Beowulf, lines 1-11

OI

SIT DOWN

WE’RE THE STABBING DANES

ONCE UPON A TIME.

AS EVERYBODY KNOWS

SOME VERY BRAVE MEN DID SOME VERY BRAVE THINGS.

THERE WAS SCYLD FOR EXAMPLE

SCEF’S SON

WHO FROM THE ENEMY’S ARMIES

AND ANYBODY HE WENT PAST

STOLE THE FURNITURE

HE TERRORIZED THE HERULI* EVEN THOUGH THEY THEMSELVES WERE ABSOLUTELY TERRIFYING AND HE WAS

LITTLE AND POOR

THEN HE GOT RICH BUT HE EARNED IT

SCEF GREW MASSIVE AND HAPPY UNDER THE CLOUDS, EXULTING IN THE HONOR HE COMPLETELY DESERVED

UNTIL ALL THE TRIBES AROUND THE BORDER OF HIS ONE

EVEN THE ONES ALL THE WAY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WHALEROAD

HAD TO APOLOGIZE

AND GIVE HIM MONEY

THAT WAS A GOOD KING.

* Danish tribe; executed their elderly and wore jackets instead of armor into battle.

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Today's lines:

HWÆT WE GARDEna in geardagum. / þeodcyninga þrym gefrunon / hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon. / oft scyld scefing sceaþena þreatum monegum mægþum meodosetla ofteah / egsode eorl syððan ærest wearð / feasceaft funden he þæs frofre gebad / weox under wolcnum weorðmyndum þah / oð þæt him æghwylc þara ymbsittendra ofer hronrade hyran scolde / gomban gyldan þæt wæs god cyning.