Beowulf (Harrison and Sharp)/The Fight at Finnsburh

by Anonymous

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,
ac fēr forð berað⁠fugelas singað, 5
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.
Ac onwacnigeað nū,⁠wīgend mīne, 10
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,
Sigeferð and Eaha,⁠hyra sweord getugon, 15
and æt ōðrum durum⁠Ordlāf and Gūðlāf,
and Hengest sylf;⁠hwearf him on lāste.
Þā gīt Gārulf⁠Gūðere styrode,
þæt hīe swā frēolīc feorh⁠forman sīðe
tō þǣre healle durum⁠hyrsta ne bǣran, 20
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,
wrecca wīde cūð.⁠Fela ic wēana gebād, 25
heardra hilda;⁠þē is gȳt hēr witod,
swæðer þū sylf tō mē⁠sēcean wylle."
Þā wæs on wealle⁠wæl-slihta gehlyn,
sceolde cēlod bord⁠cēnum on handa
bān-helm berstan.⁠Buruh-þelu dynede, 30
oð þæt æt þǣre gūðe⁠Gārulf gecrang,
ealra ǣrest⁠eorð-būendra,
Gūðlāfes sunu;⁠ymbe hine gōdra fela.
Hwearf flacra hrǣw⁠hræfn, wandrode
sweart and sealo-brūn;⁠swurd-lēoma stōd 35
swylce eal Finns-buruh⁠fȳrenu wǣre.
Ne gefrægn ic nǣfre wurðlīcor⁠æt wera hilde
sixtig sige-beorna⁠sēl gebǣran,
ne nǣfre swānas swētne⁠medo sēl forgyldan,
þonne Hnæfe guldon⁠his hæg-stealdas. 40
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,
here-sceorpum hrōr,⁠and ēac wæs his helm þyrl. 45
Þā hine sōna frægn⁠folces hyrde,
hū þā wīgend⁠hyra wunda genǣson
oððe hwæðer þǣra hyssa . . . . . . .