Wîglaf Speaks. The Building Of The Bale-Fire
Þâ wäs gesýne, þät se sîð ne þâhþam þe unrihte inne gehýddewräte under wealle. Weard ær ofslôhfeára sumne; þâ sió fæhð gewearðgewrecen wrâðlîce. Wundur hwâr, þonneeorl ellen-rôf ende gefêrelîf-gesceafta, þonne leng ne mägmon mid his mâgum medu-seld bûan.Swâ wäs Biówulfe, þâ he biorges weardsôhte, searo-nîðas: seolfa ne cûðe,þurh hwät his worulde gedâl weorðan sceolde;swâ hit ôð dômes däg diópe benemdonþeódnas mære, þâ þät þær dydon,þät se secg wære synnum scildig,hergum geheaðerod, hell-bendum fäst,wommum gewitnad, se þone wong strâde.
Then it became clear that the venture had not gone wellfor the one who had wrongfully hidden treasure within,under that wall. The guardian had earlier killeda few men;that feud was then avengedin a terrible way. It is a wonder wherea man strong in courage will reach the endof the life allotted to him, when he can no longer,among his kinsmen, dwell in the mead-hall.So it was for Beowulf, when he sought outthe barrow’s guardian, that treacherous conflict;he himself did not know through what meanshis parting from the world would come about.So the powerful princes who had set that curse therehad solemnly sworn, until the day of judgment,that whoever plundered that place would be guilty of sin,
Näs he gold-hwät: gearwor häfdeâgendes êst ær gesceáwod.Wîglâf maðelode, Wihstânes sunu:"Oft sceall eorl monig ânes willan"wræc âdreógan, swâ ûs geworden is."Ne meahton we gelæran leófne þeóden,"rîces hyrde ræd ænigne,"þät he ne grêtte gold-weard þone,"lête hyne licgean, þær he longe wäs,"wîcum wunian ôð woruld-ende."Heóldon heáh gesceap: hord ys gesceáwod,"grimme gegongen; wäs þät gifeðe tô swîð,"þe þone þeóden þyder ontyhte."Ic wäs þær inne and þät eall geond-seh,"recedes geatwa, þâ me gerýmed wäs,"nealles swæslîce sîð âlýfed
shut up among idols, bound fast in hell’s chains,tormented with plagues — yet he had not, even so,been eager for gold; he had rather already looked closelyat the owner’s favor, before all of that.Wiglaf spoke, son of Weohstan:“Often must many a man suffer hardshipbecause of one man’s will, as has happened to us.We could not persuade our beloved lord,guardian of the kingdom, by any counsel at all,that he should not attack that gold-guardian,let him lie where he had long been,stay in his dwelling until the world’s end.He held to his high destiny;the hoard has been looked upon,grimly won; that fate was too strongwhich drew that prince there. I was inside,
"inn under eorð-weall. Ic on ôfoste gefêng"micle mid mundum mägen-byrðenne"hord-gestreóna, hider ût ätbär"cyninge mînum: cwico wäs þâ gena,"wîs and gewittig; worn eall gespräc"gomol on gehðo and eówic grêtan hêt,"bäd þät ge geworhton äfter wines dædum"in bæl-stede beorh þone heán"micelne and mærne, swâ he manna wäs"wîgend weorð-fullost wîde geond eorðan,"þenden he burh-welan brûcan môste."Uton nu êfstan ôðre sîðe"seón and sêcean searo-geþräc,"wundur under wealle! ic eów wîsige,"þät ge genôge neán sceáwiað"beágas and brâd gold. Sîe sió bær gearo
and looked at it all, the furnishings of that chamber,once I was given passage — by no means graciouslyallowed entrance under that earth-wall. I hastily seized,with my hands, a great burden, a mighty loadof hoard-treasures,carried it out here to my king;he was still alive then, conscious and clear-minded;the old man spoke a great deal in his grief,and told me to greet you, asked that you build,in memory of your friend’s deeds, a high and mighty barrowat the place of burning, since he was, of all men,the most honored warrior throughout the wide earth,while he was allowed to enjoy the wealth of his stronghold.Let us now hurry, go there a second time,to see and to seek out that store of wonders,those treasures under the wall! I will guide you,
"ädre geäfned, þonne we ût cymen,"and þonne geferian freán ûserne,"leófne mannan, þær he longe sceal"on þäs waldendes wære geþolian."Hêt þâ gebeódan byre Wihstânes,häle hilde-diór, häleða monegumbold-âgendra, þät hie bæl-wudufeorran feredon, folc-âgendegôdum tôgênes: "Nu sceal glêd fretan"(weaxan wonna lêg) wîgena strengel,"þone þe oft gebâd îsern-scûre,"þonne stræla storm, strengum gebæded,"scôc ofer scild-weall, sceft nytte heóld,"feðer-gearwum fûs flâne full-eode."Hûru se snotra sunu Wihstânesâcîgde of corðre cyninges þegnas
so that you may see enough of them, close up,rings in plenty, and broad gold. Let the bierbe made ready quickly, once we come out,and then let us carry our lord, that beloved man,to where he shall long remain,under the Ruler’s protection.” Then the son of Weohstangave orders that it be announced, that brave battle-warrior,to many men, to the heads of households,that they should fetch firewood from far away,those in charge of the people, for the good man’s funeral:“Now the flame shall devour — the dark fire shall grow —the leader of warriors, who often enduredthe iron-shower, when the storm of arrows,driven by the bowstring, shot over the shield-wall,when the shaft did its duty, hurried on, feathered,followed close behind the arrowhead.” Then the wise son of Weohstan
syfone tôsomne þâ sêlestan,eode eahta sum under inwit-hrôf;hilde-rinc sum on handa bäräled-leóman, se þe on orde geóng.Näs þâ on hlytme, hwâ þät hord strude,syððan or-wearde ænigne dælsecgas gesêgon on sele wunian,læne licgan: lyt ænig mearn,þät hi ôfostlice ût geferedondýre mâðmas; dracan êc scufun,wyrm ofer weall-clif, lêton wæg niman,flôd fäðmian frätwa hyrde.Þær wäs wunden gold on wæn hladen,æghwäs unrîm, äðeling boren,hâr hilde-rinc tô Hrones nässe.
called out from the troop the king’s own thanes,seven together, the best of them;he went, one of eight, in under that hostile roof;one of the warriors carried in his handa burning torch, the one who went first.It was not decided by lot who should plunder that hoard,once the men saw any part of it lying there,unguarded in that hall, rotting away;little did any of them grieve, hastily carryingthe precious treasures out; they pushed the dragon tooover the cliff-wall, let the waves take him,the flood embrace the guardian of that treasure.Then twisted gold was loaded onto a wagon,more than could be counted, and the noble one was carried,the grey-haired warrior, to Whale’s Ness.