Beowulf maþelode bearn ecgþeowes ne sorga snotor guma selre bið æghwæm þæt he his freond wrece þonne he fela murne ure æghwylc sceal ende gebidan worolde lifes wyrce se þe mote domes âer deaþe þæt bið drihtguman unlifgendum æfter selest âris rices weard uton raþe feran grendles magan gang sceawigan.
Ic hit þe gehate no he on helm losaþ ne on foldan fæþm ne on fyrgenholt – ne on gyfenes grund gâ þær he wille ðys dogor þu geþyld hafa weana gehwylces swa ic þe wene to – ahleop ða se gomela gode þancode mihtigan drihtne þæs se man ge-*spræc þa wæs hroðgare hors gebæted wicg wundenfeax wisa fengel geatolic gende gumfeþa stop lindhæbbendra lastas wæron æfter waldswaþum wide gesyne gang ofer grundas þær heo gegnum for ofer myrcan mor magoþegna bær þone selestan sawolleasne þara þe mid hroðgare hâm eahtode ofereode þa æþelinga bearn steap stanhliðo stige nearwe enge anpaðas uncuð gelad neowle næssas nicorhusa fela – he feara sum beforan gengde wisra monna wong sceawian oþþæt he færinga fyrgenbeamas ofer harne stan hleonian funde wynleasne wudu wæter under stod dreorig ond gedrefed denum eallum wæs winum scyldinga weorce on mode to geþolianne ðegne monegum oncyð eorla gehwæm syðþan æscheres on þam holmclife hafelan metton flod blode weol folc to sægon *hatan heolfre horn stundum song fuslic f[yrd]leoð feþa eal gesæt – gesawon ða æfter wætere wyrmcynnes fela sellice sædracan sund cunnian swylce on næshleoðum nicras licgean – ða on undernmæl oft bewitigað sorhfulne sið on seglrade wyrmas ond wildeor hie on weg hruron bitere ond gebolgne bearhtm ongeaton guðhorn galan sumne geata leod of flanbogan feores getwæfde yðgewinnes þæt him on aldre stod herestræl hearda he on holme wæs sundes þe sænra ðe hyne swylt fornam – hræþe wearð on yðum mid eoferspreotum heorohocyhtum hearde genearwod niða genæged ond on næs togen wundorlic wægbora weras sceawedon gryrelicne gist gyrede hine beowulf eorlgewædum nalles for ealdre mearn scolde herebyrne hondum gebroden sid ond searofah sund cunnian seo ðe bâncofan beorgan cuþe þæt him hildegrap hreþre ne mihte eorres inwitfeng aldre gesceþðan – ac se hwita helm – *hafelan werede se þe meregrundas mengan scolde secan sundgebland since geweorðad befongen freawrasnum swa hine fyrndagum worhte wæpna smið wundrum teode besette swinlicum þæt hine syðþan no brond ne beadomecas bitan ne meahton.
Næs þæt þonne mætost mægenfultuma þæt him on ðearfe lah ðyle hroðgares wæs þæm hæftmece hrunting nama þæt wæs an foran ealdgestreona ecg wæs iren atertanum fah ahyrded heaþoswate næfre hit æt hilde ne swac manna ængum þara þe hit mid mundum bewand se ðe gryresiðas gegan dorste folcstede fara næs þæt forma sið þæt hit ellenweorc æfnan scolde – huru ne gemunde mago ecglafes eafoþes cræftig þæt he ær gespræc wine druncen þa he þæs wæpnes onlah – selran sweordfrecan selfa ne dorste under yða gewin aldre geneþan drihtscype dreogan þær he dome forleas ellen-*mærðum ne wæs þæm oðrum swa syðþan he hine to guðe gegyred hæfde.
.XXII.
