XXXIII. BEOWULF RESOLVES TO KILL THE FIRE-DRAKE.

Þâ se gäst ongan glêdum spîwan, beorht hofu bärnan; bryne-leóma stôd 2315 eldum on andan; nô þær âht cwices lâð lyft-floga læfan wolde. Wäs þäs wyrmes wîg wîde gesýne, nearo-fâges nîð neán and feorran, hû se gûð-sceaða Geáta leóde 2320 hatode and hýnde: hord eft gesceát, dryht-sele dyrnne ær däges hwîle. Häfde land-wara lîge befangen, bæle and bronde; beorges getrûwode, wîges and wealles: him seó wên geleáh. 2325 Þâ wäs Biówulfe brôga gecýðed snûde tô sôðe, þät his sylfes him bolda sêlest bryne-wylmum mealt, gif-stôl Geáta. Þät þam gôdan wäs hreów on hreðre, hyge-sorga mæst: 2330 wênde se wîsa, þät he wealdende, ofer ealde riht, êcean dryhtne bitre gebulge: breóst innan weóll þeóstrum geþoncum, swâ him geþýwe ne wäs. Häfde lîg-draca leóda fästen, 2335 eá-lond ûtan, eorð-weard þone glêdum forgrunden. Him þäs gûð-cyning, Wedera þióden, wräce leornode. Hêht him þâ gewyrcean wîgendra hleó eall-îrenne, eorla dryhten 2340 wîg-bord wrätlîc; wisse he gearwe, þät him holt-wudu helpan ne meahte, lind wið lîge. Sceolde læn-daga äðeling ær-gôd ende gebîdan worulde lîfes and se wyrm somod; 2345 þeáh þe hord-welan heólde lange. Oferhogode þâ hringa fengel, þät he þone wîd-flogan weorode gesôhte, sîdan herge; nô he him þâ säcce ondrêd, ne him þäs wyrmes wîg for wiht dyde, 2350 eafoð and ellen; forþon he ær fela nearo nêðende nîða gedîgde, hilde-hlemma, syððan he Hrôðgâres, sigor-eádig secg, sele fælsode and ät gûðe forgrâp Grendeles mægum, 2355 lâðan cynnes. Nô þät läsest wäs hond-gemota, þær mon Hygelâc slôh, syððan Geáta cyning gûðe ræsum, freá-wine folces Freslondum on, Hrêðles eafora hioro-dryncum swealt, 2360 bille gebeáten; þonan Biówulf com sylfes cräfte, sund-nytte dreáh; + häfde him on earme ... XXX hilde-geatwa, þâ he tô holme stâg. Nealles Hetware hrêmge þorfton 2365 fêðe-wîges, þe him foran ongeán linde bæron: lyt eft becwom fram þam hild-frecan hâmes niósan. Oferswam þâ sióleða bigong sunu Ecgþeówes, earm ân-haga eft tô leódum, 2370 þær him Hygd gebeád hord and rîce, beágas and brego-stôl: bearne ne trûwode, þät he wið äl-fylcum êðel-stôlas healdan cûðe, þâ wäs Hygelâc deád. Nô þý ær feá-sceafte findan meahton 2375 ät þam äðelinge ænige þinga, þät he Heardrêde hlâford wære, oððe þone cyne-dôm ciósan wolde; hwäðre he him on folce freónd-lârum heóld, êstum mid âre, ôð þät he yldra wearð, 2380 Weder-Geátum weóld. Hyne wräc-mäcgas ofer sæ sôhtan, suna Ôhteres: häfdon hy forhealden helm Scylfinga, þone sêlestan sæ-cyninga, þâra þe in Swió-rîce sinc brytnade, 2385 mærne þeóden. Him þät tô mearce wearð; he þær orfeorme feorh-wunde hleát sweordes swengum, sunu Hygelâces; and him eft gewât Ongenþiówes bearn hâmes niósan, syððan Heardrêd läg; 2390 lêt þone brego-stôl Biówulf healdan, Geátum wealdan: þät wäs gôd cyning.

