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Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

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Beowulf ch. XXXVI

Beowulf 36x — ed. Tarrin Wills

Not published: do not cite (Beowulf ch.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

AnonymousBeowulf
35xXXXVI37x

text and translation

The new edition is either unpublished or unavailable.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

Wiglaf wæs haten | Weoxstanes sunu,
leoflic lindwiga, | leod Scylfinga,
mæg ælfheres; | geseah his mondryhten
under heregriman | hat þrowian.
Gemunde ða ða are | þe he him ær forgeaf,
wicstede weligne | Wægmundinga,
folcrihta gehwylc, | swa his fæder ahte.
Ne mihte ða forhabban; | hond rond gefeng,
geolwe linde, | gomel swyrd geteah,
þæt wæs mid eldum | Eanmundes laf,
suna Ohteres. | þam æt sæcce wearð,
wræccan wineleasum, | Weohstan bana
meces ecgum, | ond his magum ætbær
brunfagne helm, | hringde byrnan,
eald sweord etonisc; | þæt him Onela forgeaf,
his gædelinges | guðgewædu,
fyrdsearo fuslic, | no ymbe ða fæhðe spræc,
þeah ðe he his broðor bearn | abredwade.
He frætwe geheold | fela missera,
bill ond byrnan, | oððæt his byre mihte
eorlscipe efnan | swa his ærfæder;
geaf him ða mid Geatum | guðgewæda,
æghwæs unrim, | þa he of ealdre gewat,
frod on forðweg. | þa wæs forma sið
geongan cempan, | þæt he guðe ræs
mid his freodryhtne | fremman sceolde.
Ne gemealt him se modsefa, | ne his mæges laf
gewac æt wige; | þæt se wyrm onfand,
syððan hie togædre | gegan hæfdon.
Wiglaf maðelode, | wordrihta fela
sægde gesiðum | (him wæs sefa geomor):
"Ic ðæt mæl geman, | þær we medu þegun,
þonne we geheton | ussum hlaforde
in biorsele, | ðe us ðas beagas geaf,
þæt we him ða guðgetawa | gyldan woldon
gif him þyslicu | þearf gelumpe,
helmas ond heard sweord. | ðe he usic on herge geceas
to ðyssum siðfate | sylfes willum,
onmunde usic mærða, | ond me þas maðmas geaf,
þe he usic garwigend | gode tealde,
hwate helmberend, | þeah ðe hlaford us
þis ellenweorc | ana aðohte
to gefremmanne, | folces hyrde,
for ðam he manna mæst | mærða gefremede,
dæda dollicra. | Nu is se dæg cumen
þæt ure mandryhten | mægenes behofað,
godra guðrinca; | wutun gongan to,
helpan hildfruman, | þenden hyt sy,
gledegesa grim. | God wat on mec
þæt me is micle leofre | þæt minne lichaman
mid minne goldgyfan | gled fæðmie.
Ne þynceð me gerysne | þæt we rondas beren
eft to earde, | nemne we æror mægen
fane gefyllan, | feorh ealgian
Wedra ðeodnes. | Ic wat geare
þæt næron ealdgewyrht, | þæt he ana scyle
Geata duguðe | gnorn þrowian,
gesigan æt sæcce; | urum sceal sweord ond helm,
byrne ond beaduscrud, | bam gemæne."
Wod þa þurh þone wælrec, | wigheafolan bær
frean on fultum, | fea worda cwæð:
"Leofa Biowulf, | læst eall tela,
swa ðu on geoguðfeore | geara gecwæde
þæt ðu ne alæte | be ðe lifigendum
dom gedreosan. | Scealt nu dædum rof,
æðeling anhydig, | ealle mægene
feorh ealgian; | ic ðe fullæstu."
æfter ðam wordum | wyrm yrre cwom,
atol inwitgæst, | oðre siðe
fyrwylmum fah | fionda niosian,
laðra manna; | ligyðum for.
Born bord wið rond, | byrne ne meahte
geongum garwigan | geoce gefremman,
ac se maga geonga | under his mæges scyld
elne geeode, | þa his agen wæs
gledum forgrunden. | þa gen guðcyning
mærða gemunde, | mægenstrengo sloh
hildebille, | þæt hyt on heafolan stod
niþe genyded; | Nægling forbærst,
geswac æt sæcce | sweord Biowulfes,
gomol ond grægmæl. | Him þæt gifeðe ne wæs
þæt him irenna | ecge mihton
helpan æt hilde; | wæs sio hond to strong,
se ðe meca gehwane, | mine gefræge,
swenge ofersohte, | þonne he to sæcce bær
wæpen wundrum heard; | næs him wihte ðe sel.
þa wæs þeodsceaða | þriddan siðe,
frecne fyrdraca, | fæhða gemyndig,
ræsde on ðone rofan, | þa him rum ageald,
hat ond heaðogrim, | heals ealne ymbefeng
biteran banum; | he geblodegod wearð
sawuldriore, | swat yðum weoll.

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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