Heaðo-Scilfinges[1]heals-gebedda.
Þā wæs Hrōðgārehere-spēd gyfen,
65wīges weorð-mynd,þæt him his wine-māgas
georne hȳrdon,oðð þæt sēo geogoð gewēox,
mago-driht micel.Him on mōd bearn,
þæt heal-reced[2]hātan wolde,
*medo-ærn micelmen gewyrcean,Fol. 130b.
70þon[n]e yldo bearnǣfre gefrūnon,
ond þǣr on innaneall gedǣlan
geongum ond ealdum,swylc him God sealde,
būton folc-scareond feorum gumena.
Ðā ic wīde gefrægnweorc gebannan
75manigre mǣgþegeond þisne middan-geard,
folc-stede frætwan.Him on fyrste gelomp
ǣdre mid yldum,þæt hit wearð eal gearo,
heal-ærna mǣst;scōp him Heort naman,
sē þe his wordes gewealdwīde hæfde.
80Hē bēot ne ālēh,bēagas dǣlde,
sinc æt symle.Sele hlīfade
hēah ond horn-gēap;heaðo-wylma bād
lāðan līges.Ne wæs hit lenge þā, gēn,
þæt se ecg-heteāþum-swerian[3]
85æfter wæl-nīðewæcnan scolde.
- ↑ 63. MS. ‘heaðo scilfingas.’ For the form gebedda applied to a woman Heyne compares forgenga, applied to Judith’s female attendant, “Judith” 127. See Sievers’ O. E. Grammar, § 278, Note.
- ↑ 68. Kemble ‘þæt [hē] heal-reced.’
- ↑ 84. MS. ‘secg hete’; Grain ‘ecg-hete.’ Cf. l. 1738, and Seafarer 70. MS. ‘aþum swerian’: āþum = son-in-law, and Bugge suggested that āðum-swerian is a compound belonging to the same class as the suhtergefæderan of l. 1164, and meaning ‘son-in-law and father-in-law.’ This makes excellent sense of an otherwise difficult passage, the reference being to Ingeld, who married Hrothgar’s daughter Freawaru (l. 2022), and to the events referred to in ll. 2020—69.
