fīftig wintra— wæs ðā frōd cyning,
2210
eald ēþel-weard— oððæt ān ongan
deorcum nihtum, draca rīcsian
sē ðe on hēaum hofe hord beweotode,
stān-beorh stēapne; stīg under læg
eldum uncūð; þǣr on innan gīong
niða nāt-hwylc . . . . . . gefēng
hǣðnum horde hond . . . . . . . . . . .
since fāhne hē þæt syððan . . . . . .
þēah ðe hē slǣpende besyred wurde
þēofes cræfte; þæt sīe ðīod onfand,
2220
bū-folc beorna, þæt hē gebolgen wæs.
Nealles mid gewealdum wyrm-hord ābræc,
sylfes willum, sē ðe him sāre gesceōd,
ac for þrēa-nēdlan þēow nāt-hwylces
hæleða bearna hete-swengeas flēoh,
ærnes þearfa, ond ðǣr inne fealh,
secg syn-bysig. Sōna onfunde,
þæt . . . . . ðām gyste gryre-brōga stōd;
hwæðre earm-sceapen . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . sceapen
2230
. . . . . . þā hyne se fǣr begeat,
sinc-fæt . . . . . þǣr wæs swylcra fela
in ðām eorð-hūse ǣr-gestrēona,
swā hȳ on geār-dagum gumena nāt-hwylc,
eormen-lāfe æþelan cynnes,
þanc-hycgende þǣr gehȳdde,
dēore māðmas. Ealle hīe dēað fornam
ǣrran mǣlum, ond se ān ðā gēn
lēoda duguðe, sē ðǣr lengest hwearf,
weard wine-geōmor, wēnde þæs ylcan
2240
þæt hē lȳtel fæc long-gestrēona
brūcan mōste. Beorh eall-gearo
wunode on wonge wæter-ȳðum nēah,
nīwe be næsse, nearo-cræftum fæst.
Þǣr on innan bær eorl-gestrēona
hringa hyrde hord-wyrðne dǣl,
fǣttan goldes, fēa worda cwæð:
“Heald þū nū, hrūse, nū hæleð ne mōstan,
eorla ǣhte! Hwæt hyt ǣr on ðē
gōde begēaton. Gūð-dēað fornam,
2250
feorh-bealo frēcne, fȳra gehwylcne
lēoda mīnra, þāra ðe þis līf ofgeaf,
gesāwon sele-drēam; nāh, hwā sweord wege
oððe feormie fǣted wǣge,
drync-fæt dēore; duguð ellor scōc.
Sceal se hearda helm, hyrsted golde
fǣtum befeallen; feormynd swefað,
þā ðe beado-grīman bȳwan sceoldon;
gē swylce sēo here-pād, sīo æt hilde gebād
ofer borda gebræc bite īrena,
2260
brosnað æfter beorne; ne mæg byrnan hring
æfter wīg-fruman wīde fēran
hæleðum be healfe. Næs hearpan wyn,
gomen glēo-bēames, nē gōd hafoc
geond sæl swingeð, nē se swifta mearh
burh-stede bēateð. Bealo-cwealm hafað
fela feorh-cynna forð onsended!”
Swā giōmor-mōd giohðo mǣnde,
dæges ond nihtes, oððæt dēaðes wylm
2270
hrān æt heortan. Hord-wynne fond
eald ūht-sceaða opene standan,
sē ðe byrnende biorgas sēceð,
nacod nīð-draca, nihtes flēogeð
fȳre befangen; hyne fold-būend
swiðe ondrǣdað. Hē gesēcean sceall
hord on hrūsan, þǣr hē hǣðen gold
warað wintrum frōd; ne byð him wihte ðȳ sēl.
Swā se ðēod-sceaða þrēo hund wintra
hēold on hrūsan hord-ærna sum
2280
ēacen-cræftig, oððæt hyne ān ābealch
mon on mōde; man-dryhtne bær
fǣted wǣge, frioðo-wǣre bæd
hlāford sīnne. Đā wæs hord rāsod,
onboren bēaga hord, bēne getīðad
fēasceaftum men. Frēa scēawode
fīra fyrn-geweorc forman sīðe.
