Beowulf: An Anglo-Saxon Epic Poem — Page 6
Hrothgar, king of the Danes, or Scyldings, builds a great mead-hall, or palace, in which he hopes to feast his liegemen and to give them presents.
Hrothgar, roi des Danois, ou Scyldings, construit une grande salle de l'hydromel, ou palais, dans laquelle il espère festoyer ses hommes liges et leur offrir des présents.
The joy of king and retainers is, however, of short duration.
La joie du roi et de ses serviteurs est, cependant, de courte durée.
Grendel, the monster, is seized with hateful jealousy.
Grendel, le monstre, est saisi d'une jalousie haineuse.
He cannot brook the sounds of joyance that reach him down in his fen-dwelling near the hall.
Il ne peut supporter les sons de réjouissance qui lui parviennent dans sa demeure des marais près de la salle.
Oft and anon he goes to the joyous building, bent on direful mischief.
Souvent et sans cesse il se rend au joyeux édifice, résolu à y semer une terrible destruction.
Thane after thane is ruthlessly carried off and devoured, while no one is found strong enough and bold enough to cope with the monster.
Thane après thane est impitoyablement emporté et dévoré, tandis que nul n'est trouvé assez fort et assez audacieux pour affronter le monstre.
For twelve years he persecutes Hrothgar and his vassals.
Pendant douze ans il persécute Hrothgar et ses vassaux.
Over sea, a day's voyage off, Beowulf, of the Geats, nephew of Higelac, king of the Geats, hears of Grendel's doings and of Hrothgar's misery.
Par-delà la mer, à une journée de navigation, Beowulf, des Geats, neveu de Higelac, roi des Geats, entend parler des agissements de Grendel et de la misère de Hrothgar.
He resolves to crush the fell monster and relieve the aged king.
Il décide d'écraser le féroce monstre et de soulager le roi vieillissant.
With fourteen chosen companions, he sets sail for Dane-land.
Avec quatorze compagnons choisis, il met les voiles vers le pays des Danois.
Reaching that country, he soon persuades Hrothgar of his ability to help him.
Arrivant dans ce pays, il persuade rapidement Hrothgar de sa capacité à l'aider.
The hours that elapse before night are spent in beer-drinking and conversation.
Les heures qui s'écoulent avant la nuit sont passées à boire de la bière et à converser.
When Hrothgar's bedtime comes he leaves the hall in charge of Beowulf, telling him that never before has he given to another the absolute wardship of his palace.
Lorsque vient l'heure du coucher de Hrothgar, il laisse la salle sous la garde de Beowulf, lui disant que jamais auparavant il n'avait confié à un autre la garde absolue de son palais.
All retire to rest, Beowulf, as it were, sleeping upon his arms.
Tous se retirent pour se reposer, Beowulf, pour ainsi dire, dormant sur ses armes.
Grendel comes, the great march-stepper, bearing God's anger.
Grendel arrive, le grand arpenteur des marches, portant la colère de Dieu.
He seizes and kills one of the sleeping warriors.
Il saisit et tue l'un des guerriers endormis.
Then he advances towards Beowulf.
Puis il avance vers Beowulf.
