BēowulfXXIV

1558 Geseah þā on searwum sige-ēadig bil,

1559 eald sweord eotenisc ecgum þȳhtig,

1560 wigena weorð-mynd: þæt wæs wǣpna cyst,

1561 būton hit wæs māre þonne ǣnig mon ōðer

1562 tō beadu-lāce ætberan meahte

1563 gōd and geatolīc gīganta geweorc.

1564 Hē gefēng þā fetel-hilt, freca Scildinga,

1565 hrēoh and heoro-grim hring-mǣl gebrægd,

1566 aldres orwēna, yrringa slōh,

1567 þæt hire wið halse heard grāpode,

1568 bān-hringas bræc, bil eal þurh-wōd

1569 fǣgne flǣsc-homan, hēo on flet gecrong;

1570 sweord wæs swātig, secg weorce gefeh.

1571 Līxte se lēoma, lēoht inne stōd,

1572 efne swā of hefene hādre scīneð

1573 rodores candel. Hē æfter recede wlāt,

1574 hwearf þā be wealle, wǣpen hafenade

1575 heard be hiltum Higelāces þegn,

1576 yrre and ān-rǣd. Næs sēo ecg fracod

1577 hilde-rince, ac hē hraðe wolde

1578 Grendle forgyldan gūð-rǣsa fela

1579 þāra þe hē geworhte tō West-Denum

1580 oftor micle þonne on ǣnne sīð,

1581 þonne hē Hrōðgāres heorð-genēatas

1582 slōh on sweofote, slǣpende fræt

1583 folces Denigea fȳf-tȳne men

1584 and ōðer swylc ūt of-ferede,

1585 lāðlīcu lāc. Hē him þæs lēan forgeald,

1586 rēðe cempa, tō þæs þe hē on ræste geseah

1587 gūð-wērigne Grendel licgan,

1588 aldor-lēasne, swā him ǣr gescōd

1589 hild æt Heorote; hrā wīde sprong,

1590 syððan hē æfter dēaðe drepe þrowade,

1591 heoro-sweng heardne, and hine þā hēafde becearf,

1592 Sōna þæt gesāwon snottre ceorlas,

1593 þā þe mid Hrōðgāre on holm wliton,

1594 þæt wæs ȳð-geblond eal gemenged,

1595 brim blōde fāh: blonden-feaxe

1596 gomele ymb gōdne ongeador sprǣcon,

1597 þæt hig þæs æðelinges eft ne wēndon,

1598 þæt hē sige-hrēðig sēcean cōme

1599 mǣrne þēoden; þā þæs monige gewearð,

1600 þæt hine sēo brim-wylf ābroten hæfde.

1601 Þā cōm nōn dæges. Næs ofgēafon

1602 hwate Scyldingas; gewāt him hām þonon

1603 gold-wine gumena. Gistas sētan,

1604 mōdes sēoce, and on mere staredon,

1605 wiston and ne wēndon, þæt hīe heora wine-drihten

1606 selfne gesāwon. Þā þæt sweord ongan

1607 æfter heaðo-swāte hilde-gicelum

1608 wīg-bil wanian; þæt wæs wundra sum,

1609 þæt hit eal gemealt īse gelīcost,

1610 þonne forstes bend fæder onlǣteð,

1611 onwindeð wæl-rāpas, sē þe geweald hafað

1612 sǣla and mǣla; þæt is sōð metod.

1613 Ne nom hē in þǣm wīcum, Weder-Gēata lēod,

1614 māðm-ǣhta mā, þēh hē þǣr monige geseah,

1615 būton þone hafelan and þā hilt somod,

1616 since fāge; sweord ǣr gemealt,

1617 forbarn brōden mǣl: wæs þæt blōd tō þæs hāt,

1618 ǣttren ellor-gǣst, sē þǣr inne swealt.

1619 Sōna wæs on sunde, sē þe ǣr æt sæcce gebād

1620 wīg-hryre wrāðra, wæter up þurh-dēaf;

1621 wǣron ȳð-gebland eal gefǣlsod,

1622 ēacne eardas, þā se ellor-gāst

1623 oflēt līf-dagas and þās lǣnan gesceaft.

1624 Cōm þā tō lande lid-manna helm

1625 swīð-mōd swymman, sǣ-lāce gefeah,

1626 mægen-byrðenne þāra þe hē him mid hæfde.

1627 Ēodon him þā tōgēanes, gode þancodon,

1628 þrȳðlīc þegna hēap, þēodnes gefēgon,

1629 þæs þe hī hyne gesundne gesēon mōston.

1630 Þā wæs of þǣm hrōran helm and byrne

1631 lungre ālȳsed: lagu drūsade,

1632 wæter under wolcnum, wæl-drēore fāg.

1633 Fērdon forð þonon fēðe-lāstum

1634 ferhðum fægne, fold-weg mǣton,

1635 cūðe strǣte; cyning-balde men

1636 from þǣm holm-clife hafelan bǣron

1637 earfoðlīce heora ǣghwæðrum

1638 fela-mōdigra: fēower scoldon

1639 on ðæm wæl-stenge weorcum geferian

1640 tō þǣm gold-sele Grendles hēafod,

1641 oð þæt semninga tō sele cōmon

1642 frome fyrd-hwate fēower-tȳne

1643 Gēata gongan; gum-dryhten mid

1644 mōdig on gemonge meodo-wongas træd.

1645 Þā cōm in gān ealdor þegna,

1646 dǣd-cēne mon dōme gewurðad,

1647 hæle hilde-dēor. Hrōðgār grētan:

1648 Þā wæs be feaxe on flet boren

1649 Grendles hēafod, þǣr guman druncon,

1650 egeslīc for eorlum and þǣre idese mid:

1651 wlite-sēon wrǣtlīc weras onsāwon.