Anonymous

BēowulfXI

About this edition

James A. Harrison and Robert Sharp · 1894

The complete poem follows the fourth, revised edition of Harrison and Sharp, a school edition based on Heyne. Project Gutenberg’s transcription supplies the wording and lineation; its notes, glossary, and Finnsburg appendix are not yet included.

Bēowulf XI

48 lines

663 Þā him Hrōðgār gewāt mid his hæleða gedryht,

664 eodur Scyldinga ūt of healle;

665 wolde wīg-fruma Wealhþēo sēcan,

666 cwēn tō gebeddan Hæfde kyninga wuldor

667 Grendle tō-gēanes, swā guman gefrungon,

668 sele-weard āseted, sundor-nytte behēold

669 ymb aldor Dena, eoton weard ābēad;

670 hūru Gēata lēod georne truwode

671 mōdgan mægnes, metodes hyldo.

672 Þā hē him of dyde īsern-byrnan,

673 helm of hafelan, sealde his hyrsted sweord,

674 īrena cyst ombiht-þegne,

675 and gehealdan hēt hilde-geatwe.

676 Gespræc þā se gōda gylp-worda sum

677 Bēowulf Gēata, ǣr hē on bed stige:

678 “Nō ic mē an here-wǣsmum hnāgran talige

679 “gūð-geweorca, þonne Grendel hine;

680 “forþan ic hine sweorde swebban nelle,

681 “aldre benēotan, þēah ic eal mǣge.

682 “Nāt hē þāra gōda, þæt hē mē on-gēan slēa,

683 “rand gehēawe, þēah þe hē rōf sīe

684 “nīð-geweorca; ac wit on niht sculon

685 “secge ofersittan, gif hē gesēcean dear

686 “wīg ofer wǣpen, and siððan wītig god

687 “on swā hwæðere hond hālig dryhten

688 “mǣrðo dēme, swā him gemet þince.”

689 Hylde hine þā heaðo-dēor, hlēor-bolster onfēng

690 eorles andwlitan; and hine ymb monig

691 snellīc sǣ-rinc sele-reste gebēah.

692 Nǣnig heora þōhte þæt hē þanon scolde

693 eft eard-lufan ǣfre gesēcean,

694 folc oððe frēo-burh, þǣr hē āfēded wæs,

695 ac hīe hæfdon gefrūnen, þæt hīe ǣr tō fela micles

696 in þǣm wīn-sele wæl-dēað fornam,

697 Denigea lēode. Ac him dryhten forgeaf

698 wīg-spēda gewiofu, Wedera lēodum

699 frōfor and fultum, þæt hīe fēond heora

700 þurh ānes cræft ealle ofercōmon,

701 selfes mihtum: sōð is gecȳðed,

702 þæt mihtig god manna cynnes

703 wēold wīde-ferhð. Cōm on wanre niht

704 scrīðan sceadu-genga. Scēotend swǣfon,

705 þā þæt horn-reced healdan scoldon,

706 ealle būton ānum. Þæt wæs yldum cūð,

707 þæt hīe ne mōste, þā metod nolde,

708 se syn-scaða under sceadu bregdan;

709 ac hē wæccende wrāðum on andan

710 bād bolgen-mōd beadwa geþinges.

Anonymous Bēowulf

Fitts

    43 fitts · 3,184 lines

    Translation

    Edition document