Beowulf maðelode bearn ecgþeowes geþenc nu se mæra maga healfdenes snottra fengel nu ic eom siðes fus goldwine gumena hwæt wit geo spræcon gif ic æt þearfe þinre scolde aldre linnan þæt ðu me a wære forðgewitenum on fæder stæle wes þu mundbora minum magoþegnum hondgesellum gif mec hild nime.
Swylce þu ða madmas þe þu me sealdest hroðgar leofa higelace onsend – mæg þonne on þæm golde ongitan geata dryhten geseon sunu hrædles þonne he on þæt sinc starað þæt ic gumcystum godne funde beaga bryttan breac þonne moste – ond þu unferð læt ealde lafe wrætlic wægsweord widcuðne man heardecg habban ic me mid hruntinge dôm gewyrce *oþðe mec deað nimeð – æfter þæm wordum wedergeata leod efste mid elne nalas ondsware bidan wolde brimwylm onfeng hilderince ða wæs hwil dæges ær he þone grundwong ongytan mehte.
Sona þæt onfunde se ðe floda begong heorogifre beheold hund missera grim ond grædig þæt þær gumena sum ælwihta eard ufan cunnode grap þa togeanes guðrinc gefeng atolan clommum no þy ær in gescod halan lice hring utan ymbbearh þæt heo þone fyrdhom ðurhfon ne mihte locene leoðosyrcan laþan fingrum bær þa seo brimwylf þa heo to botme com hringa þengel to hofe sinum swa he ne mihte no he þæs modig wæs wæpna gewealdan ac hine wundra þæs fela swencte on sunde sædeor monig hildetuxum heresyrcan bræc ehton aglæcan ða se eorl ongeat þæt he in niðsele nathwylcum wæs þær him nænig wæter wihte ne sceþede ne him for hrofsele hrinan ne mehte færgripe flodes *fyrleoht geseah blacne leoman beorhte scinan[.]
Ongeat þa se goda grundwyrgenne merewif mihtig mægenræs forgeaf hildebille hond sweng ne ofteah þæt hire on hafelan hringmæl agol grædig guðleoð ða se gist onfand þæt se beadoleoma bitan nolde aldre sceþðan – ac seo ecg geswac ðeodne æt þearfe ðolode ær fela hondgemota helm oft gescær fæges fyrdhrægl ða wæs forma sið deorum madme þæt his dôm alæg – eft wæs anræd nalas elnes læt mærða gemyndig mæg hylaces wearp ða wundenmæl wrættum gebunden yrre oretta þæt hit on eorðan læg stið ond stylecg strenge getruwode mundgripe mægenes swa sceal man don þonne he æt guðe gegan þenceð longsumne lof na ymb his lif cearað.
Gefeng þa be eaxle nalas for fæhðe mearn guðgeata leod grendles modor brægd þa beadwe heard þa he gebolgen wæs feorhgeniðlan þæt heo on flet gebeah heo him eft hraþe andlean forgeald grim-*man grapum ond him togeanes feng oferwearp þa werigmod wigena strengest feþecempa þæt he on fylle wearð.
Ofsæt þa þone selegyst ond hyre seax geteah brad ond brûnecg wolde hire bearn wrecan angan eaferan him on eaxle læg breostnet broden þæt gebearh feore wið ord ond wið ecge ingang forstod[.]
Hæfde ða forsiðod sunu ecgþeowes under gynne grund geata cempa nemne him heaðobyrne helpe gefremede herenet hearde ond halig god geweold wigsigor witig drihten rodera rædend hit on ryht gesced yðelice syþðan he eft astod[.]
.XXIII.
Geseah ða on searwum sigeeadig bil eald sweord eotenisc ecgum þyhtig wigena weorðmynd þæt wæs wæpna cyst buton hit wæs mare ðonne ænig mon oðer to beadulace ætberan meahte gôd ond geatolic giganta geweorc – he gefeng þa fetelhilt freca scyldinga hreoh ond heorogrim hringmæl gebrægd aldres orwena yrringa *sloh þæt hire wið halse heard grapode banhringas bræc bil eal ðurhwod fægne flæschoman heo on flet gecrong sweord wæs swatig secg weorce gefeh lixte se leoma leoht inne stod efne swa of hefene hadre scineð rodores candel he æfter recede wlat.
