Bēowulf III
74 lines
115 Gewāt þā nēosian, syððan niht becōm,
116 hēan hūses, hū hit Hring-Dene
117 æfter bēor-þege gebūn hæfdon.
118 Fand þā þǣr inne æðelinga gedriht
119 swefan æfter symble; sorge ne cūðon,
120 won-sceaft wera. Wiht unhǣlo
121 grim and grǣdig gearo sōna wæs,
122 rēoc and rēðe, and on ræste genam
123 þrītig þegna: þanon eft gewāt
124 hūðe hrēmig tō hām faran,
125 mid þǣre wæl-fylle wīca nēosan.
126 Þā wæs on ūhtan mid ǣr-dæge
127 Grendles gūð-cræft gumum undyrne:
128 þā wæs æfter wiste wōp up āhafen,
129 micel morgen-swēg. Mǣre þēoden,
130 æðeling ǣr-gōd, unblīðe sæt,
131 þolode þrȳð-swȳð, þegn-sorge drēah,
132 syððan hīe þæs lāðan lāst scēawedon,
133 wergan gāstes; wæs þæt gewin tō strang,
134 lāð and longsum. Næs hit lengra fyrst,
135 ac ymb āne niht eft gefremede
136 morð-beala māre and nō mearn fore
137 fǣhðe and fyrene; wæs tō fæst on þām.
138 Þā wæs ēað-fynde, þē him elles hwǣr
139 gerūmlīcor ræste sōhte,
140 bed æfter būrum, þā him gebēacnod wæs,
141 gesægd sōðlīce sweotolan tācne
142 heal-þegnes hete; hēold hine syððan
143 fyr and fæstor, sē þǣm fēonde ætwand.
144 Swā rīxode and wið rihte wan
145 āna wið eallum, oð þæt īdel stōd
146 hūsa sēlest. Wæs sēo hwīl micel:
147 twelf wintra tīd torn geþolode
148 wine Scyldinga, wēana gehwelcne,
149 sīdra sorga; forþām syððan wearð
150 ylda bearnum undyrne cūð,
151 gyddum geōmore, þætte Grendel wan,
152 hwīle wið Hrōðgār;— hete-nīðas wæg,
153 fyrene and fǣhðe fela missēra,
154 singāle sæce, sibbe ne wolde
155 wið manna hwone mægenes Deniga
156 feorh-bealo feorran, fēo þingian,
157 nē þǣr nǣnig witena wēnan þorfte
158 beorhtre bōte tō banan folmum;
159 atol ǣglǣca ēhtende wæs,
160 deorc dēað-scūa duguðe and geogoðe
161 seomade and syrede. Sin-nihte hēold
162 mistige mōras; men ne cunnon,
163 hwyder hel-rūnan hwyrftum scrīðað.
164 Swā fela fyrena fēond man-cynnes,
165 atol ān-gengea, oft gefremede
166 heardra hȳnða; Heorot eardode,
167 sinc-fāge sel sweartum nihtum
168 (nō hē þone gif-stōl grētan mōste,
169 māððum for metode, nē his myne wisse);
170 þæt wæs wrǣc micel wine Scyldinga,
171 mōdes brecða. Monig-oft gesæt
172 rīce tō rūne; rǣd eahtedon,
173 hwæt swīð-ferhðum sēlest wǣre
174 wið fǣr-gryrum tō gefremmanne.
175 Hwīlum hīe gehēton æt hærg-trafum
176 wīg-weorðunga, wordum bǣdon,
177 þæt him gāst-bona gēoce gefremede
178 wið þēod-þrēaum. Swylc wæs þēaw hyra,
179 hǣðenra hyht; helle gemundon
180 in mōd-sefan, metod hīe ne cūðon,
181 dǣda dēmend, ne wiston hīe drihten god,
182 nē hīe hūru heofena helm herian ne cūðon,
183 wuldres waldend. Wā bið þǣm þe sceal
184 þurh slīðne nīð sāwle bescūfan
185 in fȳres fæðm, frōfre ne wēnan,
186 wihte gewendan; wēl bið þǣm þe mōt
187 æfter dēað-dæge drihten sēcean
188 and tō fæder fæðmum freoðo wilnian.