sē þe of flān-bogan fyrenum scēoteð.
Þonne bið on hreþre under helm drepen
biteran strǣle— him bebeorgan ne con—
wōm wundor-bebodum wergan gāstes.
Þinceð him tō lȳtel þæt hē tō lange hēold;
gȳtsað grom-hȳdig, nallas on gylp seleð
1750
fǣtte bēagas; ond hē þā forð-gesceaft
forgyteð ond forgȳmeð, þæs þe him ǣr God sealde,
wuldres Waldend, weorð-mynda dǣl.
Hit on ende-stæf eft gelimpeð,
þæt se līc-homa lǣne gedrēoseð,
fǣge gefealleð; fēhð ōþer tō,
sē þe unmurnlīce mādmas dǣleþ
eorles ǣr-gestrēon, egesan ne gȳmeð.
Bebeorh þē ðone bealo-nīð, Bēowulf lēofa,
secg betsta, ond þē þæt sēlre gecēos,
1760
ēce rǣdas; ofer-hȳda ne gȳm,
mǣre cempa! Nū is þines mægnes blǣd
āne hwīle; eft sōna bið
þæt þec ādl oððe ecg eafoþes getwǣfeð,
oððe fȳres feng oððe flōdes wylm
oððe gripe mēces oððe gāres fliht
oððe atol yldo, oððe ēagena bearhtm
forsiteð ond forsworceð; semninga bið,
þæt ðec, dryht-guma, dēað oferswȳðeð.
“Swā ic Hring-Dena hund missēra
1770
wēold under wolcnum, ond hig wigge belēac
manigum mǣgþa geond þysne middan-geard,
æscum ond ecgum, þæt ic mē ǣnigne
under swegles begong gesacan ne tealde.
Hwæt mē þæs on ēþle edwenden cwōm,
gyrn æfter gomene, seoþðan Grendel wearð,
eald-gewinna, ingenga mīn;
ic þǣre sōcne singāles wæg
mōd-ceare micle. Þæs sig Metode þanc,
ēcean Dryhtne, þæs ðe ic on aldre gebād,
1780
þæt ic on þone hafelan heoro-drēorigne
ofer eald gewin ēagum starige!
Gā nū tō setle, symbel-wynne drēoh,
wīg-geweorþad; unc sceal worn fela
māþma gemǣnra, siþðan morgen bið.”
Gēat wæs glæd-mōd, gēong sōna tō,
setles nēosan, swā se snottra heht.
Þā wæs eft swā ǣr ellen-rōfum,
flet-sittendum fægere gereorded
nīowan stefne. Niht-helm geswearc
1790
deorc ofer dryht-gumum. Duguð eal ārās;
wolde blonden-feax beddes nēosan,
gamela Scylding. Gēat unigmetes wēl,
rōfne rand-wigan, restan lyste.
Sōna him sele-þegn sīðes wērgum,
feorran-cundum forð wīsade,
sē for andrysnum ealle beweotede
þegnes þearfe, swylce þȳ dōgore
heaþo-līðende habban scoldon.
Reste hine þā rūm-heort; reced hlīuade
1800
gēap ond gold-fāh; gæst inne swæf,
oþþæt hrefn blaca heofones wynne
blīð-heort bodode. Đā cōm beorht scacan
scīma æfter sceadwe. Scaþan ōnetton,
wǣron æþelingas eft tō lēodum
fūse tō farenne; wolde feor þanon
cuma collen-ferhð cēoles nēosan.
Heht þā se hearda Hrunting beran
sunu Ecglāfes, heht his sweord niman,
lēoflīc īren; sægde him þæs lēanes þanc,
1810
cwæð, hē þone gūð-wine gōdne tealde,
wīg-cræftigne, nales wordum lōg
mēces ecge: þæt wæs mōdig secg.
Ond þā sīð-frome, searwum gearwe
wīgend wǣron; ēode weorð Denum
æþeling tō yppan, þǣr se ōþer wæs,
hæle hilde-dēor Hrōðgār grētte.
Bēowulf maþelode, bearn Ecgþēowes:
“Nū wē sǣ-līðend secgan wyllað,
feorran cumene, þæt wē fundiaþ
1820
Higelāc sēcan. Wǣron hēr tela,
willum bewenede; þū ūs wēl dohtest.