Hwearf þa be wealle wæpen hafenade heard be hiltum higelaces ðegn yrre ond anræd – næs seo ecg fracod hilderince ac he hraþe wolde grendle forgyldan guðræsa fela ðara þe he geworhte to westdenum oftor micle ðonne on ænne sið þonne he hroðgares heorðgeneatas sloh on sweofote slæpende fræt folces denigea fyftyne men ond oðer swylc ut offerede laðlicu lac he him þæs lean forgeald reþe cempa to ðæs – þe he on ræste geseah guðwerigne grendel licgan aldorleasne swa him âer gescod hild æt heorote hra wide sprong syþðan he æfter deaðe drepe þrowade heorosweng heardne ond hine þa heafde becearf.
Sona þæt gesawon snottre *ceorlas þa ðe mid hroðgare on holm wliton þæt wæs yðgeblond eal gemenged brim blode fah blondenfeaxe gomele ymb godne ongeador spræcon þæt hig þæs æðelinges eft ne wendon þæt he sigehreðig secean come mærne þeoden þa ðæs monige gewearð þæt hine seo brimwylf abroten hæfde – ða com non dæges næs ofgeafon hwate scyldingas gewat him ham þonon goldwine gumena gistas setan modes seoce ond on mere staredon wiston ond ne wendon þæt hie heora winedrihten selfne gesawon þa þæt sweord ongan æfter heaþoswate hildegicelum wigbil wanian þæt wæs wundra sum – þæt hit eal gemealt ise gelicost ðonne forstes bend fæder onlæteð onwindeð wælrapas se geweald hafað sæla ond mæla þæt is soð metod – ne nom he in þæm wicum wedergeata leod maðmæhta ma þeh he þær monige geseah buton þone hafelan ond þa hilt somod since fage sweord ær gemealt forbarn brodenmæl wæs þæt blod *to þæs hat ættren ellorgæst se þær inne swealt.
Sona wæs on sunde se þe ær æt sæcce gebad wighryre wraðra wæter up þurhdeaf wæron yðgebland eal gefælsod eacne eardas þa se ellorgast oflet lifdagas ond þas lænan gesceaft.
Com þa to lande lidmanna helm swiðmod swymman sælace gefeah mægenbyrþenne þara þe he him mid hæfde.
Eodon him þa togeanes gode þancodon ðryðlic þegna heap þeodnes gefegon þæs þe hi hyne gesundne geseon moston – ða wæs of þæm hroran helm ond byrne lungre alysed lagu drusade wæter under wolcnum wældreore fag – ferdon forð þonon feþelastum ferhþum fægne foldweg mæton cuþe stræte cyningbalde men from þæm holmclife hafelan bæron earfoðlice heora æghwæþrum felamodigra feower scoldon on þæm wælstenge weorcum geferian to þæm goldsele grendles heafod oþðæt *semninga to sele comon frome fyrdhwate feowertyne geata gongan gumdryhten mid modig on gemonge meodowongas træd – ða com in gan ealdor ðegna dædcene mon dome gewurþad hæle hildedeor hroðgar gretan – þa wæs be feaxe on flet boren grendles heafod þær guman druncon egeslic for eorlum ond þære idese mid wliteseon wrætlic weras on sawon.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
My Beowulf, Fitts 21 through 23
Moving along. I've refined my method to allow for more rapid progress. Here we have three fitts, starting at line 1383 (fol. 160v) and ending at line 1651 (fol. 166r). It seems to me the last several fitts have been longer than what we had at the beginning. I'm also struck by how individual fitts can be significantly more populated with small caps, such as 22 and 23.