blācne lēoman beorhte scīnan.
Ongeat þā se gōda grund-wyrgenne,
mere-wīf mihtig; mægen-rǣs forgeaf
1520
hilde-bille, hond sweng ne oftēah,
þæt hire on hafelan hring-mǣl āgōl
grǣdig gūð-lēoð. Đā se gist onfand,
þæt se beado-lēoma bītan nolde,
aldre sceþðan, ac sēo ecg geswāc
ðēodne æt þearfe; ðolode ǣr fela
hond-gemōta, helm oft gescær,
fǣges fyrd-hrægl; ðā wæs forma sīð
dēorum mādme, þæt his dōm ālæg.
Eft wæs ān-rǣd, nalas elnes læt,
1530
mǣrða gemyndig mǣg Hȳlāces.
Wearp ðā wunden-mǣl wrǣttum gebunden
yrre ōretta, þæt hit on eorðan læg,
stīð ond stȳl-ecg; strenge getruwode,
mund-gripe mægenes. Swā sceal man dōn,
þonne hē æt gūðe gegān þenceð
longsumne lof; nā ymb his līf cearað.
Gefēng þā be eaxle —nalas for fǣhðe mearn—
Gūð-Gēata lēod Grendles mōdor;
brægd þā beadwe heard, þā hē gebolgen wæs,
1540
feorh-genīðlan, þæt hēo on flet gebēah.
Hēo him eft hraþe andlēan forgeald
grimman grāpum, ond him tōgēanes fēng.
Oferwearp þā wērig-mōd wigena strengest,
fēþe-cempa, þæt hē on fylle wearð.
Ofsæt þā þone sele-gyst ond hyre seax getēah,
brād, brūn-ecg; wolde hire bearn wrecan,
āngan eaferan. Him on eaxle læg
brēost-net brōden; þæt gebearh fēore,
wið ord ond wið ecge ingang forstōd.
1550
Hæfde ðā forsīðod sunu Ecgþēowes
under gynne grund, Gēata cempa,
nemne him heaðo-byrne helpe gefremede,
here-net hearde, ond hālig God
gewēold wīg-sigor, wītig Drihten,
rodera Rǣdend, hit on ryht gescēd
ȳðelīce, syþðan hē eft āstōd.
Geseah ðā on searwum sige-ēadig bil,
eald-sweord eotenisc ecgum þȳhtig,
wigena weorð-mynd; þæt wæs wǣpna cyst,
1560
būton hit wæs māre ðonne ǣnig mon ōðer
tō beadu-lāce ætberan meahte,
gōd ond geatolīc, gīganta geweorc.
Hē gefēng þā fetel-hilt, freca Scyldinga,
hrēoh ond heoro-grim, hring-mǣl gebrægd
aldres orwēna, yrringa slōh,
þæt hire wið halse heard grāpode,
bān-hringas bræc; bil eal ðurhwōd
fǣgne flǣsc-homan; hēo on flet gecrong,
sweord wæs swātig, secg weorce gefeh.
1570
Līxte se lēoma, lēoht inne stōd,
efne swā of hefene hādre scīneð
rodores candel. Hē æfter recede wlāt;
hwearf þā be wealle, wǣpen hafenade
heard be hiltum Higelāces ðegn,
hilde-rince, ac hē hraþe wolde
Grendle forgyldan gūð-rǣsa fela,
ðāra þe hē geworhte tō West-Denum
oftor micle ðonne on ǣnne sīð
1580
þonne hē Hrōðgāres heorð-genēatas
slōh on sweofote, slǣpende frǣt
folces Denigea fȳf-tȳne men,
ond ōðer swylc ūt offerede,
lāðlicu lāc. Hē him þæs lēan forgeald,
rēþe cempa, tō ðæs þe hē on ræste geseah
gūð-wērigne Grendel licgan,
aldor-lēasne, swā him ǣr gescōd
hild æt Heorote. Hrā wīde sprong,
syþðan hē æfter dēaðe drepe þrōwade,
1590
heoro-sweng heardne, ond hine þā hēafde becearf.
