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Beowulf and Judith: Two Heroes. University Press of America, Lanham, Maryland, 1998. ISBN: 0-7618-0825-6.
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[lines 194-224a in section III and 8th line from the bottom of folio 134r to 4th line from the bottom of folio 134v on Kevin S. Kiernan's Electronic Beowulf CD]
Images of the original manuscript text of this section, and an mp3 file of Ben Slade reading it in Old English, are here.
{Beowulf hears about Grendel and decides to travel from his home in Geatland (southern Sweden) to Heorot (in northeast Denmark) to see if he can help out.
}
Hygelac's thane heard from abroad,
Ðæt fram ham gefrægn Higelaces þegn,
good warrior of Geats, about Grendel's doings;
god mid Geatum, Grendles dæda; [195]
he was strongest in might among all others
se wæs moncynnes mægenes strengest
in the time alloted to this life below,
on pæm dæge pysses lifes,
noble and imposing. He said to prepare a wave skimmer,
æþele ond eacen. He him yðlidan
ordered a good one. He gave in words
godne gegyrwan, cwæð he guðcyning
that over the swan road he would seek the war king, [200]
ofer swanrade secean wolde,
the noble chief, for he had need of men.
mærne þeoden, þa him wæs manna þearf.
The knowing counselors denied not to him
Þone siðfæt him snotere ceorlas
the journey leaving, though they loved him well;
lythwon logon, þeah he him leof wære;
urged on the intrepid one, trusted the omens.
hwetton hige[r]ofne, hæl sceawedon.
The good hero of the Geatish people
Hæfde se goda Geada leoda [205]
chose the boldest champions of those
cempan gecorone þara þe he cenoste
he could find among them; fifteen there were,
findan mihte; fiftyna sum
one of them sought the seawood out,
sundwudu sohte, secg wisade,
seaworthy he showed the shore to them.
lagucræftig mon, landgemycru.
The time had come, the keel was on the waves, [210]
Fyrst forð gewat, flota wæs on yðum,
the boat under the cliff. The keen men were ready,
bat under the beorge. beomas gearwe
they stepped to the prow-- the streams of sea coiled,
[lines 791-819a in section XII and 8th line from the top of folio 147r to 13th line from the top of folio 147v on Kevin S. Kiernan's Electronic Beowulf CD]
Images of the original manuscript text of this section, and an mp3 file of Ben Slade reading it in Old English, are here.
{At this moment Beowulf and Grendel are fighting and Grendel is howling and screaming and wishing to escape but Beowulf has grabbed Grendel's arm and is using his incredible hand-strength to hold on to him.
}
[lines 1537-1569 in sections XXII and XXIII and 5th line from the bottom of folio 163v, through folio 164r to 4th line from the top of folio 164v on Kevin S. Kiernan's Electronic Beowulf CD] Images of the original manuscript text of this section, and an mp3 file of Ben Slade reading it in Old English, are here. Note: there is a discussion of the word eaxle in line 1537a on my page on Shoulder Grabbing vs. Hair Pulling
{At this moment Beowulf has just failed to hurt Grendel's mother with the sword Hrunting and he tries to wrestle her as he had done with Grendel.
}
Then he seized by the shoulder, not shrinking from the feud,
Gefeng þa be eaxle, nalas for fæhðe mearn,
Grendel's mother; the Guth-Geat leader,
Guðgeata leod Grendles modor;
battle hardened, flung in a fit of rage
br$aelig;gd þa beadwe heard þa he gebolgen wæs
the fierce enemy, so that she fell to the ground. [1540]
feorhgeni$eth;ian þæt heo on flet gebeah.
Quick she offered back at him her own requital
Heo him eft hraþe andlean forgeald
with grim gripping and grabbed toward him;
grimman grapum and him togeanes feng;
the battleweary one stumbled, boldest of warriors,
oferwearp þa wengmod wigena strengest,
the footfighter, so that he fell headlong.
feþecempa, þæt he on fylla wearð.
Then she sat on the hall guest and hauled out her dagger
Ofsæt þa þone selegyst ond hyre seax geteah [1545]
broad and bright edged; she would be avenged
brad [ond] brunecg, wolde hire bearn wrecan.
for her only offspring. He was on his shoulder
angan eaferan. Him on eaxle læg
lying on his braided breastnet, which bought his life,
breaostnet broden þæt gebearh feore
against point and against sword edge withstanding entrance.
wið ord ond wið ecge ingang forstod.
He would have been slain, the son of Ecgtheow, [1550]
Hæfde ða forsiðod sunu Ecgþeowes
on that commodious ground, the Geat champion,
under gynne grund, Geata cempa,
had his battle corslet not come to his aid,
nemne him heaðobyrne helpe gefremede.
the hard war-net, and holy God
herenet hearde, ond halig God
not won war victory; the wise Ruler,
geweold wigsigor; witig Drihten,
Lord of the Skies, allowed righteousness
rodera Rædend, hit on ryht gesced [1555]
quite readily when he rose to his feet again.
yðelice syþðan he eft astod.
He saw then in the war room a sword victory-eager,
Geseah ða on searwum sigeadig bil,
giant-smithied old piece edgefirm and strong,
ealdsweord eotenisc ecgum þyhtig,
a warrior's glory dream; it was of weapons the choicest,
wigena weorðmynd, þæt wæpna cyst,
but it was more than any other man [1560]
buton hit wæs mare ðonne ænig mon oðer
could bring to bear in battle play,
to beadulace ætberan meahte,
good and ornate, old work of giants.
god ond geatolic, giganta geweorc.
