No More Learning

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.


XIII. BĒOWULF TEARS OFF GRENDEL'S ARM.

Nolde eorla hlēo ǣnige þinga
þone cwealm-cuman cwicne forlǣtan,
nē his līf-dagas lēoda ǣnigum
795 nytte tealde. Þǣr genehost brægd
eorl Bēowulfes ealde lāfe,
wolde frēa-drihtnes feorh ealgian
mǣres þēodnes, þǣr hīe meahton swā;
hīe þæt ne wiston, þā hīe gewin drugon,
800 heard-hicgende hilde-mecgas,
and on healfa gehwone hēawan þōhton,
sāwle sēcan, þæt þone syn-scaðan
ǣnig ofer eorðan īrenna cyst,
gūð-billa nān grētan nolde;
805 ac hē sige-wǣpnum forsworen hæfde,
ecga gehwylcre. Scolde his aldor-gedāl
on þǣm dæge þysses līfes
earmlīc wurðan and se ellor-gāst
on fēonda geweald feor sīðian.
810 Þā þæt onfunde sē þe fela ǣror
mōdes myrðe manna cynne
fyrene gefremede (hē wæs fāg wið god)
þæt him se līc-homa lǣstan nolde,
ac hine se mōdega mǣg Hygelāces
815 hæfde be honda; wæs gehwæðer ōðrum
lifigende lāð. Līc-sār gebād
atol ǣglǣca, him on eaxle wearð
syn-dolh sweotol, seonowe onsprungon
burston bān-locan. Bēowulfe wearð
820 gūð-hrēð gyfeðe; scolde Grendel þonan
feorh-sēoc flēon under fen-hleoðu,
sēcean wyn-lēas wīc; wiste þē geornor,
þæt his aldres wæs ende gegongen,
dōgera dæg-rīm. Denum eallum wearð
825 æfter þām wæl-rǣse willa gelumpen.