BēowulfXXXVII

2695 Þā ic æt þearfe gefrægn þēod-cyninges

2696 and-longne eorl ellen cȳðan,

2697 cræft and cēnðu, swā him gecynde wæs;

2698 ne hēdde hē þæs heafolan, ac sīo hand gebarn

2699 mōdiges mannes, þǣr hē his mǣges healp,

2700 þæt hē þone nīð-gæst nioðor hwēne slōh,

2701 secg on searwum, þæt þæt sweord gedēaf

2702 fāh and fǣted, þæt þæt fȳr ongon

2703 sweðrian syððan. Þā gēn sylf cyning

2704 gewēold his gewitte, wæll-seaxe gebrǣ,

2705 biter and beadu-scearp, þæt hē on byrnan wæg:

2706 forwrāt Wedra helm wyrm on middan.

2707 Fēond gefyldan (ferh ellen wræc),

2708 and hī hyne þā bēgen ābroten hæfdon,

2709 sib-æðelingas: swylc sceolde secg wesan,

2710 þegn æt þearfe. Þæt þām þēodne wæs

2711 sīðast sīge-hwīle sylfes dǣdum,

2712 worlde geweorces. Þā sīo wund ongon,

2713 þē him se eorð-draca ǣr geworhte,

2714 swelan and swellan. Hē þæt sōna onfand,

2715 þæt him on brēostum bealo-nīð wēoll,

2716 attor on innan. Þā se æðeling gīong,

2717 þæt hē bī wealle, wīs-hycgende,

2718 gesæt on sesse; seah on enta geweorc,

2719 hū þā stān-bogan stapulum fæste

2720 ēce eorð-reced innan hēoldon.

2721 Hyne þā mid handa heoro-drēorigne

2722 þēoden mǣrne þegn ungemete till,

2723 wine-dryhten his wætere gelafede,

2724 hilde-sædne and his helm onspēon.

2725 Bīowulf maðelode, hē ofer benne spræc,

2726 wunde wæl-blēate (wisse hē gearwe,

2727 þæt hē dæg-hwīla gedrogen hæfde

2728 eorðan wynne; þā wæs eall sceacen

2729 dōgor-gerīmes, dēað ungemete nēah):

2730 “Nū ic suna mīnum syllan wolde

2731 “gūð-gewǣdu, þǣr mē gifeðe swā

2732 “ǣnig yrfe-weard æfter wurde,

2733 “līce gelenge. Ic þās lēode hēold

2734 “fīftig wintra: næs se folc-cyning

2735 “ymbe-sittendra ǣnig þāra,

2736 “þē mec gūð-winum grētan dorste,

2737 “egesan þēon. Ic on earde bād

2738 “mǣl-gesceafta, hēold mīn tela,

2739 “ne sōhte searo-nīðas, nē mē swōr fela

2740 “āða on unriht. Ic þæs ealles mæg,

2741 “feorh-bennum sēoc, gefēan habban:

2742 “forþām mē wītan ne þearf waldend fīra

2743 “morðor-bealo māga, þonne mīn sceaceð

2744 “līf of līce. Nū þū lungre

2745 “geong, hord scēawian under hārne stān,

2746 “Wīglāf lēofa, nū se wyrm ligeð,

2747 “swefeð sāre wund, since berēafod.

2748 “Bīo nū on ofoste, þæt ic ǣr-welan,

2749 “gold-ǣht ongite, gearo scēawige

2750 “swegle searo-gimmas, þæt ic þȳ sēft mǣge

2751 “æfter māððum-welan mīn ālǣtan

2752 “līf and lēod-scipe, þone ic longe hēold.”