XXXV. MEMORIES OF PAST TIME.—THE FEUD WITH THE FIRE-DRAKE.

"Gewîteð þonne on sealman, sorh-leóð gäleð

"ân äfter ânum: þûhte him eall tô rûm,

"wongas and wîc-stede. Swâ Wedra helm

"äfter Herebealde heortan sorge

"weallende wäg, wihte ne meahte

"on þam feorh-bonan fæhðe gebêtan:

"nô þý ær he þone heaðo-rinc hatian ne meahte

"lâðum dædum, þeáh him leóf ne wäs.

"He þâ mid þære sorge, þe him sió sâr belamp,

"gum-dreám ofgeaf, godes leóht geceás;

"eaferum læfde, swâ dêð eádig mon,

"lond and leód-byrig, þâ he of lîfe gewât.

"Þâ wäs synn and sacu Sweona and Geáta,

"ofer wîd wäter wrôht gemæne,

"here-nîð hearda, syððan Hrêðel swealt,

"oððe him Ongenþeówes eaferan wæran

"frome fyrd-hwate, freóde ne woldon

"ofer heafo healdan, ac ymb Hreosna-beorh

"eatolne inwit-scear oft gefremedon.

"Þät mæg-wine mîne gewræcan,

"fæhðe and fyrene, swâ hyt gefræge wäs,

"þeáh þe ôðer hit ealdre gebohte,

"heardan ceápe: Hæðcynne wearð,

"Geáta dryhtne, gûð onsæge.

"Þâ ic on morgne gefrägn mæg ôðerne

"billes ecgum on bonan stælan,

"þær Ongenþeów Eofores niósade:

"gûð-helm tôglâd, gomela Scylfing

"hreás heoro-blâc; hond gemunde

"fæhðo genôge, feorh-sweng ne ofteáh.

"Ic him þâ mâðmas, þe he me sealde,

"geald ät gûðe, swâ me gifeðe wäs,

"leóhtan sweorde: he me lond forgeaf,

"eard êðel-wyn. Näs him ænig þearf,

"þät he tô Gifðum oððe tô Gâr-Denum

"oððe in Swió-rîce sêcean þurfe

"wyrsan wîg-frecan, weorðe gecýpan;

"symle ic him on fêðan beforan wolde,

"âna on orde, and swâ tô aldre sceall

"säcce fremman, þenden þis sweord þolað,

"þät mec ær and sîð oft gelæste,

"syððan ic for dugeðum Däghrefne wearð

"tô hand-bonan, Hûga cempan:

"nalles he þâ frätwe Fres-cyninge,

"breóst-weorðunge bringan môste,

"ac in campe gecrong cumbles hyrde,

"äðeling on elne. Ne wäs ecg bona,

"ac him hilde-grâp heortan wylmas,

"bân-hûs gebräc. Nu sceall billes ecg,

"hond and heard sweord ymb hord wîgan."

Beówulf maðelode, beót-wordum spräc

niéhstan sîðe: "Ic genêðde fela

"gûða on geogoðe; gyt ic wylle,

"frôd folces weard, fæhðe sêcan,

"mærðum fremman, gif mec se mân-sceaða

"of eorð-sele ût gesêceð!"

Gegrêtte þâ gumena gehwylcne,

hwate helm-berend hindeman sîðe,

swæse gesîðas: "Nolde ic sweord beran,

"wæpen tô wyrme, gif ic wiste hû

"wið þam aglæcean elles meahte

"gylpe wiðgrîpan, swâ ic gió wið Grendle dyde;

"ac ic þær heaðu-fýres hâtes wêne,

"rêðes and-hâttres: forþon ic me on hafu

"bord and byrnan. Nelle ic beorges weard

"oferfleón fôtes trem, feónd unhýre,

"ac unc sceal weorðan ät wealle, swâ unc Wyrd geteóð,

"metod manna gehwäs. Ic eom on môde from,

"þät ic wið þone gûð-flogan gylp ofersitte.

"Gebîde ge on beorge byrnum werede,

"secgas on searwum, hwäðer sêl mæge

"äfter wäl-ræse wunde gedýgan

"uncer twega. Nis þät eówer sîð,

"ne gemet mannes, nefne mîn ânes,

"þät he wið aglæcean eofoðo dæle,

"eorl-scype efne. Ic mid elne sceall

"gold gegangan oððe gûð nimeð,

"feorh-bealu frêcne, freán eówerne!"

Ârâs þâ bî ronde rôf oretta,

heard under helm, hioro-sercean bär

under stân-cleofu, strengo getrûwode

ânes mannes: ne bið swylc earges sîð.

Geseah þâ be wealle, se þe worna fela,

gum-cystum gôd, gûða gedîgde,

hilde-hlemma, þonne hnitan fêðan,

(stôd on stân-bogan) streám ût þonan

brecan of beorge; wäs þære burnan wälm

heaðo-fýrum hât: ne meahte horde neáh

unbyrnende ænige hwîle

deóp gedýgan for dracan lêge.

Lêt þâ of breóstum, þâ he gebolgen wäs,

Weder-Geáta leód word ût faran,

stearc-heort styrmde; stefn in becom

heaðo-torht hlynnan under hârne stân.

Hete wäs onhrêred, hord-weard oncniów

mannes reorde; näs þær mâra fyrst,

freóde tô friclan. From ærest cwom

oruð aglæcean ût of stâne,

hât hilde-swât; hruse dynede.

Biorn under beorge bord-rand onswâf

wið þam gryre-gieste, Geáta dryhten:

þâ wäs hring-bogan heorte gefýsed

säcce tô sêceanne. Sweord ær gebräd

gôd gûð-cyning gomele lâfe,

ecgum ungleáw, æghwäðrum wäs

bealo-hycgendra brôga fram ôðrum.

Stîð-môd gestôd wið steápne rond

winia bealdor, þâ se wyrm gebeáh

snûde tôsomne: he on searwum bâd.

Gewât þâ byrnende gebogen scrîðan tô,

gescîfe scyndan. Scyld wel gebearg

lîfe and lîce lässan hwîle

mærum þeódne, þonne his myne sôhte,

þær he þý fyrste forman dôgore

wealdan môste, swâ him Wyrd ne gescrâf

hrêð ät hilde. Hond up âbräd

Geáta dryhten, gryre-fâhne slôh

incge lâfe, þät sió ecg gewâc

brûn on bâne, bât unswîðor,

þonne his þiód-cyning þearfe häfde,

bysigum gebæded. Þâ wäs beorges weard

äfter heaðu-swenge on hreóum môde,

wearp wäl-fýre, wîde sprungon

hilde-leóman: hrêð-sigora ne gealp

gold-wine Geáta, gûð-bill geswâc

nacod ät nîðe, swâ hyt nô sceolde,

îren ær-gôd. Ne wäs þät êðe sîð,

þät se mæra maga Ecgþeówes

grund-wong þone ofgyfan wolde;

sceolde wyrmes willan wîc eardian

elles hwergen, swâ sceal æghwylc mon

âlætan læn-dagas. Näs þâ long tô þon,

þät þâ aglæcean hy eft gemêtton.

Hyrte hyne hord-weard, hreðer æðme weóll,

niwan stefne: nearo þrowode

fýre befongen se þe ær folce weóld.

Nealles him on heápe hand-gesteallan,

äðelinga bearn ymbe gestôdon

hilde-cystum, ac hy on holt bugon,

ealdre burgan. Hiora in ânum weóll

sefa wið sorgum: sibb æfre ne mäg

wiht onwendan, þam þe wel þenceð.