Chapter 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
2465 "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,
2470 "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,
2175 "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.
2480 "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.
2485 "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
2490 "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,
2495 "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
2500 "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,
2505 "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,
2510 "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,
2515 "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,
2520 "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
2525 "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.
2530 "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,
2535 "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,
2540 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,
2545 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
2550 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.
2555 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.
2560 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,
2565 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.
2570 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
2575 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,
2580 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
2585 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;
2590 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,
2595 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,
2600 ealdre burgan. Hiora in ânum weóll
sefa wið sorgum: sibb æfre ne mäg
wiht onwendan, þam þe wel þenceð.