eald ond unhār mid his eorla gedriht;
ēode ellen-rōf, þæt hē for eaxlum gestōd
Deniga frēan: cūþe hē duguðe þēaw.
360
Wulfgār maðelode tō his wine-drihtne:
“Hēr syndon geferede, feorran cumene
ofer geofenes begang Gēata lēode;
þone yldestan ōret-mecgas
Bēowulf nemnað; hȳ bēnan synt,
þæt hīe, þēoden mīn, wið þē mōton
wordum wrixlan. Nō ðū him wearne getēoh
ðīnra gegn-cwida, glæd-man Hrōðgār:
hȳ on wīg-getāwum wyrðe þinceað
eorla geæhtlan; hūru se aldor dēah,
370
sē þǣm heaðo-rincum hider wīsade.”
Hrōðgār maþelode, helm Scyldinga:
“Ic hine cūðe cniht-wesende;
wæs his eald-fæder Ecgþēo hāten,
ðǣm tō hām forgeaf Hrēþel Gēata
āngan dohtor; is his eafora nū
heard hēr cumen, sōhte holdne wine.
Đonne sægdon þæt sǣ-līþende,
þā ðe gif-sceattas Gēata fyredon
þyder tō þance, þæt hē þrītiges
380
manna mægen-cræft on his mund-gripe,
heaþo-rōf hæbbe. Hine hālig God
for ār-stafum ūs onsende
tō West-Denum, þæs ic wēn hæbbe,
wið Grendles gryre. Ic þǣm gōdan sceal
for his mōd-þræce mādmas bēodan.
Bēo ðū on ofeste, hāt in gān,
sēon sibbe-gedriht samod ætgædere;
gesaga him ēac wordum þæt hīe sint wil-cuman
Deniga lēodum!” Þā tō dura healle
390
Wulfgār ēode, word inne ābēad:
Ēow hēt secgan sige-drihten mīn,
aldor Ēast-Dena, þæt hē ēower æþelu can:
ond gē him syndon ofer sǣ-wylmas,
heard-hicgende, hider wil-cuman.
Nū gē mōton gangan in ēowrum gūð-getāwum,
under here-grīman, Hrōðgār gesēon;
lǣtað hilde-bord hēr onbīdan,
wudu, wæl-sceaftas, worda geþinges.”
Ārās þā se rīca, ymb hine rinc manig,
400
prȳðlīc þegna hēap; sume þǣr bidon,
heaðo-rēaf hēoldon, swā him se hearda bebēad.
Snyredon ætsomne, þā secg wīsode,
under Heorotes hrōf; ēode hilde-dēor,
heard under helme, þæt hē on hēoðe gestōd.
Bēowulf maðelode —on him byrne scān,
searo-net seowed smiþes orþancum
“Wæs þū, Hrōðgār, hāl! Ic eom Higelāces
mǣg ond mago-ðegn; hæbbe ic mǣrða fela
ongunnen on geogoþe. Mē wearð Grendles þing
410
on mīnre ēþel-tyrf undyrne cūð;
secgað sǣ-līðend, þæt þæs sele stande,
reced sēlesta, rinca gehwylcum
īdel ond unnyt, siððan ǣ fen-lēoht
under heofenes hādor beholen weorþeð.
þā sēlestan, snotere ceorlas,
þēoden Hrōðgār, þæt ic þē sōhte,
forþan hīe mægenes cræft mīne cū þon:
selfe ofersāwon, ðā ic of searwum cwōm,
420
fāh from fēondum, þǣr ic fīfe geband,
ȳðde eotena cyn, ond on ȳðum slōg
niceras nihtes, nearo-þearfe drēah,
wræc Wedera nīð —wēan āhsodon—
forgrand gramum: ond nū wið Grendel sceal,
wið þām āglǣ can āna gehēgan
ðing wið þyrse. Ic þē nū ðā,
brego Beorht-Dena, biddan wille,
eodor Scyldinga, ānre bēne:
þæt ðū mē ne forwyrne, wīgendra hlēo,
430
frēo-wine folca, nū ic þus feorran cōm,
þæt ic mōte āna ond mīnra eorla gedryht,
þes hearda hēap, Heorot fǣlsian.
