XXXIII. BEOWULF RESOLVES TO KILL THE FIRE-DRAKE.
Þā se gæst ongan glēdum spīwan, beorht hofu bærnan; bryne-lēoma stōd 2315 eldum on andan; nō þǣr āht cwices lāð lyft-floga lǣfan wolde. Wæs þæs wyrmes wīg wīde gesȳne, nearo-fāges nīð nēan and feorran, hū se gūð-sceaða Gēata lēode 2320 hatode and hȳnde: hord eft gescēat, dryht-sele dyrnne ǣr dæges hwīle. Hæfde land-wara līge befangen, bǣle and bronde; beorges getruwode, wīges and wealles: him sēo wēn gelēah. 2325 Þā wæs Bīowulfe brōga gecȳðed snūde tō sōðe, þæt his sylfes him bolda sēlest bryne-wylmum mealt, gif-stōl Gēata. Þæt þām gōdan wæs hrēow on hreðre, hyge-sorga mǣst: 2330 wēnde se wīsa, þæt hē wealdende, ofer ealde riht, ēcean dryhtne bitre gebulge: brēost innan wēoll þēostrum geþoncum, swā him geþȳwe ne wæs. Hæfde līg-draca lēoda fæsten, 2335 ēa-lond ūtan, eorð-weard þone glēdum forgrunden. Him þæs gūð-cyning, Wedera þīoden, wræce leornode. Heht him þā gewyrcean wīgendra hlēo eall-īrenne, eorla dryhten 2340 wīg-bord wrǣtlīc; wisse hē gearwe, þæt him holt-wudu helpan ne meahte, lind wið līge. Sceolde lǣn-daga æðeling ǣr-gōd ende gebīdan worulde līfes and se wyrm somod; 2345 þēah þe hord-welan hēolde lange. Oferhogode þā hringa fengel, þæt hē þone wīd-flogan weorode gesōhte, sīdan herge; nō hē him þā sæcce ondrēd, nē him þæs wyrmes wīg for wiht dyde, 2350 eafoð and ellen; forþon hē ǣr fela nearo nēðende nīða gedīgde, hilde-hlemma, syððan hē Hrōðgāres, sigor-ēadig secg, sele fǣlsode and æt gūðe forgrāp Grendeles mǣgum, 2355 lāðan cynnes. Nō þæt lǣsest wæs hond-gemota, þǣr mon Hygelāc slōh, syððan Gēata cyning gūðe rǣsum, frēa-wine folces Frēslondum on, Hrēðles eafora hioro-dryncum swealt, 2360 bille gebēaten; þonan Bīowulf cōm sylfes cræfte, sund-nytte drēah; hæfde him on earme ... XXX hilde-geatwa, þā hē tō holme stāg. Nealles Hetware hrēmge þorfton 2365 fēðe-wīges, þē him foran ongēan linde bǣron: lȳt eft becwōm fram þām hild-frecan hāmes nīosan. Oferswam þā sioleða bigong sunu Ecgþēowes, earm ān-haga eft tō lēodum, 2370 þǣr him Hygd gebēad hord and rīce, bēagas and brego-stōl: bearne ne truwode, þæt hē wið æl-fylcum ēðel-stōlas healdan cūðe, þā wæs Hygelāc dēad. Nō þȳ ǣr fēa-sceafte findan meahton 2375 æt þām æðelinge ǣnige þinga, þæt hē Heardrēde hlāford wǣre, oððe þone cyne-dōm cīosan wolde; hwæðre hē him on folce frēond-lārum hēold, ēstum mid āre, oð þæt hē yldra wearð, 2380 Weder-Gēatum wēold. Hyne wræc-mæcgas ofer sǣ sōhtan, suna Ōhteres: hæfdon hȳ forhealden helm Scylfinga, þone sēlestan sǣ-cyninga, þāra þe in Swīo-rīce sinc brytnade, 2385 mǣrne þēoden. Him þæt tō mearce wearð; hē þǣr orfeorme feorh-wunde hlēat sweordes swengum, sunu Hygelāces; and him eft gewāt Ongenþīowes bearn hāmes nīosan, syððan Heardrēd læg; 2390 lēt þone brego-stōl Bīowulf healdan, Gēatum wealdan: þæt wæs gōd cyning.
XXXIV. RETROSPECT OF BĒOWULF.--STRIFE BETWEEN SWEONAS AND GEATAS.
Sē þæs lēod-hryres lēan gemunde uferan dōgrum, Ēadgilse wearð fēa-sceaftum fēond. Folce gestepte 2395 ofer sǣ sīde sunu Ōhteres wigum and wǣpnum: hē gewræc syððan cealdum cear-sīðum, cyning ealdre binēat. Swā hē nīða gehwane genesen hæfde, slīðra geslyhta, sunu Ecgþīowes, 2400 ellen-weorca, oð þone ānne dæg, þē hē wið þām wyrme gewegan sceolde. Gewāt þā twelfa sum torne gebolgen dryhten Gēata dracan scēawian; hæfde þā gefrūnen, hwanan sīo fǣhð ārās, 2405 bealo-nīð biorna; him tō bearme cwōm māððum-fæt mǣre þurh þæs meldan hond, Sē wæs on þām þrēate þreotteoða secg, sē þæs orleges ōr onstealde, hæft hyge-giōmor, sceolde hēan þonon 2410 wong wīsian: hē ofer willan gīong tō þæs þe hē eorð-sele ānne wisse, hlǣw under hrūsan holm-wylme nēh, ȳð-gewinne, sē wæs innan full wrǣtta and wīra: weard unhīore, 2415 gearo gūð-freca, gold-māðmas hēold, eald under eorðan; næs þæt ȳðe cēap, tō gegangenne gumena ǣnigum. Gesæt þā on næsse nīð-heard cyning, þenden hǣlo ābēad heorð-genēatum 2420 gold-wine Gēata: him wæs geōmor sefa, wǣfre and wæl-fūs, Wyrd ungemete nēah, sē þone gomelan grētan sceolde, sēcean sāwle hord, sundur gedǣlan līf wið līce: nō þon lange wæs 2425 feorh æðelinges flǣsce bewunden. Bīowulf maðelade, bearn Ecgþēowes: "Fela ic on giogoðe guð-rǣsa genæs, "orleg-hwīla: ic þæt eall gemon. "Ic wæs syfan-wintre, þā mec sinca baldor, 2430 "frēa-wine folca æt mīnum fæder genam, "hēold mec and hæfde Hrēðel cyning, "geaf mē sinc and symbel, sibbe gemunde; "næs ic him tō līfe lāðra ōwihte "beorn in burgum, þonne his bearna hwylc, 2435 "Herebeald and Hæðcyn, oððe Hygelāc mīn. "Wæs þām yldestan ungedēfelīce "mǣges dǣdum morðor-bed strēd, "syððan hyne Hæðcyn of horn-bogan, "his frēa-wine flāne geswencte, 2440 "miste mercelses and his mǣg ofscēt, "brōðor ōðerne, blōdigan gāre: "þæt wæs feoh-lēas gefeoht, fyrenum gesyngad "hreðre hyge-mēðe; sceolde hwæðre swā þēah "æðeling unwrecen ealdres linnan. 2445 "Swā bið geōmorlīc gomelum ceorle "tō gebīdanne, þæt his byre rīde "giong on galgan, þonne hē gyd wrece, "sārigne sang, þonne his sunu hangað "hrefne tō hrōðre and hē him helpe ne mæg, 2450 "eald and in-frōd, ǣnige gefremman. "Symble bið gemyndgad morna gehwylce "eaforan ellor-sīð; ōðres ne gȳmeð "tō gebīdanne burgum on innan "yrfe-weardes, þonne se ān hafað 2455 "þurh dēaðes nȳd dǣda gefondad. "Gesyhð sorh-cearig on his suna būre "wīn-sele wēstne, wind-gereste, "rēote berofene; rīdend swefað "hæleð in hoðman; nis þǣr hearpan swēg, 2460 "gomen in geardum, swylce þǣr iū wǣron.
XXXV. MEMORIES OF PAST TIME.-THE FEUD WITH THE FIRE-DRAKE.
"Gewīteð þonne on sealman, sorh-lēoð gæleð "ān æfter ānum: þūhte him eall tō rūm, "wongas and wīc-stede. Swā Wedra helm "æfter Herebealde heortan sorge 2465 "weallende wæg, wihte ne meahte "on þām feorh-bonan fǣhðe gebētan: "nō þȳ ǣr hē þone heaðo-rinc hatian ne meahte "lāðum dǣdum, þēah him lēof ne wæs. "Hē þā mid þǣre sorge, þē him sīo sār belamp, 2470 "gum-drēam ofgeaf, godes lēoht gecēas; "eaferum lǣfde, swā dēð ēadig mon, "lond and lēod-byrig, þā hē of līfe gewāt. "Þā wæs synn and sacu Swēona and Gēata, "ofer wīd wæter wrōht gemǣne, 2475 "here-nīð hearda, syððan Hrēðel swealt, "oððe him Ongenþēowes eaferan wǣran "frome fyrd-hwate, frēode ne woldon "ofer heafo healdan, ac ymb Hrēosna-beorh "eatolne inwit-scear oft gefremedon. 2480 "Þæt mǣg-wine mīne gewrǣcan, "fǣhðe and fyrene, swā hyt gefrǣge wæs, "þēah þe ōðer hit ealdre gebohte, "heardan cēape: Hæðcynne wearð, "Gēata dryhtne, gūð onsǣge. 2485 "Þā ic on morgne gefrægn mǣg ōðerne "billes ecgum on bonan stǣlan, "þǣr Ongenþēow Eofores nīosade: "gūð-helm tōglād, gomela Scylfing "hrēas heoro-blāc; hond gemunde 2490 "fǣhðo genōge, feorh-sweng ne oftēah. "Ic him þā māðmas, þē hē mē sealde, "geald æt gūðe, swā mē gifeðe wæs, "lēohtan sweorde: hē mē lond forgeaf, "eard ēðel-wyn. Næs him ǣnig þearf, 2495 "þæt hē tō Gifðum oððe tō Gār-Denum "oððe in Swīo-rīce sēcean þurfe "wyrsan wīg-frecan, weorðe gecȳpan; "symle ic him on fēðan beforan wolde, "āna on orde, and swā tō aldre sceall 2500 "sæcce fremman, þenden þis sweord þolað, "þæt mec ǣr and sīð oft gelǣste, "syððan ic for dugeðum Dæghrefne wearð "tō hand-bonan, Hūga cempan: "nalles hē þā frætwe Frēs-cyninge, 2505 "brēost-weorðunge bringan mōste, "ac in campe gecrong cumbles hyrde, "æðeling on elne. Ne wæs ecg bona, "ac him hilde-grāp heortan wylmas, "bān-hūs gebræc. Nū sceall billes ecg, 2510 "hond and heard sweord ymb hord wīgan." Bēowulf maðelode, bēot-wordum spræc nīehstan sīðe: "Ic genēðde fela "gūða on geogoðe; gȳt ic wylle, "frōd folces weard, fǣhðe sēcan, 2515 "mǣrðum fremman, gif mec se mān-sceaða "of eorð-sele ūt gesēceð!" Gegrētte þā gumena gehwylcne, hwate helm-berend hindeman sīðe, swǣse gesīðas: "Nolde ic sweord beran, 2520 "wǣpen tō wyrme, gif ic wiste hū "wið þām āglǣcean elles meahte "gylpe wiðgrīpan, swā ic giō wið Grendle dyde; "ac ic þǣr heaðu-fȳres hātes wēne, "rēðes and-hāttres: forþon ic mē on hafu 2525 "bord and byrnan. Nelle ic beorges weard "oferflēon fōtes trem, fēond unhȳre, "ac unc sceal weorðan æt wealle, swā unc Wyrd getēoð, "metod manna gehwæs. Ic eom on mōde from, "þæt ic wið þone gūð-flogan gylp ofersitte. 2530 "Gebīde gē on beorge byrnum werede, "secgas on searwum, hwæðer sēl mǣge "æfter wæl-rǣse wunde gedȳgan "uncer twēga. Nis þæt ēower sīð, "nē gemet mannes, nefne mīn ānes, 2535 "þæt hē wið āglǣcean eofoðo dǣle, "eorl-scype efne. Ic mid elne sceall "gold gegangan oððe gūð nimeð, "feorh-bealu frēcne, frēan ēowerne!" Ārās þā bī ronde rōf ōretta, 2540 heard under helm, hioro-sercean bær under stān-cleofu, strengo getruwode ānes mannes: ne bið swylc earges sīð. Geseah þā be wealle, sē þe worna fela, gum-cystum gōd, gūða gedīgde, 2545 hilde-hlemma, þonne hnitan fēðan, (stōd on stān-bogan) strēam ūt þonan brecan of beorge; wæs þǣre burnan wælm heaðo-fȳrum hāt: ne meahte horde nēah unbyrnende ǣnige hwīle 2550 dēop gedȳgan for dracan lēge. Lēt þā of brēostum, þā hē gebolgen wæs, Weder-Gēata lēod word ūt faran, stearc-heort styrmde; stefn in becōm heaðo-torht hlynnan under hārne stān. 2555 Hete wæs onhrēred, hord-weard oncnīow mannes reorde; næs þǣr māra fyrst, frēode tō friclan. From ǣrest cwōm oruð āglǣcean ūt of stāne, hāt hilde-swāt; hrūse dynede. 2560 Biorn under beorge bord-rand onswāf wið þām gryre-gieste, Gēata dryhten: þā wæs hring-bogan heorte gefȳsed sæcce tō sēceanne. Sweord ǣr gebrǣ gōd gūð-cyning gomele lāfe, 2565 ecgum unglēaw, ǣghwæðrum wæs bealo-hycgendra brōga fram ōðrum. Stīð-mōd gestōd wið stēapne rond winia bealdor, þā se wyrm gebēah snūde tōsomne: hē on searwum bād. 2570 Gewāt þā byrnende gebogen scrīðan tō, gescīfe scyndan. Scyld wēl gebearg līfe and līce lǣssan hwīle mǣrum þēodne, þonne his myne sōhte, þǣr hē þȳ fyrste forman dōgore 2575 wealdan mōste, swā him Wyrd ne gescrāf hrēð æt hilde. Hond up ābræd Gēata dryhten, gryre-fāhne slōh incge lāfe, þæt sīo ecg gewāc brūn on bāne, bāt unswīðor, 2580 þonne his þīod-cyning þearfe hæfde, bysigum gebǣded. Þā wæs beorges weard æfter heaðu-swenge on hrēoum mōde, wearp wæl-fȳre, wīde sprungon hilde-lēoman: hrēð-sigora ne gealp 2585 gold-wine Gēata, gūð-bill geswāc nacod æt nīðe, swā hyt nō sceolde, īren ǣr-gōd. Ne wæs þæt ēðe sīð, þæt se mǣra maga Ecgþēowes grund-wong þone ofgyfan wolde; 2590 sceolde wyrmes willan wīc eardian elles hwergen, swā sceal ǣghwylc mon ālǣtan lǣn-dagas. Næs þā long tō þon, þæt þā āglǣcean hȳ eft gemētton. Hyrte hyne hord-weard, hreðer ǣðme wēoll, 2595 nīwan stefne: nearo þrowode fȳre befongen sē þe ǣr folce wēold. Nealles him on hēape hand-gesteallan, æðelinga bearn ymbe gestōdon hilde-cystum, ac hȳ on holt bugon, 2600 ealdre burgan. Hiora in ānum wēoll sefa wið sorgum: sibb ǣfre ne mæg wiht onwendan, þām þe wēl þenceð.