Beowulf 1305-1383 Flashcards
Þā wæs frōd cyning,, hār hilderinc on hrēon mōde,
syðþan hē aldorþegn unlyfigendn
the wise king, the grey-haired warrior had a troubled mind after his chief to be unalived,
þone dēorestan dēadne wisse.
he knew the dearest one to be dead
Hraþe wæs tō būre Bēowulf fetod,
sigorēadig secg.
Beowulf was quickly fetched from his chamber, the victorious man
Samod ǣrdæge ēode eorla sum,
at daybreak a certain one of the warriors
æþele cempa
self mid gesīðum þǣr se snotera bād
hwæþer him alwalda ǣfre wille
æfter wēaspelle wyrpe gefremman.
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
Gang ðā æfter flōre fyrdwyrðe man
mid his handscale — healwudu dynede
the man distinguished in war then went along the floor with his companion the wood of the hall resounded
þæt hē þone wīsan wordum nǣgde
frēan Ingwina
he addressed the wise one Lord of the Danes with words
frægn gif him wǣre
1320 æfter nēodlaðum niht getǣse.
he asked if the night had been agreeable according to his desire
Hrōðgar maþelode, helm Scyldinga:
Hrothgahr spoke, protector of the Scyldings
Ne frīn þu æfter sǣlum! Sorh is genīwod Deniga lēodum.
do not ask after joy, trouble is renewed for the people of the Danes
Dēad is Æschere,
Yrmenlāfes yldra brōþor,
Aeschere is dead, older brother of Yemelf
mīn rūnwita ond mīn rǣdbora,
eaxlgestealla,
my confident and advisor, my shoulder companion
þonne hniton fēþan, eoferas cnysedan.
when the infantry clashed boar figurers on helmets
Swylc scolde eorl wesan,
æþeling ǣrgōd, swylc Æschere wæs!
Such a nobleman should be an especially good prince, so was Aeschere
Wearð him on Heorote tō handbanan
wælgǣst wǣfre
the restless murderer became his slayer in Heorot
ic ne wāt hwæde atol ǣse wlanc eftsīðas tēah, fylle gefægnod.
i do not know where the hateful one returned proud in her carrying, made glad by the feast
ēo þā fǣhðe wræc, þe þū gȳstran niht Grendel cwealdest
She avenged the feud in which you killed Grendel yesterday night
þurh hǣstne hād heardum clammum,
through violent means with fierce grips
forþan hē tō lange lēode mīne
wanode ond wyrde.
because he had diminished and destroyed my people for too long
Hē æt wīge gecrang ealdres scyldig
He fell in battle having forfeited his life
ond nū ōþer cwōm mihtig mānscaða
and now another has come a powerful evildoer
nū sēo hand ligeð, se þe ēow wēlhwylcra wilna dohte.
the hand which did well to you in regard of each of your desires now lies dead
wolde hyre mǣg wrecan
she wished to avenge her kinsman
ge feor hafað fǣhðe gestǣled,
þæs þe þincean mæg þegne monegum,
and has carried out her enmity far as it may seem to many a retainer
se þe æfter sincgyfan on sefan grēoteþ — hreþerbealo hearde
he who weeps in his heart for his lord a bitter distress
Ic þæt londbūend lēode mine,
I heard the earthdweller, my people
selerǣdende secgan hȳrde, þæt hīe gesāwon swylce twēgen micle mearcstapan mōras healdan, ellorgǣstas.
the counsellor in the hall say that they had seen two such great wonderers in the wastelands, and the alien spirit
Ðǣra ōðer wæs, þæs þe hīe gewislīcost gewitan meahton,
idese onlīcnes
One of them was in the shape of a woman as they could know most certainly
ōðer earmsceapen on weres wæstmum wræclāstas træd,
the other wretched one rod the path of exile the shape of a man
næfne hē wæs māra þonne ǣnig man
ōðer;
except he was bigger then any other man
Híe dýgel lond
warigeað wulfhleoþu windige næssas
frécne fengelád ðaér fyrgenstréam
under næssa genipu niþer gewíteð
flód under foldan·
They inhabit a mysterious land wolf slopes
windy headlands dangerous tracks of
swamp where a mountain stream goes
downwards under darkness.
1361b Nis þæt feor heonon
mīlgemearces, þæt se mere standeð;
ofer þǣm hongiað hrinde bearwas,
wudu wyrtum fæst wæter oferhelmað.
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.
1365Þǣr mæg nihta gehwǣm nīðwundor
sēon, fȳr on flōde. Nō þæs frōd leofað
gumena bearna, þæt þone grund wite.
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.
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!
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!
Þonon ȳðgeblond ūp āstigeð
won tō wolcnum, þonne wind styreþ
1375 lāð gewidru, oð þæt lyft drysmaþ,
roderas rēotað.
Thence the dark surging waves ascend to
the clouds, when the wind sturs up hateful
storms until the air becmes gloomy, the
heavens weeps
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!
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!
1380 Ic þē þā fǣhðe fēo lēanige,
ealdgestrēonum, swā ic ǣr dyde,
wundnum golde, gyf þū on weg cymest.’
I will recompense you for the feud, with
money, with ancient treasure and twisted gold as I did previously, if you come back.
