Beowulf · Fitt XXXI

"Swâ se þeód-kyning þeáwum lyfde;"nealles ic þâm leánum forloren häfde,"mägnes mêde, ac he me mâðmas geaf,"sunu Healfdenes, on sînne sylfes dôm;"þâ ic þe, beorn-cyning, bringan wylle,"êstum geýwan. Gen is eall ät þe"lissa gelong: ic lyt hafo"heáfod-mâga, nefne Hygelâc þec!"Hêt þâ in beran eafor, heáfod-segn,heaðo-steápne helm, hâre byrnan,gûð-sweord geatolîc, gyd äfter wräc:"Me þis hilde-sceorp Hrôðgâr sealde,"snotra fengel, sume worde hêt,"þät ic his ærest þe eft gesägde,"cwäð þät hyt häfde Hiorogâr cyning,"leód Scyldunga lange hwîle:

“So the great king lived by good customs;I had not, even so, lost out on reward,payment for my strength, but he gave me treasures,the son of Healfdene, at his own judgment;these I want to bring to you now, warrior-king,offer them gladly. Everything still dependson your favor; I have few close kinsmenleft now, except you, Hygelac!”He ordered then the boar-image carried in,the head-standard, the battle-steep helmet,the grey mail-coat, the splendid war-sword;and spoke these words after: “Hrothgar gave methis battle-gear, that wise prince,and told me specifically that I should firsttell you its history:he said King Heorogar had it,

"nô þý ær suna sînum syllan wolde,"hwatum Heorowearde, þeáh he him hold wære,"breóst-gewædu. Brûc ealles well!"Hýrde ic þät þâm frätwum feówer mearaslungre gelîce lâst weardode,äppel-fealuwe; he him êst geteáhmeara and mâðma. Swâ sceal mæg dôn,nealles inwit-net ôðrum bregdan,dyrnum cräfte deáð rênianhond-gesteallan. Hygelâce wäs,nîða heardum, nefa swýðe holdand gehwäðer ôðrum hrôðra gemyndig.Hýrde ic þät he þone heals-beáh Hygde gesealde,wrätlîcne wundur-mâððum, þone þe him Wealhþeó geaf,þeódnes dôhtor, þrió wicg somodswancor and sadol-beorht; hyre syððan wäs

prince of the Scyldings, for a long time —yet he did not want to give it to his own son,brave Heoroweard, loyal as he was to him,that breastplate. Use it all well!”I have heard that four horses came close behind that treasure,matched horses, dappled and pale;he granted himthe use of horses and treasures too. So a kinsman should act —never weave a web of malice for another,with secret cunning, or plot deathfor his own hand-companion. To Hygelac, hardy in battle,his nephew was very loyal, and eachwas mindful of the other’s good. I have heardthat he gave Hygd that neck-ring, that splendid wonder-treasurethat Wealhtheow had given him, the prince’s own daughter —and three horses besides, slender and saddle-bright;

äfter beáh-þege breóst geweorðod.Swâ bealdode bearn Ecgþeówes,guma gûðum cûð, gôdum dædum,dreáh äfter dôme, nealles druncne slôgheorð-geneátas; näs him hreóh sefa,ac he man-cynnes mæste cräftegin-fästan gife, þe him god sealde,heóld hilde-deór. Heán wäs lange,swâ hyne Geáta bearn gôdne ne tealdon,ne hyne on medo-bence micles wyrðnedrihten wereda gedôn wolde;swýðe oft sägdon, þät he sleac wære,äðeling unfrom: edwenden cwomtîr-eádigum menn torna gehwylces.Hêt þâ eorla hleó in gefetian,heaðo-rôf cyning, Hrêðles lâfe,

her breast was honored ever after,once she had taken that ring. So the son of Ecgtheowproved himself bold, a man known for war,for good deeds; he lived by honor,never killed his hearth-companions drunk;his heart was not savage, but he held,with the greatest strength known among mankind,the abundant gift God had given him,kept it in a battle-brave way. He had long beenheld in low regard, in that the Geats’ own sonsdid not think him worth much, nor did the lord of the Wederswish to give him much honor on the mead-bench;they said, again and again, that he was slack,an unpromising nobleman: but a reversal cameto that glorious man, for every hardship he had known.

golde gegyrede; näs mid Geátum þâsinc-mâððum sêlra on sweordes hâd;þät he on Biówulfes bearm âlegde,and him gesealde seofan þûsendo,bold and brego-stôl. Him wäs bâm samodon þam leód-scipe lond gecynde,eard êðel-riht, ôðrum swîðorsîde rîce, þam þær sêlra wäs.Eft þät geiode ufaran dôgrumhilde-hlämmum, syððan Hygelâc lägand Heardrêde hilde-mêceasunder bord-hreóðan tô bonan wurdon,þâ hyne gesôhtan on sige-þeódehearde hilde-frecan, Heaðo-Scilfingas,nîða genægdan nefan Hererîces.

Then the protector of earls, that battle-famous king,ordered Hrethel’s legacy carried in,gold-adorned; there was, among the Geats then,no finer treasure in the shape of a sword;he laid it in Beowulf’s lap, and gave him besidesseven thousand hides of land, a house and a high seat.Land by birthright belonged to them bothin that nation, but to the second, especially,wide dominions — to the one who ranked higher.It happened later, in days that followed,amid the crash of war, once Hygelac lay dead,and battle-swords brought death to Heardredunder the shield-wall, when hardy warriorssought him out among his own victorious people,the Battle-Scylfings, attacked with violence

Syððan Beówulfe brâde rîceon hand gehwearf: he geheóld telafîftig wintru (wäs þâ frôd cyning,eald êðel-weard), ôð þät ân ongandeorcum nihtum draca rîcsian,se þe on heáre hæðe hord beweotode,stân-beorh steápne: stîg under läg,eldum uncûð. Þær on innan gióngniða nât-hwylces neóde gefênghæðnum horde hond . d . . geþ . . hwylcsince fâhne, he þät syððan . . . . .. . . þ . . . lð . þ . . l . gslæpende be fýre, fyrena hyrdeþeófes cräfte, þät sie . . . . ðioð . . . . .. idh . folc-beorn, þät he gebolgen wäs.

the nephew of Hereric; then the broad kingdompassed into Beowulf’s hands: he ruled it wellfor fifty winters — by then a wise king,an old guardian of his homeland — until a certain one began,on dark nights, a dragon, to hold sway,one who on a high heath guarded a hoard,a steep stone barrow: a path lay beneath it,unknown to men. Some man or other went in there,in his need laid hold,from that heathen hoard, a hand — —stained with treasure; he then — —— — —sleeping by the fire, that guardian of crimes,by a thief’s stealth, that — —— the people’s champion, that he was enraged.