Bēowulf II
62 lines
53 Þā wæs on burgum Bēowulf Scyldinga,
54 lēof lēod-cyning, longe þrāge
55 folcum gefrǣge (fæder ellor hwearf,
56 aldor of earde), oð þæt him eft onwōc
57 hēah Healfdene; hēold þenden lifde,
58 gamol and gūð-rēow, glæde Scyldingas.
59 Þǣm fēower bearn forð-gerīmed
60 in worold wōcun, weoroda rǣswan,
61 Heorogār and Hrōðgār and Hālga til;
62 hȳrde ic, þat Elan cwēn Ongenþēowes wæs
63 Heaðoscilfinges heals-gebedde.
64 Þā wæs Hrōðgāre here-spēd gyfen,
65 wīges weorð-mynd, þæt him his wine-māgas
66 georne hȳrdon, oð þæt sēo geogoð gewēox,
67 mago-driht micel. Him on mōd bearn,
68 þæt heal-reced hātan wolde,
69 medo-ærn micel men gewyrcean,
70 þone yldo bearn ǣfre gefrūnon,
71 and þǣr on innan eall gedǣlan
72 geongum and ealdum, swylc him god sealde,
73 būton folc-scare and feorum gumena.
74 Þā ic wīde gefrægn weorc gebannan
75 manigre mǣgðe geond þisne middan-geard,
76 folc-stede frætwan. Him on fyrste gelomp
77 ǣdre mid yldum, þæt hit wearð eal gearo,
78 heal-ærna mǣst; scōp him Heort naman,
79 sē þe his wordes geweald wīde hæfde.
80 Hē bēot ne ālēh, bēagas dǣlde,
81 sinc æt symle. Sele hlīfade
82 hēah and horn-gēap: heaðo-wylma bād,
83 lāðan līges; ne wæs hit lenge þā gēn
84 þæt se ecg-hete āðum-swerian
85 æfter wæl-nīðe wæcnan scolde.
86 Þā se ellen-gǣst earfoðlīce
87 þrāge geþolode, sē þe in þȳstrum bād,
88 þæt hē dōgora gehwām drēam gehȳrde
89 hlūdne in healle; þǣr wæs hearpan swēg,
90 swutol sang scopes. Sægde sē þe cūðe
91 frum-sceaft fīra feorran reccan,
92 cwæð þæt se ælmihtiga eorðan worhte,
93 wlite-beorhtne wang, swā wæter bebūgeð,
94 gesette sige-hrēðig sunnan and mōnan
95 lēoman tō lēohte land-būendum,
96 and gefrætwade foldan scēatas
97 leomum and lēafum; līf ēac gesceōp
98 cynna gehwylcum, þāra þe cwice hwyrfað.
99 Swā þā driht-guman drēamum lifdon
100 ēadiglīce, oð þæt ān ongan
101 fyrene fremman, fēond on helle:
102 wæs se grimma gæst Grendel hāten,
103 mǣre mearc-stapa, sē þe mōras hēold,
104 fen and fæsten; fīfel-cynnes eard
105 won-sǣlig wer weardode hwīle,
106 siððan him scyppend forscrifen hæfde.
107 In Caines cynne þone cwealm gewræc,
108 ēce drihten, þæs þe hē Ābel slōg;
109 ne gefeah hē þǣre fǣhðe, ac hē hine feor forwræc,
110 metod for þȳ māne man-cynne fram.
111 Þanon untȳdras ealle onwōcon,
112 eotenas and ylfe and orcnēas,
113 swylce gīgantas, þā wið gode wunnon
114 lange þrāge; hē him þæs lēan forgeald.