Hunferþ maleode _Hunferd_ loquebatur
Ecglafes bearn _Ecglavi_ filius,
Þe æt fotum sæt Qui ad pedes sedit
Frean Scyldinga Domini Scyldingorum,
On band beadu Emeritus stipendiis
Rune wæs him Momordit eum
Beowulfes siþ modges _Beowulfi_ itinere elati
Mere faran Maria sulcando
Micel æfþunca Magna indignatio,
For þon þe he ne uþe 10 Propterea quod ille nesciret
Þæt ænig oþer man Ullum alium virum
Æfre mærþa Magis celebrem
Þon ma middangardes In mundo
Gehedde under heofenum Nominari sub coelo
Þon he sylfa eart Quam se ipsum.
Þu se Beowulf Tu sis _Beowulfus_,
Se þe wiþ breccan Qui ob prædas
Wunne on sidne sæ Ceris per latum æquor
Ymb sund flite Et maria pugnas.
Þær git for wlence 20 Ibi vos ob divitias
Wada cunnedon Vada explorastis,
And for dol gilpe Et ob falsam gloriam
On deop wæter Profundas æquas.
Aldrum neþdon Annis subacto
Ne mic ænig mon Non mihi aliquis
Ne leof ne laþ Amicus aut hostis
Belean mighte. Objicere potest,
Sorh fullne siþ Illacrimabiles expeditiones.
Þa git on sund reon. Ubi vos per æquora ruistis,
Þa git ea gor stream 30 Ibi fluctus sanguinis rivis
Earmum þehton Miseri texistis.
Mæton mere stræta Metiti estis maris strata:
Mundum brugdon Castella terruistis:
Glidon ofer garsecg Fluitavistis trans æquora.
Geofon yþum Salis undæ
Weol wintris wylm Fervuerunt nimborum æstu.
Git on wæteris æht Vos in aquarum vadis
Seofon night swuncon Septem noctibus afflicti fuistis.
He þe at sunde Ille cum sundum
Oferflat hæfde 40 Transvolasset,
Mare mægen Magis intensæ vires
Þa hine on morgen tid Illum tempore matutino
On heaþo Ræmis In altam Ræmis
Holm up æt baer Insulam advexere.
Þonon he gesohte Deinde petiit
Swæsne. Dulcem,
Leof his leodum Charam suo populo
Lond Brondinga Terram Brondingorum.
Freoþo burh fægere. Libertate urbem conspicuam
Þaer he folc ahte 50 Ibi populo possessam
Burh and beagas Urbem et opes
Beot eal wiþ Correpsit. Omne contra
Þe sunu Beanstanes Tibi filius _Beansteni_
Sode gelæste. Vere persolvit.
_Criticism of the Text._
In order to show how corrupt the text is, I append a collation of the
above passage with the MS. It may be added that the lines are among the
simplest in the poem, and call for no emendation. In passages that
present any real difficulty, Thorkelin is, if possible, even more at
fault.
Line 1, _for_ maleode _read_ maþelode.
4, _insert period after_ Scyldinga.
9, _insert period after_ æfþunca.
13, _for_ middangardes _read_ middangeardes.
15, _for_ þon _read_ þon{ne}.
17, _for_ breccan _read_ brecan (i.e. Brecan).
25, _for_ mic _read_ inc.
27, _for_ mighte _read_ mihte.
37, _for_ wæteris _read_ wæteres.
38, _for_ night _read_ niht.
40, _insert period after_ oferflat.
43, _for_ heaþo Ræmis _read_ heaþoræmes (i.e. Heaþorǣmas).
46, _for_ Swæsne _read_ swæsne · ᛟ · (i.e. ēðel).
54, _for_ sode _read_ soðe.
In the composition of his text Thorkelin made all the errors known to
scribes and editors. He misread words and letters of the MS., although
he had two transcripts. He dropped letters, combinations of letters, and
even whole words. He joined words that had no relation to each other;
he broke words into two or even three parts; he ignored compounds. He
produced many forms the like of which cannot be found in Old English.
One further example of his great carelessness may be given. The first
line of the poem, which is written in large capitals in the MS.:--
Hwæt we Gardena....