XXXIV. RETROSPECT OF BEÓWULF.--STRIFE BETWEEN SWEONAS AND GEATAS.

Se þäs leód-hryres leán gemunde uferan dôgrum, Eádgilse wearð feá-sceaftum feónd. Folce gestepte 2395 ofer sæ sîde sunu Ôhteres wîgum and wæpnum: he gewräc syððan cealdum cear-sîðum, cyning ealdre bineát. Swâ he nîða gehwane genesen häfde, slîðra geslyhta, sunu Ecgþiówes, 2400 ellen-weorca, ôð þone ânne däg, þe he wið þam wyrme gewegan sceolde. Gewât þâ twelfa sum torne gebolgen dryhten Geáta dracan sceáwian; häfde þâ gefrunen, hwanan sió fæhð ârâs, 2405 bealo-nîð biorna; him tô bearme cwom mâððum-fät mære þurh þäs meldan hond, Se wäs on þam þreáte þreotteoða secg, se þäs orleges ôr onstealde, häft hyge-giômor, sceolde heán þonon 2410 wong wîsian: he ofer willan gióng tô þäs þe he eorð-sele ânne wisse, hlæw under hrusan holm-wylme nêh, ýð-gewinne, se wäs innan full wrätta and wîra: weard unhióre, 2415 gearo gûð-freca, gold-mâðmas heóld, eald under eorðan; näs þät ýðe ceáp, tô gegangenne gumena ænigum. Gesät þâ on nässe nîð-heard cyning, þenden hælo âbeád heorð-geneátum 2420 gold-wine Geáta: him wäs geômor sefa, wäfre and wäl-fûs, Wyrd ungemete neáh, se þone gomelan grêtan sceolde, sêcean sâwle hord, sundur gedælan lîf wið lîce: nô þon lange wäs 2425 feorh äðelinges flæsce bewunden. Biówulf maðelade, bearn Ecgþeówes: "Fela ic on giogoðe guð-ræsa genäs, "orleg-hwîla: ic þät eall gemon. "Ic wäs syfan-wintre, þâ mec sinca baldor, 2430 "freá-wine folca ät mînum fäder genam, "heóld mec and häfde Hrêðel cyning, "geaf me sinc and symbel, sibbe gemunde; "näs ic him tô lîfe lâðra ôwihte "beorn in burgum, þonne his bearna hwylc, 2435 "Herebeald and Hæðcyn, oððe Hygelâc mîn. "Wäs þam yldestan ungedêfelîce "mæges dædum morðor-bed strêd, "syððan hyne Hæðcyn of horn-bogan, "his freá-wine flâne geswencte, 2440 "miste mercelses and his mæg ofscêt, "brôðor ôðerne, blôdigan gâre: "þät wäs feoh-leás gefeoht, fyrenum gesyngad "hreðre hyge-mêðe; sceolde hwäðre swâ þeáh "äðeling unwrecen ealdres linnan. 2445 "Swâ bið geômorlîc gomelum ceorle "tô gebîdanne, þät his byre rîde "giong on galgan, þonne he gyd wrece, "sârigne sang, þonne his sunu hangað "hrefne tô hrôðre and he him helpe ne mäg, 2450 "eald and in-frôd, ænige gefremman. "Symble bið gemyndgad morna gehwylce "eaforan ellor-sîð; ôðres ne gýmeð "tô gebîdanne burgum on innan "yrfe-weardes, þonne se ân hafað 2455 "þurh deáðes nýd dæda gefondad. "Gesyhð sorh-cearig on his suna bûre "wîn-sele wêstne, wind-gereste, "reóte berofene; rîdend swefað "häleð in hoðman; nis þær hearpan swêg, 2460 "gomen in geardum, swylce þær iú wæron.

XXXV. MEMORIES OF PAST TIME.--THE FEUD WITH THE FIRE-DRAKE.

"Gewîteð þonne on sealman, sorh-leóð gäleð "ân äfter ânum: þûhte him eall tô rûm, "wongas and wîc-stede. Swâ Wedra helm "äfter Herebealde heortan sorge 2465 "weallende wäg, wihte ne meahte "on þam feorh-bonan fæhðe gebêtan: "nô þý ær he þone heaðo-rinc hatian ne meahte "lâðum dædum, þeáh him leóf ne wäs. "He þâ mid þære sorge, þe him sió sâr belamp, 2470 "gum-dreám ofgeaf, godes leóht geceás; "eaferum læfde, swâ dêð eádig mon, "lond and leód-byrig, þâ he of lîfe gewât. "Þâ wäs synn and sacu Sweona and Geáta, "ofer wîd wäter wrôht gemæne, 2175 "here-nîð hearda, syððan Hrêðel swealt, "oððe him Ongenþeówes eaferan wæran "frome fyrd-hwate, freóde ne woldon "ofer heafo healdan, ac ymb Hreosna-beorh "eatolne inwit-scear oft gefremedon. 2480 "Þät mæg-wine mîne gewræcan, "fæhðe and fyrene, swâ hyt gefræge wäs, "þeáh þe ôðer hit ealdre gebohte, "heardan ceápe: Hæðcynne wearð, "Geáta dryhtne, gûð onsæge. 2485 "Þâ ic on morgne gefrägn mæg ôðerne "billes ecgum on bonan stælan, "þær Ongenþeów Eofores niósade: "gûð-helm tôglâd, gomela Scylfing "hreás heoro-blâc; hond gemunde 2490 "fæhðo genôge, feorh-sweng ne ofteáh. "Ic him þâ mâðmas, þe he me sealde, "geald ät gûðe, swâ me gifeðe wäs, "leóhtan sweorde: he me lond forgeaf, "eard êðel-wyn. Näs him ænig þearf, 2495 "þät he tô Gifðum oððe tô Gâr-Denum "oððe in Swió-rîce sêcean þurfe "wyrsan wîg-frecan, weorðe gecýpan; "symle ic him on fêðan beforan wolde, "âna on orde, and swâ tô aldre sceall 2500 "säcce fremman, þenden þis sweord þolað, "þät mec ær and sîð oft gelæste,