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Speaker 1: LibriVox dot org. Beowulf translated by Francis Barton gmir Section seven.
Speaker 1: That way he went, with no will of his own,
Speaker 1: in danger of life, to the dragon's hoard, But for
Speaker 1: pressure of peril some prince's thane, he fled in fear
Speaker 1: the fatal scourge, seeking shelter, a sinful man, and entered in.
Speaker 1: At the awful sight tottered that guest, and terror seized him.
Speaker 1: Yet the wretched fugitive rallied Anon from fright and fear.
Speaker 1: Ere he fled away and took the cup from that
Speaker 1: treasure hoard of such besides, there was story enough heirlooms
Speaker 1: old the earth below which some earl forgotten in ancient years.
Speaker 1: Left the last of his lofty race heedfully there had
Speaker 1: hidden away dearest treasure, for death of yore had hurried
Speaker 1: all hence, and he alone left to live the last
Speaker 1: of the clan. Weeping his friends, yet wished to bide,
Speaker 1: warding the treasure his one delight, though brief his respite.
Speaker 1: The barrow new, ready to strand and sea waves stood
Speaker 1: anear hard by the headland, hidden and closed. There laid
Speaker 1: within it his lordly heirlooms, and heap'd hoard of heavy gold,
Speaker 1: that warden of rings. Few words he spake, Now hold
Speaker 1: thou earth, since heroes may not what earls have own'd
Speaker 1: lo erst from thee brave men brought it. But battle,
Speaker 1: death seiz'd and cruel killing my clansmen all robb'd them
Speaker 1: of life and a liegeman's joys. None have I left
Speaker 1: to lift the sword, or to cleanse the carven cup
Speaker 1: of price beaker bright my brave are gone, and the
Speaker 1: helmet hard, all haughty with gold shall part from its plating.
Speaker 1: Polishers sleep, who could brighten and burnish the battle mask,
Speaker 1: and those weeds of war that were wont to brave
Speaker 1: over bicker of shields, the bite of steel rust with
Speaker 1: their bearer. The ringed mail fares not far with famous
Speaker 1: chieftain at side of hero. No heart's delight, no glee,
Speaker 1: wood's gladness. No good hawk now flies through the hall,
Speaker 1: nor horses fleet stamp in the bergstead. Battle and death,
Speaker 1: the flower of my race have reft away, mournful of mood.
Speaker 1: Thus he moan'd his woe alone for them all, and
Speaker 1: unblithe wept by day and by night, till death's fell.
Speaker 1: Wave o'erwhelm'd his heart, his horde of bliss, that old
Speaker 1: ill doer open found who blazing at twilight the barrow's
Speaker 1: haunteth naked Foe dragon flying by night, folded in fire.
Speaker 1: The folk of Earth dread him, sore 'tis his doom
Speaker 1: to seek hoard in the graves and heathen gold, to
Speaker 1: watch many wintered nor wins. He thereby powerful this plague
Speaker 1: of the people. Thus held the House of the Horde
Speaker 1: in Earth three hundred winters till one aroused wrath in
Speaker 1: his breast to the ruler, bearing that costly cup, and
Speaker 1: the king implored for bond of peace. So the barrel
Speaker 1: was plundered, borne off was booty, his boon was granted.
Speaker 1: That wretched man and his ruler saw first time what
Speaker 1: was fashioned in far off days. When the dragon awoke,
Speaker 1: knew woe was kindled or the stone he snuffed, the
Speaker 1: stark heart found footprint of Foe, who so far had
Speaker 1: gone in his hidden craft by the creature's head. So
Speaker 1: may the undoomed easily flee evils and exile, if only
Speaker 1: he gained the grace of the wielder, that warden of
Speaker 1: gold o'er the ground went seeking, greedy to find the
Speaker 1: man who wrought him such wrong. In sleep, savage and burning.
