Beowulf

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

200
ðone siðfæt him snotere ceorlas
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lythwon logon, þeah he him leof wære;
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hwetton higerofne, hæl sceawedon.
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Hæfde se goda Geata leoda
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cempan gecorone þara þe he cenoste
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findan mihte; XVna sum
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sundwudu sohte; secg wisade,
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lagucræftig mon, landgemyrcu.
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Fyrst forð gewat. Flota wæs on yðum,
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bat under beorge. Beornas gearwe
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on stefn stigon; streamas wundon,
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sund wið sande; secgas bæron
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on bearm nacan beorhte frætwe,
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guðsearo geatolic; guman ut scufon,
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weras on wilsið, wudu bundenne.
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Gewat þa ofer wægholm, winde gefysed,
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flota famiheals fugle gelicost,
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oðþæt ymb antid oþres dogores
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wundenstefna gewaden hæfde
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þæt ða liðende land gesawon,
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brimclifu blican, beorgas steape,
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side sænæssas; þa wæs sund liden,
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eoletes æt ende. þanon up hraðe
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Wedera leode on wang stigon,
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sæwudu sældon (syrcan hrysedon,
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guðgewædo), gode þancedon
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þæs þe him yþlade eaðe wurdon.
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þa of wealle geseah weard Scildinga,
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se þe holmclifu healdan scolde,
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beran ofer bolcan beorhte randas,
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fyrdsearu fuslicu; hine fyrwyt bræc
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modgehygdum, hwæt þa men wæron.
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Gewat him þa to waroðe wicge ridan
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þegn Hroðgares, þrymmum cwehte
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mægenwudu mundum, meþelwordum frægn:
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"Hwæt syndon ge searohæbbendra,
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byrnum werede, þe þus brontne ceol
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ofer lagustræte lædan cwomon,
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hider ofer holmas? ...le wæs
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endesæta, ægwearde heold,
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þe on land Dena laðra nænig
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mid scipherge sceðþan ne meahte.
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No her cuðlicor cuman ongunnon
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lindhæbbende; ne ge leafnesword
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guðfremmendra gearwe ne wisson,
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maga gemedu. Næfre ic maran geseah
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eorla ofer eorþan ðonne is eower sum,
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secg on searwum; nis þæt seldguma,
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wæpnum geweorðad, næfne him his wlite leoge,
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ænlic ansyn. Nu ic eower sceal
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frumcyn witan, ær ge fyr heonan,
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leassceaweras, on land Dena
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furþur feran. Nu ge feorbuend,
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mereliðende, minne gehyrað
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anfealdne geþoht: Ofost is selest
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to gecyðanne hwanan eowre cyme syndon."
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Him se yldesta ondswarode,
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werodes wisa, wordhord onleac:
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"We synt gumcynnes Geata leode
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ond Higelaces heorðgeneatas.
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Wæs min fæder folcum gecyþed,
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æþele ordfruma, Ecgþeow haten.
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Gebad wintra worn, ær he on weg hwurfe,
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gamol of geardum; hine gearwe geman
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witena welhwylc wide geond eorþan.
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We þurh holdne hige hlaford þinne,
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sunu Healfdenes, secean cwomon,
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leodgebyrgean; wes þu us larena god.
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Habbað we to þæm mæran micel ærende,
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Deniga frean, ne sceal þær dyrne sum
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wesan, þæs ic wene. þu wast (gif hit is
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swa we soþlice secgan hyrdon)
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þæt mid Scyldingum sceaðona ic nat hwylc,
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deogol dædhata, deorcum nihtum
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eaweð þurh egsan uncuðne nið,
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hynðu ond hrafyl. Ic þæs Hroðgar mæg
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þurh rumne sefan ræd gelæran,
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hu he frod ond god feond oferswyðeþ,
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gyf him edwendan æfre scolde
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bealuwa bisigu, bot eft cuman,
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ond þa cearwylmas colran wurðaþ;
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oððe a syþðan earfoðþrage,
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þreanyd þolað, þenden þær wunað
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on heahstede husa selest."
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Weard maþelode, ðær on wicge sæt,
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ombeht unforht: "æghwæþres sceal
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scearp scyldwiga gescad witan,
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worda ond worca, se þe wel þenceð.
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Ic þæt gehyre, þæt þis is hold weorod
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frean Scyldinga. Gewitaþ forð beran
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wæpen ond gewædu; ic eow wisige.
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Swylce ic maguþegnas mine hate
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wið feonda gehwone flotan eowerne,
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niwtyrwydne nacan on sande
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arum healdan, oþðæt eft byreð
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ofer lagustreamas leofne mannan
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wudu wundenhals to Wedermearce,
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godfremmendra swylcum gifeþe bið
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þæt þone hilderæs hal gedigeð."
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Gewiton him þa feran. Flota stille bad,

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.