sēcean wyn-lēas wīc; wiste þē geornor,
þæt his aldres wæs ende gegongen,
dōgera dæg-rīm. Denum eallum wearð
æfter þām wæl-rǣse willa gelumpen.
Hæfde þā gefǣlsod, sē þe ǣr feorran cōm,
snotor ond swȳð-ferhð, sele Hrōðgāres,
genered wið nīðe. Niht-weorce gefeh,
ellen-mǣrþum. Hæfde Ēast-Denum
Gēat-mecga lēod gilp gelǣsted,
830
swylce oncȳþðe ealle gebētte,
inwid-sorge, þē hīe ǣr drugon
ond for þrēa-nȳdum þolian scoldon,
torn unlȳtel. Þæt wæs tācen sweotol,
syþðan hilde-dēor hond ālegde,
earm ond eaxle —þǣr wæs eal geador
Grendles grāpe— under gēapne hrōf.
Đā wæs on morgen, mīne gefrǣge,
ymb þā gif-healle gūð-rinc monig;
fērdon folc-togan feorran ond nēan
840
geond wīd-wegas wundor scēawian,
lāþes lāstas. Nō his līf-gedāl
sārlīc þūhte secga ǣnegum,
þāra þe tīr-lēases trode scēawode,
hū hē wērig-mōd on weg þanon,
nīða ofercumen, on nicera mere,
fǣge ond geflȳmed feorh-lāstas bær.
Đǣr wæs on blōde brim weallende,
atol ȳða geswing, eal gemenged,
hāton heolfre, heoro-drēore wēol;
850
dēað-fǣge dēog, siððan drēama lēas
in fen-freoðo feorh ālegde,
hǣþene sāwle; þǣr him hel onfēng.
Þanon eft gewiton eald-gesīðas,
swylce geong manig of gomen-wāþe,
fram mere mōdge mēarum rīdan,
beornas on blancum. Đǣr wǣs Bēowulfes
mǣrðo mǣned; monig oft gecwæð,
þætto sūð nē norð be sǣm twēonum
ofer eormen-grund ōþer nǣnig
860
under swegles begong sēlra nǣre
rond-hæbbendra, rīces wyrðra.
Nē hīe hūru wine-drihten wiht ne lōgon,
glædne Hrōðgār, ac þæt wæs gōd cyning.
Hwīlum heaþo-rōfe hlēapan lēton,
on geflit faran fealwe mēaras,
ðǣr him fold-wegas fægere þūhton,
cystum cūðe; hwīlum cyninges þegn,
guma gilp-hlæden, gidda gemyndig,
sē ðe eal-fela eald-gesegena
870
worn gemunde, word ōþer fand
sōðe gebunden. Secg eft ongan
sīð Bēowulfes snyttrum styrian
ond on spēd wrecan spel gerāde,
wordum wrixlan. Wēl-hwylc gecwæð,
þæt hē fram Sigemunde secgan hȳrde,
ellen-dǣdum, uncūþes fela,
Wælsinges gewin, wīde sīðas,
þāra þe gumena bearn gearwe ne wiston,
fǣhðe ond fyrena, būton Fitela mid hine,
880
þonne hē swulces hwæt secgan wolde,
ēam his nefan, swā hīe ā wǣron
æt nīða gehwām nȳd-gesteallan;
hæfdon eal-fela eotena cynnes
sweordum gesǣged. Sigemunde gesprong
æfter dēað-dæge dōm unlȳtel,
syþðan wīges heard wyrm ācwealde,
hordes hyrde. Hē under hārne stān,
æþelinges bearn, āna genēðde
frēcne dǣde; ne wæs him Fitela mid;
890
hwæþre him gesǣlde, ðæt þæt swurd þurhwōd
wrǣtlīcne wyrm, þæt hit on wealle æstōd,
dryhtlīc īren; draca morðre swealt.
Hæfde āglǣca elne gegongen,
þæt hē bēah-hordes brūcan mōste
selfes dōme; sǣ-bāt gehleōd,
bær on bearm scipes beorhte frætwa,
Wælses eafera; wyrm hāt gemealt.
