Beowulf: Translations by Elsie Straffin Bronson (1910)
What is Beowulf? Choose by Section Choose by Author Choose by Date
English Poems: Selected and Edited, With Illustrative and Explanatory Notes and Bibliographies. Granger Index Reprint Series, Books For Libraries Press, Freeport, New York, 1910 (reprinted in 1970). LC: 70-109935. ...this book is edited by Walter C. Bronson, but the Beowulf translation is by Elsie Straffin Bronson
Buy this book used at:
Google online PDFABEBooks.comAddALL.comAlibris.comABAA.org
[lines 194-224a in section III and 8th line from the bottom of folio 134r to 4th line from the bottom of folio 134v on Kevin S. Kiernan's Electronic Beowulf CD]
Images of the original manuscript text of this section, and an mp3 file of Ben Slade reading it in Old English, are here.
{Beowulf hears about Grendel and decides to travel from his home in Geatland (southern Sweden) to Heorot (in northeast Denmark) to see if he can help out.
}
... This, Grendel's deeds, the thane of Hygelac found out from home, a good man among the Geats; he was in might the strongest of mankind in the day of his life, high-born and powerful. He bade gear him a good wave-crosser; he said he would seek this war-king over the swan-road, this great prince, since he had need of men. Wise men blamed him little for the journey, though he was dear to them: they whetted his strong courage and saw lucky signs.
The good man had chosen champions of the Geat people, the keenest he could find; with fourteen others he sought the seawood. A man, sea-crafty, pointed out landmarks. Time went forward: the float was on the waves, the boat beneath the hill. Ready heroes mounted on the stem; streams whirled the sea against the sand; warriors bore to the lap of the bark bright trappings, war-armor gayly garnished; men on a willing journey shoved out the wooden ship. Then over the wavy sea, sped by the wind, went the float, foamy-necked, most like to a bird, until the bark with twisted stem had waded up to about the same hour of the next day, when the sailors saw land, sea-cliffs gleaming, steep hills, wide headlands; then the sound at the end of the sea was crossed.
[lines 791-819a in section XII and 8th line from the top of folio 147r to 13th line from the top of folio 147v on Kevin S. Kiernan's Electronic Beowulf CD]
Images of the original manuscript text of this section, and an mp3 file of Ben Slade reading it in Old English, are here.
{At this moment Beowulf and Grendel are fighting and Grendel is howling and screaming and wishing to escape but Beowulf has grabbed Grendel's arm and is using his incredible hand-strength to hold on to him.
}
The stronghold of earls would not for anything let the death-dealing comer go alive, nor deemed he his life-days of any use to any folk. There many an earl of Beowulf's brandished an old heirloom-sword, wanted to guard the life of their lord and chief, mighty leader, wheresoever they might. They knew not when they went through the strife, hardy-hearted battle-men, and thought to hew him upon each side and seek his soul, that not even the pick of irons upon earth, no war-bill, could touch that unresting scather, but he had foresworn victory-weapons, every edge. His life-parting was to be wretched in the day of this life, and his ghost, gone elsewhere, must journey afar to the rule of fiends. Then he found out, he who before had wrought many a crime against mankind in mirthful mood, he, foe to God, that his body would not last him, but Hygelac's brave kinsman had him by the hand; each was hateful to the other, living. The dire monster endured a body-sore: a clear wound not to be eased was on his shoulder; his sinews sprang apart, his bone-lockers burst. To Beowulf war-glory was given:...
[lines 1537-1569 in sections XXII and XXIII and 5th line from the bottom of folio 163v, through folio 164r to 4th line from the top of folio 164v on Kevin S. Kiernan's Electronic Beowulf CD] Images of the original manuscript text of this section, and an mp3 file of Ben Slade reading it in Old English, are here. Note: there is a discussion of the word eaxle in line 1537a on my page on Shoulder Grabbing vs. Hair Pulling
{At this moment Beowulf has just failed to hurt Grendel's mother with the sword Hrunting and he tries to wrestle her as he had done with Grendel.
