Gesæt þā wið sylfne, sē ðā sæcce genæs,
mǣg wið mǣge, syððan man-dryhten
þurh hlēoðor-cwyde holdne gegrētte
1980
mēaglum wordum. Meodu-scencum
hwearf geond þæt heal-reced Hæreðes dohtor,
lufode ðā lēode, līð-wǣge bær
Hǣðnum tō handa. Higelāc ongan
sīnne geseldan in sele þām hēan
fægre fricgcean; hyne fyrwet bræc,
hwylce Sǣ-Gēata sīðas wǣron:
“Hū lomp ēow on lāde, lēofa Bīowulf,
þā ðū fǣringa feorr gehogodest
sæcce sēcean ofer sealt wæter,
1990
hilde tō Hiorote? Ac ðū Hrōðgāre
wīd-cūðne wēan wihte gebēttest,
mǣrum ðēodne? Ic ðæs mōd-ceare
sorh-wylmum sēað, sīðe ne truwode
lēofes mannes. Ic ðē lange bæd,
þæt ðū þone wæl-gǣst wihte ne grētte,
lēte Sūð-Dene sylfe geweorðan
gūðe wið Grendel. Gode ic þanc secge,
þæs ðe ic ðē gesundne gesēon mōste.”
Bīowulf maðelode, bearn Ecgðīoes:
2000
“Þæt is undyrne, dryhten Higelāc,
mǣru gemēting monegum fīra,
hwylc orleg-hwīl uncer Grendles
wearð on ðām wange, þǣr hē worna fela
Sige-Scyldingum sorge gefremede,
yrmðe tō aldre; ic ðæt eall gewræc,
swā begylpan ne þearf Grendeles māga
ǣnig ofer eorðan ūht-hlem þone,
sē ðe lengest leofað lāðan cynnes,
fācne bifongen. Ic ðǣr furðum cwōm
2010
tō ðām hring-sele Hrōðgār grētan;
sōna mē se mǣra mago Healfdenes,
syððan hē mōd-sefan mīnne cūðe,
wið his sylfes sunu setl getǣhte.
Weorod wæs on wynne: ne seah ic wīdan feorh
under heofones hwealf heal-sittendra
medu-drēam māran. Hwīlum mǣru cwēn,
friðu-sibb folca, flet eall geondhwearf,
bǣdde byre geonge; oft hīo bēah-wriðan
secge sealde, ǣr hīe tō setle gēong;
2020
hwīlum for duguðe dohtor Hrōðgāres
eorlum on ende ealu-wǣge bær,
þā ic Frēaware flet-sittende
nemnan hȳrde, þǣr hīo nægled-sinc
hæleðum sealde. Sīo gehāten is
geong, gold-hroden, gladum suna Frōdan;
hafað þæs geworden wine Scyldinga,
rīces hyrde, ond þæt rǣd talað
þæt hē mid ðȳ wīfe wæl-fǣhða dǣl,
sæcca gesette. Oft seldan hwǣr
2030
æfter lēod-hryre lȳtle hwīle
bon-gār būgeð, þēah sēo brȳd duge!
“Mæg þæs þonne ofþyncan ðēodne Heaðobeardna
ond þegna gehwām þāra lēoda,
þonne hē mid fǣmnan on flett gǣð
dryht-bearn Dena, duguða biwenede.
heard ond hring-mǣl Heaðabeardna gestrēon,
þenden hīe ðam wǣpnum wealdan mōston,
oððæt hīe forlǣddan tō ðām lind-plegan
2040
swǣse gesīðas ond hyra sylfra feorh.
Þonne cwið æt bēore, sē þe bēah gesyhð,
eald æsc-wiga, sē ðe eall geman
gār-cwealm gumena —him bið grim sefa—
onginneð geōmor-mōd geongum cempan
þurh hreðra gehygd, higes cunnian,
wīg-bealu weccean, ond þæt word ācwyð:
“ ‘Meaht ðū, mīn wine, mēce gecnāwan,
þone þīn fæder tō gefeohte bær
under here-grīman hindeman sīðe,
2050
dȳre īren, þǣr hyne Dene slōgon,
wēoldon wæl-stōwe, syððan Wiðergyld læg,
æfter hæleþa hryre, hwate Scyldungas?
