This is my translation of Margaret Hunt's version of "Bearskin," originally published in the book "Household Tales by the Brothers Grimm." It can be found here.
Here is a pdf version of my translation. I've made a few minor changes, and decided to rename the hero to "Boar-skin" as the boar is a little more blatantly Anglo Saxon than the bear, in my opinion.
Barhyd
Se Hyse
Géara iú cóm gewinn to grénum lande. Ðegnas gædrodon ðá fyrd, and hí férdon to sæcce, sóhton æscðræce. Betwux gebúrum and beadurincum stód sum hyse beald on ðám scildwealle. Ðéah ðe he bær efne eoforspere and medemlicne scyld, he ðéah bealdode wel, and he wæs ǽfre se fyrmeste on ðám beadurǽse. Eall him éode wel on hand, swá lange swá séo fyrd fuhte. Ac ðá ðæt gewinn geendode, and gáras swodrodon, ðá asende man ðone hyse fram fyrde, ðæt he moste friðes brúcan. Déað ǽr hæfde his ealdran to Dryhtne gedragen, and he leng ne hæfde nán léof hús. He forðam éode to his gebróðrum, him biddende, ðæt hí hine underfón oð ðæt beadu eft forbyrne yrða and se féondfæder eft his wíghrefnas féde mid hrǽum wæla. Ac ðá gebróðru wǽron heardheorte, and hine forsócon cweðende, "Hwæt miht ðu us fremian? We nyllað ðe underfón on hús. Gá ðu heonan, and gým ðu ðe on selfe."
Se hyse næfde him nán ðing bútan spere. He hine genam, and éode forð wrecca on worulde. Ðá cóm he to wídre hǽðe, on ðǽre he seah náwht bútan hring tréowa. Under ðám blédum gesæt se sorglica hyse. He ðá ongan his gesceafte geðencan. He him wordum sægde, "Ic næbbe nán sceatta. Ne cann ic nán cræft bútan níðweorce, and nú frið is genumen, mínu ðéod leng ne ðearf mínne gár. Ic séo ðæt ic sceal hungre geendian."
Ðǽrrihtes gehýrde se hyse sume brastlunge, and háwode underbæc. Ðǽr stód befóran him sum fremde mann, ðe werode grénne cyrtel, hæbbende him swíðe unfægra tóclofena clawa.
Se fremde mann cwæð ðǽm hyse, "Ic iú wát ðætte ðu ðearft. Gold and æhta scyle ðu habban, swá micel ðæt ðu afón mæge. Dó ðæt ðu wile, ac ic fyrst wille witan gif ðu béo bútan fyrhto, ðæt ic ne gife ná feoh on ídel."
Se hyse andswarode cweðende, "Cempa and fyrhto ne sindon náne geferan. Ðu meaht me cunnian."
To ðám se fremde mann cwæð, "Háwa ðu eft underbæc."
Se hyse him cerde on bæcling, and he ðǽr seah micelne bár, ðe bellende cóm him tó. Se unforhta iunga ðréatode ðæt wilddéor secgende, "Éalá eofor! Ic tinclige ðíne ðrotan, ðæt ðu sóna geswícst ðínre grymetunge." He mid spere hnát ðone bár, ðe ahréas acweald, and nǽfre eft gerás.
For ðissum cwæð se uncúða, "Ic séo swíðe wel, ðæt ðu neart ellenléas. Ac gén bið óðer gerád ðe ðu fulfremman scyle."
Andswarode se mago, "Gif hit ne frecneð mín feorhnere." He wát forwel hwá ðǽr fore him stód.
Grénecyrtel smearcode. He wordum cwæð ðám hyse, "Ne scealt ðu seofon géaras ne ðé baðian, ne ðínne beard ne ðín feax cemban, ne ðínne næglas ceorfan. Ne scealt ðu nánne paternoster singan. Ic gife ðe loðan and cyrtel, ðá ðe be ðisse hwíle ðu scealt awerian. ac gif ðu sweltest on ðissum seofon géarum, swá ðu weorðe mín ðéow. Gif ðu lifige, ðonne béo ðu fréod, and swíðe éadig on ðínum dæge to bóte."
Se hyse geðohte ðone cost. Forðæm he hæfde oft and gelóme gán forð on beadurǽse to findanne his ágenne líchaman déað, he forðam rǽdde, ðæt he mihte ðá sehtnesse underfón. And swá he his gást selfne wearp on pleoh.
