf ch. XX)
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The new edition is either unpublished or unavailable.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:
"Ne frin þu æfter sælum! | Sorh is geniwod
Denigea leodum. | Dead is æschere,
Yrmenlafes | yldra broþor,
min runwita | ond min rædbora,
eaxlgestealla, | ðonne we on orlege
hafelan weredon, | þonne hniton feþan,
eoferas cnysedan. | Swylc scolde eorl wesan,
æþeling ærgod, | swylc æschere wæs!
Wearð him on Heorote | to handbanan
wælgæst wæfre; | ic ne wat hwæder
atol æse wlanc | eftsiðas teah,
fylle gefægnod. | Heo þa fæhðe wræc
þe þu gystran niht | Grendel cwealdest
þurh hæstne had | heardum clammum,
forþan he to lange | leode mine
wanode ond wyrde. | He æt wige gecrang
ealdres scyldig, | ond nu oþer cwom
mihtig manscaða, | wolde hyre mæg wrecan,
ge feor hafað | fæhðe gestæled
(þæs þe þincean mæg | þegne monegum,
se þe æfter sincgyfan | on sefan greoteþ),
hreþerbealo hearde; | nu seo hand ligeð,
se þe eow welhwylcra | wilna dohte.
Ic þæt londbuend, | leode mine,
selerædende, | secgan hyrde
þæt hie gesawon | swylce twegen
micle mearcstapan | moras healdan,
ellorgæstas. | ðæra oðer wæs,
þæs þe hie gewislicost | gewitan meahton,
idese onlicnæs; | oðer earmsceapen
on weres wæstmum | wræclastas træd,
næfne he wæs mara | þonne ænig man oðer;
þone on geardagum | Grendel nemdon
foldbuende. | No hie fæder cunnon,
hwæþer him ænig wæs | ær acenned
dyrnra gasta. | Hie dygel lond
warigeað, wulfhleoþu, | windige næssas,
frecne fengelad, | ðær fyrgenstream
under næssa genipu | niþer gewiteð,
flod under foldan. | Nis þæt feor heonon
milgemearces | þæt se mere standeð;
ofer þæm hongiað | hrinde bearwas,
wudu wyrtum fæst | wæter oferhelmað.
þær mæg nihta gehwæm | niðwundor seon,
fyr on flode. | No þæs frod leofað
gumena bearna, | þæt þone grund wite;
ðeah þe hæðstapa | hundum geswenced,
heorot hornum trum, | holtwudu sece,
feorran geflymed, | ær he feorh seleð,
aldor on ofre, | ær he in wille
hafelan hydan. | Nis þæt heoru stow!
þonon yðgeblond | up astigeð
won to wolcnum, | þonne wind styreþ,
lað gewidru, | oðþæt lyft drysmaþ,
roderas reotað. | Nu is se ræd gelang
eft æt þe anum. | Eard git ne const,
frecne stowe, | ðær þu findan miht
felasinnigne secg; | sec gif þu dyrre.
Ic þe þa fæhðe | feo leanige,
ealdgestreonum, | swa ic ær dyde,
wundnum golde, | gyf þu on weg cymest."
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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