lāðra manna; līg ȳðum fōr,
born bord wið rond; byrne ne meahte
geongum gār-wigan gēoce gefremman;
ac se maga geonga under his mǣgas scyld
elne geēode, þā his āgen wæs
glēdum forgrunden. Þā gēn gūð-cyning
mǣrða gemunde, mægen-strengo slōh
hilde-bille, þæt hyt on heafolan stōd
2680
nīþe genȳded; Nægling forbærst,
geswāc æt sæcce sweord Bīowulfes,
gomol ond grǣg-mǣl. Him þæt gifeðe ne wæs,
þæt him īrenna ecge mihton
helpan æt hilde; wæs sīo hond tō strong,
sē ðe mēca gehwane, mīne gefrǣge,
swenge ofersōhte, þonne hē tō sæcce bær
wǣpen wundum heard; næs him wihte ðē sēl.
Þā wæs þēod-sceaða þriddan sīðe,
frēcne fȳr-draca fǣhða gemyndig,
2690
rǣsde on ðone rōfan, þā him rūm āgeald:
hāt ond heaðo-grim, heals ealne ymbefēng
biteran bānum; hē geblōdegod wearð
sāwul-drīore; swāt ȳðum wēoll.
Đā ic æt þearfe gefrægn þēod-cyninges
andlongne eorl ellen cȳðan,
cræft ond cēnðu, swā him gecynde wæs.
Ne hēdde hē þæs heafolan, ac sīo hand gebarn
mōdiges mannes, þǣr hē his mǣges healp
þæt hē þone nīð-gæst nioðor hwēne slōh,
2700
secg on searum, þæt ðæt sweord gedēaf,
fāh ond fǣted, þæt ðæt fȳr ongon
sweðrian syððan. Þā gēn sylf cyning
gewēold his gewitte, wæll-seaxe gebrǣd,
biter ond beadu-scearp, þæt hē on byrnan wæg;
forwrāt Wedra helm wyrm on middan.
Fēond gefyldan —ferh ellen wræc—
ond hī hyne þā bēgen ābroten hæfdon,
sib-æðelingas. Swylc sceolde secg wesan,
þegn æt ðearfe!—
Þæt ðām þēodne wæs
2710
sīðast sige-hwīle sylfes dǣdum,
worlde geweorces. Đā sīo wund ongon,
þe him se eorð-draca ǣr geworhte,
swelan ond swellan; hē þæt sōna onfand,
þæt him on brēostum bealo-nīðe wēoll
attor on innan. Đā se æðeling gīong,
þæt hē bī wealle, wīs-hycgende,
gesæt on sesse; seah on enta geweorc,
hū ðā stān-bogan stapulum fæste
ēce eorð-reced innan healde.
2720
Hyne þā mid handa, heoro-drēorigne,
þēoden mǣrne, þegn ungemete till,
wine-dryhten his wætere gelafede,
hilde-sædne, ond his helm onspēon.
Bīowulf maþelode —hē ofer benne spræc,
wunde wæl-blēate; wisse hē gearwe,
þæt hē dæg-hwīla gedrogen hæfde,
eorðan wynne; ðā wæs eall sceacen
dōgor-gerīmes, dēað ungemete nēah:—
“Nū ic suna mīnum syllan wolde
2730
gūð-gewǣdu, þǣr mē gifeðe swā
ǣnig yrfe-weard æfter wurde,
līce gelenge. Ic ðās lēode hēold
fīftig wintra; næs se folc-cyning,
ymbe-sittendra ǣnig ðāra,
þe mec gūð-winum grētan dorste,
egesan ðēon. Ic on earde bād
mǣl-gesceafta, hēold mīn tela,
ne sōhte searo-nīðas, nē mē swōr fela
āða on unriht. Ic ðæs ealles mæg,
2740
feorh-bennum sēoc, gefēan habban;
forðām mē wītan ne ðearf Waldend fīra
morðor-bealo māga, þonne mīn sceaceð
līf of līce. Nū ðū lungre geong
hord scēawian under hārne stān,
Wīglāf lēofa, nū se wyrm ligeð,
swefeð sāre wund, since berēafod.
