XXXIX. THE COWARD-THANES.
Þā wæs gegongen guman unfrōdum earfoðlīce, þæt hē on eorðan geseah þone lēofestan līfes æt ende 2825 blēate gebǣran. Bona swylce læg, egeslīc eorð-draca, ealdre berēafod, bealwe gebǣded: bēah-hordum leng wyrm wōh-bogen wealdan ne mōste, ac him īrenna ecga fornāmon, 2830 hearde heaðo-scearpe homera lāfe, þæt se wīd-floga wundum stille hrēas on hrūsan hord-ærne nēah, nalles æfter lyfte lācende hwearf middel-nihtum, māðm-ǣhta wlonc 2835 ansȳn ȳwde: ac hē eorðan gefēoll for þæs hild-fruman hond-geweorce. Hūru þæt on lande lȳt manna þāh mægen-āgendra mīne gefrǣge, þēah þe hē dǣda gehwæs dyrstig wǣre, 2840 þæt hē wið attor-sceaðan oreðe gerǣsde, oððe hring-sele hondum styrede, gif hē wæccende weard onfunde būan on beorge. Bīowulfe wearð dryht-māðma dǣl dēaðe forgolden; 2845 hæfde ǣghwæðer ende gefēred lǣnan līfes. Næs þā lang tō þon, þæt þā hild-latan holt ofgēfan, tȳdre trēow-logan tȳne ætsomne, þā ne dorston ǣr dareðum lācan 2850 on hyra man-dryhtnes miclan þearfe; ac hȳ scamiende scyldas bǣran, gūð-gewǣdu, þǣr se gomela læg: wlitan on Wīglāf. Hē gewērgad sæt, fēðe-cempa frēan eaxlum nēah, 2855 wehte hyne wætre; him wiht ne spēow; ne meahte hē on eorðan, þēah hē ūðe wēl, on þām frum-gāre feorh gehealdan, nē þæs wealdendes willan wiht oncirran; wolde dōm godes dǣdum rǣdan 2860 gumena gehwylcum, swā hē nū gēn dēð. Þā wæs æt þām geongan grim andswaru ēð-begēte þām þe ǣr his elne forlēas. Wīglāf maðelode, Wēohstānes sunu, secg sārig-ferð seah on unlēofe: 2865 "Þæt lā mæg secgan, sē þe wyle sōð sprecan, "þæt se mon-dryhten, se ēow þā māðmas geaf, "ēored-geatwe, þē gē þǣr on standað, "þonne hē on ealu-bence oft gesealde "heal-sittendum helm and byrnan, 2870 "þēoden his þegnum, swylce hē þrȳðlīcost "ōhwǣr feor oððe nēah findan meahte, "þæt hē gēnunga gūð-gewǣdu "wrāðe forwurpe. Þā hyne wīg beget, "nealles folc-cyning fyrd-gesteallum 2875 "gylpan þorfte; hwæðre him god ūðe, "sigora waldend, þæt hē hyne sylfne gewræc "āna mid ecge, þā him wæs elnes þearf, "Ic him līf-wraðe lȳtle meahte "ætgifan æt gūðe and ongan swā þēah 2880 "ofer mīn gemet mǣges helpan: "symle wæs þȳ sǣmra, þonne ic sweorde drep "ferhð-genīðlan, fȳr unswīðor "wēoll of gewitte. Wergendra tō lȳt "þrong ymbe þēoden, þā hyne sīo þrāg becwōm. 2885 "Nū sceal sinc-þego and swyrd-gifu "eall ēðel-wyn ēowrum cynne, "lufen ālicgean: lond-rihtes mōt "þǣre mǣg-burge monna ǣghwylc "īdel hweorfan, syððan æðelingas 2890 "feorran gefricgean flēam ēowerne, "dōm-lēasan dǣd. Dēað bið sēlla "eorla gehwylcum þonne edwīt-līf!"
