Þæt wæs feoh-lēas gefeoht, fyrenum gesyngad,
hreðre hyge-mēðe; sceolde hwæðre swā þēah
æðeling unwrecen ealdres linnan.
“Swā bið geōmorlīc gomelum ceorle
tō gebīdanne, þæt his byre rīde
giong on galgan. Þonne hē gyd wrece,
sārigne sang, þonne his sunu hangað
hrefne tō hrōðre ond hē him helpe ne mæg,
eald ond infrōd, ǣnige gefremman.
2450
Symble bið gemyndgad morna gehwylce
eaforan ellor-sīð; ōðres ne gȳmeð
tō gebīdanne burgum in innan
yrfe-weardas, þonne se ān hafað
þurh dēaðes nȳd dǣda gefondad.
Gesyhð sorh-cearig on his suna būre
wīn-sele wēstne, wind-gereste,
rēote berofene; rīdend swefað,
hæleð in hoðman; nis þǣr hearpan swēg,
gomen in geardum, swylce ðǣr iū wǣron.
2460
“Gewīteð þonne on sealman, sorh-lēoð gæleð,
ān æfter ānum; þūhte him eall tō rūm,
wongas ond wīc-stede. Swā Wedra helm
æfter Herebealde heortan sorge
weallinde wæg; wihte ne meahte
on ðām feorh-bonan fǣghðe gebētan;
nō ðȳ ǣr hē þone heaðo-rinc hatian ne meahte
lāðum dǣdum, þēah him lēof ne wæs.
Hē ðā mid þǣre sorhge, sīo þe him sāre belamp,
gum-drēam ofgeaf, Godes lēoht gecēas;
2470
eaferum lǣfde, swā dēð ēadig mon,
lond ond lēod-byrig, þā hē of līfe gewāt.
“Þā wæs synn ond sacu Swēona ond Gēata;
ofer wīd wæter wrōht gemǣne,
here-nīð hearda, syððan Hrēðel swealt,
oððe him Ongenðēowes eaferan wǣran
frome, fyrd-hwate; frēode ne woldon
ofer heafo healdan, ac ymb Hrēosna-beorh
eatolne inwit-scear oft gefremedon.
Þæt mǣg-wine mīne gewrǣcan,
2480
fǣhðe ond fyrene, swā hyt gefrǣge wæs,
þēah ðe ōðer his ealdre gebohte,
heardan cēape; Hæðcynne wearð,
Gēata dryhtne, gūð onsǣge.
Þā ic on morgne gefrægn mǣg ōðerne
billes ecgum on bonan stǣlan,
þǣr Ongenþēow Eofores nīosað;
gūð-helm tōglād, gomela Scylfing
hrēas heoro-blāc; hond gemunde
fǣhðo genōge, feorh-sweng ne oftēah.
2490
“Ic him þā māðmas, þe hē mē sealde,
geald æt gūðe, swā mē gifeðe wæs,
lēohtan sweorde; hē mē lond forgeaf,
eard, ēðel-wyn. Næs him ǣnig þearf,
þæt hē tō Gifðum oððe tō Gār-Denum
oððe in Swīo-rīce sēcean þurfe
wyrsan wīg-frecan, weorðe gecȳpan.
Symle ic him on fēðan beforan wolde,
āna on orde, ond swā tō aldre sceall
sæcce fremman, þenden þis sweord þolað,
þæt mec ǣr ond sīð oft gelǣste,
syððan ic for dugeðum Dæghrefne wearð
tō hand-bonan, Hūga cempan.
Nalles hē ðā frætwe Frēs-cyninge,
brēost-weorðunge bringan mōste,
ac in campe gecrong cumbles hyrde,
æþeling on elne; ne wæs ecg bona,
ac him hilde-grāp heortan wylmas,
bān-hūs gebræc. Nū sceall billes ecg,
hond ond heard sweord ymb hord wīgan.”
2510
Bēowulf maðelode, bēot-wordum spræc
nīehstan sīðe: “Ic genēðde fela
gūða on geogoðe; gȳt ic wylle,
frōd folces weard, fǣhðe sēcan,
mǣrðu fremman, gif mec se mān-sceaða
of eorð-sele ūt gesēceð!”
