nefne him wītig God wyrd forstōde
ond ðæs mannes mōd. Metod eallum wēold
gumena cynnes, swā hē nū gīt dēð.
Forþan bið andgit ǣghwær sēlest,
1060
ferhðes fore-þanc. Fela sceal gebīdan
lēofes ond lāþes, sē þe longe hēr
on ðyssum win-dagum worolde brūceð.
Þǣr wæs sang ond swēg samod ætgædere
fore Healfdenes hilde-wīsan,
gomen-wudu grēted, gid oft wrecen,
ðonne heal-gamen Hrōþgāres scop
æfter medo-bence mǣnan scolde:—
Finnes eaferum, ðā hīe se fǣr begeat,
hæleð Healf-Dena, Hnæf Scyldinga,
1070
in Frēs-wæle feallan scolde.
Nē hūru Hildeburh herian þorfte
eotena trēowe; unsynnum wearð
beloren lēofum æt þām lind-plegan
bearnum ond brōðrum; hīe on gebyrd hruron
gāre wunde; þæt wæs geōmuru ides.
Nalles hōlinga Hōces dohtor
meotodsceaft bemearn, syþðan morgen cōm,
ðā hēo under swegle gesēon meahte
morþor-bealo māga, þǣr hēo ǣr mǣste hēold
1080
worolde wynne. Wīg ealle fornam
Finnes þegnas, nemne fēaum ānum,
þæt hē ne mehte on þǣm meðel-stede
wīg Hengeste wiht gefeohtan,
nē þā wēa-lāfe wīge forþringan,
þēodnes ðegne; ac hig him geþingo budon,
þæt hīe him ōðer flet eal gerȳmdon,
healle ond hēah-setl, þæt hīe healfre geweald
wið eotena bearn āgan mōston,
ond æt feoh-gyftum Folcwaldan sunu
1090
dōgra gehwylce Dene weorþode,
Hengestes hēap hringum wenede
efne swā swīðe, sinc-gestrēonum
fǣttan goldes, swā hē Frēsena cyn
on bēor-sele byldan wolde.
Đā hīe getruwedon on twā healfa
fæste frioðu-wǣre. Fin Hengeste
elne unflitme āðum benemde
þæt hē þā wēa-lāfe weotena dōme
ārum hēolde, þæt ðǣr ǣnig mon
1100
wordum nē worcum wǣre ne brǣce,
nē þurh inwit-searo ǣfre gemǣnden,
ðēah hīe hira bēag-gyfan banan folgedon
ðēoden-lēase, þā him swā geþearfod wæs;
gyf þonne Frȳsna hwylc frēcnen sprǣce
ðæs morþor-hetes myndgiend wǣre,
þonne hit sweordes ecg syððan scolde.
Āð wæs geæfned, ond icge gold
āhæfen of horde: Here-Scyldinga
betst beado-rinca wæs on bǣl gearu.
1110
Æt þǣm āde wæs ēþ-gesȳne
swāt-fāh syrce, swȳn eal-gylden,
eofer īren-heard, æþeling manig
wundum āwyrded; sume on wæle crungon.
hire selfre sunu sweoloðe befæstan,
bān-fatu bærnan ond on bǣl dōn.
Earme on eaxle ides gnornode,
geōmrode giddum. Gūð-rinc āstāh;
wand tō wolcnum wæl-fȳra mæst,
1120
hlynode for hlāwe; hafelan multon,
bēn-geato burston, ðonne blōd ætspranc,
lāð-bite līces. Līg ealle forswealg,
gǣsta gīfrost, þāra ðe þǣr gūð fornam
bēga folces; wæs hira blǣd scacen.
Gewiton him ðā wīgend wīca nēosian
frēondum befeallen, Frȳs-land gesēon,
hāmas ond hēa-burh. Hengest ðā gȳt
wæl-fāgne winter wunode mid Finne
eal unhlitme; eard gemunde,
1130
þēah þe ne meahte on mere drīfan
hringed-stefnan; holm storme wēol,
won wið winde; winter ȳþe belēac
īs-gebinde, oþðæt ōþer cōm
gēar in geardas, swā nū gȳt dēð,
þā ðe syngāles sēle bewitiað,
wuldor-torhtan weder. Đā wæs winter scacen,
fæger foldan bearm; fundode wrecca,
gist of geardum; hē tō gyrn-wræce
swīðor þōhte þonne tō sǣ-lāde,
1140
gif hē torn-gemōt þurhtēon mihte,
þæt hē eotena bearn inne gemunde.