Þā se wyrm onwōc, wrōht wæs genīwad;
stonc ðā æfter stāne, stearc-heort onfand
fēondes fōt-lāst; hē tō forð gestōp
2290
dyrnan cræfte, dracan hēafde nēah.
Swā mæg unfæge ēaðe gedīgan
wēan ond wrǣc-sīð, sē ðe Waldendes
hyldo gehealdeþ. Hord-weard sōhte
georne æfter grunde, wolde guman findan,
þone þe him on sweofote sāre getēode;
hāt ond hrēoh-mōd hlǣw oft ymbe-hwearf,
ealne ūtanweardne; nē ðǣr ǣnig mon
on þǣre wēstenne; hwæðre wīges gefeh,
beaduwe weorces; hwīlum on beorh æthwearf,
2300
sinc-fæt sōhte; hē þæt sōna onfand,
ðæt hæfde gumena sum goldes gefandod,
hēah-gestrēona. Hord-weard onbād
earfoðlīce, oððæt ǣfen cwōm.
Wæs ðā gebolgen beorges hyrde,
wolde se lāða līge forgyldan
drinc-fæt dȳre. Þā wæs dæg sceacen
wyrme on willan; nō on wealle læng
bīdan wolde, ac mid bǣle fōr,
fȳre gefȳsed. Wæs se fruma egeslīc
2310
lēodum on lande, swā hyt lungre wearð
on hyra sinc-gifan sāre geendod.
Đā se gæst ongan glēdum spīwan,
beorht hofu bærnan; bryne-lēoma stōd
eldum on andan; nō ðǣr āht cwices
lāð lyft-floga lǣfan wolde.
Wæs þæs wyrmes wīg wīde gesȳne,
nearo-fāges nīð nēan ond feorran,
hū se gūð-sceaða Geata lēode
hatode ond hȳnde. Hord eft gescēat
2320
dryht-sele dyrnne ǣr dæges hwīle.
Hæfde land-wara līge befangen,
bǣle ond bronde; beorges getruwode,
wīges ond wealles; him sēo wēn gelēah.
Þā wæs Bīowulfe brōga gecȳðed
snūde tō sōðe, þæt his sylfes hām,
bolda sēlest, bryne-wylmum mealt,
hrēow on hreðre, hyge-sorga mǣst.
Wēnde se wīsa, þæt hē Wealdende
2330
ofer ealde riht, ēcean Dryhtne,
bitre gebulge; brēost innan wēoll
þēostrum geþoncum, swā him geþȳwe ne wæs.
Hæfde līg-draca lēoda fæsten,
ēa-lond ūtan, eorð-weard ðone
glēdum forgrunden; him ðæs gūð-kyning,
Wedera þīoden, wræce leornode.
Heht him þā gewyrcean wīgendra hlēo
eall-īrenne, eorla dryhten,
wīg-bord wrǣtlīc; wisse hē gearwe,
2340
þæt him holt-wudu helþan ne meahte,
lind wið līge. Sceolde lǣn-daga
æþeling ǣr-gōd ende gebīdan,
worulde līfes, ond se wyrm somod,
þēah ðe hord-welan hēolde lange.
Oferhogode ðā hringa fengel,
þæt hē þone wīd-flogan weorode gesōhte,
sīdan herge; nō hē him þā sæcce ondrēd,
nē him þæs wyrmes wīg for wiht dyde,
eafoð ond ellen, forðon hē ǣr fela
2350
nearo nēðende nīða gedīgde,
hilde-hlemma, syððan hē Hrōðgāres,
sigor-ēadig secg, sele fǣlsode
ond æt gūðe forgrāp Grendeles mǣgum
lāðan cynnes.
Nō þæt lǣsest wæs
hond-gemōta, þǣr mon Hygelāc slōh,
syððan Gēata cyning gūðe rǣsum,
frēa-wine folca Frēs-londum on,
Hrēðles eafora hiora-dryncum swealt,
bille geb
ēaten. Þonan Bīowulf cōm
2360
sylfes cræfte, sund-nytte drēah;
hæfde him on earme āna þrītig
hilde-geatwa, þā hē tō holme stāg.
Nealles Hetware hrēmge þorfton
fēðe-wīges, þē him foran ongēan
linde bǣron; lȳt eft becwōm
fram þām hild-frecan hāmes nīosan.
