BēowulfXXIII

1474 Bēowulf maðelode, bearn Ecgþēowes:

1475 “geþenc nū, se mǣra maga Healfdenes,

1476 “snottra fengel, nū ic eom sīðes fūs,

1477 “gold-wine gumena, hwæt wit geō sprǣcon,

1478 “gif ic æt þearfe þīnre scolde

1479 “aldre linnan, þæt þū mē ā wǣre

1480 “forð-gewitenum on fæder stǣle;

1481 “wes þū mund-bora mīnum mago-þegnum,

1482 “hond-gesellum, gif mec hild nime:

1483 “swylce þū þā mādmas, þē þū mē sealdest,

1484 “Hrōðgār lēofa, Higelāce onsend.

1485 “Mæg þonne on þǣm golde ongitan Gēata dryhten,

1486 “gesēon sunu Hrēðles, þonne hē on þæt sinc starað,

1487 “þæt ic gum-cystum gōdne funde

1488 “bēaga bryttan, brēac þonne mōste.

1489 “And þū Unferð lǣt ealde lāfe,

1490 “wrǣtlīc wǣg-sweord wīd-cūðne man

1491 “heard-ecg habban; ic mē mid Hruntinge

1492 “dōm gewyrce, oððe mec dēað nimeð.”

1493 Æfter þǣm wordum Weder-Gēata lēod

1494 efste mid elne, nalas andsware

1495 bīdan wolde; brim-wylm onfēng

1496 hilde-rince. Þā wæs hwīl dæges,

1497 ǣr hē þone grund-wong ongytan mehte.

1498 Sōna þæt onfunde, sē þe flōda begong

1499 heoro-gīfre behēold hund missēra,

1500 grim and grǣdig, þæt þǣr gumena sum

1501 æl-wihta eard ufan cunnode.

1502 Grāp þā tōgēanes, gūð-rinc gefēng

1503 atolan clommum; nō þȳ ǣr in gescōd

1504 hālan līce: hring ūtan ymb-bearh,

1505 þæt hēo þone fyrd-hom þurh-fōn ne mihte,

1506 locene leoðo-syrcan lāðan fingrum.

1507 Bær þā sēo brim-wylf, þā hēo tō botme cōm,

1508 hringa þengel tō hofe sīnum,

1509 swā hē ne mihte nō (hē þæs mōdig wæs)

1510 wǣpna gewealdan, ac hine wundra þæs fela

1511 swencte on sunde, sǣ-dēor monig

1512 hilde-tūxum here-syrcan bræc,

1513 ēhton āglǣcan. Þā se eorl ongeat,

1514 þæt hē in nið-sele nāt-hwylcum wæs,

1515 þǣr him nǣnig wæter wihte ne sceðede,

1516 nē him for hrōf-sele hrīnan ne mehte

1517 fǣr-gripe flōdes: fȳr-lēoht geseah,

1518 blācne lēoman beorhte scīnan.

1519 Ongeat þā se gōda grund-wyrgenne,

1520 mere-wīf mihtig; mægen-rǣs forgeaf

1521 hilde-bille, hond swenge ne oftēah,

1522 þæt hire on hafelan hring-mǣl āgōl

1523 grǣdig gūð-lēoð. Þā se gist onfand,

1524 þæt se beado-lēoma bītan nolde,

1525 aldre sceððan, ac sēo ecg geswāc

1526 þēodne æt þearfe: þolode ǣr fela

1527 hond-gemōta, helm oft gescær,

1528 fǣges fyrd-hrægl: þæt wæs forma sīð

1529 dēorum māðme, þæt his dōm ālæg.

1530 Eft wæs ān-rǣd, nalas elnes læt,

1531 mǣrða gemyndig mǣg Hygelāces;

1532 wearp þā wunden-mǣl wrǣttum gebunden

1533 yrre ōretta, þæt hit on eorðan læg,

1534 stīð and stȳl-ecg; strenge getruwode,

1535 mund-gripe mægenes. Swā sceal man dōn,

1536 þonne hē æt gūðe gegān þenceð

1537 longsumne lof, nā ymb his līf cearað.

1538 Gefēng þā be eaxle (nalas for fǣhðe mearn)

1539 Gūð-Gēata lēod Grendles mōdor;

1540 brægd þā beadwe heard, þā hē gebolgen wæs,

1541 feorh-genīðlan, þæt hēo on flet gebēah.

1542 Hēo him eft hraðe and-lēan forgeald

1543 grimman grāpum and him tōgēanes fēng;

1544 oferwearp þā wērig-mōd wigena strengest,

1545 fēðe-cempa, þæt hē on fylle wearð.

1546 Ofsæt þā þone sele-gyst and hyre seaxe getēah,

1547 brād and brūn-ecg wolde hire bearn wrecan,

1548 āngan eaferan. Him on eaxle læg

1549 brēost-net brōden; þæt gebearh fēore,

1550 wið ord and wið ecge ingang forstōd.

1551 Hæfde þā forsīðod sunu Ecgþēowes

1552 under gynne grund, Gēata cempa,

1553 nemne him heaðo-byrne helpe gefremede,

1554 here-net hearde, and hālig god

1555 gewēold wīg-sigor, wītig drihten;

1556 rodera rǣdend hit on ryht gescēd,

1557 ȳðelīce syððan hē eft āstōd.