XL. THE SOLDIER'S DIRGE AND PROPHECY.
Heht þā þæt heaðo-weorc tō hagan bīodan up ofer ēg-clif, þǣr þæt eorl-weorod 2895 morgen-longne dæg mōd-giōmor sæt, bord-hæbbende, bēga on wēnum ende-dōgores and eft-cymes lēofes monnes. Lȳt swīgode nīwra spella, sē þe næs gerād, 2900 ac hē sōðlīce sægde ofer ealle; "Nū is wil-geofa Wedra lēoda, "dryhten Gēata dēað-bedde fæst, "wunað wæl-reste wyrmes dǣdum; "him on efn ligeð ealdor-gewinna, 2905 "siex-bennum sēoc: sweorde ne meahte "on þām āglǣcean ǣnige þinga "wunde gewyrcean. Wīglāf siteð "ofer Bīowulfe, byre Wīhstānes, "eorl ofer ōðrum unlifigendum, 2910 "healdeð hige-mēðum hēafod-wearde "lēofes and lāðes. Nū ys lēodum wēn "orleg-hwīle, syððan underne "Froncum and Frȳsum fyll cyninges "wīde weorðeð. Wæs sīo wrōht scepen 2915 "heard wið Hūgas, syððan Higelāc cwōm "faran flot-herge on Frēsna land, "þǣr hyne Hetware hilde gehnǣgdon, "elne geēodon mid ofer-mægene, "þæt se byrn-wiga būgan sceolde, 2920 "fēoll on fēðan: nalles frætwe geaf "ealdor dugoðe; ūs wæs ā syððan "Merewīoinga milts ungyfeðe. "Nē ic tō Swēo-þēode sibbe oððe trēowe "wihte ne wēne; ac wæs wīde cūð, 2925 "þætte Ongenþīo ealdre besnyðede "Hæðcyn Hrēðling wið Hrefna-wudu, "þā for on-mēdlan ǣrest gesōhton "Gēata lēode Gūð-scilfingas. "Sōna him se frōda fæder Ōhtheres, 2930 "eald and eges-full ond-slyht āgeaf, "ābrēot brim-wīsan, brȳd āhēorde, "gomela īo-meowlan golde berofene, "Onelan mōdor and Ōhtheres, "and þā folgode feorh-genīðlan 2935 "oð þæt hī oðēodon earfoðlīce "in Hrefnes-holt hlāford-lēase. "Besæt þā sin-herge sweorda lāfe "wundum wērge, wēan oft gehēt "earmre teohhe andlonge niht: 2940 "cwæð hē on mergenne mēces ecgum "gētan wolde, sume on galg-trēowum "fuglum tō gamene. Frōfor eft gelamp "sārig-mōdum somod ǣr-dæge, "syððan hīe Hygelāces horn and bȳman 2945 "gealdor ongeāton. Þā se gōda cōm "lēoda dugoðe on lāst faran.
XLI. HE TELLS OF THE SWEDES AND THE GEATAS
"Wæs sīo swāt-swaðu Swēona and Gēata, "wæl-rǣs wera wīde gesȳne, "hū þā folc mid him fǣhðe tōwehton. 2950 "Gewāt him þā se gōda mid his gædelingum, "frōd fela geōmor fæsten sēcean, "eorl Ongenþīo ufor oncirde; "hæfde Higelāces hilde gefrūnen, "wlonces wīg-cræft, wiðres ne truwode, 2955 "þæt hē sǣ-mannum onsacan mihte, "hēaðo-līðendum hord forstandan, "bearn and brȳde; bēah eft þonan "eald under eorð-weall. Þā wæs ǣht boden "Swēona lēodum, segn Higelāce. 2960 "Freoðo-wong þone forð oferēodon, "syððan Hrēðlingas tō hagan þrungon. "Þǣr wearð Ongenþīo ecgum sweorda, "blonden-fexa on bīd wrecen, "þæt se þēod-cyning þafian sceolde 2965 "Eofores ānne dōm: hyne yrringa "Wulf Wonrēding wǣpne gerǣhte, "þæt him for swenge swāt ǣdrum sprong "forð under fexe. Næs hē forht swā þēh, "gomela Scilfing, ac forgeald hraðe 2970 "wyrsan wrixle wæl-hlem þone, "syððan þēod-cyning þyder oncirde: "ne meahte se snella sunu Wonrēdes "ealdum ceorle ond-slyht giofan, "ac hē him on hēafde helm ǣr gescer, 2975 "þæt hē blōde fāh būgan sceolde, "fēoll on foldan; næs hē fǣge þā gīt, "ac