Bīo nū on ofoste, þæt ic ǣr-welan,
gold-ǣht ongite, gearo scēawige
swegle searo-gimmas, þæt ic ðȳ sēft mæge
2750
æfter māððum-welan mīn ālǣtan,
līf ond lēodscipe, þone ic longe hēold.”
Đā ic snūde gefrægn sunu Wīhstānes
æfter word-cwydum wundum dryhtne
hȳran heaðo-sīocum, hring-net beran,
brogdne beadu-sercean under beorges hrōf.
Geseah ðā sige-hrēðig, þā hē bī sesse gēong,
mago-þegn mōdig māððum-sigla fealo,
gold glitinian grunde getenge,
wundur on wealle, ond þæs wyrmes denn,
2760
ealdes ūht-flogan, orcas stondan,
fyrn-manna fatu, feormend-lēase,
hyrstum behrorene. Þær wæs helm monig,
eald ond ōmig, earm-bēaga fela,
searwum gesǣled. Sinc ēaðe mæg,
gold on grunde, gum-cynnes gehwone
oferhīgian; hȳde sē ðe wylle!
Swylce hē siomian geseah segn eall-gylden
hēah ofer horde, hond-wundra mǣst,
gelocen leoðo-cræftum; of ðām lēoma stōd,
2770
þæt hē þone grund-wong ongitan meahte,
wrǣte giondwlītan. Næs ðæs wyrmes þǣr
onsȳn ǣnig, ac hyne ecg fornam.
Đā ic on hlǣwe gefrægn hord rēafian,
eald enta geweorc ānne mannan,
him on bearm hladon bunan ond discas
sylfes dōme; segn ēac genōm,
bēacna beorhtost. Bill ǣr gescōd
—ecg wæs īren— eald-hlāfordes
þām ðāra māðma mund-bora wæs
2780
longe hwīle, līg-egesan wæg
hātne for horde, hioro-weallende
middel-nihtum, oðþæt hē morðre swealt.
Ār wæs on ofoste, eft-sīðes georn,
frætwum gefyrðred; hyne fyrwet bræc,
hwæðer collen-ferð cwicne gemētte
in ðām wong-stede Wedra þēoden
ellen-sīocne, þǣr hē hine ǣr forlēt.
Hē ðā mid þām māðmum mǣrne þīoden,
2790
ealdres æt ende; hē hine eft ongon
wæteres weorpan, oðþæt wordes ord
brēost-hord þurhbræc. Þā se beorn gespræc,
gomel on giohðe: —gold scēawode—
“Ic ðāra frætwa Frēan ealles ðanc,
Wuldur-cyninge, wordum secge,
ēcum Dryhtne, þe ic hēr on starie,
þæs ðe ic mōste mīnum lēodum
ǣr swylt-dæge swylc gestrȳnan.
Nū ic on māðma hord mīne bebohte
2800
frōde feorh-lege, fremmað gēna
lēoda þearfe! Ne mæg ic hēr leng wesan.
Hātað heaðo-mǣre hlǣw gewyrcean,
beorhtne æfter bǣle æt brimes nosan;
sē scel tō gemyndum mīnum lēodum
hēah hlīfian on Hrones-næsse,
þæt hit sǣ-līðend syððan hātan
Bīowulfes biorh, ðā ðe brentingas
ofer flōda genipu feorran drīfað.”
Dyde him of healse hring gyldenne
2810
þīoden þrīst-hȳdig, þegne gesealde,
geongum gār-wigan, gold-fāhne helm,
bēah ond byrnan, hēt hyne brūcan well:
“Þū eart ende-lāf ūsses cynnes,
Wǣgmundinga; ealle wyrd forspēon
mīne māgas tō meodsceafte,
eorlas on elne; ic him æfter sceal.”
Þæt wæs þām gomelan gingæste word
brēost-gehygdum, ǣr hē bǣl cure,
hāte heaðo-wylmas; him of hwæðre gewāt
2820
sāwol sēcea
n sōð-fæstra dōm.