Sōna þæt gesāwon snottre ceorlas,
þā ðe mid Hrōðgāre on holm wliton,
þæt wæs ȳð-geblond eal gemenged,
brim blōde fāh. Blonden-feaxe
gomele ymb gōdne ongeador sprǣcon
þæt hig þæs æðelinges eft ne wēndon,
þæt hē sige-hrēðig sēcean cōme
mǣrne þēoden; þā ðæs monige gewearð
þæt hine sēo brim-wylf ābroten hæfde.
1600
Đā cōm nōn dæges. Næs ofgēafon
hwate Scyldingas; gewāt him hām þonon
gold-wine gumena; gistas sētan
mōdes sēoce, ond on mere staredon;
wīston ond ne wēndon, þæt hīe heora wine-drihten
selfne gesāwon.
Þā þæt sweord ongan
æfter heaþo-swāte hilde-gicelum,
wīg-bil wanian. Þæt wæs wundra sum,
þæt hit eal gemealt īse gelīcost,
ðonne forstes bend Fæder onlǣteð,
1610
onwindeð wǣl-rāpas, sē geweald hafað
sǣla ond mǣla; þæt is sōð Metod.
Ne nōm hē in þǣm wīcum, Weder-Gēata lēod,
māðm-ǣhta mā, þēh hē þǣr monige geseah,
būton þone hafelan ond þā hilt somod,
since fāge; sweord ǣr gemealt,
forbarn brōden-mǣl; wæs þæt blōd tō þæs hāt,
ættren ellor-gǣst, sē þǣr inne swealt.
Sōna wæs on sunde, sē þe ǣr æt sæcce gebād
wīg-hryre wrāðra, wæter up þurhdeāf;
1620
wǣron ȳð-gebland eal gefælsod,
ēacne eardas, þā se ellor-gāst
oflēt līf-dagas ond þās lǣnan gesceaft.
Cōm þā tō lande lid-manna helm
swīð-mōd swymman, sǣ-lāce gefeah,
mægen-byrþenne þāra þe hē him mid hæfde.
Ēodon him þā tōgēanes, Gode þancodon,
ðrȳðlīc þegna hēap, þēodnes gefēgon,
þæs þe hī hyne gesundne gesēon mōston.
Đā wæs of þǣm hrōran helm ond byrne
1630
lungre ālȳsed. Lagu drūsade,
wæter under wolcnum, wæl-drēore fāg.
ferhþum fægne, fold-weg mǣton,
cūþe strǣte; cyning-balde men
from þǣm holm-clife hafelan bǣron
earfoðlīce heora ǣghwæþrum
fela-mōdigra. Fēower scoldon
on þǣm wæl-stenge weorcum geferian
tō þǣm gold-sele Grendles hēafod,
1640
oþðæt semninga tō sele cōmon
frome, fyrd-hwate fēower-tȳne
Gēata gongan; gum-dryhten mid
mōdig on gemonge meodo-wongas træd.
Đā cōm in gān ealdor ðegna,
dǣd-cēne mon dōme gewurþad,
hæle hilde-dēor, Hrōðgār grētan.
Þā wæs be feaxe on flet boren
Grendles hēafod, þǣr guman druncon,
egeslīc for eorlum ond þǣre idese mid;
1650
wlite-sēon wrǣtlic weras on sāwon.
Bēowulf maþelode, bearn Ecgþēowes:
“Hwæt, wē þē þās sǣ-lāc, sunu Healfdenes,
lēod Scyldinga, lustum brōhton,
tīres tō tācne, þe þū hēr tō lōcast.
Ic þæt unsōfte ealdre gedīgde,
wigge under wætere, weorc genēþde
earfoðlīce; ætrihte wæs
gūð getwǣfed, nymðe mec God scylde.
Ne meahte ic æt hilde mid Hruntinge
1660
wiht gewyrcan, þēah þæt wǣpen duge;
ac mē geūðe ylda Waldend
þæt ic on wāge geseah wlitig hangian
eald-sweord ēacen —oftost wīsode
winigea lēasum— þæt ic ðȳ wǣpne gebrǣd.
Ofslōh ðā æt þǣre sæcce, þā mē sǣl āgeald,
hūses hyrdas. Þā þæt hilde-bil
forbarn, brogden-mǣl, swā þæt blōd gesprang,
hātost heaþo-swāta. Ic þæt hilt þanan
fēondum ætferede, fyren-dǣda wræc,
1670
dēað-cwealm Denigea, swā hit gedēfe wæs.