Vocabulary
- roi
- King; male monarch of a country
- des
- Contraction of 'de les'; of the (plural)
- Danois
- Danish; relating to Denmark or its people
- ou
- Or; used to present an alternative option
- construit
- Builds or constructs a structure or building
- une
- A, an; feminine indefinite article in French
- grande
- Large or great; feminine form of grand
- salle
- Hall or large room in a building
- de
- Of, from; common French preposition of relation
- l'
- Contraction of 'le' or 'la' before vowel
- palais
- Palace; large grand residence of a ruler
- dans
- In, inside; preposition indicating location within
- laquelle
- Which; feminine relative pronoun referring to noun
- il
- He; third-person singular masculine subject pronoun
- espère
- Hopes; to wish or expect something to happen
- festoyer
- To feast; to eat and celebrate with others
- ses
- His, her, its; possessive adjective for plural nouns
- hommes
- Men; plural of homme, adult male humans
- et
- And; conjunction connecting words or clauses
- leur
- Their or to them; pronoun or possessive adjective
- offrir
- To offer or give something as a gift
- présents
- Gifts or presents given to someone
- La
- The; feminine definite article in French
- joie
- Joy; feeling of great happiness or delight
- du
- Of the; contraction of 'de le' (masculine)
- serviteurs
- Servants; people who serve or work for others
- est
- Is; third-person singular present of être (to be)
- cependant
- However; used to introduce a contrasting statement
- courte
- Short; brief in duration, feminine form of court
- durée
- Duration; length of time something lasts
- le
- The; masculine definite article in French
- monstre
- Monster; frightening or terrible imaginary creature
- saisi
- Seized or gripped; past participle of saisir
- d'
- Contraction of 'de' before a vowel sound
- jalousie
- Jealousy; resentful envy of another's advantages
- haineuse
- Hateful; full of hatred, feminine adjective form
- Il
- He; third-person singular masculine subject pronoun
- ne
- Not; used in French negation with pas or other
- peut
- Can; third-person singular of pouvoir (to be able)
- supporter
- To bear or tolerate something difficult or unpleasant
- les
- The; plural definite article for all genders
- sons
- Sounds; noises or auditory sensations perceived
- réjouissance
- Rejoicing; festive celebration or joyful merrymaking
- qui
- Who or that; relative or interrogative pronoun
- lui
- Him or to him; third-person singular pronoun
- parviennent
- Reach or arrive; third-person plural of parvenir
- sa
- His, her, its; possessive adjective before feminine noun
- demeure
- Dwelling; a place where someone lives or resides
- marais
- Marsh or swamp; wet boggy low-lying land area
- près
- Near, close to; preposition indicating proximity
- la
- The; feminine singular definite article in French
- Souvent
- Often; happening frequently or on many occasions
- sans
- Without; preposition indicating absence or lack
- cesse
- Cessation; stopping, as in 'sans cesse' (ceaselessly)
- se
- Himself, herself, itself; reflexive pronoun in French
- rend
- Goes to or renders; third-person singular of rendre
- au
- To the; contraction of 'à le' (masculine singular)
- joyeux
- Joyful, merry; feeling or expressing great happiness
- édifice
- Building or edifice; large and impressive structure
- résolu
- Resolved, determined; firmly decided to do something
- à
- To, at, in; common French preposition of direction
- y
- There, in it; pronoun replacing a previously mentioned place
- semer
- To sow or spread; to scatter seeds or cause chaos
- terrible
- Terrible; causing fear, dread, or great distress
- destruction
- Destruction; act of destroying or devastating something
- après
- After; following in time, order, or position
- impitoyablement
- Mercilessly; in a pitiless or relentless manner
- emporté
- Carried away or swept off; past participle of emporter
- dévoré
- Devoured; eaten up greedily or consumed entirely
- tandis
- While, whereas; used in conjunction 'tandis que'
- que
- That, than, as; versatile conjunction or pronoun
- nul
- No one, none; pronoun meaning nobody or not any
- n'
- Contraction of 'ne' before a vowel; part of negation
- trouvé
- Found; past participle of trouver (to find)
- assez
- Enough, sufficiently; adequate amount or degree
- fort
- Strong; having great physical or mental strength
- audacieux
- Audacious, bold; showing daring or fearless confidence
- pour
- For, in order to; preposition or conjunction of purpose
- affronter
- To confront or face; to challenge someone directly
- Pendant
- During, for; preposition indicating duration of time
- douze
