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skaldic

Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

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Beowulf ch. XXXIIII

Beowulf 34x — ed. Tarrin Wills

Not published: do not cite (Beowulf ch. XXXIIII)

AnonymousBeowulf
33xXXXIIII35x

text and translation

The new edition is either unpublished or unavailable.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

Se ðæs leodhryres | lean gemunde
uferan dogrum, | Eadgilse wearð
feasceaftum freond, | folce gestepte
ofer sæ side | sunu Ohteres,
wigum ond wæpnum; | he gewræc syððan
cealdum cearsiðum, | cyning ealdre bineat.
Swa he niða gehwane | genesen hæfde,
sliðra geslyhta, | sunu Ecgðiowes,
ellenweorca, | oð ðone anne dæg
þe he wið þam wyrme | gewegan sceolde.
Gewat þa XIIa sum | torne gebolgen
dryhten Geata | dracan sceawian.
Hæfde þa gefrunen | hwanan sio fæhð aras,
bealonið biorna; | him to bearme cwom
maðþumfæt mære | þurh ðæs meldan hond.
Se wæs on ðam ðreate | þreotteoða secg,
se ðæs orleges | or onstealde,
hæft hygegiomor, | sceolde hean ðonon
wong wisian. | He ofer willan giong
to ðæs ðe he eorðsele | anne wisse,
hlæw under hrusan | holmwylme neh,
yðgewinne; | se wæs innan full
wrætta ond wira. | Weard unhiore,
gearo guðfreca, | goldmaðmas heold,
eald under eorðan. | Næs þæt yðe ceap
to gegangenne | gumena ænigum!
Gesæt ða on næsse | niðheard cyning,
þenden hælo abead | heorðgeneatum,
goldwine Geata. | Him wæs geomor sefa,
wæfre ond wælfus, | wyrd ungemete neah,
se ðone gomelan | gretan sceolde,
secean sawle hord, | sundur gedælan
lif wið lice, | no þon lange wæs
feorh æþelinges | flæsce bewunden.
Biowulf maþelade, | bearn Ecgðeowes:
"Fela ic on giogoðe | guðræsa genæs,
orleghwila; | ic þæt eall gemon.
Ic wæs syfanwintre, | þa mec sinca baldor,
freawine folca, | æt minum fæder genam;
heold mec ond hæfde | Hreðel cyning,
geaf me sinc ond symbel, | sibbe gemunde.
Næs ic him to life | laðra owihte,
beorn in burgum, | þonne his bearna hwylc,
Herebeald ond Hæðcyn | oððe Hygelac min.
Wæs þam yldestan | ungedefelice
mæges dædum | morþorbed stred,
syððan hyne Hæðcyn | of hornbogan,
his freawine, | flane geswencte,
miste mercelses | ond his mæg ofscet,
broðor oðerne | blodigan gare.
þæt wæs feohleas gefeoht, | fyrenum gesyngad,
hreðre hygemeðe; | sceolde hwæðre swa þeah
æðeling unwrecen | ealdres linnan.
Swa bið geomorlic | gomelum ceorle
to gebidanne, | þæt his byre ride
giong on galgan, | þonne he gyd wrece,
sarigne sang, | þonne his sunu hangað
hrefne to hroðre, | ond he him helpe ne mæg,
eald ond infrod, | ænige gefremman.
Symble bið gemyndgad | morna gehwylce
eaforan ellorsið; | oðres ne gymeð
to gebidanne | burgum in innan
yrfeweardas, | þonne se an hafað
þurh deaðes nyd | dæda gefondad.
Gesyhð sorhcearig | on his suna bure
winsele westne, | windge reste
reote berofene. | Ridend swefað,
hæleð in hoðman; | nis þær hearpan sweg,
gomen in geardum, | swylce ðær iu wæron.

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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