BēowulfXXXII

2223 Nealles mid geweoldum wyrm-horda . . . cræft

2224 sōhte sylfes willum, sē þe him sāre gesceōd,

2225 ac for þrēa-nēdlan þēow nāt-hwylces

2226 hæleða bearna hete-swengeas flēah,

2227 for ofer-þearfe and þǣr inne fealh

2228 secg syn-bysig. Sōna in þā tīde

2229 þæt . . . . . þām gyste . . . . br . g . stōd,

2230 hwæðre earm-sceapen . . . . . . .

2231 . . ð . . . sceapen o . . . . i r . . e se fǣs begeat,

2232 sinc-fæt geseah: þǣr wæs swylcra fela

2233 in þām eorð-scræfe ǣr-gestrēona,

2234 swā hȳ on geār-dagum gumena nāt-hwylc

2235 eormen-lāfe æðelan cynnes

2236 þanc-hycgende þǣr gehȳdde,

2237 dēore māðmas. Ealle hīe dēað fornam

2238 ǣrran mǣlum, and se ān þā gēn

2239 lēoda duguðe, sē þǣr lengest hwearf,

2240 weard wine-geōmor wīscte þæs yldan,

2241 þæt hē lȳtel fæc long-gestrēona

2242 brūcan mōste. Beorh eal gearo

2243 wunode on wonge wæter-ȳðum nēah,

2244 nīwe be næsse nearo-cræftum fæst:

2245 þǣr on innan bær eorl-gestrēona

2246 hringa hyrde hard-fyrdne dǣl

2247 fǣttan goldes, fēa worda cwæð:

2248 “Heald þū nū, hrūse, nū hæleð ne mōston,

2249 “eorla ǣhte. Hwæt! hit ǣr on þē

2250 “gōde begeāton; gūð-dēað fornam,

2251 “feorh-bealo frēcne fȳra gehwylcne,

2252 “lēoda mīnra, þāra þe þis līf ofgeaf,

2253 “gesāwon sele-drēam. Nāh hwā sweord wege

2254 “oððe fetige fǣted wǣge,

2255 “drync-fæt dēore: duguð ellor scōc.

2256 “Sceal se hearda helm hyrsted golde

2257 “fǣtum befeallen: feormiend swefað,

2258 “þā þe beado-grīman bȳwan sceoldon,

2259 “gē swylce sēo here-pād, sīo æt hilde gebād

2260 “ofer borda gebræc bite īrena,

2261 “brosnað æfter beorne. Ne mæg byrnan hring

2262 “æfter wīg-fruman wīde fēran

2263 “hæleðum be healfe; næs hearpan wyn,

2264 “gomen glēo-bēames, nē gōd hafoc

2265 “geond sæl swingeð, nē se swifta mearh

2266 “burh-stede bēateð. Bealo-cwealm hafað

2267 “fela feorh-cynna feorr onsended!”

2268 Swā giōmor-mōd giohðo mǣnde,

2269 ān æfter eallum unblīðe hwēop,

2270 dæges and nihtes, oð þæt dēaðes wylm

2271 hrān æt heortan. Hord-wynne fond

2272 eald ūht-sceaða opene standan,

2273 sē þe byrnende biorgas sēceð

2274 nacod nīð-draca, nihtes flēogeð

2275 fȳre befangen; hyne fold-būend

2276 wīde gesāwon. Hē gēwunian sceall

2277 hlāw under hrūsan, þǣr hē hǣðen gold

2278 warað wintrum frōd; ne byð him wihte þē sēl.

2279 Swā se þēod-sceaða þrēo hund wintra

2280 hēold on hrūsan hord-ærna sum

2281 ēacen-cræftig, oð þæt hyne ān ābealh

2282 mon on mōde: man-dryhtne bær

2283 fǣted wǣge, frioðo-wǣre bæd

2284 hlāford sīnne. Þā wæs hord rāsod,

2285 onboren bēaga hord, bēne getīðad

2286 fēa-sceaftum men. Frēa scēawode

2287 fīra fyrn-geweorc forman sīðe.

2288 Þā se wyrm onwōc, wrōht wæs genīwad;

2289 stonc þā æfter stāne, stearc-heort onfand

2290 fēondes fōt-lāst; hē tō forð gestōp,

2291 dyrnan cræfte, dracan hēafde nēah.

2292 Swā mæg unfǣge ēaðe gedīgan

2293 wēan and wræc-sīð, sē þe waldendes

2294 hyldo gehealdeð. Hord-weard sōhte

2295 georne æfter grunde, wolde guman findan,

2296 þone þe him on sweofote sāre getēode:

2297 hāt and hrēoh-mōd hlǣw oft ymbe hwearf,

2298 ealne ūtan-weardne; nē þǣr ǣnig mon

2299 wæs on þǣre wēstenne. Hwæðre hilde gefeh,

2300 beado-weorces: hwīlum on beorh æthwearf,

2301 sinc-fæt sōhte; hē þæt sōna onfand,

2302 þæt hæfde gumena sum goldes gefandod

2303 hēah-gestrēona. Hord-weard onbād

2304 earfoðlīce, oð þæt ǣfen cwōm;

2305 wæs þā gebolgen beorges hyrde,

2306 wolde se lāða līge forgyldan

2307 drinc-fæt dȳre. Þā wæs dæg sceacen

2308 wyrme on willan, nō on wealle leng

2309 bīdan wolde, ac mid bǣle fōr,

2310 fȳre gefȳsed. Wæs se fruma egeslīc

2311 lēodum on lande, swā hyt lungre wearð

2312 on hyra sinc-gifan sāre geendod.