No More Learning

1885 Þā wæs on gange gifu Hrōðgāres
oft geæhted: þæt wæs ān cyning
ǣghwæs orleahtre, oð þæt hine yldo benam
mægenes wynnum, sē þe oft manegum scōd.


XXVIII. BĒOWULF RETURNS TO GEATLAND. -THE QUEENS HYGD AND THRYTHO.

Cwōm þā tō flōde fela-mōdigra
1890 hæg-stealdra hēap; hring-net bǣron,
locene leoðo-syrcan. Land-weard onfand
eft-sīð eorla, swā hē ǣr dyde;
nō hē mid hearme of hlīðes nosan
gæstas grētte, ac him tōgēanes rād;
1895 cwæð þæt wilcuman Wedera lēodum
scawan scīr-hame tō scipe fōron.
Þā wæs on sande sǣ-gēap naca
hladen here-wǣdum, hringed-stefna
mēarum and māðmum: mæst hlīfade
1900 ofer Hrōðgāres hord-gestrēonum.
Hē þǣm bāt-wearde bunden golde
swurd gesealde, þæt hē syððan wæs
on meodu-bence māðme þȳ weorðra,
yrfe-lāfe. Gewāt him on ȳð-nacan,
1905 drēfan dēop wæter, Dena land ofgeaf.
Þā wæs be mæste mere-hrægla sum,
segl sāle fæst. Sund-wudu þunede,
nō þǣr wēg-flotan wind ofer ȳðum
sīðes getwǣfde; sǣ-genga fōr,
1910 flēat fāmig-heals forð ofer ȳðe,
bunden-stefna ofer brim-strēamas,
þæt hīe Gēata clifu ongitan meahton,
cūðe næssas. Cēol up geþrang,
lyft-geswenced on lande stōd.
1915 Hraðe wæs æt holme hȳð-weard gearo,
sē þe ǣr lange tīd, lēofra manna
fūs, æt faroðe feor wlātode;
sǣlde tō sande sīd-fæðme scip
oncer-bendum fæst, þȳ lǣs hym ȳða þrym
1920 wudu wynsuman forwrecan meahte.
Hēt þā up beran æðelinga gestrēon,
frætwe and fǣt-gold; næs him feor þanon
tō gesēcanne sinces bryttan:
Higelāc Hrēðling þǣr æt hām wunað,
1925 selfa mid gesīðum sǣ-wealle nēah;
bold wæs betlīc, brego-rōf cyning,
hēa on healle, Hygd swīðe geong,
wīs, wēl-þungen, þēah þe wintra lȳt
under burh-locan gebiden hæbbe
1930 Hæreðes dōhtor: næs hīo hnāh swā þēah,
nē tō gnēað gifa Gēata lēodum,
māðm-gestrēona. Mod Þrȳðo wæg,
fremu folces cwēn, firen ondrysne:
nǣnig þæt dorste dēor genēðan
1935 swǣsra gesīða, nefne sin-frēa,
þæt hire an dæges ēagum starede;
ac him wæl-bende weotode tealde,
hand-gewriðene: hraðe seoððan wæs
æfter mund-gripe mēce geþinged,
1940 þæt hit sceaðen-mǣl scȳran mōste,
cwealm-bealu cȳðan.
Ne bið swylc cwēnlīc þēaw
idese tō efnanne, þēah þe hīo ǣnlīcu sȳ,
þætte freoðu-webbe fēores onsæce
æfter līge-torne lēofne mannan.
1945 Hūru þæt onhōhsnode Heminges mǣg;
ealo drincende ōðer sǣdan,
þæt hīo lēod-bealewa lǣs gefremede,
inwit-nīða, syððan ǣrest wearð
gyfen gold-hroden geongum cempan,
1950 æðelum dīore, syððan hīo Offan flet
ofer fealone flōd be fæder lāre
sīðe gesōhte, þǣr hīo syððan wēl
in gum-stōle, gōde mǣre,
līf-gesceafta lifigende brēac,
1955 hīold hēah-lufan wið hæleða brego,
ealles mon-cynnes mīne gefrǣge
þone sēlestan bī sǣm twēonum
eormen-cynnes; forþām Offa wæs
geofum and gūðum gār-cēne man,
1960 wīde geweorðod; wīsdōme hēold
ēðel sīnne, þonon Ēomǣr wōc
hæleðum tō helpe, Heminges mǣg,
nefa Gārmundes, nīða cræftig.


XXIX. HIS ARRIVAL. HYGELAC'S RECEPTION.

Gewāt him þā se hearda mid his hond-scole
1965 sylf æfter sande sǣ-wong tredan,
wīde waroðas. Woruld-candel scān,
sigel sūðan fūs: hī sīð drugon,
elne geēodon, tō þæs þe eorla hlēo,
bonan Ongenþēowes burgum on innan,
1970 geongne gūð-cyning gōdne gefrūnon
hringas dǣlan. Higelāce wæs
sīð Bēowulfes snūde gecȳðed,
þæt þǣr on worðig wīgendra hlēo,
lind-gestealla lifigende cwōm,
1975 heaðo-lāces hāl tō hofe gongan.
Hraðe wæs gerȳmed, swā se rīca bebēad,
fēðe-gestum flet innan-weard.
Gesæt þā wið sylfne, sē þā sæcce genæs,
mǣg wið mǣge, syððan man-dryhten
1980 þurh hlēoðor-cwyde holdne gegrētte
mēaglum wordum. Meodu-scencum
hwearf geond þæt reced Hæreðes dōhtor:
lufode þā lēode, līð-wǣge bær
hǣlum tō handa. Higelāc ongan
1985 sīnne geseldan in sele þām hēan
fægre fricgean, hyne fyrwet bræc,
hwylce Sǣ-Gēata sīðas wǣron:
"Hū lomp ēow on lāde, lēofa Bīowulf,
"þā þū fǣringa feorr gehogodest,
1990 "sæcce sēcean ofer sealt wæter,
"hilde tō Hiorote? Ac þū Hrōðgāre
"wīd-cūðne wēan wihte gebēttest,
"mǣrum þēodne? Ic þæs mōd-ceare
"sorh-wylmum sēað, sīðe ne truwode
1995 "lēofes mannes; ic þē lange bæd,
"þæt þū þone wæl-gǣst wihte ne grētte,
"lēte Sūð-Dene sylfe geweorðan
"gūðe wið Grendel. Gode ic þanc secge,
"þæs þe ic þē gesundne gesēon mōste. "
2000 Bīowulf maðelode, bearn Ecgþīowes:
"Þæt is undyrne, dryhten Higelāc,
"mǣre gemēting monegum fīra,
"hwylc orleg-hwīl uncer Grendles
"wearð on þām wange, þǣr hē worna fela
2005 "Sige-Scildingum sorge gefremede,
"yrmðe tō aldre; ic þæt eal gewræc,
"swā ne gylpan þearf Grendeles māga
"ǣnig ofer eorðan ūht-hlem þone,
"sē þe lengest leofað lāðan cynnes,
2010 "fenne bifongen.