Speaker 1: The barrow he circled all without nor was any there
Speaker 1: none in the waste. Yet war he desired, was eager
Speaker 1: for battle. The barrow he entered, sought the cup, and
Speaker 1: discovered soon that some one of the mortals had searched
Speaker 1: his treasure, His lordly Gold. The guardian waited ill, enduring
Speaker 1: till evening came. Boiling with wrath was the barrel's keeper,
Speaker 1: and fame with flame the foe to pay for the
Speaker 1: dear cup's loss. Now day was fled as the worm
Speaker 1: had wished by its wall. No more was it glad
Speaker 1: to bide, but burning flu folded in flame, a fearful
Speaker 1: beginning for suns of the soil, And soon it came
Speaker 1: in the doom of their lord, to a dreadful end.
Speaker 1: Then the baleful fiend, its fire belched out, and bright
Speaker 1: homes burned. The blaze stood high all landsfolk, frighting. No
Speaker 1: living thing would that loathly one leave as aloft it
Speaker 1: flew wide was the dragon's warring scene, its fiendish fury,
Speaker 1: far and near as the grim destroyer those Gaettish people
Speaker 1: hated and hounded to hidden lair, to its hoard. It
Speaker 1: hastened at hint of dawn, folk of the land. It
Speaker 1: had lapped in flame, with bale and brand in its barrow.
Speaker 1: It trusted its battling and bulwarks. That boast was vain
Speaker 1: to Beowulf. Then the bale was told quickly and truly
Speaker 1: the king's own home of buildings, the best in brand.
Speaker 1: Waves melted the gift throne of gates to the good
Speaker 1: old man, sad in heart twas heaviest sorrow. The sage
Speaker 1: assumed that his sovereign god he had angered, breaking ancient law,
Speaker 1: and embittered the lord. His breast within with black thoughts
Speaker 1: welled as his wont was never the folk's own fastness.
Speaker 1: That fiery dragon with flame had destroy'd, and the stronghold
Speaker 1: all wash'd by waves. But the warlike king, Prince of
Speaker 1: the Waiter's plotted vengeance warriors bulwark, he bade them work
Speaker 1: all of iron, the Earl's commander a war shield wondrous
Speaker 1: well he knew that forest would against fire were worthless.
Speaker 1: Lyndon could aid not atheling brave. He was faded to
Speaker 1: finish this fleeting life, his days on earth, and the
Speaker 1: dragon with him, Though long it had watched o'er the
Speaker 1: wealth of the Horde. Shame he reckoned sharer of rings
Speaker 1: to follow the flier Afar with a host a broad
Speaker 1: flung band. Nor the battle feared he, nor deemed he dreadful,
Speaker 1: the dragon's warring, its vigor and valor ventures desperate, he
Speaker 1: had passed a plenty and perils of war, contest crash.
Speaker 1: Since conqueror proud Rothgar's Hall, he had wholly purged, and
Speaker 1: in grapple had killed the Ken of Grendel. Loathsome breed,
Speaker 1: not least was that of hand to hand fights with
Speaker 1: Hegelach fell when the ruler of Gates, in rush of battle,
Speaker 1: lord of his folk in the Frisian Land, son of
Speaker 1: Rethel by sword drafts, died by brands down beaten. Thence
Speaker 1: Belwulf fled through strength of himself and his swimming power,
Speaker 1: though alone, and his arms were laden with thirty coats
Speaker 1: of mail when he came to the sea. Nor yet
Speaker 1: might hetwaras haughtily boast their craft of contest, who carried
Speaker 1: against him shields to the fight, but few escaped from
Speaker 1: strife with the hero to their homes. Then swam over
Speaker 1: ocean Echthiao's sun, lonely and sorrowful, seeking his land, where
Speaker 1: hygd made him offer of hoard and realm rings and
Speaker 1: royal seat, reckoning not the strength of her son, and
Speaker 1: to save their kingdom from hostile hordes after Hegelach's death.
