No More Learning

Hine sorh-wylmas
lemede tō lange, hē his lēodum wearð,
eallum æðelingum tō aldor-ceare;
swylce oft bemearn ǣrran mǣlum
swīð-ferhðes sīð snotor ceorl monig,
910 sē þe him bealwa tō bōte gelȳfde,
þæt þæt þēodnes bearn geþēon scolde,
fæder-æðelum onfōn, folc gehealdan,
hord and hlēo-burh, hæleða rīce,
ēðel Scyldinga. Hē þǣr eallum wearð,
915 mǣg Higelāces manna cynne,
frēondum gefægra; hine fyren onwōd.

Hwīlum flītende fealwe strǣte
mēarum mǣton. Þā wæs morgen-lēoht
scofen and scynded. Ēode scealc monig
920 swīð-hicgende tō sele þām hēan,
searo-wundor sēon, swylce self cyning,
of brȳd-būre bēah-horda weard,
tryddode tīr-fæst getrume micle,
cystum gecȳðed, and his cwēn mid him
925 medo-stīg gemæt mægða hōse.


XV. HROTHGAR'S GRATULATION.

Hrōðgār maðelode (hē tō healle gēong,
stōd on stapole, geseah stēapne hrōf
golde fāhne and Grendles hond):
"þisse ansȳne al-wealdan þanc
930 "lungre gelimpe! Fela ic lāðes gebād,
"grynna æt Grendle: ā mæg god wyrcan
"wunder æfter wundre, wuldres hyrde!
"Þæt wæs ungeāra, þæt ic ǣnigra mē
"wēana ne wēnde tō wīdan feore
935 "bōte gebīdan þonne blōde fāh
"hūsa sēlest heoro-drēorig stōd;
"wēa wīd-scofen witena gehwylcne
"þāra þe ne wēndon, þæt hīe wīde-ferhð
"lēoda land-geweorc lāðum beweredon
940 "scuccum and scinnum. Nū scealc hafað
"þurh drihtnes miht dǣd gefremede,
"þē wē ealle ǣr ne meahton
"snyttrum besyrwan. Hwæt! þæt secgan mæg
"efne swā hwylc mægða, swā þone magan cende
945 "æfter gum-cynnum, gyf hēo gȳt lyfað,
"þæt hyre eald-metod ēste wǣre
"bearn-gebyrdo. Nū ic Bēowulf
"þec, secg betsta, mē for sunu wylle
"frēogan on ferhðe; heald forð tela
950 "nīwe sibbe. Ne bið þē nǣnigra gād
"worolde wilna, þē ic geweald hæbbe.
"Ful-oft ic for lǣssan lēan teohhode
"hord-weorðunge hnāhran rince,
"sǣmran æt sæcce. Þū þē self hafast
955 "dǣdum gefremed, þæt þīn dōm lyfað
"āwa tō aldre. Alwalda þec
"gōde forgylde, swā hē nū gȳt dyde! "
Bēowulf maðelode, bearn Ecgþēowes:
"Wē þæt ellen-weorc ēstum miclum,
960 "feohtan fremedon, frēcne genēðdon
"eafoð uncūðes; ūðe ic swīðor,
"þæt þū hinc selfne gesēon mōste,
"fēond on frætewum fyl-wērigne!
"Ic hine hrædlīce heardan clammum
965 "on wæl-bedde wrīðan þōhte,
"þæt hē for mund-gripe mīnum scolde
"licgean līf-bysig, būtan his līc swice;
"ic hine ne mihte, þā metod nolde,
"ganges getwǣman, nō ic him þæs georne ætfealh,
970 "feorh-genīðlan; wæs tō fore-mihtig
"fēond on fēðe. Hwæðere hē his folme forlēt
"tō līf-wraðe lāst weardian,
"earm and eaxle; nō þǣr ǣnige swā þēah
"fēa-sceaft guma frōfre gebohte:
975 "nō þȳ leng leofað lāð-getēona
"synnum geswenced, ac hyne sār hafað
"in nȳd-gripe nearwe befongen,
"balwon bendum: þǣr ābīdan sceal
"maga māne fāh miclan dōmes,
980 "hū him scīr metod scrīfan wille. "
Þā wæs swīgra secg, sunu Ecglāfes,
on gylp-sprǣce gūð-geweorca,
siððan æðelingas eorles cræfte
ofer hēahne hrōf hand scēawedon,
985 fēondes fingras, foran ǣghwylc;
wæs stēde nægla gehwylc, stȳle gelīcost,
hǣðenes hand-sporu hilde-rinces
egle unhēoru; ǣg-hwylc gecwæð,
þæt him heardra nān hrīnan wolde
990 īren ǣr-gōd, þæt þæs āhlǣcan
blōdge beadu-folme onberan wolde.


XVI. THE BANQUET AND THE GIFTS.

Þā wæs hāten hreðe Heort innan-weard
folmum gefrætwod: fela þǣra wæs
wera and wīfa, þē þæt wīn-reced,
995 gest-sele gyredon. Gold-fāg scinon
web æfter wāgum, wundor-sīona fela
secga gehwylcum þāra þe on swylc starað
Wæs þæt beorhte bold tōbrocen swīðe
eal inne-weard īren-bendum fæst,
1000 heorras tōhlidene; hrōf āna genæs
ealles ansund, þā se āglǣca
fyren-dǣdum fāg on flēam gewand,
aldres or-wēna. Nō þæt ȳðe byð
tō beflēonne (fremme sē þe wille! )
1005 ac gesacan sceal sāwl-berendra
nȳde genȳdde niðða bearna
grund-būendra gearwe stōwe,
þǣr his līc-homa leger-bedde fæst
swefeð æfter symle. Þā wæs sǣl and mǣl,
1010 þæt tō healle gang Healfdenes sunu;
wolde self cyning symbel þicgan.
Ne gefrægen ic þā mǣgðe māran weorode
ymb hyra sinc-gyfan sēl gebǣran.
Bugon þā tō bence blǣd-āgende,
1015 fylle gefǣgon.