Sē wæs wreccena wīde mǣrost
ofer wer-þēode, wīgendra hlēo,
900
ellen-dǣdum —hē þæs ǣr onðāh—
siððan Heremōdes hild sweðrode,
eafoð ond ellen; hē mid eotenum wearð
on fēonda geweald forð forlācen
snūde forsended. Hine sorh-wylmas
lemede tō lange; hē his lēodum wearð,
eallum æþellingum tō aldor-ceare.
Swylce oft bemearn ǣrran mǣlum
swīð-ferhþes sīð snotor ceorl monig,
sē þe him bealwa tō bōte gelȳfde,
910
þæt þæt ðēodnes bearn geþēon scolde,
fæder-æþelum onfōn, folc gehealdan,
hord ond hlēo-burh, hæleþa rīce,
ēðel Scyldinga. Hē þǣr eallum wearð,
mǣg Higelāces, manna cynne,
frēondum gefægra; hine fyren onwōd.
Hwīlum flītende fealwe strǣte
mēarum mǣton. Đā wæs morgen-lēoht
scofen ond scynded. Ēode scealc monig
swīð-hicgende tō sele þām hēan,
920
searo-wundor sēon; swylce self cyning
of brȳd-būre, bēah-horda weard,
tryddode tīr-fæst getrume micle,
cystum gecȳþed, ond his cwēn mid him
medo-stigge mæt mægþa hōse.
Hrōðgār maþelode —hē tō healle gēong,
stōd on stapole, geseah stēapne hrōf
golde fāhne ond Grendles hond:
“Đisse ansȳne Al-wealdan þanc
lungre gelimpe! Fela ic lāþes gebād,
930
grynna æt Grendle; ā mæg God wyrcan
wunder æfter wundre, wuldres Hyrde.
Đæt wæs ungeāra, þæt ic ǣnigra mē
wēana ne wēnde tō wīdan feore
bōte gebīdan, þonne blōde fāh
hūsa sēlest heoro-drērig stōd,
wēa wīd-scofen witena gehwylcum
ðāra þe ne wēndon, þæt hīe wīde-ferhð
lēoda land-geweorc lāþum beweredon
scuccum ond scinnum. Nū scealc hafað
940
ðe wē ealle ǣr ne meahton
snyttrum besyrwan. Hwæt, þæt secgan mæg
efne swā hwylc mægþa, swā ðone magan cende
æfter gum-cynnum, gyf hēo gȳt lyfað,
þæt hyre Eald-metod ēste wǣre
bearn-gebyrdo. Nū ic, Bēowulf, þec,
secg betsta, mē for sunu wylle
frēogan on ferhþe; heald forð tela
nīwe sibbe. Ne bið þē nǣnigre gād
950
worolde wilna, þē ic geweald hæbbe.
Ful oft ic for lǣssan lēan teohhode,
hord-weorþunge hnāhran rince,
sǣmran æt sæcce. Þū þē self hafast
dǣdum gefremed, þæt þīn dōm lyfað
āwa tō aldre. Al-walda þec
gōde forgylde, swā hē nū gȳt dyde!”
Bēowulf maþelode, bearn Ecgþēowes:
Wē þæt ellen-weorc ēstum miclum,
feohtan fremedon, frēcne genēðdon
960
eafoð uncūþes. Ūþe ic swīþor,
þæt ðū hine selfne gesēon mōste,
fēond on frætewum fyl-wērigne!
Ic hine hrædlīce heardan clammum
on wæl-bedde wrīþan þōhte,
þæt hē for mund-gripe mīnum scolde
licgean līf-bysig, būtan his līc swice.
Ic hine ne mihte, þē Metod nolde,
ganges getwǣman, nō ic him þæs georne ætfealh,
feorh-genīðlan; wæs tō fore-mihtig
970
fēond on fēþe. Hwæþere hē his folme forlēt
tō līf-wraþe lāst weardian,
earm ond eaxle; nō þǣr ǣnige swā þēah
fēasceaft gu
ma frōfre gebohte;
nō þȳ leng leofað lāð-getēona
synnum geswenced, ac hyne sār hafað
in nīd-gripe nearwe befongen,
balwon bendum; ðǣr ābīdan sceal
maga māne fāh miclan dōmes,
hū him scīr Metod scrīfan wille.”
