Beowulf (Wyatt)/Beowulf 34

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XXXIV.

Sē ðæs lēod-hryres  lēan gemunde
uferan dōgrum;  Ēadgilse wearð
fēa-sceaftum frēond,  folce gestēpte[1]
ofer sǣ sīde  sunu Ōhteres,
2395wigum ond wǣpnum;  hē gewræc syððan
cealdum cear-sīðum,  cyning ealdre binēat.
Swā hē nīða gehwane  genesen hæfde,
slīðra geslyhta,  sunu Ecgðīowes,
ellen-weorca,  oð ðone ānne dæg,
2400þe hē wið þām wyrme  gewegan sceolde.
Gewāt þā twelfa[2] sum,  torne gebolgen,
dryhten Gēata  dracan scēawian;
hæfde þā gefrūnen,  hwanan sīo fǣhð ārās,
bealo-nīð biorna;  him tō bearme *cwōmFol. 183b.
2405māþðum-fæt mǣre  þurh ðæs meldan hond.
Sē wæs on ðām ðrēate  þreottēoþa secg,
sē ðæs orleges  ōr onstealde;
hæft hyge-gīomor  sceolde hēan ðonon
wong wīsian.  Hē ofer willan gīong,
2410tō ðæs ðe hē eorð-sele  ānne wisse,
hlǣw under hrūsan  holm-wylme nēh,
ȳð-gewinne,  sē wæs innan full
wrætta ond wīra.  Weard unhīore,
gearo gūð-freca,  gold-māðmas hēold,
2415eald under eorðan;  næs þæt ȳðe cēap
tō gegangenne  gumena ǣnigum.
Gesæt ðā on næsse  nīð-heard cyning,
þenden hǣlo ābēad  heorð-genēatum,
gold-wine Gēata.  Him wæs gēomor sefa,
2420wǣfre ond wæl-fūs,  wyrd ungemete nēah,
[3] ðone gomelan  grētan sceolde,
sēcean sāwle hord,  sundur gedǣlan
līf wið līce;  nō þon lange wæs
feorh æþelinges  flǣsce bewunden.
2425Bīowulf maþelade,  bearn Ecgðēowes:
“Fela ic on giogoðe  gūð-rǣsa genæs,
orleg-hwīla;  ic þæt eall gemon.
*Ic wæs syfan-wintre,  þā mec sinca baldor,Fol. 184a.
frēa-wine folca,  æt mīnum fæder genam;
2430hēold mec ond hæfde  Hrēðel cyning,
geaf mē sinc ond symbel,  sibbe gemunde;
næs ic him tō līfe  lāðra ōwihte
beorn in burgum  þonne his bearna hwylc,
Herebeald ond Hǣðcyn,  oððe Hygelāc mīn.
2435Wæs þām yldestan  ungedēfelīce
mǣges dǣdum  morþor-bed strēd,
syððan hyne Hǣðcyn  of horn-bogan,
his frēa-wine,  flāne geswencte,
miste mercelses  ond his mǣg ofscēt,
2440brōðor ōðerne,  blōdigan gāre.
Þæt wæs feoh-lēas gefeoht,  fyrenum gesyngad,
hreðre hyge-mēðe;  sceolde hwæðre swā þēah
æðeling unwrecen  ealdres linnan.
Swā bið gēomorlīc  gomelum ceorle
2445tō gebīdanne,  þæt his byre rīde
giong on galgan;  þonne hē gyd wrece,
sārigne sang,  þonne his sunu hangað
hrefne tō hrōðre,  ond hē him helpan[4] ne mæg,
eald ond in-frōd,  ǣnige gefremman.
2450Symble bið gemyndgad  morna gehwylce
*eaforan ellor-sīð;  ōðres ne gȳmeðFol. 184b.
tō gebīdanne  burgum in innan
yrfe-weardas,[5]  þonne se ān hafað
þurh dēaðes nȳd  dǣda gefondad.
2455Gesyhð sorh-cearig  on his suna būre
wīn-sele wēstne,  wind-gereste,
rēote berofene;  rīdend swefað,
hæleð in hoðman;  nis þǣr hearpan swēg,
gomen in geardum,  swylce ðǣr īu wǣron.

  1. 2393. Heyne ‘fēond, folce gestepte,’ with a different interpretation of the whole passage: sunu (2394) nom., cyning (2396) = Eadgils. With the MS. reading, retained in the text, sunu is accus., and cyning = Onela. By supporting the exiled Eadgils against Onela, Beowulf obtains his revenge on the Swedes. See Bugge, “Beit.” xii. 11 ff., and Eadgils in Index of Persons and Places.
  2. 2401. MS. ‘.xii.a
  3. 2421. Wülcker ‘sēo.’ Wyrd is fem. elsewhere in the poem; but cf. ll. 1344, 2685.
  4. 2448. Kemble ‘helpe.’ There is no other certain instance of the weak form than this. Possibly the scribe was thinking of the infinitive.
  5. 2453. For gen. sing, in -as see Sievers § 237, N. 1. Cf. ll. 63, 2921.