Beówulf | Page 5

mind his past life and exploits. He then takes leave of his followers, one by one, and advances alone to attack the dragon. Unable, from the heat, to enter the cavern, he shouts aloud, and the dragon comes forth. The dragon's scaly hide is proof against Be��wulf's sword, and he is reduced to great straits. Then Wiglaf, one of his followers, advances to help him. Wiglaf's shield is consumed by the dragon's fiery breath, and he is compelled to seek shelter under Be��wulf's shield of iron. Be��wulf's sword snaps asunder, and he is seized by the dragon. Wiglaf stabs the dragon from underneath, and Be��wulf cuts it in two with his dagger. Feeling that his end is near, he bids Wiglaf bring out the treasures from the cavern, that he may see them before he dies. Wiglaf enters the dragon's den, which is described, returns to Be��wulf, and receives his last commands. Be��wulf dies, and Wiglaf bitterly reproaches his companions for their cowardice. The disastrous consequences of Be��wulf's death are then foretold, and the poem ends with his funeral.--H. Sweet, in Warton's History of English Poetry, Vol. II. (ed. 1871). Cf. also Ten Brink's History of English Literature.
BE��WULF.
I. THE PASSING OF SCYLD.
Hw?t! we Gar-Dena in gear-dagum?te��d-cyninga trym gefrunon,?h? ta ?eelingas ellen fremedon.?Oft Scyld Sc��fing sceaeena tre��tum,?5 monegum m?geum meodo-setla ofte��h.
Egsode eorl, syeean ?rest weare?fe��-sceaft funden: he t?s fr?fre gebad,?we?x under wolcnum, weore-myndum eah,??e t?t him ?ghwylc tara ymb-sittendra?10 ofer hron-rade hyran scolde,
gomban gyldan: t?t w?s g?d cyning!?t?m eafera w?s ?fter cenned?geong in geardum, tone god sende?folce t? fr?fre; fyren-tearfe ongeat,?15 t?t hie ?r drugon aldor-le��se
lange hw?le. Him t?s l?f-fre��,?wuldres wealdend, worold-are forgeaf;?Be��wulf w?s breme (bl?d w?de sprang),?Scyldes eafera Scede-landum in.?20 Swa sceal geong guma, g?de gewyrcean,
fromum feoh-giftum on f?der wine,?t?t hine on ylde eft gewunigen?wil-ges?eas, tonne w?g cume,?le��de gel?sten: lof-d?dum sceal?25 in m?gea gehw?re man gete��n.
Him ta Scyld gewat t? gesc?p-hw?le?fela-hr?r f��ran on fre��n w?re;?hi hyne ta ?tb?ron t? brimes faroee.?sw?se ges?eas, swa he selfa b?d,?30 tenden wordum we��ld wine Scyldinga,
le��f land-fruma lange ahte.?T?r ?t hyee st?d hringed-stefna,??sig and ?tf?s, ?eelinges f?r;?a-l��don ta le��fne te��den,?35 be��ga bryttan on bearm scipes,
m?rne be m?ste. T?r w?s madma fela,?of feor-wegum fr?twa gel?ded:?ne hyrde ic cyml?cor ce��l gegyrwan?hilde-w?pnum and heaeo-w?dum,?40 billum and byrnum; him on bearme l?g
madma m?nigo, ta him mid scoldon?on fl?des ?ht feor gew?tan.?Nalas hi hine l?ssan lacum te��dan,?te��d-gestre��num, tonne ta dydon,?45 te hine ?t frumsceafte fore onsendon
?nne ofer yee umbor wesende:?ta gyt hie him asetton segen gyldenne?he��h ofer he��fod, l��ton holm beran,?geafon on gar-secg: him w?s ge?mor sefa,?50 murnende m?d. Men ne cunnon
secgan t? soee sele-r?dende,?h?lee under heofenum, hwa t?m hl?ste onf��ng.