Gif ic þonne on eorþan ōwihte mæg
þīnre mōd-lufan māran tilian,
gumena dryhten, ðonne ic gȳt dyde,
gūð-geweorca, ic bēo gearo sōna.
Gif ic þæt gefricge ofer flōda begang,
þæt þec ymb-sittend egesan þȳwað,
swā þec hetende hwīlum dydon,
ic ðē þūsenda þegna bringe,
1830
hæleþa tō helpe. Ic on Higelāc wāt,
Gēata dryhten, þēah ðe hē geong sȳ,
folces hyrde, þæt hē mec fremman wile
wordum ond weorcum, þæt ic þē wēl herige
ond þē tō gēoce gār-holt bere,
mægenes fultum, þǣr ðē bið manna þearf.
Gif him þonne Hreþric to hofum Geata
geþingeð, þēodnes bearn, hē mæg þǣr fela
frēonda findan; feor-cȳþðe bēoð
sēlran gesōhte þǣm þe him selfa dēah.”
1840
Hrōðgār maþelode him on andsware:
“Þē þā word-cwydas wigtig Drihten
on sefan sende; ne hȳrde ic snotorlīcor
on swā geongum feore guman þingian.
Þū eart mægenes strang ond on mōde frōd,
wīs word-cwida. Wēn ic talige,
gif þæt gegangeð, þæt ðe gār nymeð,
hild heoru-grimme Hrēþles eaferan,
ādl oþðe īren ealdor ðīnne,
folces hyrde, ond þū þīn feorh hafast,
1850
þæt þē Sǣ-Gēatas sēlran næbben
tō gecēosenne cyning ǣnigne,
hord-weard hæleþa, gyf þū healdan wylt
māga rīce. Mē þīn mōd-sefa
līcað leng swā wēl, lēofa Bēowulf.
Hafast þū gefēred þæt þām folcum sceal,
Gēata lēodum ond Gār-Denum,
sib gemǣne ond sacu restan,
inwit-nīþas, þē hīe ǣr drugon,
wesan, þenden ic wealde wīdan rīces,
1860
māþmas gemǣne, manig ōþerne
sceal hring-naca ofer heafu bringan
lāc ond luf-tācen. Ic þā lēode wāt
gē wið fēond gē wið frēond fæste geworhte,
ǣghwæs untǣle ealde wīsan.”
Đā gīt him eorla hlēo inne gesealde,
mago Healfdenes māþmas twelfe,
hēt hine mid þǣm lācum lēode swǣse
sēcean on gesyntum, snūde eft cuman.
1870
Gecyste þā cyning æþelum gōd,
þēoden Scyldinga ðegn betstan
ond be healse genam; hruron him tēaras,
blonden-feaxum. Him wæs bēga wēn,
ealdum, infrōdum, ōþres swīðor,
þæt hīe seoððan nā gesēon mōston,
mōdige on meþle. Wæs him se man tō þon lēof,
þæt hē þone brēost-wylm forberan ne mehte;
ac him on hreþre hyge-bendum fæst
æfter dēorum men dyrne langað
1880
beorn wið blōde. Him Bēowulf þanan,
gūð-rinc gold-wlanc, græs-moldan træd,
since hrēmig. Sǣ-genga bād
āgend-frēan, sē þe on ancre rād.
Þā wæs on gange gifu Hrōðgāres
oft geæhted. Þæt wæs ān cyning,
ǣghwæs orleahtre, oþþæt hine yldo benam
mægenes wynnum sē þe oft mangeum scōd.
Cwōm þā tō flōde fela-mōdigra
hæg-stealdra hēap; hring-net bǣron,
1890
locene leoðo-syrcan. Land-weard onfand
eft-sīð eorla, swā he ǣr dyde;
nō hē mid hearm
e of hliðes nosan
gæstas grētte, ac him tōgēanes rād;
cwæð þæt wil-cuman Wedera lēodum
scaþan scīr-hame tō scipe fōron.
Þā wæs on sande sǣ-gēap naca
hladen here-wǣdum, hringed-stefna
mēarum ond māðmum; mæst hlīfade
ofer Hrōðgāres hord-gestrēonum.
