Beowulf In Plain and Simple English (Digital Download)

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Buy Beowulf In Plain and Simple English Now! Do you need to understand Beowulf and want something more interactive? Try our free app, SwipeSpeare! Excerpt From Beowulf In Plain and Simple English Prelude to the Founder of the Danish HouseLO, praise of the prowess of people-kings HERE, praise the abilities of the kings of the peopleof spear-armed Danes, in days long sped, of the Danish men armed with spears, long agowe have heard, and what honor the athelings won! we have heard, and what honor those warriors won!Oft Scyld the Scefing from squadroned foes, Often, Scyld the Scefing, surrounded by enemiesfrom many a tribe, the mead-bench tore, from many different tribes, he broke the peaceawing the earls. Since erst he lay frightening the nobles. Since he was oncefriendless, a foundling, fate repaid him: friendless, an orphan, fate repaid him:for he waxed under welkin, in wealth he throvefor he grew powerful under the sky, becoming richtill before him the folk, both far and nearuntil the people both far and nearwho house by the whale-path, heard his mandatewho live by the sea, came under his rulegave him gifts: a good king he!gave him gifts: a great king he was! To him an heir was afterward bornLater his heir was born a son in his halls, whom heaven senta son in his place, sent by heaven to favor the folk, feeling their woeto help out the people, feeling their sorrow that erst they had lacked an earl for a leaderthat previously they had no one to lead them so long a while; the Lord endowed himfor such a long time; God blessed him the Wielder of Wonder, with world's renown.the one holding wonderful abilities, with the world's admiration and fame. Famed was this Beowulf: far flew the boast of him,This Beowulf [a different one from the one this poem is mostly about] was famous: his reputation was widely known Son of Scyld, in the Scandian lands.Son of Scyld, throughout what there was then of Scandinavia - eventually Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. So becomes it a youth to quit him wellSo it is a good thing for a young man to make something of himself with his father's friends, by fee and gift,with his father's friends, through money and gifts that to aid him, aged, in after daysin order for them to come to help him when he is old, years later come warriors willing, should war draw nighsoldiers will willingly help him if war comes near liegemen loyal: by lauded deedsloyal knights: it is by admired actions shall an earl have honor in every clan.shall a nobleman be honored by every community. Forth he fared at the fated momentOff he went at the time fate decreed sturdy Scyld to the shelter of God.Scyld died and his soul went to God. Then they bore him to the ocean's billow,Then they carried him to the ocean waves, loving clansmen, as late he charged them,loving family, as he had asked them to earlier, while wielded words the winsome Scyld,while the lovable Scyld could still talk, the leader beloved who long had ruled...the beloved leader who had ruled for a long time...In the roadstead rocked a ring-dight vessel,In the current rocked a ring-decked boat, ice-flecked, outbound, atheling's barge:lightly covered with ice, traveling away, a warrior's barge: there laid they down their darling lordthere they laid down their darling lord on the breast of the boat, the breaker-of-rings,on the wide part of the boat, the man who had rewarded them well by the mast the mighty one. Many a treasure,by the mast they laid that mighty man. Many treasures, fetched from far were freighted with himtaken from far away were in the boat with him. No ship have I known so nobly dightNo other ship to my knowledge was so nobly decked with weapons of war and weeds of battle,with weapons of war and clothing of battle, with breastplate and blade: on his bosom laywith breastplate and sword: on his chest lay a heaped hoard that hence should goa piled hoard that afterwards would go far o'er the flood with him floating away.far over the flood with him floating away. No less these loaded the lordly gifts,Those who loaded the lordly gifts were of equal rank, thanes' huge treasure, than those had donethese treasures of aristocracy, they were equal to those who in former times forth had sent himwho in previous times had sent him out sole on the seas, a suckling child. all alone on the sea, as a baby. High o'er his head they hoist the standard,High over his head they raise the flag, a gold-wove banner; let billows take him,a golden banner; let the waves take him, gave him to ocean. Grave were their spirits,they gave him to the ocean. Their spirits were sad, mournful their mood. No man is abletheir mood was mournful. No man is able to say in sooth, no son of the hallsto prophesy, no one born in a palace no hero 'neath heaven - who harbored that freight!no hero beneath heaven - who eventually took in and sheltered that ship! ~*~Section I Now Beowulf bode in the burg of the Scyldings,Now Beowulf lived in the city of Scyld’s followersLeader beloved, and long he ruledA beloved leader, and long he ruled in