「#2893. Beowulf の冒頭11行」 ([2017-03-29-1]) で挙げた11行では物足りなく思われたので,有名な舟棺葬 (ship burial) の記述も含めた Beowulf 冒頭の52行を引用したい.舟棺葬とは,6--11世紀にスカンディナヴィアとアングロサクソンの文化で見られた高位者の葬法である.
原文は Jack 版で.現代英語訳は Norton Anthology に収録されているアイルランドのノーベル文学賞受賞詩人 Seamus Heaney の版でお届けする.
OE | PDE translation | ||
---|---|---|---|
a-verse | b-verse | ||
Hwæt, wē Gār-Dena | in geārdagum, | So. The Spear-Danes in days gone by | |
þēodcyninga | þrym gefrūnon, | and the kings who ruled them had courage and greatness. | |
hū ðā æþelingas | ellen fremedon. | We have heard of those princes' heroic campaigns. | |
Oft Scyld Scēfing | sceaþena þrēatum, | There was Shield Sheafson, scourge of many tribes, | |
5 | monegum mǣgþum | meodosetla oftēah, | a wrecker of mead-benches, rampaging among foes. |
egsode eorl[as], | syððan ǣrest wearð | This terror of the hall-troops had come far. | |
fēasceaft funden; | hē þæs frōfre gebād, | A foundling to start with, he would flourish later on | |
wēox under wolcnum, | weorðmyndum þāh, | as his powers waxed and his worth was proved. | |
oðþæt him ǣghwylc þ[ǣr] | ymbsittendra | In the end each clan on the outlying coasts | |
10 | ofer hronrāde | hȳran scolde, | beyond the whale-road had to yield to him |
gomban gyldan. | Þæt wæs gōd cyning! | and begin to pay tribute. That was one good king. | |
Ðǣm eafera wæs | æfter cenned | Afterward a boy-child was born to Shield, | |
geong in geardum, | þone God sende | a cub in the yard, a comfort sent | |
folce tō frōfre; | fyrenðearfe ongeat | by God to that nation. Hew knew what they had tholed, | |
15 | þ[e] hīe ǣr drugon | aldor[lē]ase | the long times and troubles they'd come through |
lange hwīle. | Him þæs Līffrēa, | without a leader; so the Lord of Life, | |
wuldres Wealdend | woroldāre forgeaf; | the glorious Almighty, made this man renowned. | |
Bēowulf wæs brēme | ---blǣd wīde sprang--- | Shield had fathered a famous son: | |
Scyldes eafera | Scedelandum in. | Beow's name was known through the north. | |
20 | Swā sceal [geong g]uma | gōde gewyrcean, | And a young prince must be prudent like that, |
fromum feohgiftum | on fæder [bea]rme, | giving freely while his father lives | |
þæt hine on ylde | eft gewunigen | so that afterward in age when fighting starts | |
wilgesīþas | þonne wīg cume, | steadfast companions will stand by him | |
lēode gelǣsten; | lofdǣdum sceal | and hold the line. Behavior that's admired | |
25 | in mǣgþa gehwǣre | man geþēon. | is the path to power among people everywhere. |
Him ðā Scyld gewāt | tō gescæphwīle, | Shield was still thriving when his time came | |
felahrōr fēran | on Frēan wǣre. | and he crossed over into the Lord's keeping. | |
Hī hyne þā ætbǣron | tō brimes faroðe, | His warrior band did what he bade them | |
swǣse gesīþas, | swā hē selfa bæd, | when he laid down the law among the Danes: | |
30 | þenden wordum wēold | wine Scyldinga; | they shouldered him out to the sea's flood, |
lēof landfruma | lange āhte. | the chief they revered who had long ruled them. | |
Þǣr æt hȳðe stōd | hringedstefna | A ring-whorled prow rode in the harbor, | |
īsig ond ūtfūs, | æþelinges fær; | ice-clad, outbound, a craft for a prince. | |
ālēdon þā | lēofne þēoden, | They stretched their beloved lord in his boat, | |
35 | bēaga bryttan | on bearm scipes, | laid out by the mast, amidships, |
mǣrne be mæste. | Þǣr wæs mādma fela | the great ring-giver. Far-fetched treasures | |
of feorwegum, | frætwa gelǣded; | were piled upon him, and precious gear. | |
ne hȳrde ic cȳmlīcor | cēol gegyrwan | I never heard before of a ship so well furbished | |
hildewǣpnum | ond heaðowǣdum, | with battle-tackle, bladed weapons | |
40 | billum ond byrnum; | him on bearme læg | and coats of mail. The massed treasure |
mādma mænigo, | þā him mid scoldon | was loaded on top of him: it would travel far | |
on flōdes ǣht | feor gewītan. | on out into the ocean's sway. | |
Nalæs hī hine lǣssan | lācum tēodan, | They decked his body no less bountifully | |
þēodgestrēonum, | þon þā dydon | with offerings than those first ones did | |
45 | þe hine æt frumsceafte | forð onsendon | who cast him away when he was a child |
ǣnne ofer ȳðe | umborwesende. | and launched him alone out over the waves. | |
Þā gȳt hie him āsetton | segen g[yl]denne | And they set a gold standard up | |
hēah ofer hēafod, | lēton holm beran, | high above his head and let him drift | |
gēafon on gārsecg. | Him wæs geōmor sefa, | to wind and tide, bewailing him | |
50 | murnende mōd. | Men ne cunnon | and mourning their loss. No man can tell, |
secgan tō sōðe, | selerǣden[d]e, | no wise man in hall or weathered veteran | |
hæleð under heofenum, | hwā þǣm hlæste onfēng. | knows for certain who salvaged that load. |
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