Gegrētte ðā gumena gehwylcne,
hwate helm-berend hindeman sīðe,
swǣse gesīðas: “Nolde ic sweord beran,
wǣpen tō wyrme, gif ic wiste hū
2520
wið ðām āglǣcean elles meahte
gylpe wiðgrīpan, swā ic giō wið Grendle dyde;
ac ic ðǣr heaðu-fȳres hātes wēne,
oreðes ond attres; forðon ic mē on hafu
bord ond byrnan. Nelle ic beorges weard
oferflēon fōtes trem, ac unc furður sceal
weorðan æt wealle, swā unc wyrd getēoð
Metod manna gehwæs. Ic eom on mōde from,
þæt ic wið þone gūð-flogan gylp ofersitte.
Gebīde gē on beorge, byrnum werede,
2530
secgas on searwum, hwæðer sēl mæge
æfter wæl-rǣse wunde gedȳgan
uncer twēga. Nis þæt ēower sīð,
nē gemet mannes, nefne mīn ānes
þæt hē wið āglǣcean eofoðo dǣle,
eorlscype efne. Ic mid elne sceall
gold gegangan, oððe gūð nimeð,
feorh-bealu frēcne, frēan ēowerne!”
Ārās ðā bī ronde rōf ōretta,
heard under helme, hioro-sercean bær
2540
under stān-cleofu, strengo getruwode
ānes mannes; ne bið swylc earges sīð!
Geseah ðā be wealle, sē ðe worna fela,
gum-cystum gōd, gūða gedīgde,
hilde-hlemma, þonne hnitan fēðan,
stondan stān-bogan, strēam ūt þonan
brecan of beorge; wæs þǣre burnan wælm
heaðo-fȳrum hāt; ne meahte horde nēah
unbyrnende ǣnige hwīle
dēop gedȳgan for dracan lēge.
2550
Lēt ðā of brēostum, ðā hē gebolgen wæs,
Weder-Gēata lēod word ūt faran,
stearc-heort styrmde; stefn in becōm
heaðo-torht hlynnan under hārne stān.
Hete wæs onhrēred, hord-weard oncnīow
mannes reorde; næs ðǣr māra fyrst
frēode tō friclan. From ǣrest cwōm
oruð āglǣcean ūt of stāne,
Biorn under beorge bord-rand onswāf
2560
wið ðām gryre-gieste, Gēata dryhten;
ðā wæs hring-bogan heorte gefȳsed
sæcce tō sēceanne. Sweord ǣr gebrǣd
gōd gūð-cyning, gomele lāfe,
ecgum ungleaw; ǣghwæðrum wæs
bealo-hycgendra brōga fram ōðrum.
Stīð-mōd gestōd wið stēapne rond
winia bealdor, ðā se wyrm gebēah
snūde tōsomne; hē on searwum bād.
Gewāt ðā byrnende gebogen scrīðan,
2570
tō gescipe scyndan. Scyld wēl gebearg
līfe ond līce lǣssan hwīle
mǣrum þēodne þonne his myne sōhte;
ðǣr hē þȳ fyrste forman dōgore
wealdan mōste, swā him wyrd ne gescrāf
hrēð æt hilde. Hond up ābrǣd
Gēata dryhten, gryre-fāhne slōh
incge-lāfe, þæt sīo ecg gewāc,
brūn on bāne, bāt unswīðor
þonne his ðīod-cyning þearfe hæfde,
2580
bysigum gebǣded. Þā wæs beorges weard
æfter heaðu-swenge on hrēoum mōde,
wearp wæl-fȳre, wīde sprungon
hilde-lēoman. Hrēð-sigora ne gealp
gold-wine Gēata; gūð-bill geswāc,
nacod æt nīðe, swā hyt nō sceolde,
īren ǣr-gōd. Ne wæs þæt ēðe sīð,
þæt se mǣra maga Ecgðēowes
grund-wong þone ofgyfan wolde;
sceolde ofer willan wīc eardian
2590
elles hwergen, sw�
� sceal ǣghwylc mon
ālǣtan lǣn-dagas. Næs ðā long tō ðon,
þæt ða āglǣcean hȳ eft gemētton.
Hyrte hyne hord-weard —hreðer ǣðme wēoll—
nīwan stefne; nearo ðrōwode,
fȳre befongen, sē ðe ǣr folce wēold.
