him on efn ligeð ealdor-gewinna
siex-bennum sēoc; sweorde ne meahte
on ðām āglǣcean ǣnige þinga
wunde gewyrcean. Wīglāf siteð
ofer Bīowulfe, byre Wīhstānes,
eorl ofer ōðrum unlifigendum,
healdeð hige-mǣðum hēafod-wearde,
2910
lēofes ond lāðes. Nū ys lēodum wēn
orleg-hwīle, syððan underne
Froncum ond Frȳsum fyll cyninges
wīde weorðeð. Wæs sīo wrōht scepen
heard wið Hūgas, syððan Higelāc cwōm
faran flot-herge on Frēsna land,
þǣr hyne Hetware hilde genǣgdon,
elne geēodon mid ofer-mægene,
þæt se byrn-wiga būgan sceolde,
fēoll on fēðan; nalles frætwe geaf
2920
ealdor dugoðe. Ūs wæs ā syððan
Merewīoingas milts ungyfeðe.
“Nē ic te Swēo-ðēode sibbe oððe trēowe
wihte ne wēne; ac wæs wīde cūð,
þætte Ongenðīo ealdre besnyðede
Hæðcen Hrēþling wið Hrefna-wudu,
þā for onmēdlan ǣrest gesōhton
Gēata lēode Gūð-Scilfingas.
Sōna him se frōda fæder Ōhtheres,
eald ond eges-full ondslyht āgeaf,
2930
ābrēot brim-wīsan, brȳd āheorde,
gomela iō-mēowlan golde berofene,
Onelan mōdor ond Ōhtheres;
ond ðā folgode feorh-genīðlan,
oððæt hī oðēodon earfoðlīce
in Hrefnes-holt hlāford-lēase.
Besæt ðā sin-herge sweorda lāfe
wundum wērge; wēan oft gehēt
earmre teohhe ondlonge niht,
cwæð hē on mergenne mēces ecgum
2940
gētan wolde, sum’ on galg-trēowum
fuglum tō gamene. Frōfor eft gelamp
sārig-mōdum somod ǣr-dæge,
syððan hīe Hygelāces horn ond bȳman,
gealdor ongēaton, þā se gōda cōm
lēoda dugoðe on lāst faran.
“Wæs sīo swāt-swaðu Swēona ond Gēata,
wæl-rǣs weora wīde gesȳne,
hū ðā folc mid him fǣhðe tōwehton.
Gewāt him ðā se gōda mid his gædelingum,
2950
frōd fela-geōmor fæsten sēcean,
eorl Ongenþīo ufor oncirde;
hæfde Higelāces hilde gefrūnen,
wlonces wīg-cræft; wiðres ne truwode,
þæt hē sǣ-mannum onsacan mihte,
heaðo-līðendum, hord forstandan,
bearn ond brȳde; bēah eft þonan
eald under eorð-weall. Þā wæs ǣht boden
Swēona lēodum, segn Higelāces
freoðo-wong þone forð oferēodon,
2960
syððan Hrēðlingas tō hagan þrungon.
Þǣr wearð Ongenðīow ecgum sweorda,
blonden-fexa on bid wrecen,
þæt se þēod-cyning ðafian sceolde
Eafores ānne dōm. Hyne yrringa
Wulf Wonrēding wǣpne gerǣhte,
þæt him for swenge swāt ǣdrum sprong
forð under fexe. Næs hē forht swā ðēh,
gomela Scilfing, ac forgeald hraðe
wyrsan wrixle wæl-hlem þone,
2970
syððan ðēod-cyning þyder oncirde.
Ne meahte se snella sunu Wonrēdes
ealdum ceorle ondslyht giofan,
ac hē him on hēafde helm ǣr gescer,
þæt hē blōde fāh būgan sceolde,
fēoll on foldan; næs hē fǣge þā gīt,
ac hē hyne gewyrpte, þēah ðe him wund hrine.
Lēt se hearda Higelāces þegn
brādne mēce, þā his brōðor læg,
eald-sweord eotonisc, entiscne helm
2980
brecan ofer bord-weal; ðā gebēah cyning,
folces hyrde, wæs in feorh dropen.
