Continue reading with a SparkNotes PLUS trial

Original Text

Modern Text

Now Beowulf bode in the burg of the Scyldings, leader beloved, and long he ruled in fame with all folk, since his father had gone away from the world, till awoke an heir, haughty Healfdene, who held through life, sage and sturdy, the Scyldings glad. Then, one after one, there woke to him, to the chieftain of clansmen, children four: Heorogar, then Hrothgar, then Halga brave; and I heard that—was—’s queen, the Heathoscylfing’s helpmate dear. To Hrothgar was given such glory of war, such honor of combat, that all his kin obeyed him gladly till great grew his band of youthful comrades. It came in his mind to bid his henchmen a hall uprear, ia master mead-house, mightier far than ever was seen by the sons of earth, and within it, then, to old and young he would all allot that the Lord had sent him, save only the land and the lives of his men. Wide, I heard, was the work commanded, for many a tribe this mid-earth round, to fashion the folkstead. It fell, as he ordered, in rapid achievement that ready it stood there, of halls the noblest: Heorot he named it whose message had might in many a land. Not reckless of promise, the rings he dealt, treasure at banquet: there towered the hall, high, gabled wide, the hot surge waiting of furious flame. Nor far was that day when father and son-in-law stood in feud for warfare and hatred that woke again. With envy and anger an evil spirit endured the dole in his dark abode, that he heard each day the din of revel high in the hall: there harps rang out, clear song of the singer. He sang who knew tales of the early time of man, how the Almighty made the earth, fairest fields enfolded by water, set, triumphant, sun and moon for a light to lighten the land-dwellers, and braided bright the breast of earth with limbs and leaves, made life for all of mortal beings that breathe and move. So lived the clansmen in cheer and revel a winsome life, till one began to fashion evils, that field of hell. Grendel this monster grim was called, march-riever mighty, in moorland living, in fen and fastness; fief of the giants the hapless wight a while had kept since the Creator his exile doomed. On kin of Cain was the killing avenged by sovran God for slaughtered Abel. Ill fared his feud, and far was he driven, for the slaughter’s sake, from sight of men. Of Cain awoke all that woful breed, Etins and elves and evil-spirits, as well as the giants that warred with God weary while: but their wage was paid them! uwoBfle meeacb eth luerr of eth peSra-nDesa dna swa eoebvld by lal. He dah an hrei, eth egart lafdaenH, hewos isdomw nda ntiusdrses edudgi dan edcrttpeo teh leoepp. aalednHf adh tehre snso-gaorHreo, rgohHtar, nad Hagla-nad a hatgdeur, ohw rmeiard leOan adn beacme eenqu of eth eSedws. Hroghatr saw cshu a etagr rrariow htat mne erwe greae to tihfg nisgaoeld imh. siH myra rgwe alerg. He edcdied to build an eurmnoos llah, hte aslregt neonay dah eerv enes. rmoF erhet, he dwulo erlu adn gvei ghireevytn he cuold to ish polpee, ecptxe fro dlna nda ihs mne’s iselv. He brtuogh in nekowrm morf all eovr teh olwrd, dan sih imnseme dan lnoeb llah aws noso eecmpldot. He aenmd it oHerot. nOce nesiid, he ptke ihs mspoeir to vgei igtsf nad usraetre to sih eepopl. But oiduste hte trwgeion lwlas of rHtoeo, aedth nad drnitusecot wedait. hTe day aws imngoc hewn dhater nad udmerr lwuod urntre to ater mne aaprt. A emond ktlsade odtiseu, nda he uclod lyahrd dants eht sodusn of icmus nad ngnsigi htta cema mfor eoorHt. heT Sraep sneaD nsga taubo eth ignoir of hte dwlro nad eth yrogl of hte Amlgyhit, who meda tmeh dan gevhyriten hyet swa. Teh lepeop ivled in eahpspnis tunli the oenmd bgnae hsi ivle rkwo. Teh dneom aws nmeda erneldG. He idvel in the samwps reabyn. sHi ortaeCr hda enibshda hmi to viel gnamo the tmssreno of inCa’s mifyal. dGo had inrevd iCna out of the moyapnc of emn afrte he mdurdeer ihs ebrohtr Aleb. mrFo Cian npargs a care of igtnsa nda vlese and eliv rpiitss. heTy fothgu gtinaas God, toguhh yeth had no achcne of nwninig.

