4. Fiftig Wintra (Ancient English)

[Intro — measured lyre over the unbroken drum pulse, small solo followed by the lyrics] Geara siþþan we Gar-Dena land ofer swanrade sohton and eft ham comon. Moneg winter hwearf; moneg wiga feoll. Hygelac forþferde; Heardred rice heold. Hygd þa Beowulfe beagas and rice æfter hlafordes hryre syllan wolde. Ac he þæt ne þafode; þam geongan cyninge hold he wunode, oþ Heardred feoll. Þa wearð se cempa cyning Geata, folces hyrde, frod on ræde. Næs he nu gæstena genga on geogoðe— he sat on gifstole, goldwine leoda. [Verse 1 — rapid alliterative flow] Ic, se þe mid him Heorote wacode, se þe æt þam mere on morclife bad, stod nu æt bence, beorful on handa, þa him cynedom on cneo gelegd wæs. Ne þurfte he gylpan; we his mægen cuðon. Ne þurfte he þreatian; þeod him hyrde. Domas he demde, dælde beagas, widuwan werede, wædlan gehyrde. Scyldburh stod fæst, scip læg æt hyðe; ceapas comon ofer cealdne sæ. Æceras greniende, eodoras healden; bearn under beame butan ege plegdon. Swa ongann þæt rice— ne mid sweordes swege, ac mid sibbe gehealden and snottra manna ræde. [Refrain — hall response] Fiftig wintra! (Folc under friðe!) Fiftig wintra! (Frea us geheold!) Snaw ofer sele; sumor eft com. Niht æfter dæge; niwe bearn weox. Fiftig wintra! Feax wearð har. Fiftig wintra! Fyr gyt barn. Sum sætl idel; sunu þær sæt— ac Beowulf heold þæt ealde rice. [Verse 2 — rolling double-time] Ærest we wæron ealle geonge, brimwudu beoton, byrnan sungon. Nu mine cneow cweþaþ, cearc is min hand; har feax hylþ þæt helm ær bær. Se þe Grendles gryre mid me gehyrde lið nu under hlæwe, langum geswæfed. Se þe æt mere minne scyld heold forþferde on wintra; his sunu hine bær. An benc losað; oþer biþ gefylled. An nama swigaþ; niwe stefn aras. Cniht wearð cempa, cempan fæder; fæder wearð frod, þa him feax hwitode. Ic geseah þreo cynn þrescel oferfaran, þæt ilce fyr oþrum handum fæðmed. Eald giedd sungon geonge muþas; ure dæda wurdon heora wordhord. [Refrain] Fiftig wintra! (Folc under friðe!) Fiftig wintra! (Frea us geheold!) Snaw ofer sele; sumor eft com. Niht æfter dæge; niwe bearn weox. Fiftig wintra! Feax wearð har. Fiftig wintra! Fyr gyt barn. Sum sætl idel; sunu þær sæt— ac Beowulf heold þæt ealde rice. [Verse 3 — faster, denser articulation] Hringas he dælde; holdra gemynd heold on healle, heardra and deadra. Næfre he forgyt þa þe him ær folgodon, ne þone feond ne þone freond ne þa fæhðe. Wæs his hond se þe Grendel gebræc— nu heo on cynestole cyþþe geheold. Wæs his eage þæt mere geseah— nu hit ofer mearcum morðor beheold. He wæs gyt strang, þeah wintrum frod, breost broad, beorht under harum feaxe; ac styþra wæs nu his stille ræd þonne se mundgripe þe Grendel fordyde. Þonne twegen menn þurh teonan spræcon, he gehyrde ærest, þonne he dom sealde. Þonne earm man æt duru stod, ne axode se cyning hwæt gold him fremede. Þus we leofodon, gear æfter geare: sæ wearð to sæ, sunne to sunnan, winter to wintra, word to gemynde— and se ealda cyning us eallum wearð fæder. [Final Chorus — generations of voices fill the hall] Fiftig wintra! (Folc under friðe!) Fiftig wintra! (Frea us geheold!) Snaw ofer sele; sumor eft com. Bearn hæfde bearn; burg gyt stod. Fiftig wintra! Feax wearð har. Fiftig wintra! Fyr gyt barn. Handsmiðas swuncon; hearpan sungon; ceolas comon and ceolas gewiton. Fiftig wintra! (Fæhð wearð feorr!) Fiftig wintra! (Frið wæs gehealden!) We þe geonge wæron, nu ealde sind; þa þe nu geonge sind, ure giedd beraþ. Beowulf! Beaga brytta! Beowulf! Burga hyrde! Ne þurfte se sige sweordes sweg— þæt mæste mægen wæs þæt folc geheold. [Outro — pulse continues, but voices fall away with a small solo at the end of the lyrics] Þa on sumre niht ic ana wacode. Fyr on heorðe under ascan glod. Se cyning slæpte; stille wæs þæt land. Fiftig wintra behindan us lægon. Ic geseah his scyld on wage hangian, ealdne and ecgheard, unhrinen lange. Ic þohte on Grendel, on geofenes grund, on ealle þa niht þe we ær ofercwomon. Utan stod se winter. Innan slæp þæt folc. And under stanbeorge, þæt we ne wiston, slæp eac sum oþer!~