No More Learning

Gespræc þā se gōda gylp-worda sum
Bēowulf Gēata, ǣr hē on bed stige:
"Nō ic mē an here-wǣsmum hnāgran talige
"gūð-geweorca, þonne Grendel hine;
680 "forþan ic hine sweorde swebban nelle,
"aldre benēotan, þēah ic eal mǣge.
"Nāt hē þāra gōda, þæt hē mē on-gēan slēa,
"rand gehēawe, þēah þe hē rōf sīe
"nīð-geweorca; ac wit on niht sculon
685 "secge ofersittan, gif hē gesēcean dear
"wīg ofer wǣpen, and siððan wītig god
"on swā hwæðere hond hālig dryhten
"mǣrðo dēme, swā him gemet þince. "
Hylde hine þā heaðo-dēor, hlēor-bolster onfēng
690 eorles andwlitan; and hine ymb monig
snellīc sǣ-rinc sele-reste gebēah.
Nǣnig heora þōhte þæt hē þanon scolde
eft eard-lufan ǣfre gesēcean,
folc oððe frēo-burh, þǣr hē āfēded wæs,
695 ac hīe hæfdon gefrūnen, þæt hīe ǣr tō fela micles
in þǣm wīn-sele wæl-dēað fornam,
Denigea lēode. Ac him dryhten forgeaf
wīg-spēda gewiofu, Wedera lēodum
frōfor and fultum, þæt hīe fēond heora
700 þurh ānes cræft ealle ofercōmon,
selfes mihtum: sōð is gecȳðed,
þæt mihtig god manna cynnes
wēold wīde-ferhð. Cōm on wanre niht
scrīðan sceadu-genga. Scēotend swǣfon,
705 þā þæt horn-reced healdan scoldon,
ealle būton ānum. Þæt wæs yldum cūð,
þæt hīe ne mōste, þā metod nolde,
se syn-scaða under sceadu bregdan;
ac hē wæccende wrāðum on andan
710 bād bolgen-mōd beadwa geþinges.


XII. GRENDEL'S RAID.

Þā cōm of mōre under mist-hleoðum
Grendel gongan, godes yrre bær.
Mynte se mān-scaða manna cynnes
sumne besyrwan in sele þām hēan;
715 wōd under wolcnum, tō þæs þe hē wīn-reced,
gold-sele gumena, gearwost wisse
fǣttum fāhne. Ne wæs þæt forma sīð,
þæt hē Hrōðgāres hām gesōhte:
nǣfre hē on aldor-dagum ǣr nē siððan
720 heardran hæle, heal-þegnas fand!
Cōm þā tō recede rinc sīðian
drēamum bedǣled. Duru sōna onarn
fȳr-bendum fæst, syððan hē hire folmum hrān;
onbræd þā bealo-hȳdig, þā hē ābolgen wæs,
725 recedes mūðan.
Raðe æfter þon
on fāgne flōr fēond treddode,
ēode yrre-mōd; him of ēagum stōd
līge gelīcost lēoht unfǣger.
Geseah hē in recede rinca manige,
730 swefan sibbe-gedriht samod ætgædere,
mago-rinca hēap: þā his mōd āhlōg,
mynte þæt hē gedǣlde, ǣr þon dæg cwōme,
atol āglǣca, ānra gehwylces
līf wið līce, þā him ālumpen wæs
735 wist-fylle wēn. Ne wæs þæt wyrd þā gēn,
þæt hē mā mōste manna cynnes
þicgean ofer þā niht. Þrȳð-swȳð behēold
mǣg Higelāces, hū se mān-scaða
under fǣr-gripum gefaran wolde.
740 Nē þæt se āglǣca yldan þōhte,
ac hē gefēng hraðe forman siðe
slǣpendne rinc, slāt unwearnum,
bāt bān-locan, blōd ēdrum dranc,
syn-snǣdum swealh: sōna hæfde
745 unlyfigendes eal gefeormod
fēt and folma. Forð nēar ætstōp,
nam þā mid handa hige-þīhtigne
rinc on ræste; rǣhte ongēan
fēond mid folme, hē onfēng hraðe
750 inwit-þancum and wið earm gesæt.
Sōna þæt onfunde fyrena hyrde,
þæt hē ne mētte middan-geardes
eorðan scēata on elran men
mund-gripe māran: hē on mōde wearð
755 forht on ferhðe, nō þȳ ǣr fram meahte;
hyge wæs him hin-fūs, wolde on heolster flēon,
sēcan dēofla gedræg: ne wæs his drohtoð þǣr,
swylce hē on ealder-dagum ǣr gemētte.
Gemunde þā se gōda mǣg Higelāces
760 ǣfen-sprǣce, up-lang āstōd
and him fæste wiðfēng. Fingras burston;
eoten wæs ūt-weard, eorl furður stōp.
Mynte se mǣra, þǣr hē meahte swā,
wīdre gewindan and on weg þanon
765 flēon on fen-hopu; wiste his fingra geweald
on grames grāpum. Þæt wæs gēocor sīð,
þæt se hearm-scaða tō Heorute ātēah:
dryht-sele dynede, Denum eallum wearð,
ceaster-būendum, cēnra gehwylcum,
770 eorlum ealu-scerwen. Yrre wǣron bēgen,
rēðe rēn-weardas. Reced hlynsode;
þā wæs wundor micel, þæt se wīn-sele
wiðhæfde heaðo-dēorum, þæt hē on hrūsan ne fēol,
fǣger fold-bold; ac hē þæs fæste wæs
775 innan and ūtan īren-bendum
searo-þoncum besmiðod. Þǣr fram sylle ābēag
medu-benc monig mīne gefrǣge,
golde geregnad, þǣr þā graman wunnon;
þæs ne wēndon ǣr witan Scyldinga,
780 þæt hit ā mid gemete manna ǣnig
betlīc and bān-fāg tōbrecan meahte,
listum tōlūcan, nymðe līges fæðm
swulge on swaðule. Swēg up āstāg
nīwe geneahhe; Norð-Denum stōd
785 atelīc egesa ānra gehwylcum
þāra þe of wealle wōp gehȳrdon,
gryre-lēoð galan godes andsacan,
sige-lēasne sang, sār wānigean
helle hæftan. Hēold hine tō fæste
790 sē þe manna wæs mægene strengest
on þǣm dæge þysses līfes.