Nū hēr þāra banena byre nāt-hwylces
frætwum hrēmig on flet gǣð,
morðres gylpeð ond þone māðþum byreð,
þone þe ðū mid rihte rǣdan sceoldest!’
Manað swa ond myndgað mǣla gehwylce
sārum wordum, oððæt sǣl cymeð,
þæt se fǣmnan þegn fore fæder dǣdum
2060
æfter billes bite blōd-fāg swefeð,
ealdres scyldig; him se ōðer þonan
losað lifigende, con him land geare.
Þonne bīoð ābrocene on bā healfe
āð-sweorð eorla; syððan Ingelde
weallað wæl-nīðas ond him wīf-lufan
æfter cear-wælmum cōlran weorðað.
Þȳ ic Heaðobeardna hyldo ne telge,
dryht-sibbe dǣl Denum unfǣcne,
frēondscipe fæstne.
Ic sceal forð sprecan,
2070
gēn ymbe Grendel, þæt ðū geare cunne,
sinces brytta, tō hwan syððan wearð
hond-rǣs hæleða. Syððan heofones gim
glād ofer grundas, gǣst yrre cwōm,
eatol ǣfen-grom, ūser nēosan,
ðǣr wē gesunde sæl weardodon.
Þǣr wæs Hondsciō hild onsǣge,
feorh-bealu fǣgum; hē fyrmest læg,
gyrded cempa; him Grendel wearð,
mǣrum magu-þegne, tō mūð-bonan,
2080
lēofes mannes līc eall forswealg.
Nō ðȳ ǣr ūt ðā gēn īdel-hende
bona blōdig-tōð bealewa gemyndig,
of ðām gold-sele gongan wolde,
ac hē mægnes rōf mīn costode,
grāpode gearo-folm. Glōf hangode
sīd ond syllīc, searo-bendum fæst;
sīo wæs orðoncum eall gegyrwed,
dēofles cræftum ond dracan fellum.
Hē mec þǣr on innan unsynnigne,
2090
dīor dǣd-fruma, gedōn wolde
manigra sumne; hyt ne mihte swā,
syððan ic on yrre upp-riht āstōd.
Tō lang ys tō reccenne, hū ic ðām lēod-sceaðan
þǣr ic, þēoden mīn, þīne lēode
weorðode weorcum. Hē on weg losade,
lȳtle hwīle līf-wynna brēac;
hwæþre him sīo swīðre swaðe weardade
hand on Hiorte, ond hē hēan ðonan,
2100
mōdes geōmor mere-grund gefēoll.
“Mē þone wæl-rǣs wine Scildunga
fǣttan golde fela lēanode,
manegum māðmum, syððan mergen cōm
ond wē tō symble geseten hæfdon.
Þǣr wæs gidd ond glēo; gomela Scilding,
fela fricgende, feorran rehte;
hwīlum hilde-dēor hearpan wynne,
gomen-wudu grētte, hwīlum gyd āwræc
sōð ond sārlīc, hwīlum syllīc spell
2110
rehte æfter rihte rūm-heort cyning;
hwīlum eft ongan eldo gebunden
gomel gūð-wiga gioguðe cwīðan,
hilde-strengo; hreðer inne wēoll,
þonne hē wintrum frōd worn gemunde.
“Swā wē þǣr inne andlangne dæg
nīode nāman, oððæt niht becwōm
ōðer tō yldum. Þā wæs eft hraðe
gearo gyrn-wræce Grendeles mōdor,
sīðode sorh-full; sunu dēað fornam,
2120
wīg-hete Wedra. Wīf unhȳre
hyre bearn gewræc, beorn ācwealde
ellenlīce; þǣr wæs Æschere,
frōdan fyrn-witan, feorh ūðgenge.
Nōðer hȳ hine ne mōston, syððan mergen cwōm,
dēað-wērigne, Denia lēode
bronde forbærnan, nē on bǣl hladan
lēofne mannan; hīo þæt līc ætbær
fēondes fæðmum under firgen-strēam.
Þæt wæs Hrōðgāre hrēowa tornost,
2130
þāra þe lēod-fruman lange begēate.