fame with all folk, since his father had gonefamous to all people, since his father diedaway from the world, till awoke an heirand left the world, until his heir was bornhaughty Healfdene, who held through life,(prideful Healfdene, who continued throughout all his life,)sage and sturdy, the Scyldings glad.wise and healthy, which the people of Scyld were glad of.Then, one after one, there woke to him,Then, one after another, there was born to his family, to the chieftain of clansmen, children four.to Healfdene, that ruler of a tribe, four children.Heorogar, then Hrothgar, then Halga brave;Heorogar, then Hrothgar, then brave Halgaand I heard that --- was ---‘s queen,and I heard that so-and-so was so-and-so’s queenThe Heathoscylfing’s helpmate dear.The dear spouse of the descendant of Scylf and Healfdene.To Hrothgar was given such glory of war,Hrothgar was fortunate in earning glory in war,such honor of combat, that all his kin,such honor in combat, that all his familyobeyed him gladly till great grew his bandobeyed him gladly until his followers became manyof youthful comrades. It came in his mindyoung friends and allies. It came in his mindto bid his henchmen a hall uprear,to order his men to build a palace,a master mead-house, mightier fara great feasting place, far mightierthan ever was seen by the sons of earth,than any humans had ever seen before, and within it, then, to old and young and inside it, then, to both old and young he would all allot that the Lord had sent him,he would share everything God had sent him, save only the land and the lives of his men. except for the land and the lives of his men. Wide, I heard, was the work commanded, I heard the work he ordered was vast in scope, for many a tribe this mid-earth round, for many tribes around this location, to fashion the folkstead. It fell, as he ordered, to build the great hall. It was completed, as he ordered, in rapid achievement that ready it stood there, in quick progress it soon was finished, of halls the noblest: Heorot he named it the most noble of halls: he named it Heorot [meaning "The Stag"] whose message had might in many a land.whose message had power in many lands. Not reckless of promise, the rings he dealt, Never making reckless promises, the rings he distributed [as rewards], treasure at banquet: there towered the hall,treasure at banquet: there was a towering hall, high, gabled wide, the hot surge waiting high, with wide windows, with a roaring of furious flame. Nor far was that day fire at the end of it. However, the day was not far when father and son-in-law stood in feud when father and son-in-law became enemies for warfare and hatred that woke again.for warfare and hatred that rose again. With envy and anger an evil spirit With envy and anger an evil spirit endured the dole in his dark abode, endured his exile in his dark home, that he heard each day the din of revel that he heard every day the loud festivities high in the hall: there harps rang out, high in the hall: there harps rang out, clear song of the singer. He sang who knewclear song of the singer, who knew all the tales of the early time of man,tales of the beginning of the world [the stories of Genesis in the Bible] how the Almighty made the earth, how Almighty God made the earth, fairest fields enfolded by water, beautiful fields covered by water, set, triumphant, sun and moon placed, gladly, the sun and moon for a light to lighten the land-dwellers, for a light to illuminate those that lived on land, and braided bright the breast of earth and covered the surface of the earth with limbs and leaves, made life for all with tree branches and leaves, made life for all of mortal beings that breathe and move. of living things that breath and move. So lived the clansmen in cheer and revel So lived the people in cheerful happiness a winsome life, till one began a lovely life, until one began to fashion evils, that field of hell. to create and do evil, that specialty of hell. Grendel this monster grim was called, This grim monster was called "Grendel", march-riever mighty, in moorland living, a powerful invading monster, living in the swamp, in fen and fastness; fief of the giants in wild land and isolation; home of the giants the hapless wight a while had kept the unfortunate creature a while had stayed since the Creator his exile doomed.since God doomed him to exile. On kin of Cain was the killing avenged The family of Cain [the first murderer, son of Adam] were punished for the killing by sovran God for slaughtered Abel. by vengeful God for the murdered Abel [Cain's brother]. Ill fared his feud, and far was he driven, His fight was doomed, and he was driven far, for the slaughter's sake, from sight of men. for the sake of his murder, he was sent away from the rest of humanity. Of Cain awoke all that woeful breed, From Cain descended all those awful beings, Etins and elves and evil-spirits, Devils and elves [in those days considered bad] and evil spirits, as well as the giants that warred with God As well as the giants that fought against God weary while: but their wage was paid them! for a long time: but they received what they deserved!! Show more