980
Đā wæs swīgra secg, sunu Ecglāfes,
on gylp-sprǣce gūð-geweorca,
siþðan æþelingas eorles cræfte
ofer hēanne hrōf hand scēawedon,
fēondes fingras. Foran ǣghwylc wæs,
steda nægla gehwylc stȳle gelīcost,
hǣþenes hand-sporu, hilde-rinces
egl unhēoru. Ǣghwylc gecwæð
þæt him heardra nān hrīnan wolde
īren ǣr-gōd, þæt ðæs āhlǣcan
990
blōdge beadu-folme onberan wolde.
Đā wæs hāten hreþe Heort innanweard
folmum gefrætwod; fela þǣra wæs,
wera ond wīfa, þe þæt wīn-reced,
gest-sele gyredon. Gold-fāg scinon
web æfter wāgum, wundor-sı īona fela
secga gehwylcum þāra þe on swylc starað.
Wæs þæt beorhte bold tōbrocen swīðe,
eal inneweard īren-bendum fæst,
heorras tōhlidene; hrōf āna genæs
ealles ansund, þē se āglǣca
fyren-dǣdum fāg on flēam gewand,
aldres orwēna. Nō þæt ȳðe byð
tō beflēonne —fremme sē þe wille—
ac gesēcan sceal sāwl-berendra
nȳde genȳdde, niþða bearna,
grund-būendra gearwe stōwe,
þǣr his līc-homa, leger-bedde fæst,
swefeþ æfter symle.
Þā wæs sǣl ond mǣl
þæt tō healle gang Healfdenes sunu;
1010
wolde self cyning symbel þicgan.
Ne gefrægen ic þā mǣgþe māran weorode
ymb hyra sinc-gyfan sēl gebǣran.
Bugon þā tō bence blǣd-āgande,
fylle gefǣgon; fægere geþǣgon
medo-ful manig māgas þāra,
swīð-hicgende, on sele þām hēan,
Hrōðgār ond Hroþulf. Heorot innan wæs
frēondum āfylled; nalles fācen-stafas
Þēod-Scyldingas þenden fremedon.
1020
Forgeaf þā Bēowulfe brand Healfdenes
segen gyldenne sigores tō lēane,
hroden hilde-cumbor, helm ond byrnan;
mǣre māðþum-sweord manige gesāwon
beforan beorn beran. Bēowulf geþah
ful on flette; nō hē þǣre feoh-gyfte
for sceotendum scamigan ðorfte.
Ne gefrægn ic frēondlīcor fēower mādmas
golde gegyrede gum-manna fela
in ealo-bence ōðrum gesellan.
1030
Ymb þæs helmes hrōf hēafod-beorge
wīrum bewunden walu ūtan hēold,
þæt him fēla lāfe frēcne ne meahton
scūr-heard sceþðan, þonne scyld-freca
ongēan gramum gangan scolde.
Heht ðā eorla hlēo eahta mēaras
fǣted-hlēore on flet tēon,
in under eoderas; þāra ānum stōd
sadol swearwum fāh, since gewurþad.
Þæt wæs hilde-setl hēah-cyninges,
1040
ðonne sweorda gelāc sunu Healfdenes
efnan wolde; nǣfre on ōre læg
wīd-cūþes wīg, ðonne walu fēollon.
Ond ðā Bēowulfe bēga gehwæþres
eodor Ingwina onweald getēah,
wicga ond wǣpna; hēt hine wēl brūcan.
Swā manlīce mǣre þēoden,
hord-weard hæleþa heaþo-rǣsas geald
mēarum ond mādmum, swā hȳ nǣfre man lyhð,
sē þe secgan wile sōð æfter rihte.
1050
Đā gȳt ǣghwylcum eorla drihten
þāra þe mid Bēowulfe brim-lāde tēah,
on þǣre medu-bence māþðum gesealde,
yrfe-lāfe, ond þone ǣnne heht
golde forgyldan, þone ðe Grendel ǣr
māne ācwealde, swā hē hyra mā wolde,