Þā se ðēoden mec ðīne līfe
healsode hrēoh-mōd, þæt ic on holma geþring
eorlscipe efnde, ealdre genēðde,
mǣrðo fremede; hē mē mēde gehēt.
Ic ðā ðæs wælmes, þē is wīde cūð,
grimne gryrelīcne grund-hyrde fond.
Þǣr unc hwīle wæs hand gemǣne;
holm heolfre wēoll, ond ic hēafde becearf
in ðām gūð-sele Grendeles mōdor
2140
ēacnum ecgum. Unsōfte þonan
feorh oðferede; næs ic fǣge þā gȳt;
ac mē eorla hlēo eft gesealde
māðma menigeo, maga Healfdenes.
“Swā se ðēod-kyning þēawum lyfde;
nealles ic ðām lēanum forloren hæfde,
mægnes mēde, ac hē mē māðmas geaf,
sunu Healfdenes, on mīnne sylfes dōm;
ðā ic ðē, beorn-cyning, bringan wylle,
ēstum geȳwan. Gēn is eall æt ðē
2150
lissa gelong; ic lȳt hafo
hēafod-māga, nefne Hygelāc ðec!”
Hēt ðā in beran eafor, hēafod-segn,
heaðo-stēapne helm, hāre byrnan,
gūð-sweord geatolīc, gyd æfter wræc:
“Mē ðis hilde-sceorp Hrōðgār sealde,
snotra fengel; sume worde hēt,
þæt ic his ǣrest ðē ēst gesægde:
cwæð þæt hyt hæfde Hiorogār cyning,
lēod Scyldunga, lange hwīle.
2160
Nō ðȳ ǣr suna sīnum syllan wolde,
hwatum Heorowearde, þēah hē him hold wǣre,
brēost-gewǣdu. Brūc ealles well!”
Hȳrde ic, þæt þām frætwum fēower mēaras,
lungre, gelīce lāst weardode,
æppel-fealuwe; hē him ēst getēah
mēara ond māðma. Swā sceal mǣg dōn,
nealles inwit-net ōðrum bregdon
dyrnum cræfte, dēað rēnian
hond-gesteallan. Hygelāce wæs,
2170
nīða heardum, nefa swȳðe hold
ond gehwæðer ōðrum hrōþra gemyndig.
Hȳrde ic þæt hē ðone heals-bēah Hygde gesealde,
wrǣtlīcne wundur-māððum, ðone þe him Wealhðēo
geaf,
ðēodnes dohtor, þrīo wicg somod
swancor ond sadol-beorht; hyre syððan wæs
æfter bēah-ðege breost geweorðod.
Swā bealdode bearn Ecgðēowes,
guma gūðum cūð, gōdum dǣdum,
drēah æfter dōme, nealles druncne slōg
2180
heorð-genēatas; næs him hrēoh sefa,
ac hē man-cynnes mǣste cræfte,
gin-fæstan gife, þe him God sealde,
hēold hilde-dēor. Hēan wæs lange,
swā hyne Gēata bearn gōdne ne tealdon,
nē hyne on medo-bence micles wyrðne
drihten Wedera gedōn wolde;
swȳðe wēndon, þæt hē slēac wǣre,
æðeling unfrom. Edwenden cwōm
tīr-ēadigum menn torna gehwylces.
2190
Hēt ðā eorla hlēo in gefetian,
heaðo-rōf cyning, Hrēðles lāfe,
golde gegyrede; næs mid Gēatum ðā
sinc-māðþum sēlra on sweordes hād;
þæt hē on Bīowulfes bearm ālegde,
ond him gesealde seofan þūsendo,
bold ond brego-stōl. Him wæs bām samod
on ðām lēodscipe lond gecynde,
eard, ēðel-riht, ōðrum swīðor,
sīde rīce, þām ðǣr sēlra wæs.
2200
Eft þæt geīode ufaran dōgrum
hilde-hlæmmum, syððan Hygelāc læg
ond Heardrēde hilde-mēceas
under bord-hrēoðan tō bonan wurdon,
ðā hyne gesōhtan on sige-þēode
hearde hild-frecan, Heaðo-Scilfingas,
nīða genǣgdan nefan Hererīces:
syððan Bēowulfe brāde rīce
on hand gehwearf. Hē gehēold tela