1900
Hē þǣm bāt-wearde bunden golde
swurd gesealde, þæt hē syðþan wæs
on meodu-bence māþme þȳ weorþra,
yrfe-lāfe. Gewāt him on naca,
drēfan dēop wæter, Dena land ofgeaf.
Þā wæs be mæste mere-hrægla sum,
segl sāle fæst; sund-wudu þunede;
nō þǣr wēg-flotan wind ofer ȳðum
sīðes getwǣfde. Sǣ-genga fōr,
flēat fāmig-heals forð ofer ȳðe,
1910
bunden-stefna ofer brim-strēamas,
þæt hīe Gēata clifu ongitan meahton,
cūþe næssas; cēol up geþrang
lyft-geswenced, on lande stōd.
Hraþe wæs æt holme bȳð-weard geara,
sē þe ǣr lange tīd lēofra manna
fūs æt faroðe feor wlātode.
Sǣlde tō sande sīd-fæþme scip
oncer-bendum fæst, þȳ lǣs hym ȳþa ðrym
wudu wynsuman forwrecan meahte.
Hēt þā up beran æþelinga gestrēon,
frætwe ond fǣt-gold; næs him feor þanon
tō gesēcanne sinces bryttan,
Higelāc Hrēþling, þǣr æt hām wunað
selfa mid gesīðum sǣ-wealle nēah.
Bold wæs betlīc, brego-rōf cyning,
hēah on healle, Hygd swīðe geong,
wīs, wēl-þungen, þēah ðe wintra lȳt
under burh-locan gebiden hæbbe,
Hæreþes dohtor; næs hīo hnāh swā þēah,
1930
nē tō gnēað gifa Gēata lēodum
māþm-gestrēona; Mōdþrȳðo wæg
fremu folces cwēn, firen’ ondrysne.
Nǣnig þæt dorste dēor genēþan
swǣsra gesīða, nefne sin-frēa,
þæt hire an dæges ēagum starede;
ac him wæl-bende weotode tealde,
hand-gewriþene; hraþe seoþðan wæs
æfter mund-gripe mēce geþinged,
þæt hit sceāden-mǣl scȳran mōste,
1940
cwealm-bealu cȳðan. Ne bið swylc cwēnlīc þēaw
idese tō efnanne, þēah ðe hīo ǣnlicu sȳ,
þætte freoðu-webbe fēores onsǣce
æfter lige-torne lēofne mannan.
Hūru þæt onhōhsnode Hemminges mǣg.
Ealo-drincende ōðer sǣdan,
þæt hīo lēod-bealewa lǣs gefremede,
inwit-nīða, syððan ǣrest wearð
gyfen gold-hroden geongum cempan,
æðelum dīore, syððan hīo Offan flet
1950
ofer fealone flōd be fæder lāre
sīðe gesōhte. Đǣr hīo syððan well
in gum-stōle, gōde mǣre,
līf-gesceafta lifigende brēac,
hīold hēah-lufan wið hæleþa brego,
ealles mon-cynnes mīne gefrǣge
þone sēlestan bī sǣm twēonum,
eormen-cynnes. Forðām Offa wæs
geofum ond gūðum, gār-cēne man
wīde geweorðod; wīsdōme hēold
1960
ēðel sīnne. Þonon Ēomēr wōc
hæleðum tō helpe, Hemminges mǣg,
nefa Gārmundes, nīða cræftig.
Gewāt him ðā se hearda mid his hond-scole
sylf æfter sande sǣ-wong tredan,
wīde waroðas; woruld-candel scān,
sigel sūðan fūs. Hī sīð drugon,
elne geēodon, tō ðæs ðe eorla hlēo,
bonan Ongenþēoes burgum in innan,
geongne gūð-cyning gōdne gefrūnon
1970
hringas dǣlan. Higelāce wæs
sīð Bēowulfes snūde gecȳðed,
þæt ðǣr on worðig wīgendra hlēo,
lind-gestealla lifigende cwōm,
heaðo-lāces hāl tō hofe gongan.
Hraðe wæs gerȳmed, swā se rīca bebēad,
fēðe-gestum flet innanweard.