Đā wǣron monige, þe his mǣg wriðon,
ricone ārǣrdon, ðā him gerȳmed wearð,
þæt hīe wæl-stōwe wealdan mōston.
Þenden rēafode rinc ōðerne,
nam on Ongenðīo īren-byrnan,
heard swyrd hilted ond his helm somod;
hāres hyrste Higelāce bær.
Hē ðām frætwum fēng ond him fægre gehēt
2990
lēana mid lēodum, ond gelǣste swā;
geald þone gūð-rǣs Gēata dryhten,
Hrēðles eafora, þā hē tō hām becōm,
Iofore ond Wulfe mid ofer-māðmum;
sealde hiora gehwæðrum hund þūsenda
landes ond locenra bēaga —ne ðorfte him ðā lēan
oðwītan
mon on middan-gearde— syððan hīe ðā mǣrða
geslōgon;
ond ðā Iofore forgeaf āngan dohtor,
hām-weorðunge, hyldo tō wedde.
“Þæt ys sīo fǣhðo ond se fēondscipe,
3000
wæl-nīð wera, ðæs ðe ic wēn hafo,
þē ūs sēceað tō Swēona lēoda,
syððan hīe gefricgeað frēan ūserne
ealdor-lēasne, þone ðe ǣr gehēold
wið hettendum hord ond rīce
æfter hæleða hryre, hwate Scildingas,
folc-rēd fremede oððe furður gēn
eorlscipe efnde.
Nū is ofost betost,
þæt wē þēod-cyning þǣr scēawian
ond þone gebringan, þe ūs bēagas geaf,
3010
on ād-fære. Ne scel ānes hwæt
meltan mid þām mōdigan, ac þǣr is māðma hord,
gold unrīme, grimme gecēapod;
ond nū æt sīðestan sylfes fēore
bēagas gebohte: þā sceall brond fretan,
ǣlad þeccean, nalles eorl wegan
māððum tō gemyndum, nē mægð scȳne
habban on healse hring-weorðunge,
ac sceal geōmor-mōd, golde berēafod,
oft, nalles ǣne, elland tredan,
3020
nū se here-wīsa hleahtor ālegde,
gamen ond glēo-drēam. Forðon sceall gār wesan
monig morgen-ceald mundum bewunden,
hæfen on handa, nalles hearpan swēg
wīgend weccean, ac se wonna hrefn
fūs ofer fǣgum fela reordian,
earne secgan, hū him æt ǣte spēow,
þenden hē wið wulf wæl rēafode.”
Swā se secg hwata secggende wæs
lāðra spella; hē ne lēag fela
3030
wyrda nē worda. Weorod eall ārās,
ēodon unblīðe under Earna-næs,
wollen-teāre, wundur scēawian.
Fundon ðā on sande sāwul-lēasne
hlim-bed healdan, þone þe him hringas geaf
ǣrran mǣlum; þā wæs ende-dæg
gōdum gegongen, þæt se gūð-cyning,
Wedra þēoden, wundor-dēaðe swealt.
Ǣr hī þǣr gesēgan syllīcran wiht,
wyrm on wonge wiðer-ræhtes þǣr,
3040
lāðne licgean: wæs se lēg-draca,
grimlīc gryre-fāh, glēdum beswǣled.
Sē wæs fīftiges fōt-gemearces
lang on legere; lyft-wynne hēold
nihtes hwīlum, nyðer eft gewāt
dennes nīosian; wæs ðā dēaðe fæst,
hæfde eorð-scrafa ende genyttod.
Him big stōdan bunan ond orcas,
discas lāgon ond dȳre swyrd,
ōmige, þurhetone, swā hīe wið eorðan fæðm
3050
þūsend wintra þǣr eardodon.
Þonne wæs þæt yrfe ēacen-cræftig,
iū-monna gold, galdre bewunden,
þæt ðām hring-sele hrīnan ne mōste
gumena ǣnig, nefne God sylfa,
sigora Sōð-cyning, sealde þām ðe hē wolde
—hē is manna gehyld— hord openian,
efne swā hwylcum manna, swā him gemet ðūhte.
