Beowulf (Wyatt)/Beowulf 40

XL.

Heht ðā þæt heaðo-weorc  tō hagan bīodan
ūp ofer ēg-clif,^[1]  þǣr þæt eorl-weorod
morgen-longne dæg  mōd-gīomor sæt,
2895bord-hæbbende,  bēga on wēnum,
ende-dōgores  ond eft-cymes
lēofes monnes.  Lȳt swīgode
nīwra spella,  sē ðe næs gerād,
ac hē sōðlīce  sægde ofer ealle:
2900“Nū is wil-geofa  Wedra lēoda,
dryhten Gēata,  dēað-bedde fæst,
wunað wæl-reste  wyrmes dǣdum.
Him on efn ligeð  ealdor-gewinna
siex-bennum sēoc;  sweorde ne meahte
2905on ðām āglǣcean  ænige þinga
wunde gewyrcean.  Wīglāf siteð
ofer Bīowulfe,  byre Wihstānes,
eorl ofer ōðrum  unlifigendum,
healdeð hige-mǣðum^[2]  *hēafod-weardeFol. 193a.
2910lēofes ond lāðes.  Nū ys lēodum wēn
orleg-hwīle,  syððan under[ne]^[3]
Froncum ond Frȳsum  fyll cyninges
wīde weorðeð.  Wæs sīo wrōht scepen
heard wið Hūgas,  syððan Higelāc cwōm
2915faran flot-herge  on Frēsna land,
þǣr hyne Hetware  hilde gehnǣgdon,
elne geēodon,  mid ofer-mægene,
þæt se byrn-wiga  būgan sceolde,
fēoll on fēðan;  nalles frætwe geaf
2920ealdor dugoðe.  Ūs wæs ā syððan
Merewīoingas^[4]  milts ungyfeðe.
Ne ic tō^[5] Swēo-ðēode  sibbe oððe trēowe
wihte ne wēne;  ac wæs wīde cūð,
þætte Ongenðīo  ealdre besnyðede
2925Hǣðcen Hreþling  wið Hrefna-wudu,
þā for onmēdlan  ǣrest gesōhton
Gēata lēode  Gūð-Scilfiiigas.
Sōna him se frōda  fæder Ōhtheres,
eald ond eges-full,  ondslyht^[6] āgeaf,
2930ābrēot brim-wīsan,  brȳd āhēorde,^[7]
gomela īo-meowlan   golde berofene,
Onelan mōdor  ond Ōhtheres,
ond ðā folgode  feorh-genīðlan,
oð ðæt hī oðēodon  earfoðlīce
2935in Hrefnes holt  hlāford-lēase.
Besæt ðā sin-herge  sweorda lāfe
wundum wērge;  *wēan oft gehētFol. 193b.
earmre teohhe  ondlonge niht;
cwæð, hē on mergenne  mēces ecgum
2940gētan wolde,  sum[e] on galg-trēowu[m]
[fuglum] tō gamene.^[8]  Frōfor eft gelamp
sārig-mōdum  somod ǣr-dæge,
syððan hīe Hygelāces  horn ond bȳman
gealdor ongēaton,  þā se gōda cōm
2945lēoda dugoðe  on lāst faran.

1. 2893. MS. ‘ecg clif’; Kemble ‘ēg-clif.’ Cf. l. 577. Ecg is used only of weapons in O. E.
2. 2909. Sievers ‘hige-mēðe’; cf. l. 2442.
3. 2911. MS. ‘under.’ Grein’s emendation. Cf. l. 127.
4. 2921. Wülcker ‘Merewīoinga.’ See note on l. 2453.
5. 2922. MS. ‘te.’
6. 2929. MS. ‘hond slyht,’ here and in l. 2972. The change in the text is necessary, unless one admits that h can alliterate with vowels. Such cases as this and that of the name “Unferth,” always Hunferð in the MS. but alliterating with vowels, tempt strongly to the abandonment of the rule. Cf. l. 1541 (and note), and see Sievers § 217, N. 1.
7. 2930. MS. and Zupitza ‘bryda heorde.’
8. 2940—1. MS. ‘sum on galg treowu to gamene.’ Thorpe ‘sume’ and ‘fuglum,’ comparing Judith 297: “fuglum tō frōfre.”