| Modern English Translation | Old English Original |
| So. The Spear-Danes in days gone by And the kings who ruled them had courage and greatness. We have heard of those princes’ heroic campaigns. There was Shield Sheafson, scourge of many tribes, A wrecker of mead-benches, rampaging among foes. This terror of the hall-troops had come far. A foundling to start with, he would flourish later on As his powers waxed and his worth was proved. In the end each clan on the outlying coasts Beyond the whale-road had to yield to him 10 And begin to pay tribute. That was one good king. Afterwards a boy-child was born to Shield, A cub in the yard, a comfort sent By God to that nation. He knew what they had tholed, The long times and troubles they’d come through Without a leader; so the Lord of Life, The glorious Almighty, made this man renowned. Shield had fathered a famous son: Beow’s name was known through the north. And a young prince must be prudent like that, 20 Giving freely while his father lives So that afterwards in age when fighting starts Steadfast companions will stand beside him And hold the line. Behavior that’s admired Is the path to power among people everywhere. Shield was still thriving when his time came And he crossed over into the Lord’s keeping. His warrior band did what he bade them When he laid down the law among the Danes: They shouldered him out to the sea’s flood, 30 The chief they revered who had long ruled them. A ring-whorled prow rode in the harbour, Ice-clad, outbound, a craft for a prince. They stretched their beloved lord in his boat, Laid out by the mast, amidships, The great ring-giver. Far-fetched treasures Were piled upon him, and precious gear. I never heard before of a ship so well furbished With battle tackle, bladed weapons And coats of mail. The massed treasure 40 Was loaded on top of him: it would travel far On out into the ocean’s sway. They decked his body no less bountifully With offerings than those first ones did Who cast him away when he was a child And launched him alone out over the waves. And they set a gold standard up High above his head and let him drift To wind and tide, bewailing him And mourning their loss. No man can tell, 50 No wise man in hall or weathered veteran Knows for certain who salvaged that load. Then it fell to Beow to keep the forts. He was well regarded and ruled the Danes For a long time after his father took leave Of his life on earth. And then his heir, The great Halfdane, held sway For as long as he lived, their elder and warlord. He was four times a father, this fighter prince: One by one they entered the world, 60 Heorogar, Hrothgar, the good Halga And a daughter, I have heard, who was Onela’s queen, A balm in bed to the battle-scarred Swede. The fortunes of war favored Hrothgar. Friends and kinsmen flocked to his ranks, Young followers, a force that grew To be a mighty army. So his mind turned To hall-building: he handed down orders For men to work on a great mead-hall Meant to be a wonder of the world forever; 70 It would be his throne-room and there he would dispense His God-given goods to young and old--- But not the common land or people’s lives. Far and wide through the world, I have heard, Orders for work to adorn that wall stead Were sent to many peoples. And soon it stood there, Finished and ready, in full view, The hall of halls. Heorot was the name He had settled on it, whose utterance was law. Nor did he renege, but doled out rings 80 And torques at the table. | HWÆT, WE GAR-DEna in geardagum, þeodcyninga þrym gefrunon, hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon! oft Scyld Scefing sceaþena þreatum, monegum mægþum meodosetla ofteah, egsode eorlas, syððanærest wearð feasceaft funden; he þæs frofre gebad, weox under wolcnum weorðmyndum þah, oð þæt him æghwylc ymbsittendra ofer hronrade hyran scolde, gomban gyldan; þæt wæs god cyning! Ðæm eafera wæs æfter cenned geong in geardum, þone God sende folce to frofre; fyrenðearfe ongeat, þe hie ær drugon aldorlease lange hwile; him þæs Liffrea, wuldres Wealdend woroldare forgeaf, Beowulf wæs breme --- blæd wide sprang--- Scyldes eafera Scedelandum in. Swa sceal geong guma gode gewyrcean, fromum feohgiftumon fæder bearme, þæt hine on ylde eft gewunigen wilgesiþas, þonne wig cume, leode gelæsten; lofdædum sceal in mægþa gehwære man geþeon. Him ða Scyld gewat to gescæphwile felahror feran on Frean wære; hi hyne þa ætbæron to brimes faroðe, swæse gesiþas, swa he selfa bæd, þendenwordum weold wine Scyldinga--- leof landfruma lange ahte. Þær æt hyðe stod hringedstefna isig ond utfus, æþelingesfær; aledon þa leofne þeoden, beaga bryttan on bearm scipes, mærne be mæste. Þær wæs madma fela of feorwegum frætwa gelæded; ne hyrde ic cymlicor ceol gegyrwan hildewæpnum ond heaðowædum, billum ond byrnum;him on bearme læg madma mænigo, þa him mid scoldon on flodes æht feor gewitan. Nalæs hi hine læssan lacum teodan, þeodgestreonum, þon þa dydon, þe hine æt frumsceafte forð onsendon ænne ofer yðe umborwesende. Þa gyt hie him asetton segen gyldenne heah ofer heafod, leton holm beran, geafon on garsecg; him wæs geomor sefa, murnende mod. Men ne cunnon secgan to soðe, selerædende, hæleð under heofenum, hwa þæm hlæste onfeng. I Ða wæs on burgum Beowulf Scyldinga, leof leodcyning longe þrage folcum gefræge --- fæder ellor hwearf, aldor of earde--- , oþ þæt him eft onwoc heah Healfdene; heold þenden lifde gamol ond guðreouw glæde Scyldingas. Ðæm feower bearn forðgerimed in worold wocun, weoroda ræswan, Heorogar ond Hroðgar ond Halga til, hyrde ic þæt . . . . . . wæs Onelan cwen, Heaðo-Scilfingas healsgebedda. Þa wæs Hroðgare heresped gyfen, wiges weorðmynd, þæt him his winemgas georne hyrdon, oðð þæt seo geogoð geweox, magodriht micel. Him on mod bearn, þæt healreced hatan wolde, medoærn micel men gewyrcean þonne yldo bearn æfre gefrunon, ond þær on innan eall gedælan geongum ond ealdum, swylc him God sealde buton folcscare ond feorum gumena. Ða ic wide gefrægn weorc gebannan manigre mægþe geond þisne middangeard, folcstede frætwan. Him on fyrste gelomp, ædre mid yldum, þæt hit wearð ealgearo, healærna mæst; scop him Heort naman se þe his wordes geweald wide hæfde. He beot ne aleh, beagas dælde, sinc æt symle. |