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Chapter XVIII: The Gleeman's Tale Is Ended

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"Gewiton him þā wīgend wīca nēosian,
"frēondum befeallen Frȳsland gesēon,
"hāmas and hēa-burh. Hengest þā gȳt
"wæl-fāgne winter wunode mid Finne
1130 "ealles unhlitme; eard gemunde,
"þēah þe hē ne meahte on mere drīfan
"hringed-stefnan; holm storme wēol,
"won wið winde; winter ȳðe belēac
"īs-gebinde oð þæt ōðer cōm
1135 "geār in geardas, swā nū gȳt dēð,
"þā þe syngales sēle bewitiað,
"wuldor-torhtan weder. Þā wæs winter scacen,
"fæger foldan bearm; fundode wrecca,
"gist of geardum; hē tō gyrn-wræce
1140 "swīðor þōhte, þonne tō sǣ-lāde,
"gif hē torn-gemōt þurhtēon mihte,
"þæt hē Eotena bearn inne gemunde.
"Swā hē ne forwyrnde worold-rǣdenne,
"þonne him Hūnlāfing hilde-lēoman,
1145 "billa sēlest, on bearm dyde:
"þæs wǣron mid Eotenum ecge cūðe.
"Swylce ferhð-frecan Fin eft begeat
"sweord-bealo slīðen æt his selfes hām,
"siððan grimne gripe Gūðlaf ond Ōslāf
1150 "æfter sǣ-siðe sorge mǣndon,
"ætwiton wēana dǣl; ne meahte wǣfre mōd
"forhabban in hreðre. Þā wæs heal hroden
"fēonda fēorum, swilce Fin slægen,
"cyning on corðre, and sēo cwēn numen.
1155 "Scēotend Scyldinga tō scypum feredon
"eal in-gesteald eorð-cyninges,
"swylce hīe æt Finnes hām findan meahton
"sigla searo-gimma. Hīe on sǣ-lāde
"drihtlīce wīf tō Denum feredon,
1160 "lǣddon tō lēodum." Lēoð wæs āsungen,
glēo-mannes gyd. Gamen eft āstāh,
beorhtode benc-swēg, byrelas sealdon
wīn of wunder-fatum. Þā cwōm Wealhþēo forð
gān under gyldnum bēage, þǣr þā gōdan twēgen
1165 sǣton suhter-gefæderan; þā gȳt wæs hiera sib ætgædere
ǣghwylc ōðrum trȳwe. Swylce þǣr Unferð þyle
æt fōtum sæt frēan Scyldinga: gehwylc hiora his ferhðe trēowde,
þæt hē hæfde mōd micel, þēah þe hē his māgum nǣre
ārfæst æt ecga gelācum. Spræc þā ides Scyldinga:
1170 "Onfōh þissum fulle, frēo-drihten mīn,
"sinces brytta; þū on sǣlum wes,
"gold-wine gumena, and tō Gēatum sprec
"mildum wordum! Swā sceal man dōn.
"Bēo wið Gēatas glæd, geofena gemyndig;
1175 "nēan and feorran þū nū friðu hafast.
"Mē man sægde, þæt þū þē for sunu wolde
"here-rinc habban. Heorot is gefǣlsod,
"bēah-sele beorhta; brūc þenden þū mōte
"manigra mēda and þīnum māgum lǣf
1180 "folc and rīce, þonne þū forð scyle
"metod-sceaft sēon. Ic mīnne can
"glædne Hrōðulf, þæt hē þā geogoðe wile
"ārum healdan, gyf þū ǣr þonne hē,
"wine Scildinga, worold oflǣtest;
1185 "wēne ic, þæt hē mid gōde gyldan wille
"uncran eaferan, gif hē þæt eal gemon,
"hwæt wit tō willan and tō worð-myndum
"umbor wesendum ǣr ārna gefremedon."
Hwearf þā bī bence, þǣr hyre byre wǣron,
1190 Hrēðrīc and Hrōðmund, and hæleða bearn,
giogoð ætgædere; þǣr se gōda sæt
Bēowulf Gēata be þǣm gebrōðrum twǣm.

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I. Beowulf: an Anglo-Saxon poem. II. The fight at Finnsburh: a fragment.Chapter XVIII: The Gleeman's Tale Is Ended

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