Beówulf'S Contest With Breca.—The Feast
"Swâ mec gelôme lâð-geteónan"þreátedon þearle. Ic him þênode"deóran sweorde, swâ hit gedêfe wäs;"näs hie þære fylle gefeán häfdon,"mân-fordædlan, þät hie me þêgon,"symbel ymb-sæton sæ-grunde neáh,"ac on mergenne mêcum wunde"be ýð-lâfe uppe lægon,"sweordum âswefede, þät syððan nâ"ymb brontne ford brim-lîðende"lâde ne letton. Leóht eástan com,"beorht beácen godes; brimu swaðredon,"þät ic sæ-nässas geseón mihte,"windige weallas. Wyrd oft nereð"unfægne eorl, ðonne his ellen deáh!
“So often did hostile foespress hard upon me. I served themwith my dear sword, as was fitting;they had no joy of that feast,those evil wrongdoers, feeding on me,sitting down to banquet near the sea-floor,but in the morning, wounded by blades,they lay up along the tide-line,put to sleep by swords, so that never afterdid they hinder seafarersfrom their passage across that deep crossing. Light came from the east,God’s bright beacon; the seas grew calm,so that I could see the headlands,the windy cliffs. Fate often sparesthe man not doomed, when his courage holds!
"Hwäðere me gesælde, þät ic mid sweorde ofslôh"niceras nigene. Nô ic on niht gefrägn"under heofones hwealf heardran feohtan,"ne on êg-streámum earmran mannan;"hwäðere ic fâra feng feore gedîgde,"siðes wêrig. Þâ mec sæ ôðbär,"flôd äfter faroðe, on Finna land,"wadu weallendu. Nô ic wiht fram þe"swylcra searo-nîða secgan hýrde,"billa brôgan: Breca næfre git"ät heaðo-lâce, ne gehwäðer incer"swâ deórlîce dæd gefremede"fâgum sweordum . . . . . . .". . . . . . . nô ic þäs gylpe;"þeáh þu þînum brôðrum tô banan wurde,
Even so, it fell to me to kill with my swordnine sea-monsters. Never have I heardof a harder fight by night under heaven’s vault,nor of a man more wretched in the ocean-currents;yet I survived that grip of enemies with my life,weary from the ordeal. Then the sea carried me off,the current bore me, to the land of the Finns,the surging waters. I have never heardof such feats of skill told about you,such terror of blades: Breca never yet,not either of you two, in the play of battle,performed so bold a deedwith gleaming swords . . .. . . — I make no boast of that;though you became the slayer of your own brothers,
"heáfod-mægum; þäs þu in helle scealt"werhðo dreógan, þeáh þîn wit duge,"Secge ic þe tô sôðe, sunu Ecglâfes,"þät næfre Grendel swâ fela gryra gefremede,"atol äglæca ealdre þînum,"hýnðo on Heorote, gif þîn hige wære,"sefa swâ searo-grim, swâ þu self talast."Ac he hafað onfunden, þät he þâ fæhðe ne þearf,"atole ecg-þräce eówer leóde"swîðe onsittan, Sige-Scyldinga;"nymeð nýd-bâde, nænegum ârað"leóde Deniga, ac he on lust wîgeð,"swefeð ond sendeð, secce ne wêneð"tô Gâr-Denum. Ac him Geáta sceal"eafoð and ellen ungeâra nu
your closest kin — for that you shall sufferdamnation in hell, clever as your wit may be.I tell you truly, son of Ecglaf,that Grendel would never have done so many horrors,that terrible monster, to your lord,such humiliation in Heorot, if your spirit wereas fierce in battle as you yourself claim.But he has found out that he need notgreatly fear the fierce sword-assaultof your people, the Victory-Scyldings;he takes his toll by force, spares noneof the Danish people, but fights as he pleases,kills and feasts, expects no resistancefrom the Spear-Danes. But now the Geats shallsoon show him strength and courage
"gûðe gebeódan. Gæð eft se þe môt"tô medo môdig, siððan morgen-leóht"ofer ylda bearn ôðres dôgores,"sunne swegl-wered sûðan scîneð!"Þâ wäs on sâlum sinces bryttagamol-feax and gûð-rôf, geóce gelýfdebrego Beorht-Dena; gehýrde on Beówulfefolces hyrde fäst-rædne geþôht.Þær wäs häleða hleahtor; hlyn swynsode,word wæron wynsume. Eode Wealhþeów forð,cwên Hrôðgâres, cynna gemyndig,grêtte gold-hroden guman on healle,and þâ freólîc wîf ful gesealdeærest Eást-Dena êðel-wearde,bäd hine blîðne ät þære beór-þege,
in battle. Then he may go again,whoever is able, boldly to the mead,once the morning light of the next dayshines from the south, wrapped in the sun’s brightness!”Then the giver of treasure was glad,gray-haired and battle-famed; the lord of the Bright-Danestrusted in help; the shepherd of his people heardin Beowulf’s words a firm resolve.There was laughter among the warriors; the sound was pleasant,the words were joyful. Wealhtheow came forward then,Hrothgar’s queen, mindful of courtesies,gold-adorned, and greeted the men in the hall;and the noble woman offered the cupfirst to the guardian of the East-Danes’ homeland,bade him be glad at the beer-drinking,
leódum leófne; he on lust geþeahsymbel and sele-ful, sige-rôf kyning.Ymb-eode þâ ides Helmingaduguðe and geogoðe dæl æghwylcne;sinc-fato sealde, ôð þät sæl âlamp,þät hió Beówulfe, beág-hroden cwên,môde geþungen, medo-ful ätbär;grêtte Geáta leód, gode þancodewîs-fäst wordum, þäs þe hire se willa gelamp,þät heó on ænigne eorl gelýfdefyrena frôfre. He þät ful geþeah,wäl-reów wîga ät Wealhþeón,and þâ gyddode gûðe gefýsed,Beówulf maðelode, bearn Ecgþeówes:"Ic þät hogode, þâ ic on holm gestâh,
dear to his people; he took joyin feast and cup, that victorious king.Then the lady of the Helmings went aroundto every rank, veterans and young men alike;she offered the precious cups, until the moment camethat she, the ring-adorned queen, of noble mind,carried the mead-cup to Beowulf;she greeted the prince of the Geats, thanked God,wise in her words, that her wish had come to pass,that she might trust in any warrior at lastfor relief from these horrors. He took that cup,the fierce warrior, from Wealhtheow’s hand,and then, eager for battle, spoke in measured words —Beowulf spoke, son of Ecgtheow:“I resolved, when I set out on the sea,
"sæ-bât gesät mid mînra secga gedriht,"þät ic ânunga eówra leóda"willan geworhte, oððe on wäl crunge,"feónd-grâpum fäst. Ic gefremman sceal"eorlîc ellen, oððe ende-däg"on þisse meodu-healle mînne gebîdan."Þam wîfe þâ word wel lîcodon,gilp-cwide Geátes; eode gold-hrodenfreólîcu folc-cwên tô hire freán sittan.Þâ wäs eft swâ ær inne on healleþryð-word sprecen, þeód on sælum,sige-folca swêg, ôð þät semningasunu Healfdenes sêcean woldeæfen-räste; wiste ät þäm ahlæcantô þäm heáh-sele hilde geþinged,
sat down in my sea-boat with my band of men,that I would carry out fully the willof your people, or fall in the slaughter,fast in the enemy’s grip. I shall achievea deed worthy of a warrior, or awaitmy final day in this mead-hall.”These words pleased the woman well,the Geat’s proud vow; the gold-adornednoble folk-queen went to sit by her lord.Then again, as before, inside the hallbold words were spoken, the people rejoicing,the sound of a victorious nation, until suddenlythe son of Healfdene wished to seekhis evening rest; he knew that against that monstera battle had been arranged for the high hall,
siððan hie sunnan leóht geseón ne meahton,oððe nîpende niht ofer ealle,scadu-helma gesceapu scrîðan cwôman,wan under wolcnum. Werod eall ârâs.Grêtte þâ giddum guma ôðerne,Hrôðgâr Beówulf, and him hæl âbeád,wîn-ärnes geweald and þät word âcwäð:"Næfre ic ænegum men ær âlýfde,"siððan ic hond and rond hebban mihte,"þryð-ärn Dena bûton þe nu þâ."Hafa nu and geheald hûsa sêlest;"gemyne mærðo, mägen-ellen cýð,"waca wið wrâðum! Ne bið þe wilna gâd,"gif þu þät ellen-weorc aldre gedîgest."
from the time they could no longer see the sun’s light,and darkening night came down over all,shapes of shadow came gliding,dark under the clouds. The whole company rose.Then one man greeted the other with words,Hrothgar greeted Beowulf, and wished him well,gave him charge of the wine-hall, and spoke these words:“Never before have I entrusted to any man,since I could raise hand and shield,this great hall of the Danes, until now, to you.Have now and hold the best of houses;remember your fame, show your mighty courage,watch against the enemy! You will lack nothing you desire,if you survive this brave undertaking with your life.”