Chapter XXXIV: Retrospect of Bēowulf.--Strife Between Sweonas and Geatas

Sē þæs lēod-hryres lēan gemunde
uferan dōgrum, Ēadgilse wearð
fēa-sceaftum fēond. Folce gestepte
2395 ofer sǣ sīde sunu Ōhteres
wigum and wǣpnum: hē gewræc syððan
cealdum cear-sīðum, cyning ealdre binēat.
Swā hē nīða gehwane genesen hæfde,
slīðra geslyhta, sunu Ecgþīowes,
2400 ellen-weorca, oð þone ānne dæg,
þē hē wið þām wyrme gewegan sceolde.
Gewāt þā twelfa sum torne gebolgen
dryhten Gēata dracan scēawian;
hæfde þā gefrūnen, hwanan sīo fǣhð ārās,
2405 bealo-nīð biorna; him tō bearme cwōm
māððum-fæt mǣre þurh þæs meldan hond,
Sē wæs on þām þrēate þreotteoða secg,
sē þæs orleges ōr onstealde,
hæft hyge-giōmor, sceolde hēan þonon
2410 wong wīsian: hē ofer willan gīong
tō þæs þe hē eorð-sele ānne wisse,
hlǣw under hrūsan holm-wylme nēh,
ȳð-gewinne, sē wæs innan full
wrǣtta and wīra: weard unhīore,
2415 gearo gūð-freca, gold-māðmas hēold,
eald under eorðan; næs þæt ȳðe cēap,
tō gegangenne gumena ǣnigum.
Gesæt þā on næsse nīð-heard cyning,
þenden hǣlo ābēad heorð-genēatum
2420 gold-wine Gēata: him wæs geōmor sefa,
wǣfre and wæl-fūs, Wyrd ungemete nēah,
sē þone gomelan grētan sceolde,
sēcean sāwle hord, sundur gedǣlan
līf wið līce: nō þon lange wæs
2425 feorh æðelinges flǣsce bewunden.
Bīowulf maðelade, bearn Ecgþēowes:
"Fela ic on giogoðe guð-rǣsa genæs,
"orleg-hwīla: ic þæt eall gemon.
"Ic wæs syfan-wintre, þā mec sinca baldor,
2430 "frēa-wine folca æt mīnum fæder genam,
"hēold mec and hæfde Hrēðel cyning,
"geaf mē sinc and symbel, sibbe gemunde;
"næs ic him tō līfe lāðra ōwihte
"beorn in burgum, þonne his bearna hwylc,
2435 "Herebeald and Hæðcyn, oððe Hygelāc mīn.
"Wæs þām yldestan ungedēfelīce
"mǣges dǣdum morðor-bed strēd,
"syððan hyne Hæðcyn of horn-bogan,
"his frēa-wine flāne geswencte,
2440 "miste mercelses and his mǣg ofscēt,
"brōðor ōðerne, blōdigan gāre:
"þæt wæs feoh-lēas gefeoht, fyrenum gesyngad
"hreðre hyge-mēðe; sceolde hwæðre swā þēah
"æðeling unwrecen ealdres linnan.
2445 "Swā bið geōmorlīc gomelum ceorle
"tō gebīdanne, þæt his byre rīde
"giong on galgan, þonne hē gyd wrece,
"sārigne sang, þonne his sunu hangað
"hrefne tō hrōðre and hē him helpe ne mæg,
2450 "eald and in-frōd, ǣnige gefremman.
"Symble bið gemyndgad morna gehwylce
"eaforan ellor-sīð; ōðres ne gȳmeð
"tō gebīdanne burgum on innan
"yrfe-weardes, þonne se ān hafað
2455 "þurh dēaðes nȳd dǣda gefondad.
"Gesyhð sorh-cearig on his suna būre
"wīn-sele wēstne, wind-gereste,
"rēote berofene; rīdend swefað
"hæleð in hoðman; nis þǣr hearpan swēg,
2460 "gomen in geardum, swylce þǣr iū wǣron.