II. THE HALL HEOROT.
Ta w?s on burgum Be��wulf Scyldinga,?le��f le��d-cyning, longe trage?55 folcum gefr?ge (f?der ellor hwearf,
aldor of earde), ?e t?t him eft onw?c?he��h Healfdene; he��ld tenden lifde,?gamol and g?e-re��w, gl?de Scyldingas.?T?m fe��wer bearn fore-ger?med?60 in worold w?cun, weoroda r?swan,
Heorogar and Hr?egar and Halga til;?hyrde ic, tat Elan cw��n Ongente��wes w?s?Heaeoscilfinges heals-gebedde.?Ta w?s Hr?egare here-sp��d gyfen,?65 w?ges weore-mynd, t?t him his wine-magas
georne hyrdon, ?e t?t se�� geogoe gewe?x,?mago-driht micel. Him on m?d bearn,?t?t heal-reced hatan wolde,?medo-?rn micel men gewyrcean,?70 tone yldo bearn ?fre gefrunon,
and t?r on innan eall ged?lan?geongum and ealdum, swylc him god sealde,?b?ton folc-scare and feorum gumena.?Ta ic w?de gefr?gn weorc gebannan?75 manigre m?gee geond tisne middan-geard,
folc-stede fr?twan. Him on fyrste gelomp??dre mid yldum, t?t hit weare eal gearo,?heal-?rna m?st; sc?p him Heort naman,?se te his wordes geweald w?de h?fde.?80 He be��t ne al��h, be��gas d?lde,
sinc ?t symle. Sele hlifade?he��h and horn-ge��p: heaeo-wylma bad,?laean l?ges; ne w?s hit lenge ta gen?t?t se ecg-hete aeum-swerian?85 ?fter w?l-n?ee w?cnan scolde.
Ta se ellen-g?st earfoel?ce?trage getolode, se te in tystrum bad,?t?t he d?gora gehwam dre��m gehyrde?hl?dne in healle; t?r w?s hearpan sw��g,?90 swutol sang sc?pes. S?gde se te c?ee
frum-sceaft fira feorran reccan,?cw?e t?t se ?lmihtiga eorean worhte,?wlite-beorhtne wang, swa w?ter beb?gee,?gesette sige-hr��eig sunnan and m?nan?95 le��man t? le��hte land-b?endum,
and gefr?twade foldan sce��tas?leomum and le��fum; l?f e��c gesce?p?cynna gehwylcum, tara te cwice hwyrfae.?Swa ta driht-guman dre��mum lifdon?100 e��digl?ce, ?e t?t an ongan
fyrene fremman, fe��nd on helle:?w?s se grimma g?st Grendel haten,?m?re mearc-stapa, se te m?ras he��ld,?fen and f?sten; f?fel-cynnes eard?105 won-s?lig wer weardode hw?le,
sieean him scyppend forscrifen h?fde.?In Caines cynne tone cwealm gewr?c,?��ce drihten, t?s te he Abel sl?g;?ne gefeah he t?re f?hee, ac he hine feor forwr?c, 110 metod for ty mane man-cynne fram.
Tanon untydras ealle onw?con,?eotenas and ylfe and orcn��as,?swylce gigantas, ta wie gode wunnon?lange trage; he him t?s le��n forgeald.
III. GRENDEL'S VISITS.
115 Gewat ta ne��sian, syeean niht becom,
he��n h?ses, h? hit Hring-Dene??fter be��r-tege geb?n h?fdon.?Fand ta t?r inne ?eelinga gedriht?swefan ?fter symble; sorge ne c?eon,?120 won-sceaft wera. Wiht unh?lo
grim and gr?dig gearo s?na w?s,?re��c and r��ee, and on r?ste genam?tritig tegna: tanon eft gewat?h?ee hr��mig t? ham faran,?125 mid t?re w?l-fylle w?ca ne��san.
Ta w?s on uhtan mid ?r-d?ge?Grendles g?e-cr?ft gumum undyrne:?ta w?s ?fter wiste w?p up ahafen,?micel morgen-sw��g. M?re te��den,?130