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The Internet Wiretap edition of

BEOWULF

From The Harvard Classics, Volume 49.
Copyright, 1910 by P.F. Collier & Son.

This text is in the public domain, released July 1993.

Prepared by Robin Katsuya-Corbet <corbet@astro.psu.edu>
from scanner output provided by Internet Wiretap.


          B E O W U L F

Translated by Francis B. Gummere

PRELUDE OF THE FOUNDER OF THE DANISH HOUSE

LO, praise of the prowess of people-kings
of spear-armed Danes, in days long sped,
we have heard, and what honor the athelings
    won!
Oft Scyld the Scefing from squadroned foes,
from many a tribe, the mead-bench tore,
awing the earls. Since erst he lay
friendless, a foundling, fate repaid him:
for he waxed under welkin, in wealth he throve,
till before him the folk, both far and near,
who house by the whale-path, heard his mandate,
gave him gifts: a good king he!
To him an heir was afterward born,
a son in his halls, whom heaven sent
to favor the folk, feeling their woe
that erst they had lacked an earl . . .