Beowulf

Old English · Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records · 3,181 sections

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Hwæt! We Gardena in geardagum,
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þeodcyninga, þrym gefrunon,
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hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon.
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Oft Scyld Scefing sceaþena þreatum,
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monegum mægþum, meodosetla ofteah,
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egsode eorlas. Syððan ærest wearð
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feasceaft funden, he þæs frofre gebad,
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weox under wolcnum, weorðmyndum þah,
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oðþæt him æghwylc þara ymbsittendra
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ofer hronrade hyran scolde,
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gomban gyldan. þæt wæs god cyning!
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ðæm eafera wæs æfter cenned,
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geong in geardum, þone god sende
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folce to frofre; fyrenðearfe ongeat
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þe hie ær drugon aldorlease
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lange hwile. Him þæs liffrea,
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wuldres wealdend, woroldare forgeaf;
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Beowulf wæs breme (blæd wide sprang),
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Scyldes eafera Scedelandum in.
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Swa sceal geong guma gode gewyrcean,
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fromum feohgiftum on fæder bearme,
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þæt hine on ylde eft gewunigen
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wilgesiþas, þonne wig cume,
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leode gelæsten; lofdædum sceal
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in mægþa gehwære man geþeon.
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Him ða Scyld gewat to gescæphwile
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felahror feran on frean wære.
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Hi hyne þa ætbæron to brimes faroðe,
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swæse gesiþas, swa he selfa bæd,
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þenden wordum weold wine Scyldinga;
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leof landfruma lange ahte.
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þær æt hyðe stod hringedstefna,
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isig ond utfus, æþelinges fær.
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Aledon þa leofne þeoden,
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beaga bryttan, on bearm scipes,
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mærne be mæste. þær wæs madma fela
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of feorwegum, frætwa, gelæded;
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ne hyrde ic cymlicor ceol gegyrwan
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hildewæpnum ond heaðowædum,
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billum ond byrnum; him on bearme læg
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madma mænigo, þa him mid scoldon
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on flodes æht feor gewitan.
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Nalæs hi hine læssan lacum teodan,
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þeodgestreonum, þon þa dydon
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þe hine æt frumsceafte forð onsendon
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ænne ofer yðe umborwesende.
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þa gyt hie him asetton segen geldenne
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heah ofer heafod, leton holm beran,
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geafon on garsecg; him wæs geomor sefa,
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murnende mod. Men ne cunnon
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secgan to soðe, selerædende,
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hæleð under heofenum, hwa þæm hlæste onfeng.
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ða wæs on burgum Beowulf Scyldinga,
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leof leodcyning, longe þrage
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folcum gefræge (fæder ellor hwearf,
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aldor of earde), oþþæt him eft onwoc
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heah Healfdene; heold þenden lifde,
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gamol ond guðreouw, glæde Scyldingas.
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ðæm feower bearn forð gerimed
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in worold wocun, weoroda ræswan,
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Heorogar ond Hroðgar ond Halga til;
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hyrde ic þæt wæs Onelan cwen,
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Heaðoscilfingas healsgebedda.
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þa wæs Hroðgare heresped gyfen,
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wiges weorðmynd, þæt him his winemagas
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georne hyrdon, oðð þæt seo geogoð geweox,
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magodriht micel. Him on mod bearn
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þæt healreced hatan wolde,
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medoærn micel, men gewyrcean
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þonne yldo bearn æfre gefrunon,
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ond þær on innan eall gedælan
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geongum ond ealdum, swylc him god sealde,
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buton folcscare ond feorum gumena.
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ða ic wide gefrægn weorc gebannan
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manigre mægþe geond þisne middangeard,
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folcstede frætwan. Him on fyrste gelomp,
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ædre mid yldum, þæt hit wearð ealgearo,
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healærna mæst; scop him Heort naman
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se þe his wordes geweald wide hæfde.
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He beot ne aleh, beagas dælde,
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sinc æt symle. Sele hlifade,
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heah ond horngeap, heaðowylma bad,
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laðan liges; ne wæs hit lenge þa gen
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þæt se ecghete aþumsweorum
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æfter wælniðe wæcnan scolde.
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ða se ellengæst earfoðlice
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þrage geþolode, se þe in þystrum bad,
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þæt he dogora gehwam dream gehyrde
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hludne in healle; þær wæs hearpan sweg,
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swutol sang scopes. Sægde se þe cuþe
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frumsceaft fira feorran reccan,
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cwæð þæt se ælmihtiga eorðan worhte,
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wlitebeorhtne wang, swa wæter bebugeð,
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gesette sigehreþig sunnan ond monan
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leoman to leohte landbuendum
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ond gefrætwade foldan sceatas
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leomum ond leafum, lif eac gesceop
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cynna gehwylcum þara ðe cwice hwyrfaþ.
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Swa ða drihtguman dreamum lifdon
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eadiglice, oððæt an ongan

The Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records, transcribed by sacred-texts.com (sacred-texts.com/neu/ascp/), via CLTK's old_english_text_sacred_texts mirror; released into the public domain. Licence: Public domain (Unlicense). Source.