Beowulf 1305-1383

Question 1

Þā wæs frōd cyning,, hār hilderinc on hrēon mōde,
syðþan hē aldorþegn unlyfigendn

Answer 1

the wise king, the grey-haired warrior had a troubled mind after his chief to be unalived,

Question 2

þone dēorestan dēadne wisse.

Answer 2

he knew the dearest one to be dead

Question 3

Hraþe wæs tō būre Bēowulf fetod,
sigorēadig secg.

Answer 3

Beowulf was quickly fetched from his chamber, the victorious man

Question 4

Samod ǣrdæge ēode eorla sum,

Answer 4

at daybreak a certain one of the warriors

Question 5

æþele cempa
self mid gesīðum þǣr se snotera bād
hwæþer him alwalda ǣfre wille
æfter wēaspelle wyrpe gefremman.

Answer 5

The nobleman, went with his companion to where the wise one remained to see whether the old ruler would ever bring about change for him after the tiding of woes

Question 6

Gang ðā æfter flōre fyrdwyrðe man
mid his handscale — healwudu dynede

Answer 6

the man distinguished in war then went along the floor with his companion the wood of the hall resounded

Question 7

þæt hē þone wīsan wordum nǣgde
frēan Ingwina

Answer 7

he addressed the wise one Lord of the Danes with words

Question 8

frægn gif him wǣre
1320 æfter nēodlaðum niht getǣse.

Answer 8

he asked if the night had been agreeable according to his desire

Question 9

Hrōðgar maþelode, helm Scyldinga:

Answer 9

Hrothgahr spoke, protector of the Scyldings

Question 10

Ne frīn þu æfter sǣlum! Sorh is genīwod Deniga lēodum.

Answer 10

do not ask after joy, trouble is renewed for the people of the Danes

Question 11

Dēad is Æschere,
Yrmenlāfes yldra brōþor,

Answer 11

Aeschere is dead, older brother of Yemelf

Question 12

mīn rūnwita ond mīn rǣdbora,
eaxlgestealla,

Answer 12

my confident and advisor, my shoulder companion

Question 13

þonne hniton fēþan, eoferas cnysedan.

Answer 13

when the infantry clashed boar figurers on helmets

Question 14

Swylc scolde eorl wesan,
æþeling ǣrgōd, swylc Æschere wæs!

Answer 14

Such a nobleman should be an especially good prince, so was Aeschere

Question 15

Wearð him on Heorote tō handbanan
wælgǣst wǣfre

Answer 15

the restless murderer became his slayer in Heorot

Question 16

ic ne wāt hwæde atol ǣse wlanc eftsīðas tēah, fylle gefægnod.

Answer 16

i do not know where the hateful one returned proud in her carrying, made glad by the feast

Question 17

ēo þā fǣhðe wræc, þe þū gȳstran niht Grendel cwealdest

Answer 17

She avenged the feud in which you killed Grendel yesterday night

Question 18

þurh hǣstne hād heardum clammum,

Answer 18

through violent means with fierce grips

Question 19

forþan hē tō lange lēode mīne
wanode ond wyrde.

Answer 19

because he had diminished and destroyed my people for too long

Question 20

Hē æt wīge gecrang ealdres scyldig

Answer 20

He fell in battle having forfeited his life

Question 21

ond nū ōþer cwōm mihtig mānscaða

Answer 21

and now another has come a powerful evildoer

Question 22

nū sēo hand ligeð, se þe ēow wēlhwylcra wilna dohte.

Answer 22

the hand which did well to you in regard of each of your desires now lies dead

Question 23

wolde hyre mǣg wrecan

Answer 23

she wished to avenge her kinsman

Question 24

ge feor hafað fǣhðe gestǣled,
þæs þe þincean mæg þegne monegum,

Answer 24

and has carried out her enmity far as it may seem to many a retainer

Question 25

se þe æfter sincgyfan on sefan grēoteþ — hreþerbealo hearde

Answer 25

he who weeps in his heart for his lord a bitter distress

Question 26

Ic þæt londbūend lēode mine,

Answer 26

I heard the earthdweller, my people

Question 27

selerǣdende secgan hȳrde, þæt hīe gesāwon swylce twēgen micle mearcstapan mōras healdan, ellorgǣstas.

Answer 27

the counsellor in the hall say that they had seen two such great wonderers in the wastelands, and the alien spirit

Question 28

Ðǣra ōðer wæs, þæs þe hīe gewislīcost gewitan meahton,
idese onlīcnes

Answer 28

One of them was in the shape of a woman as they could know most certainly

Question 29

ōðer earmsceapen on weres wæstmum wræclāstas træd,

Answer 29

the other wretched one rod the path of exile the shape of a man

Question 30

næfne hē wæs māra þonne ǣnig man
ōðer;

Answer 30

except he was bigger then any other man

Question 31

Híe dýgel lond
warigeað wulfhleoþu windige næssas
frécne fengelád ðaér fyrgenstréam
under næssa genipu niþer gewíteð
flód under foldan·

Answer 31

They inhabit a mysterious land wolf slopes
windy headlands dangerous tracks of
swamp where a mountain stream goes
downwards under darkness.

Question 32

1361b Nis þæt feor heonon
mīlgemearces, þæt se mere standeð;
ofer þǣm hongiað hrinde bearwas,
wudu wyrtum fæst wæter oferhelmað.

Answer 32

It is not far from here
measured in mile where the mere lies
groves covered in frost hang over the lake
a forest firm in its roots overhangs the water.

Question 33

1365Þǣr mæg nihta gehwǣm nīðwundor
sēon, fȳr on flōde. Nō þæs frōd leofað
gumena bearna, þæt þone grund wite.

Answer 33

One can see a fearful wonder, fire on the
water every night. No one so wise
among the children of men lives who knows the bottom.

Question 34

Ðēah þe hǣðstapa hundum geswenced,
heorot hornum trum holtwudu sēce,
1370 feorran geflȳmed, ǣr hē feorh seleð,
aldor on ōfre, ǣr hē in wille,
hafelan hȳdan; nis þæt hēoru stōw!

Answer 34

Although the heath-stalker, the strong
horned deer, harassed by hounds, pursued
from afar, might seek the forest, sooner he may give up his life, his life on the shore before he will to hide his in; it is not a pleasant place!

Question 35

Þonon ȳðgeblond ūp āstigeð
won tō wolcnum, þonne wind styreþ
1375 lāð gewidru, oð þæt lyft drysmaþ,
roderas rēotað.

Answer 35

Thence the dark surging waves ascend to
the clouds, when the wind sturs up hateful
storms until the air becmes gloomy, the
heavens weeps

Question 36

Nū is se rǣd gelang
eft æt þē ānum. Eard gīt ne const,
frēcne stōwe, ðǣr þū findan miht
sinnigne secg; sēc gif þū dyrre!

Answer 36

Now the help is again dependant on you
alone. You do not yet know the homeland,
the dangerous place, where you can find the
sinful man; seek if you dare!

Question 37

1380 Ic þē þā fǣhðe fēo lēanige,
ealdgestrēonum, swā ic ǣr dyde,
wundnum golde, gyf þū on weg cymest.’

Answer 37

I will recompense you for the feud, with
money, with ancient treasure and twisted gold as I did previously, if you come back.