Lament of the Last Survivor
(Beowulf 2231-2266)
Translated by A.Z. Foreman
That earth-house teemed with ancient treasures.
In days long gone a forgotten man,
brooding and prudent, buried dear riches,
the heaped legacy of a highborn race,
in this undervault. Vulturing death
had taken them all in times gone by,
and left this one who walked there still,
last survivor of a vanished tribe,
a friend-grieved watchman, awaiting their fate,
hoping to relish these rare hallgifts
in his brief last days. The barrow was ready
built on flatland by breaking sea,
secured by bindcraft set on the headland.
That ring-keeper carried inside
all the gold-plated goods that he had
worth protecting. His words were these few:
"Hold now, O earth, what heroes cannot:
warriors' wealth. Such worthy men
first delved it from you. Deathblow battle
has wrung them down, ruinous carnage
and mortal evil took every mortal
man of my clan. They quit this life
and its meadhall mirth. For me there are none
to bear a sword or burnish the cup's
meadgold. My glory of men has left.
The hard helmet hasped in goldwork
must lose its hoop. Helm-shiners sleep
who once burnished my battle-mask.
The war-mantle that weathered brawls
through the burst of shields and the bite of steel
decays with the warrior. The whorled hauberk
will wander no more on the warchief's back
beside his braves. No more brilliant harps'
tune of timber. No trained falcon
swooping the songhall. No swiftfoot horse
pawing the courtgrounds. Plunder and slaughter
oust whole peoples out of existence."
The Original:
Hald þú nú, hrúsǽ, nú hæliþ ni mótun,
eorlá ǽhti. Hwæt hit ǽr on þé
gódǽ biġéatun; gúðdéaþ fornam,
feorhbealu frœ́cni fýrá ġihwelċnǽ,
líodá mínrá, þárá þi þis líf ofġeaf,
ġiségun selidréamas. Náh hwá sweord weġǽ
oþþǽ forþ berǽ fǽtid wéġí,
drynċfæt díorí: duguþ ellor scóc.
Sċeal se heardá helm hyrstidgoldǽ
fǽtum bifallæn: feormiænd swefaþ,
þá þe beadugríman bíowan sċeoldun,
ġé swelċǽ sío heripád, sío æt hildi ġibád
ofer bordá ġibræc bití íserná,
brosnaþ æfter beornǽ. Ni mæġ byrnan hring
æfter wíġfruman wídǽ féran,
hæliðum bi halfǽ; næs hearpan wyn,
gomæn glíwbéamæs, né gód heafuc
ġeond sæl swingiþ, né se swiftá mearh
burhstedi béatiþ. Bealucwealm hafaþ
felá feorhcynná forþ onsendid!
(Beowulf 2231-2266)
Translated by A.Z. Foreman
That earth-house teemed with ancient treasures.
In days long gone a forgotten man,
brooding and prudent, buried dear riches,
the heaped legacy of a highborn race,
in this undervault. Vulturing death
had taken them all in times gone by,
and left this one who walked there still,
last survivor of a vanished tribe,
a friend-grieved watchman, awaiting their fate,
hoping to relish these rare hallgifts
in his brief last days. The barrow was ready
built on flatland by breaking sea,
secured by bindcraft set on the headland.
That ring-keeper carried inside
all the gold-plated goods that he had
worth protecting. His words were these few:
"Hold now, O earth, what heroes cannot:
warriors' wealth. Such worthy men
first delved it from you. Deathblow battle
has wrung them down, ruinous carnage
and mortal evil took every mortal
man of my clan. They quit this life
and its meadhall mirth. For me there are none
to bear a sword or burnish the cup's
meadgold. My glory of men has left.
The hard helmet hasped in goldwork
must lose its hoop. Helm-shiners sleep
who once burnished my battle-mask.
The war-mantle that weathered brawls
through the burst of shields and the bite of steel
decays with the warrior. The whorled hauberk
will wander no more on the warchief's back
beside his braves. No more brilliant harps'
tune of timber. No trained falcon
swooping the songhall. No swiftfoot horse
pawing the courtgrounds. Plunder and slaughter
oust whole peoples out of existence."
The Original:
þér wæs swelcrá felá
in þám eorðhúsǽ ǽrġistréoná,
swé hío on ġeárdagum gumæná náthwelċ,
eorminláfǽ æðilan cynnæs,
þanchycgændi þér gihýddǽ,
díorǽ máðmas. Allǽ hío déaþ fornam
ǽrran mélum, ond se án þá gén
líodá duguðǽ se þér lengist hwearf,
weard winigeómor, wéndǽ þæs ylcan,
þæt hé lýtil fæc longġistréoná
brúcan móstí. Beorh allgearu
wunudǽ on wongǽ, wæterýðum neah
níowi bi næssǽ nearucræftum fæst.
þér on innan bær eorlgistréoná
hringá hirdi, handwiorðnǽ dǽl,
fǽttan goldæs, féaw wordá cwæþ:
eorlá ǽhti. Hwæt hit ǽr on þé
gódǽ biġéatun; gúðdéaþ fornam,
feorhbealu frœ́cni fýrá ġihwelċnǽ,
líodá mínrá, þárá þi þis líf ofġeaf,
ġiségun selidréamas. Náh hwá sweord weġǽ
oþþǽ forþ berǽ fǽtid wéġí,
drynċfæt díorí: duguþ ellor scóc.
Sċeal se heardá helm hyrstidgoldǽ
fǽtum bifallæn: feormiænd swefaþ,
þá þe beadugríman bíowan sċeoldun,
ġé swelċǽ sío heripád, sío æt hildi ġibád
ofer bordá ġibræc bití íserná,
brosnaþ æfter beornǽ. Ni mæġ byrnan hring
æfter wíġfruman wídǽ féran,
hæliðum bi halfǽ; næs hearpan wyn,
gomæn glíwbéamæs, né gód heafuc
ġeond sæl swingiþ, né se swiftá mearh
burhstedi béatiþ. Bealucwealm hafaþ
felá feorhcynná forþ onsendid!
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