The hero of Scyldings hefted the snakehilt,
He gefeng pa fetelhilt, freca Scyldinga
waved the ring blade, rowdy and fight fierce,
hreoh ond heorogrim hringmæl gebrægd,
desperate of life drove it ferociously
aldres orwena yrringa sloh [1565]
so it hit hard on her horrible neck,
þæt hire wið halse heard grapode,
broke the bone rings. The point bashed all through
banhringas bræc. Bil eal ðurhwod
the death fated fleshcover. On the floor she collapsed.
fægne flæschoman, heo on flet gecrong.
The sword was blood bedewed. The man savored the work.
[lines 1584b-1590 in section XXIII and 7th line from the bottom of folio 164v to first half of the last line of folio 164v on Kevin S. Kiernan's Electronic Beowulf CD]
Images of the original manuscript text of this section, and an mp3 file of Ben Slade reading it in Old English, are here.
{At this moment Beowulf has just discovered Grendel's lifeless body lying in the cave.
}
... The seething champion
... He him þæs lean forgeald
gave him reward when he got the sight
reþe cempa, to ðæs þe he on ræste geseah [1585]
of Grendel lying low, war weary,
guðwerigne Grendel liegan
of life deprived by the pitched battle
aldorleasne swa him ær gescod
that hit him at Heorot. The whole corpse burst open
hild æt Heorote. Hra wide sprong
from the hard handswing suffered in death,
syþðan he æfter deaðe drepe þrowade,
the culminating blow, for now he carved off his head. [1590]
[lines 2672b-2708a in sections XXXVI and XXXVII and 8th line from the bottom of folio 189A197r, through folio 189A197v to 3rd line from the top of folio 189r on Kevin S. Kiernan's Electronic Beowulf CD]
Images of the original manuscript text of this section, and an mp3 file of Ben Slade reading it in Old English, are here.
{At this moment, Wiglaf has just run into the flames to be by Beowulf's side and the dragon has charged at them both, incinerating Wiglaf's shield.
}
... The hard shieldboss
... Ligyðum for,
melted in the flame waves, the mail shirt did not
born bord wið rond, byrne ne meahte
do any good to the daring young battlegiver,
geongum garwigan geoce gefremman,
so the young warrior went valiantly
ac se maga geonga under his mæges scyld [2675]
to his elder kinsman's shield when his own had been
elne geeode þa his agen w[æs]
swallowed in flames. Yet still the war king
gledum forgrunden. Þa gen guðcyning
recalled past glories, with great forcefulness
m[ærða] gemunde, mægenstrengo sloh
hit with his battlepoint. In the head it stuck,
hildebille þæt hyt on healfolan stod
nudged in violently; Nægling shattered, [2680]
niþe genyded; Nægling forbeasrt,
the sword of Beowulf, broken in contending,
geswac æt sæcce sweord Biowulfes
ancient and grey engraved. It was not given to him
gomol ond grægmæl. Him þæt gifeðe ne wæs,
that the iron edge of aid might be,
þæt him irenna ecge mihton
a help in battle; the hand was too strong
helpan æt hilde; wæs sio hond to strong,
which overtaxed in swinging every sword blade,
se ðe meca gehwane mine gefræge [2685]
as I have heard, when he urged on in battle
swenge ofersohte þonne he to sæcce bær
a wonder-hard weapon; the worse it turned out.
wæpen wund[r]um heard; næs him wihte ðe sel.
Then the life threatener a third foray,
Þa wæs þeodsceaða þriddan siðe
frightful fire-dragon feuding in mind,
frecne fyrdraca, fæhða gemundig,
rushed on the champion when a chance permitted it, [2690]
ræsde on ðone rofan þa him rum ageald,
hot and gore-grim, ground all into his neck
hat ond heaðogrim, heals ealne ymbefeng
with biting fangs; bloodied he was
biteran banum; he geblodegod wearð
in his soul's life essence, battle gore pulsed out in gushes.
sawuldnore, swat yðum weoll.
I have heard also how the earl alongside
Ða ie æt þearfe [gefrægn] þeodcyninges
the folk leader lent his courage,
andlongne eorl ellen cyðan, [2695]
strength and keenness as was instilled in him.
cræft od cenðu swa him gecynde wæs
He took no heed of the fiery head, and the hand of the zealous
Ne hedde he þæs heafolan, ac sio hand gebarn
hero was burned in helping his kinsman
modiges mannes þæ:r he his mæges healp
as he struck the loathed stranger a bit lower down,
þæt he þone niðgæst nioðor hwene sloh.
strong man in armor, so the sword drove in, [2700]
secg on searwum, þæt ðæt sweord gedeaf
fine gilded and shining, and the fire began
fah ond fæted þæt ðæt fyr ongon
consequently to wane. Then the king himself
sweðrian syððan. Þa gen sylf cyning
still had his wits about him, his battle knife he drew,
geweold his gewitte, wællseaxe gebræd
cut-keen and skirmish sharp, which he carried on his mail shirt;
biter ond beaduscearp þæ:t he on byrnan wæg,
the Weder leader pierced the worm in mid-gut.
forwrat Wedra helm wyrm on middan. [2705]
He felled the fiend, boldness forced out his life breath,