Se Deofol ofdyde his grénan cyrtel, and hine geaf ðǽm hyse, and him cwæð, "Gif ðu ðisne cyrtel werigende hand gedést on slífan, ðonne meaht ðu ǽfre on hire fela goldes findan."
Ðá ofdyde he ðone hýd of ðám báre, and smearcigende cwæð, "Ðes hýd byð ðín hwítel, and éac ðín bedd, on ðám ðu scealt slǽpan, ac nǽfre on óðrum bedde, and ðe forðam man nemneð and cígð Bárhýd."
Ðá gewát se Deofol fram his díglum hringe.
Wulfwyn
Bárhýd hine begyrde mid ðám cyrtle, and gedyde ðá his hand on slífan. Lá se fyrnsceaða ne geléah. Se hyse gráp gold. He ondyde ðá se hýd, and éode of ðæs Deofles stówe, ealra wynsumra ðinga to brúcanne. Be ðám ǽrran géare wæs his ansýn genóh gód, ac be ðám æfterran géare wearð he unhýre. Feax gehýdode his fulan ansýne. His beard wæs gelíc brádum felte. He hæfde on handum nítenlica cláwa. Gif man on his ansýne séowe cærsan, ðonne séo weoxe. Swá horig wæs he ðá. Gehwá fléah, ðe hine seah. Ac forðam he gold sealde ðearfum, ðæt hí God beden for his sáwle, and forðam he rúmmódíce gegeald eall ðæt he céapode, forðam he á fand hléo. On ðám féorðan géare, Bárhýd inéode sum hnág cumena-hús, ðæs húsbonda nolde him onfón, and ná sellan lýt rúmes on horserne, ðæt ðá hors ne geforhtoden. Ac ðá Bárhýd his hand eft gedyde on slífan, and atéah him gripan goldes, ðá ðohte se húsbonda to syllenne him bedbúr on lýtlum giesthofe. Bárhýd ðám húsbondan word geaf, ðæt man hine ná gesáwe, lǽs ðæs innes tótalu wurde ungeornlic.
On ðǽm ærne hýrde Bárhýd sume héofunge, ðe cóm fram ðám néhstum bedbúre. He openode ðone duru, and he sumne wóplicne ealdan ðǽr geseah. Se ealdan sprang to fótum, and mid fyrhto hynnode, ðá he Bárhýd seah. Ac ðá Bárhýd spræc, ðá gehýrde se ealdan, ðæt he næs blódgrǽdig scucca. Mid éaðméda geáxode Bárhýd æfter ðæs ealdan sorge.
He andswarode cweðende, "Mín ágen and yrfe lýtlum and lýtlum wanodon, and forðam mín dohtor ðoliað hungor. Ic eom swá ðearfendlic ðæt ic ne mæg ná feoh ðám innbondan gyldan, and mon me nimð hraðe to hæfte."
Bárhýd spræc ðám ealdan, "Gif ðæt byð ðín áne earfoðe, ic hæbbe fela féos." He macode ðæt mon ðone innbondan brang ðider, and him ðæs borges gegeald, and éac ðám ealdan sealde fulne pohhan goldes.
Fréo fram eallum his néode, se ealda éode to bárhýd ful ðancful. He cwæð bárhýde ðæt his dohtru cómon úp eall swilce fægernes geflǣscodu, and him bæd céosan ðára ǽne to wífigenne. Se ealda cwæð, "For ðínum mildan dǽdum, nán mínra dohtra wolde ðe forsacan. Giese, mon ðe syhð lýt fremde, ac mín dohtor ðe ðu céosest sceal ðæt behweorfan."
Ac ðá Bárhýd and se ealda cóm to his dohtrum, and ðá séo yldre dohtor him geseah, ðá swíðe aforhtode héo, ðæt héo hréop and arn of.
Séo óðru dohtor ne ofran, ac sægde heora fæder, "Ic sceal forsacan guman ðe næfð ná mannes híw. Gif bár come bescoren and wǽdod swá swá ðegn, mé ðæt mannlic níten swíðor lícige ðonne ðes nítenlic mann."
Ac séo gingest dohtor wiste be his dǽdum ðæt bárhýd wæs gód wer. Héo cwæð, "Forðam ðes wer healp ðe of ðínum earfoðum, and forðam ðu him on handa selde brýde, ic forðam wille him ceorlian."
