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skaldic

Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

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Beowulf ch. [XXVIIII-XXX]

Beowulf 30x — ed. Tarrin Wills

Not published: do not cite (Beowulf ch. [XXVIIII-XXX])

AnonymousBeowulf
29x[XXVIIII-XXX]31x

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.

text and translation

The new edition is either unpublished or unavailable. The following is taken from an old edition (Skj where relevant):

Biowulf maðelode, | bearn Ecgðioes:
"þæt is undyrne, | dryhten Higelac,
micel gemeting, | monegum fira,
hwylc orleghwil | uncer Grendles
wearð on ðam wange, | þær he worna fela
Sigescyldingum | sorge gefremede,
yrmðe to aldre. | Ic ðæt eall gewræc,
swa begylpan ne þearf | Grendeles maga
ænig ofer eorðan | uhthlem þone,
se ðe lengest leofað | laðan cynnes,
facne bifongen. | Ic ðær furðum cwom
to ðam hringsele | Hroðgar gretan;
sona me se mæra | mago Healfdenes,
syððan he modsefan | minne cuðe,
wið his sylfes sunu | setl getæhte.
Weorod wæs on wynne; | ne seah ic widan feorh
under heofones hwealf | healsittendra
medudream maran. | Hwilum mæru cwen,
friðusibb folca, | flet eall geondhwearf,
bædde byre geonge; | oft hio beahwriðan
secge sealde, | ær hie to setle geong.
Hwilum for duguðe | dohtor Hroðgares
eorlum on ende | ealuwæge bær;
þa ic Freaware | fletsittende
nemnan hyrde, | þær hio nægled sinc
hæleðum sealde. | Sio gehaten is,
geong, goldhroden, | gladum suna Frodan;
hafað þæs geworden | wine Scyldinga,
rices hyrde, | ond þæt ræd talað,
þæt he mid ðy wife | wælfæhða dæl,
sæcca gesette. | Oft seldan hwær
æfter leodhryre | lytle hwile
bongar bugeð, | þeah seo bryd duge!
Mæg þæs þonne ofþyncan | ðeodne Heaðobeardna
ond þegna gehwam | þara leoda,
þonne he mid fæmnan | on flett gæð,
dryhtbearn Dena, | duguða biwenede;
on him gladiað | gomelra lafe,
heard ond hringmæl | Heaðabeardna gestreon
þenden hie ðam wæpnum | wealdan moston,
oððæt hie forlæddan | to ðam lindplegan
swæse gesiðas | ond hyra sylfra feorh.
þonne cwið æt beore | se ðe beah gesyhð,
eald æscwiga, | se ðe eall geman,
garcwealm gumena | (him bið grim sefa),
onginneð geomormod | geongum cempan
þurh hreðra gehygd | higes cunnian,
wigbealu weccean, | ond þæt word acwyð:
'Meaht ðu, min wine, | mece gecnawan
þone þin fæder | to gefeohte bær
under heregriman | hindeman siðe,
dyre iren, | þær hyne Dene slogon,
weoldon wælstowe, | syððan Wiðergyld læg,
æfter hæleþa hryre, | hwate Scyldungas?
Nu her þara banena | byre nathwylces
frætwum hremig | on flet gæð,
morðres gylpeð, | ond þone maðþum byreð,
þone þe ðu mid rihte | rædan sceoldest.'
Manað swa ond myndgað | mæla gehwylce
sarum wordum, | oððæt sæl cymeð
þæt se fæmnan þegn | fore fæder dædum
æfter billes bite | blodfag swefeð,
ealdres scyldig; | him se oðer þonan
losað lifigende, | con him land geare.
þonne bioð abrocene | on ba healfe
aðsweord eorla; | syððan Ingelde
weallað wælniðas, | ond him wiflufan
æfter cearwælmum | colran weorðað.
þy ic Heaðobeardna | hyldo ne telge,
dryhtsibbe dæl | Denum unfæcne,
freondscipe fæstne. | Ic sceal forð sprecan
gen ymbe Grendel, | þæt ðu geare cunne,
sinces brytta, | to hwan syððan wearð
hondræs hæleða. | Syððan heofones gim
glad ofer grundas, | gæst yrre cwom,
eatol, æfengrom, | user neosan,
ðær we gesunde | sæl weardodon.
þær wæs Hondscio | hild onsæge,
feorhbealu fægum; | he fyrmest læg,
gyrded cempa; | him Grendel wearð,
mærum maguþegne | to muðbonan,
leofes mannes | lic eall forswealg.
No ðy ær ut ða gen | idelhende
bona blodigtoð, | bealewa gemyndig,
of ðam goldsele | gongan wolde,
ac he mægnes rof | min costode,
grapode gearofolm. | Glof hangode
sid ond syllic, | searobendum fæst;
sio wæs orðoncum | eall gegyrwed
deofles cræftum | ond dracan fellum.
He mec þær on innan | unsynnigne,
dior dædfruma, | gedon wolde
manigra sumne; | hyt ne mihte swa,
syððan ic on yrre | uppriht astod.
To lang ys to reccenne | hu ic ðam leodsceaðan
yfla gehwylces | ondlean forgeald;
þær ic, þeoden min, | þine leode
weorðode weorcum. | He on weg losade,
lytle hwile | lifwynna breac;
hwæþre him sio swiðre | swaðe weardade
hand on Hiorte, | ond he hean ðonan
modes geomor | meregrund gefeoll.
Me þone wælræs | wine Scildunga
fættan golde | fela leanode,
manegum maðmum, | syððan mergen com
ond we to symble | geseten hæfdon.
þær wæs gidd ond gleo. | Gomela Scilding,
felafricgende, | feorran rehte;
hwilum hildedeor | hearpan wynne,
gomenwudu grette, | hwilum gyd awræc
soð ond sarlic, | hwilum syllic spell
rehte æfter rihte | rumheort cyning.
Hwilum eft ongan, | eldo gebunden,
gomel guðwiga | gioguðe cwiðan,
hildestrengo; | hreðer inne weoll,
þonne he wintrum frod | worn gemunde.
Swa we þær inne | ondlangne dæg
niode naman, | oððæt niht becwom
oðer to yldum. | þa wæs eft hraðe
gearo gyrnwræce | Grendeles modor,
siðode sorhfull; | sunu deað fornam,
wighete Wedra. | Wif unhyre
hyre bearn gewræc, | beorn acwealde
ellenlice; | þær wæs æschere,
frodan fyrnwitan, | feorh uðgenge.
Noðer hy hine ne moston, | syððan mergen cwom,
deaðwerigne, | Denia leode,
bronde forbærnan, | ne on bæl hladan
leofne mannan; | hio þæt lic ætbær
feondes fæðmum | under firgenstream.
þæt wæs Hroðgare | hreowa tornost
þara þe leodfruman | lange begeate.
þa se ðeoden mec | ðine life
healsode hreohmod, | þæt ic on holma geþring
eorlscipe efnde, | ealdre geneðde,
mærðo fremede; | he me mede gehet.
Ic ða ðæs wælmes, | þe is wide cuð,
grimne gryrelicne | grundhyrde fond;
þær unc hwile wæs | hand gemæne,
holm heolfre weoll, | ond ic heafde becearf
in ðam guðsele | Grendeles modor
eacnum ecgum, | unsofte þonan
feorh oðferede. | Næs ic fæge þa gyt,
ac me eorla hleo | eft gesealde
maðma menigeo, | maga Healfdenes.

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