Beowulf, I. The Passing of Scyld

Poetry

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Beowulf

Part I. The Passing of Scyld

(Old English text, British Library MS Cotton Vitellius A) (Modern English translation by Francis B. Gummere, Harvard Classics, 1910) Hwæt! We Gardena in geardagum, Lo, praise of the prowess of people-kings þeodcyninga, þrym gefrunon, of spear-armed Danes, in days long sped, hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon. we have heard, and what honor the athelings won! Oft Scyld Scefing sceaþena þreatum, Oft Scyld the Scefing from squadroned foes, monegum mægþum, meodosetla ofteah, from many a tribe, the mead-bench tore, egsode eorlas. Syððan ærest wearð awing the earls. Since erst he lay feasceaft funden, he þæs frofre gebad, friendless, a foundling, fate repaid him: weox under wolcnum, weorðmyndum þah, for he waxed under welkin, in wealth he throve, oðþæt him æghwylc þara ymbsittendra till before him the folk, both far and near, ofer hronrade hyran scolde, who house by the whale-path, heard his mandate, gomban gyldan. þæt wæs god cyning. gave him gifts: a good king he! ðæm eafera wæs æfter cenned, To him an heir was afterward born, geong in geardum, þone god sende a son in his halls, whom heaven sent folce to frofre; fyrenðearfe ongeat to favor the folk, feeling their woe þe hie ær drugon aldorlease that erst they had lacked an earl for leader lange hwile. Him þæs liffrea, so long a while; the Lord endowed him, wuldres wealdend, woroldare forgeaf; the Wielder of Wonder, with world’s renown. Beowulf wæs breme blæd wide sprang, Famed was this Beowulf: far flew the boast of him, Scyldes eafera Scedelandum in. son of Scyld, in the Scandian lands. Swa sceal geong guma gode gewyrcean, So becomes it a youth to quit him well fromum feohgiftum on fæder bearme, with his father’s friends, by fee and gift, þæt hine on ylde eft gewunigen that to aid him, aged, in after days, wilgesiþas, þonne wig cume, come warriors willing, should war draw nigh, leode gelæsten; lofdædum sceal liegemen loyal: by lauded deeds in mægþa gehwære man geþeon. shall an earl have honor in every clan. Him ða Scyld gewat to gescæphwile Forth he fared at the fated moment, felahror feran on frean wære. sturdy Scyld to the shelter of God. Hi hyne þa ætbæron to brimes faroðe, Then they bore him over to ocean’s billow, swæse gesiþas, swa he selfa bæd, loving clansmen, as late he charged them, þenden wordum weold wine Scyldinga; while wielded words the winsome Scyld, leof landfruma lange ahte. the leader beloved who long had ruled.... þær æt hyðe stod hringedstefna, In the roadstead rocked a ring-dight vessel, isig ond utfus, æþelinges fær. ice-flecked, outbound, atheling’s barge: Aledon þa leofne þeoden, there laid they down their darling lord beaga bryttan, on bearm scipes, on the breast of the boat, the breaker-of-rings, mærne be mæste. þær wæs madma fela by the mast the mighty one. Many a treasure of feorwegum, frætwa, gelæded; fetched from far was freighted with him. ne hyrde ic cymlicor ceol gegyrwan No ship have I known so nobly dight hildewæpnum ond heaðowædum, with weapons of war and weeds of battle, billum ond byrnum; him on bearme læg with breastplate and blade: on his bosom lay madma mænigo, þa him mid scoldon a heaped hoard that hence should go on flodes æht feor gewitan. far o’er the flood with him floating away. Nalæs hi hine læssan lacum teodan, No less these loaded the lordly gifts, þeodgestreonum, þon þa dydon thanes’ huge treasure, than those had done þe hine æt frumsceafte forð onsendon who in former time forth had sent him ænne ofer yðe umborwesende. sole on the seas, a suckling child. þa gyt hie him asetton segen geldenne High o’er his head they hoist the standard, heah ofer heafod, leton holm beran, a gold-wove banner; let billows take him, geafon on garsecg; him wæs geomor sefa, gave him to ocean. Grave were their spirits, murnende mod. Men ne cunnon mournful their mood. No man is able secgan to soðe, selerædende, to say in sooth, no son of the halls, hæleð under heofenum, hwa þæm hlæste onfeng. no hero ’neath heaven, — who harbored that freight! continued on next page > Part II. The Hall Heorot


Guide to the Anglo-Saxon epic poem > Beowulf