}
...Then the chief of the War-Geats seized Grendel's mother by the shoulder-- he mourned not at all for the strife; the hardy in battle, as as he was swollen with rage, hurled his life-foe so that she bent to the floor. Quickly she paid him back hand-meed with grim grasps, and clutched at him; then weary of mood, the strongest of warriors, fighter on foot, stumbled so that he fell. Then she sat upon the hall-guest, and drew her dagger, broad, brown-edged, and would avenge her child, her only son. On his shoulder lay the braided breast-net; that saved his life, withstood the inthrust of point and edge. Then had the son of Ecgtheow, champion of the Geats, perished under the wide seabottom but that the battle -burny gave him help, the hard army-net, and hold God, the wise Lord, brought about war-victory-- the Ruler of heavens easily judged it aright. Afterwards he stood up again.
Then he saw among the armor a bill rich in victories, an old sword of eotens, with doughty edges, the worship of warriors; that was the pick of weapons, but that it was greater than any other man might bear to battle-play, good and well garnished, a work of giants. He seized then the belted hilt, the wolf of the Scyldings, fierce and sword-grim, drew the ring-sword, hopeless of life struck irefully, so that the hard blade griped at her neck, broke the bonr-rings; the bill went through the doomed flesh-covering; she fell to the floor. The sword was bloody; the man was glad of his work.
[lines 1584b-1590 in section XXIII and 7th line from the bottom of folio 164v to first half of the last line of folio 164v on Kevin S. Kiernan's Electronic Beowulf CD]
Images of the original manuscript text of this section, and an mp3 file of Ben Slade reading it in Old English, are here.
{At this moment Beowulf has just discovered Grendel's lifeless body lying in the cave.
}
For that he gave him his pay, the fierce champion, insomuch that he saw Grendel lying war-weary in his resting place, lifeless, so had the battle at Heorot scathed him before. The corpse gaped wide when it felt his stroke after death, the hard sword-swing; and then he cut off the head.
[lines 2672b-2708a in sections XXXVI and XXXVII and 8th line from the bottom of folio 189A197r, through folio 189A197v to 3rd line from the top of folio 189r on Kevin S. Kiernan's Electronic Beowulf CD]
Images of the original manuscript text of this section, and an mp3 file of Ben Slade reading it in Old English, are here.
{At this moment, Wiglaf has just run into the flames to be by Beowulf's side and the dragon has charged at them both, incinerating Wiglaf's shield.
}
... With waves of flame the shield burned up to the rim; the burny could give no help to the young spear-warrior: but the young man bravely went under his kinsman's shield when his own was burned away by the gledes. Then again the war king minded him of great deeds, struck with main strength with his battle-bill, so that it stood in the [dragon's] head, driven by hate. Nægling broke: Beowulf's swrod failed in the fight, ancient and gray-marked. It was not given him that edges of irons might help him in battle; that hand was too strong, which in its swing overtaxed every sword, as I have heard, when he bore to the fight a weapon wondrously hard: no whit was it the better for him. Then was the people-scather, the fierce fire-dragon, for a third time mindful of the feud-- rushed upon the brave one where room offered him, hot and battle-grim, and encircled all his neck with biting bones. He was made bloody with life-blood; the blood welled in waves.
Then I heard that at the folk-king's need the earl showed endless courage, craft and keenness, as was natural to him. He heeded not the [dragon's ] head (but the brave man's hand was burned where he helped his kinsman), so that he smote the spite-guest a little downwards, the man in armor, in such wise that the sword dived in, bright and plated, and the fire began to wane afterwards. Then the king himself again had use of his wits, drew his slaughter-knife, biting and battle-sharp, that he wore on his burny: the helm of the Weders cut the worm in two in the middle. They felled the foe, strength drove out life, and they had both killed him, the kinsman-athelings;...
