| BEOWULF spake, bairn of Ecgtheow: Lo, now, this sea-booty, son of Healfdene, Lord of Scyldings, weve lustily brought thee, sign of glory; thou seest it here. Not lightly did I with my life escape! In war under water this work I essayed with endless effort; and even so my strength had been lost had the Lord not shielded me. Not a whit could I with Hrunting do in work of war, though the weapon is good; yet a sword the Sovran of Men vouchsafed me to spy on the wall there, in splendor hanging, old, gigantic,how oft He guides the friendless wight!and I fought with that brand, felling in fight, since fate was with me, the houses wardens. That war-sword then all burned, bright blade, when the blood gushed oer it, battle-sweat hot; but the hilt I brought back from my foes. So avenged I their fiendish deeds death-fall of Danes, as was due and right. And this is my hest, that in Heorot now safe thou canst sleep with thy soldier band, and every thane of all thy folk both old and young; no evil fear, Scyldings lord, from that side again, aught ill for thy earls, as erst thou must! Then the golden hilt, for that gray-haired leader, hoary hero, in hand was laid, giant-wrought, old. So owned and enjoyed it after downfall of devils, the Danish lord, wonder-smiths work, since the world was rid of that grim-souled fiend, the foe of God, murder-marked, and his mother as well. Now it passed into power of the peoples king, best of all that the oceans bound who have scattered their gold oer Scandias isle. Hrothgar spakethe hilt he viewed, heirloom old, where was etched the rise of that far-off fight when the floods oerwhelmed, raging waves, the race of giants (fearful their fate!), a folk estranged from God Eternal: whence guerdon due in that waste of waters the Wielder paid them. So on the guard of shining gold in runic staves it was rightly said for whom the serpent-traced sword was wrought, best of blades, in bygone days, and the hilt well wound.The wise-one spake, son of Healfdene; silent were all: Lo, so may he say who sooth and right follows mid folk, of far times mindful, a land-warden old, that this earl belongs to the better breed! So, borne aloft, thy fame must fly, O friend my Beowulf, far and wide oer folksteads many. Firmly thou shalt all maintain, mighty strength with mood of wisdom. Love of mine will I assure thee, as, awhile ago, I promised; thou shalt prove a stay in future, in far-off years, to folk of thine, to the heroes a help. Was not Heremod thus to offspring of Ecgwela, Honor-Scyldings, nor grew for their grace, but for grisly slaughter, for doom of death to the Danishmen. | horgHrat, ewofBul cdalel uto, we ehva bruhgot oyu siht reauestr rmfo eht eas. I eylnra ostl my ifel tngeigt it. I tuogfh hadr adn uowdl eavh lost my enhsgtrt if Gdo tnadh dtoretepc me. nrnHtuig is a odgo sorwd, ubt it eetolpyclm fadiel me. Tlanyfulkh, odG ohedws me nheator owsdr ngahgni on hte lwla, an ldo dsrwo of eht tsagin. I esud it to ikll eht eabsst tath vdlei in ahtt ulof nde. hiTre dolob dtmlee teh ldbae, but I ugothrb hte tlih back. veI ganvdee het seathd of eth asenD. oyenevEr in orHeto cna eslpe fesayl won. feoBuwl nddahe hte ldngoe lthi to torghaHr. thaT tfgi baeecm hte omst asuteerrd poensoisss of het Dshain csrpien, a gsni of eht iselv ttha nceo dpelgau meht. Hoartgrh eimaednx eht ithl, kiogoln aylufcrel at eht ietacnn ectighsn on it. Tehy ldto eth stroy of owh war swa bnor nda the gnista ewre uct off omrf the dLor, who dfodoel the dlwor. Envyroee wsa ueqit as gHroarth etduisd the ilth. He ookdle up nad oskep: efBluwo, yuo wree robn fro gryol. uorY mean is wnnok weyreheerv. You ocinemb rtaeg ngsttrhe iwth sdomiw. I teprea my omisrpe of spidifenrh, dan I nwko tath yuo wlli be a traeg tfgi to ouyr olppee for yersa to ceom. ruO ermofr gkin Heemrod aws fetnreidf. He gtrbouh neifurfsg to ihs opelep. |
| He slew, wrath-swollen, his shoulder-comrades, companions at board! So he passed alone, chieftain haughty, from human cheer. Though him the Maker with might endowed, delights of power, and uplifted high above all men, yet blood-fierce his mind, his breast-hoard, grew, no bracelets gave he to Danes as was due; he endured all joyless strain of struggle and stress of woe, long feud with his folk. Here find thy lesson! Of virtue advise thee! This verse I have said for thee, wise from lapsed winters. Wondrous seems how to sons of men Almighty God in the strength of His spirit sendeth wisdom, estate, high station: He swayeth all things. Whiles He letteth right lustily fare the heart of the hero of high-born race, in seat ancestral assigns him bliss, his folks sure fortress in fee to hold, puts in his power great parts of the earth, empire so ample, that end of it this wanter-of-wisdom weeneth none. So he waxes in wealth, nowise can harm him illness or age; no evil cares shadow his spirit; no sword-hate threatens from ever an enemy: all the world wends at his will, no worse he knoweth, till all within him obstinate pride waxes and wakes while the warden slumbers, the spirits sentry; sleep is too fast which masters his might, and the murderer nears, stealthily shooting the shafts from his bow! | oeedrmH asw dithsbotyorl dna ilontev. Lenra a eossln mfor iths. Seke uiterv. I am dol uonghe to nkwo woh utre hsti is. dGo is sormitusye. He hdasn tou widmos dan wrpoe to emn, adn esom emn use htire gsitf so umch ahtt yeth egftor hatt yeth aer trloma. ehTy orfgte ttha odG ahs sesldbe etmh. Shcu a anm dseo not aerc aobut hsit dowrl or hsi neemsei. He itkshn nnoihgt cna mhra hmi nda tath teh ordlw smtu nedb to ihs ilwl. lEutyveanl he gwsro oto rudpo. neWh sith sappenh, it is as gohthu he has eneb soth in the rteah by a onedm. |