Þā wæs gesȳne, þæt se sīð ne ðāh
þām ðe unrihte inne gehȳdde
3060
wrǣte under wealle; weard ǣr ofslōh
fēara sumne; þā sīo fǣhð gewearð
gewrecen wrāðlīce. Wundur hwār þonne
eorl ellen-rōf ende gefēre
līf-gesceafta, þonne leng ne mæg
mon mid his māgum medu-seld būan.
Swā wæs Bīowulfe, þā hē biorges weard
sōhte, searo-nīðas; seofa ne cūðe
þurh hwæt his worulde-gedāl weorðan sceolde;
swā hit oð dōmes dæg dīope benemdon
3070
þēodnas mǣre, þā ðæt þǣr dydon,
þæt se secg wǣre synnum scildig,
hergum geheaðerod, hell-bendum fæst,
wommum gewītnad, sē ðone wong strude;
næs hē gold-hwæte gearwor hæfde
āgendes ēst ǣr gescēawod.
Wīglāf maðelode, Wīhstānes sunu:
“Oft sceall eorl monig ānes willan
Ne meahton wē gelǣran lēofne þēoden.
3080
rīces hyrde rǣd ǣnigne,
þæt hē ne grētte gold-weard þone,
lēte hyne licgean þǣr hē longe wæs,
wīcum wunian oð woruld-ende;
hēold on hēah-gesceap. Hord ys gescēawod,
grimme gegongen; wæs þæt gifeðe tō swīð.
þē ðone þēod-cyning þyder ontyhte.
Ic wæs þǣr inne ond þæt eall geondseh,
recedes geatwa, þā mē gerȳmed wæs,
nealles swǣslīce sīð ālȳfed
3090
inn under eorð-weall. Ic on ofoste gefēng
micle mid mundum mægen-byrðenne
hord-gestrēona, hider ūt ætbær
cyninge mīnum: cwico wæs þā gēna,
wīs ond gewittig. Worn eall gespræc
gomol on gehðo ond ēowic grētan hēt,
bæd þæt gē geworhton æfter wines dǣdum
in bǣl-stede beorh þone hēan,
micelne ond mǣrne, swā hē manna wæs
wīgend weorð-fullost wīde geond eorðan,
3100
þenden hē burh-welan brūcan mōste.
Uton nū efstan ōðre sīðe
sēon ond sēcean searo-gimma geþræc,
wundur under wealle; ic ēow wīsige,
þæt gē genōge nēon scēawiað
bēagas ond brād gold. Sīe sīo bǣr gearo,
ǣdre geæfned, þonne wē ūt cymen,
ond þonne geferian frēan ūserne,
lēofne mannan, þǣr hē longe sceal
on ðæs Waldendes wǣre geþolian.”
3110
Hēt ðā gebēodan byre Wīhstānes,
hæle hilde-dīor, hæleða monegum,
bold-āgendra, þæt hīe bǣl-wudu
feorran feredon, folc-āgende,
gōdum tōgēnes: “Nū sceal glēd fretan,
—weaxan wonna lēg— wigena strengel,
þone ðe oft gebād īsern-scūre,
þonne strǣla storm strengum gebǣded
scōc ofer scild-weall, sceft nytte hēold,
fæðer-gearwum fūs, flāne fullēode.”
3120
Hūru se snotra sunu Wīhstānes
ācīgde of corðre cyniges þegnas,
syfone ætsomne, þā sēlestan,
ēode eahta sum under inwit-hrōf
hilde-rinca; sum on handa bær
ǣled-lēoman, sē ðe on orde gēong.
Næs ðā on hlytme, hwā þæt hord strude,
syððan orwearde, ǣnigne dǣl,
secgas gesēgon on sele wunian,
lǣne licgan; lȳt ǣnig mearn,
3130
þæt hī ofostlīce ūt geferedon
dȳre māðmas; dracan ēc scufun,
wyrm ofer weall-clif, lēton wēg niman,
flōd fæðmian frætwa hyrde.
Þā wæs wunden gold on wǣn hladen,
ǣghwæs unrīm, æþelingc boren,