hē hyne gewyrpte, þēah þe him wund hrīne, "Lēt se hearda Higelāces þegn "brādne mēce, þā his brōðor læg, 2980 "eald sweord eotonisc, entiscne helm, "brecan ofer bord-weal: þā gebēah cyning, "folces hyrde, wæs in feorh dropen. "Þā wǣron monige, þē his mǣg wriðon, "ricone ārǣrdon, þā him gerȳmed wearð, 2985 "þæt hīe wæl-stōwe wealdan mōston. "Þenden rēafode rinc ōðerne, "nam on Ongenþīo īren-byrnan, "heard swyrd hilted and his helm somod; "hāres hyrste Higelāce bær. 2990 "Hē þām frætwum fēng and him fægre gehēt "lēana fore lēodum and gelǣste swā: "geald þone gūð-rǣs Gēata dryhten, "Hrēðles eafora, þā hē tō hām becōm, "Jofore and Wulfe mid ofer-māðmum, 2995 "sealde hiora gehwæðrum hund þūsenda "landes and locenra bēaga; ne þorfte him þā lēan oðwītan "mon on middan-gearde, syððan hīe þā mǣrða geslōgon; "and þā Jofore forgeaf āngan dōhtor, "hām-weorðunge, hyldo tō wedde. 3000 "Þæt ys sīo fǣhðo and se fēond-scipe, "wæl-nīð wera, þæs þe ic wēn hafo, "þē ūs sēceað tō Swēona lēode, "syððan hīe gefricgeað frēan ūserne "ealdor-lēasne, þone þe ǣr gehēold 3005 "wið hettendum hord and rīce, "æfter hæleða hryre hwate Scylfingas, "folc-rǣd fremede oððe furður gēn "eorl-scipe efnde. Nū is ofost betost, "þæt wē þēod-cyning þǣr scēawian 3010 "and þone gebringan, þē ūs bēagas geaf, "on ād-fære. Ne scel ānes hwæt "meltan mid þām mōdigan, ac þǣr is māðma hord. "gold unrīme grimme gecēapod "and nū æt sīðestan sylfes fēore 3015 "bēagas gebohte; þā sceal brond fretan, "ǣled þeccean, nalles eorl wegan "māððum tō gemyndum, nē mægð scȳne "habban on healse hring-weorðunge, "ac sceall geōmor-mōd golde berēafod 3020 "oft nalles ǣne el-land tredan, "nū se here-wīsa hleahtor ālegde, "gamen and glēo-drēam. Forþon sceall gār wesan "monig morgen-ceald mundum bewunden, "hæfen on handa, nalles hearpan swēg 3025 "wīgend weccean, ac se wonna hrefn "fūs ofer fǣgum, fela reordian, "earne secgan, hū him æt ǣte spēow, "þenden hē wið wulf wæl rēafode." Swā se secg hwata secgende wæs 3030 lāðra spella; hē ne lēag fela wyrda nē worda. Weorod eall ārās, ēodon unblīðe under Earna næs wollen-tēare wundur scēawian. Fundon þā on sande sāwul-lēasne 3035 hlim-bed healdan, þone þe him hringas geaf ǣrran mǣlum: þā wæs ende-dæg gōdum gegongen, þæt se gūð-cyning, Wedra þēoden, wundor-dēaðe swealt. Ǣr hī gesēgan syllīcran wiht, 3040 wyrm on wonge wiðer-ræhtes þǣr lāðne licgean: wæs se lēg-draca, grimlīc gryre-gæst, glēdum beswǣled, sē wæs fīftiges fōt-gemearces. lang on legere, lyft-wynne hēold 3045 nihtes hwīlum, nyðer eft gewāt dennes nīosian; wæs þā dēaðe fæst, hæfde eorð-scrafa ende genyttod. Him big stōdan bunan and orcas, discas lāgon and dȳre swyrd, 3050 ōmige þurh-etone, swā hīe wið eorðan fæðm þūsend wintra þǣr eardodon: þonne wæs þæt yrfe ēacen-cræftig, iū-monna gold galdre bewunden, þæt þām hring-sele hrīnan ne mōste 3055 gumena ǣnig, nefne god sylfa, sigora sōð-cyning, sealde þām þe hē wolde (hē is manna gehyld) hord openian, efne swā hwylcum manna, swā him gemet þūhte.