Beowulf (Harrison and Sharp)/The Fight at Finnsburh

by Anonymous

For other versions of this work, see Fight at Finnsburh.

THE ATTACK IN FINNSBURG.

". . . . . . . . . . . næs byrnað nǣfre."
Hleoðrode þāheaðo-geong cyning:
"Ne þis ne dagað ēastan,ne hēr draca ne flēogeð,
ne hēr þisse heallehornas ne byrnað,
5 ac fēr forð beraðfugelas singað,
gylleð grǣg-hama,gūð-wudu hlynneð,
scyld scefte oncwyð.Nū scȳneð þes mōna
waðol under wolcnum;nū ārīsað wēa-dǣda,
þē þisne folces nīðfremman willað.
10 Ac onwacnigeað nū,wīgend mīne,
hebbað ēowre handa,hicgeað on ellen,
winnað on orde,wesað on mōde!"
Þā ārās monig gold-hladen þegn,gyrde hine his swurde;
þā tō dura ēodondrihtlīce cempan,
15 Sigeferð and Eaha,hyra sweord getugon,
and æt ōðrum durumOrdlāf and Gūðlāf,
and Hengest sylf;hwearf him on lāste.
Þā gīt GārulfGūðere styrode,
þæt hīe swā frēolīc feorhforman sīðe
20 tō þǣre healle durumhyrsta ne bǣran,
nū hyt nīða heardānyman wolde:
ac hē frægn ofer ealundearninga,
dēor-mōd hæleð,hwā þā duru hēolde.
"Sigeferð is mīn nama (cwæð hē),ic eom Secgena lēod,
25 wrecca wīde cūð.Fela ic wēana gebād,
heardra hilda;þē is gȳt hēr witod,
swæðer þū sylf tō mēsēcean wylle."
Þā wæs on weallewæl-slihta gehlyn,
sceolde cēlod bordcēnum on handa
30 bān-helm berstan.Buruh-þelu dynede,
oð þæt æt þǣre gūðeGārulf gecrang,
ealra ǣresteorð-būendra,
Gūðlāfes sunu;ymbe hine gōdra fela.
Hwearf flacra hrǣwhræfn, wandrode
35 sweart and sealo-brūn;swurd-lēoma stōd
swylce eal Finns-buruhfȳrenu wǣre.
Ne gefrægn ic nǣfre wurðlīcoræt wera hilde
sixtig sige-beornasēl gebǣran,
ne nǣfre swānas swētnemedo sēl forgyldan,
40 þonne Hnæfe guldonhis hæg-stealdas.
Hig fuhton fīf dagas,swā hyra nān ne fēol
driht-gesīða,ac hig þā duru hēoldon.
Þā gewāt him wund hæleðon wæg gangan,
sǣde þæt his byrneābrocen wǣre,
45 here-sceorpum hrōr,and ēac wæs his helm þyrl.
Þā hine sōna frægnfolces hyrde,
hū þā wīgendhyra wunda genǣson
oððe hwæðer þǣra hyssa . . . . . . .