Speaker 1: No sooner for this could the stricken ones in any
Speaker 1: wise move that Atheling's mind over young Herdrid's head as
Speaker 1: lord and ruler of all the realm to be. Yet
Speaker 1: the hero upheld him with helpful words, aided in honor
Speaker 1: till older grown. He wielded the wetter gheats wandering exile
Speaker 1: sought him oward the seas. The sons of Outre, who
Speaker 1: had spurned the sway of the Skilfing's helmet, the bravest
Speaker 1: and best that broke the rings in Swedish land of
Speaker 1: the sea King's line. Haughty hero, hence Herdrid's end for shelter,
Speaker 1: he gave them sword. Death came the blades fell blow
Speaker 1: to bairn of Hygalecht, but the son of Augenthial sought
Speaker 1: again house and home when Herdred fell, leaving Beowulf, Lord
Speaker 1: of Gates and gift Seats master a good king. He
Speaker 1: the fall of his lord, he was fain to requite
Speaker 1: in after days and to Edgul's he proved friend to
Speaker 1: the friendless, and forces sent over the sea to the
Speaker 1: son of Oterre, weapons and warriors well repaid. He those
Speaker 1: care paths cold when the king he slew thus safe
Speaker 1: through struggles. The son of Ecthial had passed a plenty
Speaker 1: through peril's dire with daring deeds, till this day was
Speaker 1: come that doomed him. Now with the dragons to strive
Speaker 1: with Comrade's eleven, the Lord of Gates, swollen in rage,
Speaker 1: went seeking the dragon he had heard. Whence all the
Speaker 1: harm arose, and the killing of clansmen, that cup of
Speaker 1: price on the lap of the lord had been laid
Speaker 1: by the finder in the throng. Was this one thirteenth man,
Speaker 1: starter of all the strife and ill, care laden, captive, cringing,
Speaker 1: thence forced and reluctant, he led them on till he
Speaker 1: came in ken of that cavern hall. The barrow delved
Speaker 1: near Billowy, Surge's flood of ocean within twas full of wire,
Speaker 1: gold and jewels, A jealous warden warrior, trusty the treasures
Speaker 1: held lurked in his lair, nor light the task of
Speaker 1: entrance for any of the earth born men. Sat on
Speaker 1: the headland. The hero king spake words of hail to
Speaker 1: his hearth companions, gold, friend of Gates, all gloomy, his
Speaker 1: soul wavering, death bound, weird, full nigh ready stood to
Speaker 1: greet the gray haired man, to seize his soul, Horde,
Speaker 1: sunder apart, life and body not long would be the
Speaker 1: warrior's spirit in wound with flesh. Beowulf spake the barn
Speaker 1: of Echthial, through store of struggles I strove in youth
Speaker 1: mighty few UDEs I mind them all. I was seven
Speaker 1: years old when the Sovereign of Ring's, friend of his
Speaker 1: folk from my father, took me, had me and held
Speaker 1: me rethel the king with food and fee, faithful in
Speaker 1: kinship ne'er while I lived there, he loathlier found me
Speaker 1: barn in the burg. Then his birthright sons Hairbelled and
Speaker 1: Hasteth and Higelac mine for the eldest of these, by
Speaker 1: unmeet chance, by kinsman's deed, was the death bed strewn
Speaker 1: when Hyacinth killed him with horny bow. His own dear
Speaker 1: liege laid low with an arrow, missed the mark, and
Speaker 1: his mate shot down, one brother the other with bloody shaft.
Speaker 1: A felis fight, and of fearful sin, horror to rethel.
Speaker 1: Yet hard as it was unavenged. Must the athelen die
Speaker 1: too awful? It is for an aged man to bide
Speaker 1: and bear that his barn so young, rides on the
Speaker 1: gallows a rhyme, he makes sorrow song for his son,
Speaker 1: there hanging as rapture of ravens. No rescue now can
Speaker 1: come from the old disabled man. Still is he minded?
Speaker 1: As his morning breaks of the air gone elsewhere? Another
Speaker 1: he hopes not. He will bide to see his burg
Speaker 1: within as ward for his wealth. Now the one has
Speaker 1: found doom of death that the deed incurred. Forlorn, he
Speaker 1: looks on the lodge of his son, wine haul, waste,
Speaker 1: and wind swept chambers reft of revel. The rider sleepeth,
Speaker 1: the hero far hidden. No harp resounds in the courts,
Speaker 1: no wastle as once was heard. Then he goes to
Speaker 1: his chamber, A grief song chants alone for his lost
Speaker 1: two large all seems, homestead and house. So the helmet
Speaker 1: of wedders hid in his heart for harrabuild waves of woe.