Nealles him on hēape hand-gesteallan,
æðelinga bearn ymbe gestōdon
hilde-cystum, ac hȳ on holt bugon,
ealdre burgan. Hiora in ānum wēoll
2600
sefa wið sorgum. Sibb ǣfre ne mæg
wiht onwendan þām ðe wēl þenceð.
Wīglāf wæs hāten, Wēoxstānes sunu,
lēoflīc lind-wiga, lēod Scylfinga,
mǣg Ælfheres; geseah his mon-dryhten
under here-grīman hāt þrōwian.
Gemunde ðā ðā āre þē hē him ǣr forgeaf,
wīc-stede weligne Wǣgmundinga,
folc-rihta gehwylc, swā his fæder āhte;
ne mihte ðā forhabban, hond rond gefēng,
2610
geolwe linde; gomel swyrd getēah,
þæt wæs mid eldum Ēanmundes lāf,
suna Ōhteres. Þām æt sæcce wearð,
wræccan wine-lēasum, Wēohstān bana
mēces ecgum, ond his māgum ætbær
brūn-fāgne helm, hringde byrnan,
eald-sweord etonisc. Þæt him Onela forgeaf,
his gædelinges gūð-gewǣdu,
fyrd-searo fūslīc; nō ymbe ðā fǣhðe spræc,
þēah ðe hē his brōðor bearn ābredwade.
2620
Hē frætwe gehēold fela missēra,
bill ond byrnan, oððæt his byre mihte
eorlscipe efnan swā his ǣr-fæder;
geaf him ðā mid Gēatum gūð-gewǣda
ǣghwæs unrīm, þā hē of ealdre gewāt,
frōd on forð-weg. Þā wæs forma sīð
geongan cempan, þæt hē gūðe rǣs
mid his frēo-dryhtne fremman sceolde.
Ne gemealt him se mōd-sefa, nē his mǣges lāf
gewāc æt wīge. Þæt se wyrm onfand,
2630
syððan hīe tōgædre gegān hæfdon.
Wīglāf maðelode, word-rihta fela
sægde gesīðum —him wæs sefa geōmor.
“Ic ðæt mǣl geman, þǣr wē medu þēgun,
þonne wē gehēton ūssum hlāforde
in bīor-sele, ðe ūs ðās bēagas geaf,
þæt wē him ðā gūð-getāwa gyldan woldon,
gif him þyslicu þearf gelumpe,
helmas ond heard sweord. Đē hē ūsic on herge gecēas
tō ðyssum sīð-fate sylfes willum,
2640
onmunde ūsic mǣrða, ond mē þās māðmas geaf,
þē hē ūsic gār-wīgend gōde tealde,
hwate helm-berend, þēah ðe hlāford ūs
þis ellen-weorc āna āðōhte
tō gefremmanne, folces hyrde,
forðām hē manna mǣst mǣrða gefremede,
dǣda dollīcra. Nū is sē dæg cumen
þæt ūre man-dryhten mægenes behōfað,
gōdra gūð-rinca; wutun gongan tō,
helpan hild-fruman, þenden hyt sȳ,
2650
glēd-egesa grim! God wāt on mec,
þǣt mē is micle lēofre, þæt mīnne līc-haman
mid mīnne gold-gyfan glēd fæðmie.
Ne þynceð mē gerysne, þæt wē rondas beren
eft tō earde, nemne wē ǣror mægen
fāne gefyllan, feorh ealgian
Wedra ðēodnes. Ic wāt geare,
þæt nǣron eald-gewyrht, þæt hē āna scyle
Gēata duguðe gnorn þrōwian,
gesīgan æt sæcce; ūrum sceal sweord ond helm,
2660
byrne ond beadu-scrūd bām gemǣne.”
Wōd þā þurh þone wæl-rēc, wīg-heafolan bær
frēan on fultum, fēa worda cwæð:
“Lēofa Bīowulf, lǣst eall tela,
swā ðū on geoguð-fēore geāra gecwǣde,
þæt ðū ne ālǣte be ðē lifigendum
dōm gedrēosan; scealt nū dǣdum rōf,
æðeling ān-hȳdig, ealle mægene
feorh ealgian; ic ðē ful-lǣstu!”
Æfter ðām wordum wyrm yrre cwōm,
2670
atol inwit-gæst, ōðre sīðe,
fȳr-wylmum fāh, fīonda nīosian,