Bēowulf XII
81 lines
711 Þā cōm of mōre under mist-hleoðum
712 Grendel gongan, godes yrre bær.
713 Mynte se mān-scaða manna cynnes
714 sumne besyrwan in sele þām hēan;
715 wōd under wolcnum, tō þæs þe hē wīn-reced,
716 gold-sele gumena, gearwost wisse
717 fǣttum fāhne. Ne wæs þæt forma sīð,
718 þæt hē Hrōðgāres hām gesōhte:
719 nǣfre hē on aldor-dagum ǣr nē siððan
720 heardran hæle, heal-þegnas fand!
721 Cōm þā tō recede rinc sīðian
722 drēamum bedǣled. Duru sōna onarn
723 fȳr-bendum fæst, syððan hē hire folmum hrān;
724 onbræd þā bealo-hȳdig, þā hē ābolgen wæs,
725 recedes mūðan. Raðe æfter þon
726 on fāgne flōr fēond treddode,
727 ēode yrre-mōd; him of ēagum stōd
728 līge gelīcost lēoht unfǣger.
729 Geseah hē in recede rinca manige,
730 swefan sibbe-gedriht samod ætgædere,
731 mago-rinca hēap: þā his mōd āhlōg,
732 mynte þæt hē gedǣlde, ǣr þon dæg cwōme,
733 atol āglǣca, ānra gehwylces
734 līf wið līce, þā him ālumpen wæs
735 wist-fylle wēn. Ne wæs þæt wyrd þā gēn,
736 þæt hē mā mōste manna cynnes
737 þicgean ofer þā niht. Þrȳð-swȳð behēold
738 mǣg Higelāces, hū se mān-scaða
739 under fǣr-gripum gefaran wolde.
740 Nē þæt se āglǣca yldan þōhte,
741 ac hē gefēng hraðe forman siðe
742 slǣpendne rinc, slāt unwearnum,
743 bāt bān-locan, blōd ēdrum dranc,
744 syn-snǣdum swealh: sōna hæfde
745 unlyfigendes eal gefeormod
746 fēt and folma. Forð nēar ætstōp,
747 nam þā mid handa hige-þīhtigne
748 rinc on ræste; rǣhte ongēan
749 fēond mid folme, hē onfēng hraðe
750 inwit-þancum and wið earm gesæt.
751 Sōna þæt onfunde fyrena hyrde,
752 þæt hē ne mētte middan-geardes
753 eorðan scēata on elran men
754 mund-gripe māran: hē on mōde wearð
755 forht on ferhðe, nō þȳ ǣr fram meahte;
756 hyge wæs him hin-fūs, wolde on heolster flēon,
757 sēcan dēofla gedræg: ne wæs his drohtoð þǣr,
758 swylce hē on ealder-dagum ǣr gemētte.
759 Gemunde þā se gōda mǣg Higelāces
760 ǣfen-sprǣce, up-lang āstōd
761 and him fæste wiðfēng. Fingras burston;
762 eoten wæs ūt-weard, eorl furður stōp.
763 Mynte se mǣra, þǣr hē meahte swā,
764 wīdre gewindan and on weg þanon
765 flēon on fen-hopu; wiste his fingra geweald
766 on grames grāpum. Þæt wæs gēocor sīð,
767 þæt se hearm-scaða tō Heorute ātēah:
768 dryht-sele dynede, Denum eallum wearð,
769 ceaster-būendum, cēnra gehwylcum,
770 eorlum ealu-scerwen. Yrre wǣron bēgen,
771 rēðe rēn-weardas. Reced hlynsode;
772 þā wæs wundor micel, þæt se wīn-sele
773 wiðhæfde heaðo-dēorum, þæt hē on hrūsan ne fēol,
774 fǣger fold-bold; ac hē þæs fæste wæs
775 innan and ūtan īren-bendum
776 searo-þoncum besmiðod. Þǣr fram sylle ābēag
777 medu-benc monig mīne gefrǣge,
778 golde geregnad, þǣr þā graman wunnon;
779 þæs ne wēndon ǣr witan Scyldinga,
780 þæt hit ā mid gemete manna ǣnig
781 betlīc and bān-fāg tōbrecan meahte,
782 listum tōlūcan, nymðe līges fæðm
783 swulge on swaðule. Swēg up āstāg
784 nīwe geneahhe; Norð-Denum stōd
785 atelīc egesa ānra gehwylcum
786 þāra þe of wealle wōp gehȳrdon,
787 gryre-lēoð galan godes andsacan,
788 sige-lēasne sang, sār wānigean
789 helle hæftan. Hēold hine tō fæste
790 sē þe manna wæs mægene strengest
791 on þǣm dæge þysses līfes.