Speaker 1: No way could he take to avenge on the slayer
Speaker 1: slaughter so foul nor e'en could he harass that hero
Speaker 1: at all with loathing deed, though he lov'd him not.
Speaker 1: And so for the sorrow his soul endur'd men's gladness
Speaker 1: he gave up, and God's light chose lands and cities.
Speaker 1: He left his sons as the wealthy do. When he
Speaker 1: went from earth, there was strife and struggle TwixT Swede
Speaker 1: and Gait o'er the width of waters. War arose, hard,
Speaker 1: battle horror. When Rethel died and Ongenthal's offspring grew strife
Speaker 1: keen bold nor brook'd o'er the seas pack'd of peace,
Speaker 1: but push'd their boats to harass and hatred rosnabord. Men
Speaker 1: of my folk, for that feud had vengeance for woeful
Speaker 1: war tis widely known, though one of them bought it
Speaker 1: with blood of his own heart, a bargain hard for
Speaker 1: Hetzen proved fatal. That fray for the first of gates
Speaker 1: at Morn I heard was the murderer killed by kinsmen
Speaker 1: for kinsman with clash of sword. When Ongenthao met eofor
Speaker 1: there wide split the war helm wan, he fell hoary skilfing.
Speaker 1: The hand that smote him of feud was mindful, nor
Speaker 1: flinch'd from the death blow. For all that he gave me,
Speaker 1: my gleaming sword repaid him at war such power I
Speaker 1: wielded for lordly treasure with land he entrusted me homestead
Speaker 1: and house. He had no need from Swedish realm, or
Speaker 1: from spear Dane folk, or from the men of gifts
Speaker 1: to get him help some warrior worse for wage to buy. Ever,
Speaker 1: I fought in the front of all soul to the fore,
Speaker 1: and so shall I fight while I bide in life.
Speaker 1: And this blade shall last. That early and late hath
Speaker 1: loyal proved, Since for my daughtiness Dachfrin fell slain by
Speaker 1: my hand. The Hugos champion nor fared. He thence to
Speaker 1: the Frisian king with the booty back and breast adornments,
Speaker 1: but slain in struggle. That standard bearer fell Athleen brave.
Speaker 1: Not with blade was he slain, but his bones were
Speaker 1: broken by Brownie gripe. His heart waves stifled the So
Speaker 1: Lord Edge, now hard blade and my hand for the
Speaker 1: hoard shall strive. Beowulf spake, and a battle vow made
Speaker 1: his last of all. I have lived through many wars
Speaker 1: in my youth. Now once again, old folk defender feud
Speaker 1: will I seek do doughty deeds. If the dark destroyer
Speaker 1: forth from his cavern come to fight me, Then hailed
Speaker 1: he the helmeted heroes, all for the last time, greeting
Speaker 1: his leechmen, dear comrades of war. I should carry no
Speaker 1: weapon nor sword to the serpent, if sure I knew
Speaker 1: how with such enemy. Else my vows I could gain
Speaker 1: as I did in Grendel's day. But fire in this
Speaker 1: fight I must fear me now and poisonous breath. So
Speaker 1: I bring with me breastplate and board from the barrow's keeper,
Speaker 1: no foot breadth flee ie. One fight shall end our
Speaker 1: war by the wall, as weird allots all mankind's master.
Speaker 1: My mood is bold, but forbears to boast o'er this
Speaker 1: battling flier. Now abide by the barrow, ye breast plate,
Speaker 1: mail'd ye heroes in harness, which of us twain better
Speaker 1: from the battle rush bare his wounds? Wait? Ye the finish.
Speaker 1: The fight is not yours, nor meet for any but
Speaker 1: me alone. To measure might with this monster. Here and
Speaker 1: play the hero heartily, I shall win that wealth or
Speaker 1: war shall seize cruel, killing your king and lord up stood.
