No More Learning

"Onsend Higelāce, gif mec hild nime,
"beadu-scrūda betst, þæt mīne brēost wereð,
"hrægla sēlest; þæt is Hrēðlan lāf,
455 "Wēlandes geweorc. Gǣð ā Wyrd swā hīo scel! "


VIII. HROTHGAR TELLS OF GRENDEL.

Hrōðgār maðelode, helm Scyldinga:
"for were-fyhtum þū, wine mīn Bēowulf,
"and for ār-stafum ūsic sōhtest.
"Geslōh þin fæder fǣhðe mǣste,
460 "wearð hē Heaðolāfe tō hand-bonan
"mid Wilfingum; þā hine Wedera cyn
"for here-brōgan habban ne mihte.
"Þanon hē gesōhte Sūð-Dena folc
"ofer ȳða gewealc, Ār-Scyldinga;
465 "þā ic furðum wēold folce Deninga,
"and on geogoðe hēold gimme-rīce
"hord-burh hæleða: þā wæs Heregār dēad,
"mīn yldra mǣg unlifigende,
"bearn Healfdenes. Sē wæs betera þonne ic!
470 "Siððan þā fǣhðe fēo þingode;
"sende ic Wylfingum ofer wæteres hrycg
"ealde mādmas: hē mē āðas swōr.
"Sorh is mē tō secganne on sefan mīnum
"gumena ǣngum, hwæt mē Grendel hafað
475 "hȳnðo on Heorote mid his hete-þancum,
"fǣr-nīða gefremed. Is mīn flet-werod,
"wīg-hēap gewanod; hīe Wyrd forswēop
"on Grendles gryre. God ēaðe mæg
"þone dol-scaðan dǣda getwǣfan!
480 "Ful oft gebēotedon bēore druncne
"ofer ealo-wǣge ōret-mecgas,
"þæt hīe in bēor-sele bīdan woldon
"Grendles gūðe mid gryrum ecga.
"Þonne wæs þēos medo-heal on morgen-tīd,
485 "driht-sele drēor-fāh, þonne dæg līxte,
"eal benc-þelu blōde bestȳmed,
"heall heoru-drēore: āhte ic holdra þȳ lǣs,
"dēorre duguðe, þē þā dēað fornam.
"Site nū tō symle and onsǣl meoto,
490 "sige-hrēð secgum, swā þīn sefa hwette!
"
Þā wæs Gēat-mæcgum geador ætsomne
on bēor-sele benc gerȳmed;
þǣr swīð-ferhðe sittan ēodon
þrȳðum dealle. Þegn nytte behēold,
495 sē þe on handa bær hroden ealo-wǣge,
scencte scīr wered. Scop hwīlum sang
hādor on Heorote; þǣr wæs hæleða drēam,
duguð unlȳtel Dena and Wedera.


IX. HUNFERTH OBJECTS TO BĒOWULF.

Unferð maðelode, Ecglāfes bearn,
500 þē æt fōtum sæt frēan Scyldinga;
onband beadu-rūne (wæs him Bēowulfes sīð,
mōdges mere-faran, micel æf-þunca,
forþon þe hē ne ūðe, þæt ǣnig ōðer man
ǣfre mǣrða þon mā middan-geardes
505 gehēdde under heofenum þonne hē sylfa):
"Eart þū sē Bēowulf, sē þe wið Brecan wunne,
"on sīdne sǣ ymb sund flite,
"þǣr git for wlence wada cunnedon
"and for dol-gilpe on dēop wæter
510 "aldrum nēðdon? Nē inc ǣnig mon,
"nē lēof nē lāð, belēan mihte
"sorh-fullne sīð; þā git on sund rēon,
"þǣr git ēagor-strēam earmum þehton,
"mǣton mere-strǣta, mundum brugdon,
515 "glidon ofer gār-secg; geofon ȳðum wēol,
"wintres wylme. Git on wæteres ǣht
"seofon niht swuncon; hē þē æt sunde oferflāt,
"hæfde māre mægen. Þā hine on morgen-tīd
"on Heaðo-rǣmas holm up ætbær,
520 "þonon hē gesōhte swǣsne ēðel
"lēof his lēodum lond Brondinga,
"freoðo-burh fægere, þǣr hē folc āhte,
"burg and bēagas. Bēot eal wið þē
"sunu Bēanstānes sōðe gelǣste.
525 "Þonne wēne ic tō þē wyrsan geþinges,
"þēah þū heaðo-rǣsa gehwǣr dohte,
"grimre gūðe, gif þū Grendles dearst
"niht-longne fyrst nēan bīdan! "
Bēowulf maðelode, bearn Ecgþēowes:
530 "Hwæt! þū worn fela, wine mīn Unferð,
"bēore druncen ymb Brecan sprǣce,
"sægdest from his sīðe! Sōð ic talige,
"þæt ic mere-strengo māran āhte,
"earfeðo on ȳðum, þonne ǣnig ōðer man.
535 "Wit þæt gecwǣdon cniht-wesende
"and gebēotedon (wǣron bēgen þā gīt
"on geogoð-feore) þæt wit on gār-secg ūt
"aldrum nēðdon; and þæt geæfndon swā.
"Hæfdon swurd nacod, þā wit on sund rēon,
540 "heard on handa, wit unc wið hron-fixas
"werian þōhton.