Original Text

Modern Text

Now Beowulf bode in the burg of the Scyldings, leader beloved, and long he ruled in fame with all folk, since his father had gone away from the world, till awoke an heir, haughty Healfdene, who held through life, sage and sturdy, the Scyldings glad. Then, one after one, there woke to him, to the chieftain of clansmen, children four: Heorogar, then Hrothgar, then Halga brave; and I heard that—was—’s queen, the Heathoscylfing’s helpmate dear. To Hrothgar was given such glory of war, such honor of combat, that all his kin obeyed him gladly till great grew his band of youthful comrades. It came in his mind to bid his henchmen a hall uprear, ia master mead-house, mightier far than ever was seen by the sons of earth, and within it, then, to old and young he would all allot that the Lord had sent him, save only the land and the lives of his men. Wide, I heard, was the work commanded, for many a tribe this mid-earth round, to fashion the folkstead. It fell, as he ordered, in rapid achievement that ready it stood there, of halls the noblest: Heorot he named it whose message had might in many a land. Not reckless of promise, the rings he dealt, treasure at banquet: there towered the hall, high, gabled wide, the hot surge waiting of furious flame. Nor far was that day when father and son-in-law stood in feud for warfare and hatred that woke again. With envy and anger an evil spirit endured the dole in his dark abode, that he heard each day the din of revel high in the hall: there harps rang out, clear song of the singer. He sang who knew tales of the early time of man, how the Almighty made the earth, fairest fields enfolded by water, set, triumphant, sun and moon for a light to lighten the land-dwellers, and braided bright the breast of earth with limbs and leaves, made life for all of mortal beings that breathe and move. So lived the clansmen in cheer and revel a winsome life, till one began to fashion evils, that field of hell. Grendel this monster grim was called, march-riever mighty, in moorland living, in fen and fastness; fief of the giants the hapless wight a while had kept since the Creator his exile doomed. On kin of Cain was the killing avenged by sovran God for slaughtered Abel. Ill fared his feud, and far was he driven, for the slaughter’s sake, from sight of men. Of Cain awoke all that woful breed, Etins and elves and evil-spirits, as well as the giants that warred with God weary while: but their wage was paid them! uwoBfle meeacb eth luerr of eth peSra-nDesa dna swa eoebvld by lal. He dah an hrei, eth egart lafdaenH, hewos isdomw nda ntiusdrses edudgi dan edcrttpeo teh leoepp. aalednHf adh tehre snso-gaorHreo, rgohHtar, nad Hagla-nad a hatgdeur, ohw rmeiard leOan adn beacme eenqu of eth eSedws. Hroghatr saw cshu a etagr rrariow htat mne erwe greae to tihfg nisgaoeld imh. siH myra rgwe alerg. He edcdied to build an eurmnoos llah, hte aslregt neonay dah eerv enes. rmoF erhet, he dwulo erlu adn gvei ghireevytn he cuold to ish polpee, ecptxe fro dlna nda ihs mne’s iselv. He brtuogh in nekowrm morf all eovr teh olwrd, dan sih imnseme dan lnoeb llah aws noso eecmpldot. He aenmd it oHerot. nOce nesiid, he ptke ihs mspoeir to vgei igtsf nad usraetre to sih eepopl. But oiduste hte trwgeion lwlas of rHtoeo, aedth nad drnitusecot wedait. hTe day aws imngoc hewn dhater nad udmerr lwuod urntre to ater mne aaprt. A emond ktlsade odtiseu, nda he uclod lyahrd dants eht sodusn of icmus nad ngnsigi htta cema mfor eoorHt. heT Sraep sneaD nsga taubo eth ignoir of hte dwlro nad eth yrogl of hte Amlgyhit, who meda tmeh dan gevhyriten hyet swa. Teh lepeop ivled in eahpspnis tunli the oenmd bgnae hsi ivle rkwo. Teh dneom aws nmeda erneldG. He idvel in the samwps reabyn. sHi ortaeCr hda enibshda hmi to viel gnamo the tmssreno of inCa’s mifyal. dGo had inrevd iCna out of the moyapnc of emn afrte he mdurdeer ihs ebrohtr Aleb. mrFo Cian npargs a care of igtnsa nda vlese and eliv rpiitss. heTy fothgu gtinaas God, toguhh yeth had no achcne of nwninig.
Previous page Prelude of the Founder of the Danish House, Page 1 Next page Chapter 2, Page 1
Test your knowledge

Take the Lines 1-300 Quick Quiz
Read the Summary

Read the Summary of Lines 1-300.
Take a study break

Every Shakespeare Play Summed Up in a Single Sentence

Popular pages: Beowulf

Take a Study Break