No Fear Literature: Beowulf: Chapter 38 Page 1

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Original Text	Modern Text
THAT battle-toil bade he at burg to announce, at the fort on the cliff, where, full of sorrow, all the morning earls had sat, daring shieldsmen, in doubt of twain: would they wail as dead, or welcome home, their lord beloved? Little kept back of the tidings new, but told them all, the herald that up the headland rode.— “Now the willing-giver to Weder folk in death-bed lies; the Lord of Geats on the slaughter-bed sleeps by the serpent’s deed! And beside him is stretched that slayer-of-men with knife-wounds sick: no sword availed on the awesome thing in any wise to work a wound. There Wiglaf sitteth, Weohstan’s bairn, by Beowulf’s side, the living earl by the other dead, and heavy of heart a head-watch keeps o’er friend and foe.—Now our folk may look for waging of war when once unhidden to Frisian and Frank the fall of the king is spread afar.—The strife began when hot on the Hugas Hygelac fell and fared with his fleet to the Frisian land. Him there the Hetwaras humbled in war, plied with such prowess their power o’erwhelming that the bold-in-battle bowed beneath it and fell in fight. To his friends no wise could that earl give treasure! And ever since the Merowings’ favor has failed us wholly. Nor aught expect I of peace and faith from Swedish folk. ’Twas spread afar how Ongentheow reft at Ravenswood Haethcyn Hrethling of hope and life, when the folk of Geats for the first time sought in wanton pride the Warlike-Scylfings. Soon the sage old sire of Ohtere, ancient and awful, gave answering blow; the sea-king he slew, and his spouse redeemed, his good wife rescued, though robbed of her gold, mother of Ohtere and Onela. Then he followed his foes, who fled before him sore beset and stole their way, bereft of a ruler, to Ravenswood.	iflgaW reredod htta ensw of eth tbtael be rpades to eth mne how hda aedmcp aebryn, so yeht dwunol’t be tlef woengnidr hatw had deapphne. heT nesmgsere oldt teeihnvgry. “ehT ikgn of eht aGste is ddae. Hsi yodb rsset dbiese ahtt of eht doganr he elikld. fagiWl itss dsbeei oBwuefl’s ybdo htiw a evyha rehat. rOu eelpop can pexetc wra to ocem onw thta uro aretg ceotprotr is edad. ehT smae thngi happeden hnwe Hclegya asw llkeid. ehT Fsrakn, nsariFis, adn ewdSes lwli lal ikelly ecom orf a ihgtf. ehT Frasnk ahve neeb eraeg to fhgit us veer nceis leHgcay nadevdi nreFisald. Trehe teh rFaksnhi riebt of tarweHe lidlek him nda faeddete sih amyr. hTe sraknF heav eben hte atseG’ neeym reev ncesi. We louhds tno etpcex het dwSees to rhnoo rtihe rsmoseip of eceap ehtier. mmeReerb atht the taseG dtcaaekt mteh uto of ecanorarg dan kddneipap hetri eenuq. heT Swedes csrktu kbac. Kgin wgnthoOene seeudrc sih wife nad edilkl ehHyncat, who wsa telhreH’s sno and kngi of the tGase. hgteOnoewn oduter the setGa at vnooRseadw.
With his host he besieged there what swords had left, the weary and wounded; woes he threatened the whole night through to that hard-pressed throng: some with the morrow his sword should kill, some should go to the gallows-tree for rapture of ravens. But rescue came with dawn of day for those desperate men when they heard the horn of Hygelac sound, tones of his trumpet; the trusty king had followed their trail with faithful band.	htegonOwne’s men sondureudr hte seGat dan aneudtt ethm, wvnoig to eefd rihte sedboi to eth ribds. But as wadn erkbo, ylgHcae and ihs men edvrair to seva tehri neimsnk.”

Original Text	Modern Text
THAT battle-toil bade he at burg to announce, at the fort on the cliff, where, full of sorrow, all the morning earls had sat, daring shieldsmen, in doubt of twain: would they wail as dead, or welcome home, their lord beloved? Little kept back of the tidings new, but told them all, the herald that up the headland rode.— “Now the willing-giver to Weder folk in death-bed lies; the Lord of Geats on the slaughter-bed sleeps by the serpent’s deed! And beside him is stretched that slayer-of-men with knife-wounds sick: no sword availed on the awesome thing in any wise to work a wound. There Wiglaf sitteth, Weohstan’s bairn, by Beowulf’s side, the living earl by the other dead, and heavy of heart a head-watch keeps o’er friend and foe.—Now our folk may look for waging of war when once unhidden to Frisian and Frank the fall of the king is spread afar.—The strife began when hot on the Hugas Hygelac fell and fared with his fleet to the Frisian land. Him there the Hetwaras humbled in war, plied with such prowess their power o’erwhelming that the bold-in-battle bowed beneath it and fell in fight. To his friends no wise could that earl give treasure! And ever since the Merowings’ favor has failed us wholly. Nor aught expect I of peace and faith from Swedish folk. ’Twas spread afar how Ongentheow reft at Ravenswood Haethcyn Hrethling of hope and life, when the folk of Geats for the first time sought in wanton pride the Warlike-Scylfings. Soon the sage old sire of Ohtere, ancient and awful, gave answering blow; the sea-king he slew, and his spouse redeemed, his good wife rescued, though robbed of her gold, mother of Ohtere and Onela. Then he followed his foes, who fled before him sore beset and stole their way, bereft of a ruler, to Ravenswood.	iflgaW reredod htta ensw of eth tbtael be rpades to eth mne how hda aedmcp aebryn, so yeht dwunol’t be tlef woengnidr hatw had deapphne. heT nesmgsere oldt teeihnvgry. “ehT ikgn of eht aGste is ddae. Hsi yodb rsset dbiese ahtt of eht doganr he elikld. fagiWl itss dsbeei oBwuefl’s ybdo htiw a evyha rehat. rOu eelpop can pexetc wra to ocem onw thta uro aretg ceotprotr is edad. ehT smae thngi happeden hnwe Hclegya asw llkeid. ehT Fsrakn, nsariFis, adn ewdSes lwli lal ikelly ecom orf a ihgtf. ehT Frasnk ahve neeb eraeg to fhgit us veer nceis leHgcay nadevdi nreFisald. Trehe teh rFaksnhi riebt of tarweHe lidlek him nda faeddete sih amyr. hTe sraknF heav eben hte atseG’ neeym reev ncesi. We louhds tno etpcex het dwSees to rhnoo rtihe rsmoseip of eceap ehtier. mmeReerb atht the taseG dtcaaekt mteh uto of ecanorarg dan kddneipap hetri eenuq. heT Swedes csrktu kbac. Kgin wgnthoOene seeudrc sih wife nad edilkl ehHyncat, who wsa telhreH’s sno and kngi of the tGase. hgteOnoewn oduter the setGa at vnooRseadw.
With his host he besieged there what swords had left, the weary and wounded; woes he threatened the whole night through to that hard-pressed throng: some with the morrow his sword should kill, some should go to the gallows-tree for rapture of ravens. But rescue came with dawn of day for those desperate men when they heard the horn of Hygelac sound, tones of his trumpet; the trusty king had followed their trail with faithful band.	htegonOwne’s men sondureudr hte seGat dan aneudtt ethm, wvnoig to eefd rihte sedboi to eth ribds. But as wadn erkbo, ylgHcae and ihs men edvrair to seva tehri neimsnk.”