Héo wæs geháten Wulfwyn, and gif héo mihte ðurh flýse and folde Bárhýdes ansýne lócian, ðá mihte héo wópdropan séon, and éac his glædnesse to hýran hire word.
He dyde béag of fingre and hine bréat to twǽm healfum. Áne he hire geaf, ac he him ahéold ðá óðre healfe. He his naman gewrát on Wulfwyne healfe, and hire naman on his. He hí bæd ðæt héo ne lósige hire healfe, and cwæð hire ðæt he scolde ðrý géaras wíde dréogan on worulde. He ðá éode fram Wulfwyne his brýde, and ælcum dæge ðǽræfter héo bæd God his hálse and hámcymes.
On Bárhýdes æfweardnesse, Wulfwyne sweostra hire géafon nán ðing bútan bismere. Séo forme sweoster glíwunge cwæð, "Beorg ðe, hwonne ðu him ðíne hand gyfst, ðæt he hí ne ahéawe mid cláwe!"
Séo óðer swá cwæð, "Ðu scyle aa dón eall swá he lyste, lǽs ðe he ðé gefrete!"
Wulfwyn heora unblíðan word gehýrde, ac ne wearð héo abelgodu.
Bárhýd fór of ánum lande on óðer. He dyde gód to ðæs ðe he miht, and geaf á rúmheortlíce.
Se Deofol
Æt néhstan, ðá ðára seofon géara endedæg cóm, se nítenlic eardstapa éode ongéan to ðám feorran hǽðe, and he sæt under ðæs Deofles béamum. Sóna cóm on weargwinde se wammgifa. Se Deofol belgode, and he Bárhýde eft ageaf his ealdan cyrtel, ðe he hæfde ðá he férde mid fyrde. Se gástbana abæd his selfes grénan cyrtel.
Ac Bárhýd cwæð wordum, "Ne scealt ðu ðágýt hine onfón, forð ðæt ðu mé baðast."
Hwæðer se Deofel wolde swá dón oððe ná, he feccode wæter and baðode Bárhýd. He cembode féax, cearf næglas. Æfter ðám ðe se Deofol clǽnsode hine, Bárhýd eft ætýwode swá swá beorht wígend, and sóðlíce he wæs wǽnlicor ðonne he ǽr wæs.
Se Deofol ýrremód wordum spǽtlode cweðende, "Ic fulléode mínne áð, ac nú scealt ðu gán of mínum tréowhringe."
Ðá Bárhýd hæfde him gán forð, he blissode and sang paternoster. He cýpode geatolica wǽda, and éode to Wulfwyne húse on wægne ðe wæs féower horsum getogen.
Nǽnig him gecnéow, ac se ealda wénde, ðæt he wǽre æðeling, and lǽdde hine to his dohtrum. He wæs geseten betwux ðám twǽm yldestum, ðá him géafon medu and mete, and him sægdon ðæt hí nǽfre gesáwon ná beorhtran wer.
Ac Wulfwyn sæt foran him, and ne onhóf hire éagan, ne spræc nán word.
Ðá Bárhýd síðlíce axode ðone fæder, gif he wolde áne his dohtra gifan Bárhýde to wífigenne, ðá sprungon ðá twá yldestan to fótum and runnon to wǽdigenne hí torhte, forðam ǽlc heora swíðe wolde ðone beorhtan beorn ceorlian.
Swá hraðe swá ðá twá éode fram ðám borde, Bárhýd féng his healf ðæs hringes, and gedyde hit on borde beforan his brýde.
Ðá cwæð he hire, "Ic eom ðín brýdguma, ðone ðu gesáwe nítenlicne and horigne, ac meotodes miltse ic cóm for ðe, eft clǽne and cembed."
Bárhýd and Wulfwyn cómon ætgædere, and ǽghwæðer óðerne earme beðehte, cyston hí and clypton. Ðá eftcómon ðá twá sweostor torhte wǽdode, and ðá hí sáwon heora gingestan sweostor on hire mannes earme, ðá runnon hí ðanan, wédenséoca and graman gydiga. Séo forme hí ádrencode ðǽrrihtes on ðám wæterpytte, and séo óðru deofolséoc sweostor hí selfe héng on béam.
On ǽfenne, Bárhýd hýrde mann æt ðǽre dura, hine geclipigende. He hí openode. Lá, ðǽr stód se Deofol on grénum kyrtlum cweðende, "Lóc, ic hæbbe nú twégen sáwlas for ðínum ánan!"