Speaker 1: Then with shield, the sturdy champion stayed by the strength
Speaker 1: of his single manhood and hardy neath helmet. His harness
Speaker 1: bore under cleft of the cliffs. No cowards path soon
Speaker 1: spied by the wall, that warrior, chief survivor of many
Speaker 1: a victory field where foemen fought with furious clashings in
Speaker 1: arch of stone, and within a stream that broke from
Speaker 1: the barrel. The brooklet's wave was hot with fire the
Speaker 1: horde that way. He never could hope, unharmed, to near
Speaker 1: or endure those deeps. For the dragon's flame then let
Speaker 1: from his breast, for he burst with rage the waiter
Speaker 1: gate prince a word outgo stormed. The stark heart stern
Speaker 1: went ringing and clear his cry neath the cliff rocks gray.
Speaker 1: The hoard guard heard a human voice. His rage was enkindled.
Speaker 1: No respite now for pact of peace. The poisoned breath
Speaker 1: of that foul worm first came forth from the cave
Speaker 1: hot reek of fight. The rocks resounded. Stout by the
Speaker 1: stone way his shield he raised Lord of the Gates
Speaker 1: against the loathed one, while with courage keen that coil'd
Speaker 1: foe came seeking strife. The sturdy king had drawn his sword,
Speaker 1: not dulovitch heirloom old, and each of the two felt
Speaker 1: fear of his foe, though fierce their mood. Stoutly stood
Speaker 1: with his shield high, raised the warrior king as the
Speaker 1: worm now coil'd together a main. The mailed one waited,
Speaker 1: now spire by spire, fast sped and glided that blazing serpent.
Speaker 1: The shield protected soul and body a shorter while for
Speaker 1: the hero king, then his heart desired, could his will
Speaker 1: have wielded the welcome respite but once in his life,
Speaker 1: But Weird denied it, and victory's honors his arm he
Speaker 1: lifted Lord of the Gates. The grim foes smote with
Speaker 1: Athleen's heirloom. Its edge was turned brown, blade on the bone,
Speaker 1: and bit more feebly than its noble master had need of.
Speaker 1: Then in his baleful stress, then the barrow's keeper waxed
Speaker 1: full wild. For that weighty blow cast deadly flames wide,
Speaker 1: drove in far those vicious fires, no victor's glory. The
Speaker 1: Gates lord boasted his brand had failed, naked in battle,
Speaker 1: as never it should excellent iron. Twas no easy path
Speaker 1: that Echthiau's honored air must tread o'er the plane to
Speaker 1: the place of the foe. For against his will he
Speaker 1: must win a home elsewhere, far as must all men,
Speaker 1: leaving this lapsing life. Not long it was ere those
Speaker 1: champions grimly closed again. The hoard guard was heartened high
Speaker 1: heaved his breast once more, and by peril was pressed again,
Speaker 1: enfolded in flames, the folk commander nor yet about him.
Speaker 1: His bands of comrades, son of Ethlings, armed, stood with
Speaker 1: warlike front to the woods. They bent them their lives
Speaker 1: to save. But the soul of one with care was cumbered.
Speaker 1: Kinship true can never be marred in a noble mind. Wigliffe,
Speaker 1: his name was Welston's son, lynden Thane, loved the lord
Speaker 1: of Skilphings Alpher's kinsmen his king. He now saw with
Speaker 1: heat under helmet, hard oppressed, he minded the prizes his
Speaker 1: prince had given him, wealthy seat of Wignemen's line, and
Speaker 1: folk writes that his father owned not long he lingered
Speaker 1: the linden yellow his shield. He seized the old sword
Speaker 1: he drew as heirloom of einmund Earth dwellers knew it
Speaker 1: who was slain by the sword Edge son of Otaire Friendless,
Speaker 1: exiled erst in Fray, killed by Wolston, who won for
Speaker 1: his ken brown, bright helmet, breastplate, ringed old sword of
Speaker 1: Yotun's Onola's gift, weeds of war, of the warrior's thane,
Speaker 1: battle gear brave. Though a brother's child had been felled,
Speaker 1: the feud was unfelt by Onelah For winters this war gear,
Speaker 1: Wailston kept breastplate and board till his barn had groaned
Speaker 1: earlship to earn as the old Sire did. Then he
Speaker 1: gave him mid gates the gear of battle portion huge.
