Page:Beowulf (Wyatt).djvu/87

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63

BEOWULF.

Ond þū Unferð^[1] lǣt⁠ealde lāfe,

wrætlīc wǣg-sweord,⁠wīd-cūðne man
1490heard-ecg habban;⁠ic mē mid Hruntinge
dōm gewyrce,⁠*oþðe mec dēað nimeð.”⁠Fol. 163a.
Æfter þǣm wordum⁠Weder-Gēata lēod
efste mid elne,⁠nalas ondsware
bīdan wolde;⁠brim-wylm onfēng
1495hilde-rince.⁠Ðā wæs hwīl dæges,
ǣr hē þone grund-wong⁠ongytan mehte.
Sōna þæt onfunde,⁠sē ðe flōda begong
heoro-gīfre behēold⁠hund missera,
grim ond grǣdig,⁠þæt þǣr gumena sum
1500æl-wihta eard⁠ufan cunnode.
Grāp þā, tōgēanes,⁠gūð-rinc gefēng
atolan clommum;⁠nō þȳ ǣr in gescōd
hālan līce;⁠hring ūtan ymbbearh,
þæt hēo þone fyrd-hom⁠ðurhfōn ne mihte,
1505locene leoðo-syrcan,⁠lāþan fingrum.
Bær þā sēo brim-wyl[f],^[2]⁠þā hēo tō botme cōm,
hringa þengel⁠tō hofe sīnum,
swā hē ne mihte nō⁠(hē þēah^[3] mōdig wæs)
wǣpna gewealdan;⁠ac hine wundra þæs fela
1510swe[n]cte^[4] on sunde,⁠sǣ-dēor monig
hilde-tuxum⁠here-syrcan bræc,

ēhton āglǣcan.⁠Ðā se eorl ongeat,

↑ 1488. MS. ‘hunferð.’
↑ 1506. MS. ‘brim wyl.’
↑ 1508. MS. ‘þæm’; Grundtvig (adopted by Heyne) ‘þæs’; Grein ‘þēah.’ Grein’s emendation makes admirable sense. I would retain the MS. reading in preference to þæs, which Heyne supports by parallel passages. It is undeniable that þæs is common enough with the meaning “so” (see l. 1509); but what can be feebler than to be told, half way through the poem, that Beowulf is brave enough to wield his weapons?
↑ 1510. MS. ‘swecte.’

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[1] 1488. MS. ‘hunferð.’

[2] 1506. MS. ‘brim wyl.’

[3] 1508. MS. ‘þæm’; Grundtvig (adopted by Heyne) ‘þæs’; Grein ‘þēah.’ Grein’s emendation makes admirable sense. I would retain the MS. reading in preference to þæs, which Heyne supports by parallel passages. It is undeniable that þæs is common enough with the meaning “so” (see l. 1509); but what can be feebler than to be told, half way through the poem, that Beowulf is brave enough to wield his weapons?

[4] 1510. MS. ‘swecte.’