Αποσπάσματα από το «Μπέογουλφ»

Τι μπορεί να συμβεί όταν τίποτα δεν έχει πάει ποτέ στραβά;

He often permitteth the mood-thought of man of The illustrious lineage to lean to possessions, 80 Allows him earthly delights at his manor, A high-burg of heroes to hold in his keeping, Maketh portions of earth-folk hear him, And a wide-reaching kingdom so that, wisdom failing him, He himself is unable to reckon its boundaries; 85 He liveth in luxury, little debars him, Nor sickness nor age, no treachery-sorrow Becloudeth his spirit, conflict nowhere, No sword-hate, appeareth, but all of the world doth Wend as he wisheth; the worse he knoweth not, 90 Till arrant arrogance inward pervading, Waxeth and springeth, when the warder is sleeping, The guard of the soul: with sorrows encompassed, Too sound is his slumber, the slayer is near him, Who with bow and arrow aimeth in malice.

Ένας ξένος υπόσχεται να νικήσει ή να πεθάνει στην αίθουσα.

When I boarded my boat with a band of my liegemen, I would work to the fullest the will of your people Or in foe’s-clutches fastened fall in the battle. Deeds I shall do of daring and prowess, 80 Or the last of my life-days live in this mead-hall."

Τα μεγάλα λόγια ακούγονται τη νύχτα· το πρωί δείχνει άλλη εικόνα.

25 O’er the ale-vessel promised warriors in armor They would willingly wait on the wassailing-benches A grapple with Grendel, with grimmest of edges. Then this mead-hall at morning with murder was reeking, The building was bloody at breaking of daylight, 30 The bench-deals all flooded, dripping and bloodied, The folk-hall was gory: I had fewer retainers, Dear-beloved warriors, whom death had laid hold of.

Τη νύχτα ακούγεται επιτέλους ένας τρομακτικός ήχος από την άλλη πλευρά.

75 Novel enough; on the North Danes fastened A terror of anguish, on all of the men there Who heard from the wall the weeping and plaining, The song of defeat from the foeman of heaven, Heard him hymns of horror howl, and his sorrow 80 Hell-bound bewailing. He held him too firmly Who was strongest of main-strength of men of that era.

Κάποιοι πόνοι δυσκολεύεσαι να τους πεις ακόμα και σε έναν ξένο.

It pains me in spirit to any to tell it,What grief in Heorot Grendel hath caused me,What horror unlooked-for, by hatred unceasing.Waned is my war-band, wasted my hall-troop;Weird hath offcast them to the clutches of Grendel.God can easily hinder the scatherFrom deeds so direful.

Το πλοίο σπρώχνεται από την αμμουδιά προς τον κίνδυνο.

The excellent knight from the folk of the Geatmen Had liegemen selected, likest to prove them Trustworthy warriors; with fourteen companions The vessel he looked for; a liegeman then showed them, 20 A sea-crafty man, the bounds of the country. Fast the days fleeted; the float was a-water, The craft by the cliff. Clomb to the prow then Well-equipped warriors: the wave-currents twisted The sea on the sand; soldiers then carried 25 On the breast of the vessel bright-shining jewels, Handsome war-armor; heroes outshoved then, Warmen the wood-ship, on its wished-for adventure.

Κάθε τέρας του σκότους κατάγεται από ένα μόνο έγκλημα.

The kindred of Cain crushed with His vengeance; In the feud He rejoiced not, but far away drove him From kindred and kind, that crime to atone for, Meter of Justice. Thence ill-favored creatures, 60 Elves and giants, monsters of ocean, Came into being, and the giants that longtime Grappled with God; He gave them requital.