Speaker 1: When he passed from life, fared aged forth for the
Speaker 1: first time, now with his leader Lord the Liegeman Young
Speaker 1: was bidden to share. The shock of battle neither softened
Speaker 1: his soul nor the Sire's bequest weakened in war. So
Speaker 1: the worm found out when once in fight the foes
Speaker 1: had met, Wiglift spake and his words were sage, sad
Speaker 1: in spirit. He said to his comrades, I rem remember
Speaker 1: the time when need we took, what promise we made
Speaker 1: to this Prince of ours in the banquet hall, to
Speaker 1: our breaker of rings for gear of combat, to him
Speaker 1: give requital for hard sword and helmet, if hap should
Speaker 1: bring stress of this sort. Himself, who chose us from
Speaker 1: all his army to aid him, now urged us to glory,
Speaker 1: and gave these treasures because he counted us keen with
Speaker 1: the spear and hearty neath helm. Though this hero work
Speaker 1: our leader hoped unhelped and alone to finish for us
Speaker 1: folk defender, who hath got him glory greater than all
Speaker 1: men for daring deeds. Now the day is come that
Speaker 1: our noble master has need of the might of warriors. Stout.
Speaker 1: Let us stride along the hero to help, while the
Speaker 1: heat is about him, glowing and grim. For God is
Speaker 1: my witness, I am far more famed. The fire should
Speaker 1: seize along with my lord these limbs of mine unsuiting,
Speaker 1: it seems our shields to bear homeward. Hence save here
Speaker 1: we essay to fell the foe and defend the life
Speaker 1: of the Wedder's lord. I WoT twere shame on the
Speaker 1: law of our land. If alone the king out of
Speaker 1: Gaetish warriors. Woe endur'd and sank in the struggle. My
Speaker 1: sword and helmet, breast plate and board for us both
Speaker 1: shall serve through slaughter. Reek strode he to succor his chieftain,
Speaker 1: his battle helm bore and brief words spake balwolf, dearest,
Speaker 1: do all bravely as in youthful days of your thou
Speaker 1: vouchst that while life should last, thou wouldst let know
Speaker 1: wise thy glory droop. Now great indeeds athelen steadfast with
Speaker 1: all thy strength, shield thy life, I will stand to
Speaker 1: help thee. At the words, the worm came once again,
Speaker 1: murderous monster, mad with rage, with fire billows flaming its
Speaker 1: foes to seek the hated men in heat waves burned
Speaker 1: that board to the boss, and the breastplate failed to
Speaker 1: shelter at all. The spear thing young, yet quickly under
Speaker 1: his kinsman shield went eager the earl, since his own
Speaker 1: was now all burned by the blaze. The bold king
Speaker 1: again had mind of his glory with might, his glave
Speaker 1: was driven into the dragon's head, blow nerved by hate,
Speaker 1: but nagling was shivered broken in battle was Baleo's sword,
Speaker 1: old and gray twas granted him, Not that ever the
Speaker 1: edge of iron at all could help him at strife.
Speaker 1: Too strong was his hand, so the tale was told,
Speaker 1: and he tried too far with strength of stroke, all
Speaker 1: swords he wielded, though sturdy their steel, they steadied him.
Speaker 1: Not then for the third time thought on its feud,
Speaker 1: that folk to destroyer fire, dread dragon, and rushed on
Speaker 1: the hero where room aloud battle, grim burning, its bitter
Speaker 1: teeth closed on his neck and covered him with waves
Speaker 1: of blood from his breast that welled. End of section seven,
Speaker 1: read by Dennis Sayers and Modesto California for LibriVox Fall,
Speaker 1: two thousand and six