Swā hē ne forwyrnde worold-rǣdenne,
þonne him Hūnlāfing hilde-lēoman,
billa sēlest, on bearm dyde,
þæs wǣron mid eotenum ecge cūðe.
Swylce ferhð-frecan Fin eft begeat
sweord-bealo slīðen æt his selfes hām,
siþðan grimne gripe Gūðlāf ond Ōslāf
æfter sǣ-sīðe sorge mǣndon,
1150
ætwiton wēana dǣl; ne meahte wǣfre mōd
forhabban in hreþre. Đā wæs heal roden
fēonda fēorum, swilce Fin slægen,
cyning on corþre, ond sēo cwēn numen.
Scēotend Scyldinga tō scypon feredon
eal in-gesteald eorð-cyninges,
swylce hīe æt Finnes hām findan meahton
sigla, searo-gimma. Hīe on sǣ-lāde
drihtlīce wīf tō Denum feredon,
lǣddon tō lēodum.
Lēoð wæs āsungen,
1160
glēo-mannes gyd. Gamen eft āstāh,
beorhtode benc-swēg, byrelas sealdon
wīn of wunder-fatum. Þā cwōm Wealhþēo forð
gān under gyldnum bēage, þǣr þā gōdan twēgen
sǣton suhterge-fæderan; þā gȳt wæs hiera sib ætgædere,
ǣghwylc ōðrum trȳwe. Swylce þǣr Unferþ þyle
æt fōtum sæt frēan Scyldinga; gehwylc hiora his ferhþe
trēowde,
þæt hē hæfde mōd micel, þēah þe hē his māgum nǣre
ār-fæst æt ecga gelācum. Spræc ðā ides Scyldinga:
“Onfōh þissum fulle, frēo-drihten mīn,
1170
gold-wine gumena, ond tō Gēatum spræc
mildum wordum, swā sceal man dōn;
bēo wið Gēatas glæd, geofena gemyndig,
nēan ond feorran þū nū hafast.
Mē man sægde, þæt þū ðē for sunu wolde
here-rinc habban. Heorot is gefǣlsod,
bēah-sele beorhta; brūc, þenden þū mōte,
manigra mēdo, ond þīnum māgum lǣf
folc ond rīce, þonne ðū forð scyle,
1180
metodsceaft sēon. Ic mīnne can
glædne Hrōþulf, þæt hē þā geogoðe wile
ārum healdan, gyf þū ǣr þonne hē,
wine Scildinga, worold oflǣtest;
wēne ic þæt hē mid gōde gyldan wille
uncran eaferan, gif hē þæt eal gemon,
hwæt wit tō willan ond tō worð-myndum
umbor-wesendum ǣr ārna gefremedon.”
Hwearf þā bī bence, þǣr hyre byre wǣron,
Hrēðrīc ond Hrōðmund, ond hæleþa bearn,
1190
giogoð ætgædere; þǣr se gōda sæt,
Bēowulf Gēata be þēam gebrōðrum twǣm.
Him wæs ful boren ond frēond-laþu
wordum bewægned, ond wunden gold
ēstum geēawed, earm-rēade twā,
hrægl ond hringas, heals-bēaga mǣst
þāra þe ic on foldan gefrægen hæbbe.
Nǣnigne ic under swegle sēlran hȳrde
hord-māððum hæleþa, syþðan Hāma ætwæg
tō þēre byrhtan byrig Brōsinga mene,
1200
sigle ond sinc-fæt; searo-nīðas flēah
Eormenrīces; gecēas ēcne rǣd.
Þone hring hæfde Higelāc Gēata,
&n
bsp; nefa Swertinges, nȳhstan sīðe,
sīðþan hē under segne sinc ealgode,
wæl-rēaf werede; hyne wyrd fornam,
syþðan hē for wlenco wēan āhsode,
fǣhðe tō Frȳsum. Hē þā frætwe wæg,
eorclan-stānas ofer ȳða ful,
rīce þēoden; hē under rande gecranc.