Oferswam ðā sioleða bigong sunu Ecgðēowes,
earm ān-haga eft tō lēodum;
þǣr him Hygd gebēad hord ond rīce,
2370
bēagas ond brego-stōl; bearne ne truwode,
þæt hē wið æl-fylcum ēþel-stōlas
healdan cūðe, ðā wæs Hygelāc dēad.
Nō ðȳ ǣr fēasceafte findan meahton
æt ðām æðelinge ǣnige ðinga,
þæt hē Heardrēde hlāford wǣre,
oððe þone cynedōm cīosan wolde.
Hwæðre hē hine on folce frēond-lārum hēold,
ēstum mid āre, oððæt hē yldra wearð,
Weder-Gēatum wēold. Hyne wrǣc-mæcgas
2380
ofer sǣ sōhtan, suna Ōhteres;
hæfdon hȳ forhealden helm Scylfinga,
þone sēlestan sǣ-cyninga,
þāra ðe in Swīo-rīce sinc brytnade,
mǣrne þēoden. Him þæt tō mearce wearð;
hē þǣr for feorme feorh-wunde hlēat,
sweordes swengum, sunu Hygelāces;
ond him eft gewāt Ongenðīoes bearn
hāmes nīosan, syððan Heardrēd læg,
lēt ðone brego-stōl Bīowulf healdan,
2390
Gēatum wealdan; þæt wæs gōd cyning.
Sē ðæs lēod-hryres lēan gemunde
uferan dōgrum, Ēadgilse wearð,
fēasceaftum frēond; folce gestēpte
ofer sǣ sīde sunu Ōhteres,
wigum ond wǣpnum; hē gewræc syððan
cealdum cear-sīðum, cyning ealdre binēat.
Swā hē nīða gehwane genesen hæfde,
slīðra geslyhta, sunu Ecgðīowes,
ellen-weorca, oð ðone ānne dæg,
2400
þē hē wið þām wyrme gewegan sceolde.
Gewāt þā twelfa sum, torne gebolgen,
dryhten Gēata dracan scēawian.
Hæfde þā gefrūnen, hwanan sīo fǣhð ārās,
bealo-nīð biorna; him tō bearme cwōm
māðþum-fæt mǣre þurh ðæs meldan hond.
Sē wæs on ðām ðrēate þrēottēoða secg,
sē ðæs orleges ōr onstealde,
hæft hyge-giōmor, sceolde hēan ðonon
wong wīsian. Hē ofer willan gīong,
2410
tō ðæs ðe hē eorð-sele ānne wisse,
hlǣw under hrūsan holm-wylme nēh,
ȳð-gewinne, sē wæs innan full
wrǣtta ond wīra. Weard unhīore,
gearo gūð-freca gold-māðmas hēold,
eald under eorðan; næs þæt ȳðe cēap
tō gegangenne gumena ǣnigum.
Gesæt ðā on næsse nīð-heard cyning
þenden hǣlo ābēad heorð-genēatum,
gold-wine Gēata. Him wæs geōmor sefa,
2420
wǣfre ond wæl-fūs, wyrd ungemete nēah,
sē ðone gomelan grētan sceolde,
sēcean sāwle hord, sundur gedǣlan
līf wið līce; nō þon lange wæs
feorh æþelinges flǣsce bewunden.
Bīowulf maþelade, bearn Ecgðēowes:
“Fela ic on giogoðe gūð-rǣsa genæs,
orleg-hwīla; ic þæt eall gemon.
Ic wæs syfan-wintre, þā mec sinca baldor,
frēa-wine folca æt mīnum fæder genam.
2430
Hēold mec ond hæfde Hrēðel cyning,
geaf mē sinc ond symbel, sibbe gemunde;
næs ic him tō līfe lāðra ōwihte
beorn in burgum þonne his bearna hwylc,
Herebeald ond Hæðcyn, oððe Hygelāc mīn.
Wæs þām yldestan ungedēfelīce
mǣges dǣdum morþor-bed strēd,
syððan hyne Hæðcyn of horn-bogan,
his frēa-wine flāne geswencte,
miste mercelses ond his mǣg ofscēt,
2440
brōðor ōðerne, blōdigan gāre.