Ic hit þē þonne gehāte, þæt þū on Heorote mōst
sorh-lēas swefan mid þīnra secga gedryht,
ond þegna gehwylc þīnra lēoda,
duguðe ond iogoþe, þæt hū him ondrǣdan ne þearft,
þēoden Scyldinga, on þā healfe,
aldor-bealu eorlum, swā þū ǣr dydest.”
Đā wæs gylden hilt gamelum rince,
hārum hild-fruman on hand gyfen,
enta ǣr-geweorc; hit on ǣht gehwearf
1680
æfter dēofla hryre Denigea frēan,
wundor-smiþa geweorc; ond þā þās worold ofgeaf
grom-heort guma, Godes andsaca,
morðres scyldig, ond his mōdor ēac;
on geweald gehwearf worold-cyninga
ðǣm sēlestan be sǣm twēonum,
ðāra þe on Sceden-igge sceattas dǣlde.
Hrōðgār maðelode, hylt scēawode,
ealde lāfe. On ðǣm wæs ōr writen
fyrn-gewinnes, syðþan flōd ofslōh,
1690
gifen gēotende, gīganta cyn;
frēcne gefērdon; þæt wæs fremde þēod
ēcean Dryhtne; him þæs ende-lēan
þurh wæteres wylm Waldend sealde.
Swā wæs on ðǣm scennum scīran goldes
þurh rūn-stafas rihte gemearcod,
geseted ond gesǣd, hwām þæt sweord geworht,
īrena cyst, ǣrest wǣre,
wreoþen-hilt ond wyrm-fāh. Đā se wīsa spræc,
sunu Healfdenes —swīgedon ealle—:
1700
“Þæt lā mæg secgan, sē þe sōð ond riht
fremeð on folce, feor eal gemon,
eald ēðel-weard, þæt ðes eorl wǣre
geboren betera! Blǣd is ārǣred
geond wīd-wegas, wine mīn Bēowulf,
ðīn ofer þēoda gehwylce. Eal þū hit geþyldum healdest,
mægen mid mōdes snyttrum. Ic þē sceal mīne gelǣstan
frēode, swā wit furðum sprǣcon. Đū scealt tō frōfre
weorþan
eal lang-twīdig lēodum þīnum
hæleðum tō helpe.
Ne wearð Heremōd swā
1710
eaforum Ecgwelan, Ār-Scyldingum;
ne gewēox hē him tō willan, ac tō wæl-fealle
ond tō dēað-cwalum Deniga lēodum.
Brēat bolgen-mōd bēod-genēatas,
eaxl-gesteallan, oþþæt hē āna hwearf,
mǣre, þēoden, mon-drēamum from,
ðēah þe hine mihtig God mægenes wynnum,
eafeþum stēpte, ofer ealle men
forð gefremede. Hwæþere him on ferhþe grēow
brēost-hord blōd-rēow; nallas bēagas geaf
1720
Denum æfter dōme. Drēam-lēas gebād,
þæt hē þæs gewinnes weorc þrōwade,
lēod-bealo longsum. Đū þē lǣr be þon,
gum-cyste ongit! Ic þis gid be þē
āwræc wintrum frōd.
Wundor is tō secganne,
hū mihtig God manna cynne
þurh sīdne sefan snyttru bryttað,
eard ond eorlscipe; hē āh ealra geweald.
Hwīlum hē on lufan lǣteð hworfan
monnes mōd-geþonc mǣran cynnes,
1730
seleð him on ēþle eorþan wynne
tō healdanne, hlēo-burh wera;
gedēð him swā gewealdene worolde dǣlas,
sīde rīce, þæt hē his selfa ne mæg
for his unsnyttrum ende geþencean.
Wunað hē on wiste, nō hine wiht dweleð
ādl nē yldo, nē him inwit-sorh
on sefan sweorceð, nē gesacu ōhwǣr
ecg-hete ēoweð, ac him eal worold
wendeð on willan. Hē þæt wyrse ne con,
1740
oðþæt him on innan ofer-hygda dǣl
weaxeð ond wrīdað, þonne se weard swefeð,
sāwele hyrde; bið se slǣp tō fæst,
bisgum begunden; bona swīðe nēah,