- Twelve; the cardinal number between eleven and thirteen
- ans
- Years; plural of an, unit of time measurement
- persécute
- Persecutes; to harass or oppress someone persistently
- delà
- Beyond; on the other side, as in 'par-delà'
- mer
- Sea; large body of saltwater or ocean
- journée
- Day; a full day or daytime period
- navigation
- Navigation, sailing; act of directing a ship's course
- neveu
- Nephew; son of one's brother or sister
- entend
- Hears; third-person singular present of entendre
- parler
- To speak or talk; to communicate using words
- agissements
- Doings or scheming; dubious or harmful activities
- misère
- Misery; extreme suffering, poverty, or wretchedness
- décide
- Decides; to make a choice or reach a conclusion
- écraser
- To crush or overwhelm; to defeat decisively
- féroce
- Ferocious; fierce, violent, and savagely aggressive
- soulager
- To relieve or ease; to reduce suffering or burden
- vieillissant
- Aging; growing old, present participle of vieillir
- Avec
- With; preposition indicating accompaniment or means
- quatorze
- Fourteen; the cardinal number between thirteen and fifteen
- compagnons
- Companions; people who accompany or travel together
- choisis
- Chosen or selected; past participle of choisir
- met
- Puts or sets; third-person singular present of mettre
- voiles
- Sails; canvas sheets that propel a sailing vessel
- vers
- Towards, toward; preposition indicating direction
- pays
- Country or land; nation or homeland of people
- Arrivant
- Arriving; present participle of arriver (to arrive)
- ce
- This or that; demonstrative pronoun or adjective
- persuade
- Convinces or persuades; to cause someone to believe
- rapidement
- Quickly, rapidly; in a fast or speedy manner
- capacité
- Capacity or ability; the power to do something
- aider
- To help or assist someone in need
- Les
- The; plural definite article for all genders
- heures
- Hours; plural of heure, unit of time measurement
- s'
- Reflexive pronoun contraction before vowel sound
- écoulent
- Pass or flow by; third-person plural of s'écouler
- avant
- Before; preceding in time or position
- nuit
- Night; the dark period between sunset and sunrise
- sont
- Are; third-person plural present of être (to be)
- passées
- Spent or passed; feminine plural past participle of passer
- boire
- To drink; to consume a liquid beverage
- bière
- Beer; alcoholic beverage brewed from malt and hops
- converser
- To converse; to engage in informal spoken exchange
- Lorsque
- When; conjunction indicating a specific point in time
- vient
- Comes; third-person singular present of venir (to come)
- heure
- Hour or time; unit of time or specific moment
- coucher
- Bedtime or lying down; act of going to sleep
- laisse
- Leaves or lets; third-person singular of laisser
- sous
- Under, beneath; preposition indicating lower position
- garde
- Guard or care; protection or watchful supervision
- disant
- Saying; present participle of dire (to say)
- jamais
- Never or ever; used in negation or strong statement
- auparavant
- Before, previously; at an earlier time or point
- avait
- Had; third-person singular imperfect of avoir (to have)
- confié
- Entrusted; past participle of confier (to entrust)
- un
- A, an, one; masculine indefinite article or number
- autre
- Other, another; a different or additional person or thing
- absolue
- Absolute; complete, total, without any restrictions
- son
- His, her, its; possessive adjective before masculine noun
- Tous
- All, everyone; referring to every person in group
- retirent
- Withdraw or retire; third-person plural of se retirer
- reposer
- To rest; to relax and recover one's energy
- ainsi
- Thus, so; in this way or manner as stated
- dire
- To say or tell; to express something verbally
- dormant
- Sleeping; present participle of dormir (to sleep)
- sur
- On, upon; preposition indicating position above something
- armes
- Arms, weapons; instruments used for fighting or defense
- arrive
- Arrives; third-person singular present of arriver
- grand
- Great, large; of considerable size or importance
- portant
- Carrying or bearing; present participle of porter
- colère
- Anger, wrath; a feeling of strong displeasure
- Dieu
- God; the supreme being in monotheistic religions
- saisit
- Seizes or grabs; third-person singular of saisir
- tue
- Kills; third-person singular present of tuer (to kill)
- guerriers
- Warriors; fighters or soldiers engaged in combat
- endormis
- Asleep; past participle of s'endormir (to fall asleep)
- Puis
- Then, next; indicating the next step or action
- avance
- Advances or moves forward; to progress or proceed
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