1210
Gehwearf þā in Francna fæþm feorh cyninges,
brēost-gewǣdu ond se bēah somod;
wyrsan wīg-frecan wæl rēafeden
æfter gūð-sceare; Gēata lēode
hrēa-wīc hēoldon. Heal swēge onfēng.
Wealhðēo maþelode, hēo fore þǣm werede spræc:
“Brūc ðisses bēages, Bēowulf lēofa,
hyse, mid hǣle, ond þisses hrægles nēot,
þēod-gestrēona, ond geþēoh tela;
cen þec mid cræfte, ond þyssum cnyhtum wes
1220
lāra līðe; ic þē þæs lēan geman.
Hafast þū gefēred, þæt ðē feor ond nēah
ealne wīde-ferhþ weras ehtigað,
efne swā sīde swā sǣ bebūgeð
wind-geard, weallas. Wes, þenden þū lifige,
æþeling, ēadig! Ic þē an tela
sinc-gestrēona. Bēo þū suna mīnum
dǣdum gedēfe, drēam-healdende!
Hēr is ǣghwylc eorl ōþrum getrȳwe,
mōdes milde, man-drihtne hold;
1230
þegnas syndon geþwǣre, þēod eal-gearo,
druncne dryht-guman dōð swā ic bidde.”
Ēode þā tō setle. Þǣr wæs symbla cyst,
druncon wīn weras; wyrd ne cūþon,
geōsceaft grimme, swā hit āgangen wearð
eorla manegum, syþðan ǣfen cwōm,
ond him Hrōþgār gewāt tō hofe sīnum,
rīce tō ræste. Reced weardode
unrīm eorla, swā hīe oft ǣr dydon;
benc-þelu beredon; hit geondbrǣded wearð
1240
beddum ond bolstrum. Bēor-scealca sum
fūs ond fǣge flet-ræste gebēag.
Setton him tō hēafdon hilde-randas,
bord-wudu beorhtan. Þǣr on bence wæs
ofer æþelinge ȳþ-gesēne
heaþo-stēapa helm, hringed byrne,
þrec-wudu þrymlīc. Wæs þēaw hyra,
þæt hīe oft wǣron an wīg gearwe,
gē æt hām gē on herge, gē gehwæþer þāra
efne swylce mǣla, swylce hira man-dryhtne
1250
þearf gesǣlde; wæs sēo þēod tilu.
Sigon þā tō slǣpe. Sum sāre angeald
ǣfen-ræste, swā him ful oft gelamp
siþðan gold-sele Grendel warode,
unriht æfnde, oþþæt ende becwōm,
swylt æfter synnum. Þæt gesȳne wearþ,
wīd-cūþ werum, þætte wrecend þā gȳt
lifde æfter lāþum, lange þrāge,
æfter gūð-ceare. Grendles mōdor,
ides, āglǣc-wīf yrmþe gemunde,
1260
sē þe wæter-egesan wunian scolde,
cealde strēamas, siþðan Cain wearð
tō ecg-banan āngan brēþer,
fæderen-mǣge; hē þā fāg gewāt,
morþre gemearcod, man-drēam flēon,
wēsten warode. Þanon wōc fela
geōsceaft-gāsta; wæs þǣra Grendel sum
heoro-wearh hetelīc, sē æt Heorote fand
wæccendne wer wīges bīdan.
Þǣr him āglǣca ætgrǣpe wearð;
1270
hwæþre hē gemunde mægenes strenge,
gim-fæste gife, ðe him God sealde,
ond him tō An-waldan āre gelȳfde,
frōfre ond fultum; ðȳ hē þone fēond ofercwōm,
gehnǣgde helle-gāst. Þā hē hēan gewāt,
drēame bedǣled dēaþ-wīc sēon,
man-cynnes fēond. Ond his mōdor þā gȳt
gīfre ond galg-mōd gegān wolde
sorh-fulne sīð, sunu dēoð wrecan.
Cōm þā tō Heorote, ðær Hring-Dene
1280
geond þæt sæld swǣfun. Þā ðǣr sōna wearð
edhwyrft eorlum siþðan inne fealh
Grendles mōdor. Wæs se gryre lǣssa
efne swā micle, swā bið mægþa cræft,
wīg-gryre wīfes, be wǣpned-men