Hæbbe ic ēac geāhsod, þæt se ǣglǣca
for his won-hȳdum wǣpna ne recceð.
Ic þæt þonne forhicge, swā mē Higelāc sīe,
mīn mon-drihten, mōdes blīðe,
þæt ic sweord bere oþðe sīdne scyld,
geolo-rand tō gūþe; ac ic mid grāpe sceal
fōn wið fēonde ond ymb feorh sacan,
440
lāð wið lāþum; ðǣr gelȳfan sceal
Dryhtnes dōme sē þe hine dēað nimeð.
Wēn’ ic þæt hē wille, gif hē wealdan mōt,
in þǣm gū ð-sele Gēotena lēode
etan unforhte, swā hē oft dyde,
mægen hrēð-manna. Nā þū mīnne þearft
hafalan hȳdan, ac hē mē habban wile
drēore fāhne, gif mec dēað nimeð;
byreð blōdig wæl, byrgean þenceð;
eteð ān-genga unmurnlīce,
450
mearcað mōr-hopu; nō ðū ymb mīnes ne þearft
līces feorme leng sorgian.
Onsend Higelāce, gif mec hild nime,
beadu-scrūda betst, þæt mīne brēost wereð,
hrægla sēlest; þæt is Hrǣdlan lāf,
Wēlandes geweorc. Gǣð ā wyrd swā hīo scel!”
Hrōðgār maþelode, helm Scyldinga:
“For were-fyhtum þū, wine mīn Bēowulf,
ond for ār-stafum ūsic sōhtest.
Geslōh þīn fæder fǣhðe mǣste,
460
wearþ hē Heaþolāfe tō hand-bonan
mid Wilfingum; ðā hine wāra cyn
for here-brōgan habban ne mihte.
Þanon hē gesōhte Sūð-Dena folc
ofer ȳða gewealc, Ār-Scyldinga;
ðā ic furþum wēold folce Deniga
ond on geogoðe hēold grimme-rīce,
hord-burh hæleþa; ðā wæs Heregār dēad,
mīn yldra mǣg unlifigende,
bearn Healfdenes; sē wæs betera ðonne ic!
470
Siððan þā fǣhðe fēo þingode;
sende ic Wylfingum ofer wæteres hrycg
ealde mādmas; hē mē āþas swōr.
gumena ǣngum, hwæt mē Grendel hafað
hȳnðo on Heorote mid his hete-þancum,
fǣr-nīða gefremed; is mīn flet-werod,
wīg-hēap gewanod; hīe wyrd forswēop
on Grendles gryre. God ēaþe mæg
þone dol-sceaðan dǣda getwǣfan!
480
Ful oft gebēotedon bēore druncne
ofer ealo-wǣge ōret-mecgas,
þæt hīe in bēor-sele bīdan woldon
Grendles gūþe mid gryrum ecga.
Đonne wæs þēos medo-heal on morgen-tīd,
driht-sele drēor-fāh, þonne dæg līxte,
eal benc-þelu blōde bestȳmed,
heall heoru-drēore; āhte ic holdra þȳ lǣs
dēorre duguðe, þē þā dēað fornam.
Site nū tō symle, ond on sǣl meoto
490
sige hrēð-secga, swā þīn sefa hwette!”
Þā wæs Gēat-mæcgum geador ætsomne
on bēor-sele benc gerȳmed;
þǣr swīð-ferhþe sittan ēodon,
þrȳðum dealle; þegn nytte behēold,
sē þe on handa bær hroden ealo-wǣge,
scencte scīr-wered; scop hwīlum sang
hādor on Heorote; þǣr wæs hæleða drēam,
duguð unlȳtel Dena ond Wedera.
Unferð maþelode, Ecglāfes bearn,
500
þe æt fōtum sæt frēan Scyldinga,
onband beadu-rūne: wæs him Bēowulfes sīð,
mōdges mere-faran, micel æfþunca,
forþon þe hē ne ūþe, þæt ǣnig ōðer man
ǣfre mǣrða þo
n mā middan-geardes
gehēdde under heofenum þonne hē sylfa:
“Eart þū sē Bēowulf, sē þe wið Brecan wunne,
on sīdne sǣ ymb sund flite,
ðǣr git for wlence wada cunnedon
ond for dol-gilpe on dēop wæter
510
aldrum nēþdon? Nē inc ǣnig mon,
nē lēof nē lāð, belēan mihte
sorh-fullne sīð, þā git on sund rēon;
þǣr git ēagor-strēam earmum þehton,
mǣton mere-strǣta, mundum brugdon,
glidon ofer gār-secg. Geofon ȳþum wēol,
wintrys wylmum; git on wæteres ǣht
seofon niht swuncon; hē þē æt sunde oferflāt,
hæfde māre mægen; þā hine on morgen-tīd
on Heaþo-Rǣmes holm up ætbær.
520
Đonon hē gesōhte swǣsne ēðel,
lēof his lēodum, lond Brondinga,
freoðo-burh fægere, þǣr hē folc āhte,
burh ond bēagas. Bēot eal wið þē
sunu Bēanstānes sōðe gelǣste.
Đonne wēne ic tō þē wyrsan geþingea,
ðēah þū heaðo-rǣsa gehwǣr dohte,
grimre gū ðe, gif þū Grendles dearst
niht-longne fyrst nēan bīdan.”
Bēowulf maþelode, bearn Ecgþēowes:
530
“Hwæt þū worn fela, wine mīn Unferð,
bēore druncen ymb Brecan sprǣce,
sægdest from his sīðe! Sō ð ic talige
þæt ic mere-strengo māran āhte,
earfeþo on ȳþum, ðonne ǣnig ōþer man.
Wit þæt gecwǣdon cniht-wesende
ond gebēotedon —wǣron bēgen þā gīt
on geogoð-fēore— þæt wit on gār-secg ūt
aldrum nēðdon; ond þæt geæfndon swā.
Hæfdon swurd nacod, þā wit on sund rēon,
540
heard on handa; wit unc wið hron-fixas
werian þōhton; nō hē wiht fram mē
flōd-ȳþum feor flēotan meahte,
hraþor on holme, nō ic fram him wolde.
Đā wit ætsomne on sǣ wǣron
fīf nihta fyrst, oþþæt unc flōd tōdrāf,
wado weallende, wedera cealdost,
nīpende niht, ond norþan-wind
heaðo-grim ondhwearf. Hrēo wǣron ȳþa,
wæs mere-fixa mōd onhrēred.
550
Þǣr mē wið lāðum līc-syrce mīn,
heard, hond-locen, helpe gefremede,
beado-hrægl brōden on brēostum læg
golde gegyrwed. Mē tō grunde tēah
fāh fēond-scaða, fæste hæfde
grim on grāpe; hwæþre mē gyfeþe wearð,
þæt ic āglǣcan orde gerǣhte,
hilde-bille; heaþo-rǣs fornam
mihtig mere-dēor þurh mīne hand.
“Swā mec gelōme lāðo-getēonan
560
þrēatedon þearle; ic him þēnode
dēoran sweorde, swā hit gedēfe wæs.
Næs hīe ðǣre fylle gefēan hæfdon,
mān-fordǣdlan, þæt hīe mē þēgon,
symbel ymbsæton sǣ-grunde nēah;
ac on mergenne mēcum wunde
be ȳð-lāfe uppe lǣgon,
sweordum āswefede, þæt syðþan nā
ymb brontne ford brim-līðende
lāde ne letton. Lēoht ēastan cōm,
570
beorht bēacen Godes; brimu swaþredon
þæt ic sǣ-nǣssas gesēon mihte,
windige weallas. Wyrd oft nereð
unfǣgne eorl, þonne his ellen dēah.
Hwæþere mē gesǣlde, þæt ic mid sweorde ofslōh
niceras nigene. Nō ic on niht gefrægn
under heofones hwealf heardran feohtan,
nē on ēg-strēamum earmran mannon.
Hwæþere ic fāra feng fēore gedīgde,
sīþes wērig. Đā mec sǣ oþbær,
580
flōd æfter faroðe on Finna land,
wadu weallendu. Nō ic wiht fram þē
swylcra searo-nīða secgan hȳrde,
billa brōgan. Breca nǣfre gīt
æt heaðo-lāce, nē gehwæþer incer,
swā dēorlīce dǣd gefremede
fāgum sweordum —nō ic þæs fela gylpe—
þēah ðū þīnum brōðrum tō banan wurde,