Đā wæs gegongen guman unfrōdum
earfoðlīce, þæt hē on eorðan geseah
þone lēofestan līfes æt ende,
blēate gebǣran. Bona swylce læg,
egeslīc eorð-draca, ealdre berēafod,
bealwe gebǣded. Bēah-hordum leng
wyrm wōh-bogen wealdan ne mōste,
ac hine īrenna ecga fornāmon,
hearde, heaðo-scearde, homera lāfe,
2830
þæt se wīd-floga wundum stille
hrēas on hrūsan hord-ærne nēah.
Nalles æfter lyfte lācende hwearf
middel-nihtum, māðm-ǣhta wlonc
ansȳn ȳwde; ac hē eorðan gefēoll
for ðæs hild-fruman hond-geweorce.
Hūru þæt on lande lȳt manna ðāh,
mægen-āgendra, mīne gefrǣge,
þēah ðe hē dǣda gehwæs dyrstig wǣre,
þæt hē wið attor-sceaðan oreðe geræsde,
2840
oððe hring-sele hondum styrede,
gif hē wæccende weard onfunde
būon on beorge. Bīowulfe wearð
dryht-māðma dǣl dēaðe forgolden;
hæfde æghwæðer ende gefēred
lǣnan līfes.
Næs ðā lang tō ðon,
tȳdre trēow-logan, tȳne ætsomne,
ðā ne dorston ǣr dareðum lācan
on hyra man-dryhtnes miclan þearfe;
2850
ac hȳ scamiende scyldas bǣran,
gūð-gewǣdu, þǣr se gomela læg;
wlitan on Wīlāf. Hē gewērgad sæt,
fēðe-cempa, frēan eaxlum nēah;
wehte hyne wætre, him wiht ne spēow.
Ne meahte hē on eorðan, ðēah hē ūðe wēl,
on ðām frum-gāre feorh gehealdan,
nē ðæs Wealdendes wiht oncirran.
Wolde dōm Godes dǣdum rǣdan
gumena gehwylcum, swā hē nū gēn dēð.
2860
Þā wæs æt ðām geongan grim andswaru
ēð-begēte þām ðe ǣr his elne forlēas.
Wīglāf maðelode, Wēohstānes sunu,
sēc sārig-ferð —seah on unlēofe—:
“Þæt lā mæg secgan, sē ðe wyle sōð specan,
þæt se mon-dryhten, sē ēow ðā māðmas geaf,
ēored-geatwe, þe gē þǣr on standað,
þonne hē on ealu-bence oft gesealde
heal-sittendum helm ond byrnan,
þēoden his þegnum, swylce hē þrȳdlīcost
2870
ōwer feor oððe nēah findan meahte,
þæt hē gēnunga gūð-gewǣdu
wrāðe forwurpe, ðā hyne wīg beget.
Nealles folc-cyning fyrd-gesteallum
gylpan þorfte; hwæðre him God ūðe,
sigora Waldend, þæt hē hyne sylfne gewræc,
āna mid ecge, þā him wæs elnes þearf.
Ic him līf-wraðe, lȳtyle meahte
ætgifan æt gūðe, ond ongan swā þēah
ofer mīn gemet mǣges helpan.
2880
Symle wæs þȳ sǣmra, þonne ic sweorde drep
ferhð-genīðlan, fȳr unswīðor
wēoll of gewitte. Wergendra tō lȳt
þrong ymbe þēoden, þā hyne sīo þrāg becwōm.
Nū sceal sinc-þego ond swyrd-gifu,
eall ēðel-wyn ēowrum cynne,
lufen ālicgean; lond-rihtes mōt
þǣre mǣg-burge monna ǣghwylc
īdel hweorfan, syððan æðelingas
feorran gefricgean flēam ēowerne,
2890
dōm-lēasan dǣd. Dēað bið sēlla
eorla gehwylcum þonne edwīt-līf!”
Heht ðā þæt heaðo-weorc tō hagan bīodan
up ofer ecg-clif, þǣr þæt eorl-weorod
morgen-longne dæg mōd-giōmor sæt,
bord-hæbbende, bēga on wēnum,
ende-dōgores ond eft-cymes
lēofes monnes. Lȳt swīgode
nīwra spella, sē ðe næs gerād,
ac hē sōðlīce sægde ofer ealle:
2900
“Nū is wil-geofa Wedra lēoda,
dryhten Gēata dēað-bedde fæst,
wunað wæl-reste wyrmes dǣdum: