BēowulfXXXIX

2822 Þā wæs gegongen guman unfrōdum

2823 earfoðlīce, þæt hē on eorðan geseah

2824 þone lēofestan līfes æt ende

2825 blēate gebǣran. Bona swylce læg,

2826 egeslīc eorð-draca, ealdre berēafod,

2827 bealwe gebǣded: bēah-hordum leng

2828 wyrm wōh-bogen wealdan ne mōste,

2829 ac him īrenna ecga fornāmon,

2830 hearde heaðo-scearpe homera lāfe,

2831 þæt se wīd-floga wundum stille

2832 hrēas on hrūsan hord-ærne nēah,

2833 nalles æfter lyfte lācende hwearf

2834 middel-nihtum, māðm-ǣhta wlonc

2835 ansȳn ȳwde: ac hē eorðan gefēoll

2836 for þæs hild-fruman hond-geweorce.

2837 Hūru þæt on lande lȳt manna þāh

2838 mægen-āgendra mīne gefrǣge,

2839 þēah þe hē dǣda gehwæs dyrstig wǣre,

2840 þæt hē wið attor-sceaðan oreðe gerǣsde,

2841 oððe hring-sele hondum styrede,

2842 gif hē wæccende weard onfunde

2843 būan on beorge. Bīowulfe wearð

2844 dryht-māðma dǣl dēaðe forgolden;

2845 hæfde ǣghwæðer ende gefēred

2846 lǣnan līfes. Næs þā lang tō þon,

2847 þæt þā hild-latan holt ofgēfan,

2848 tȳdre trēow-logan tȳne ætsomne,

2849 þā ne dorston ǣr dareðum lācan

2850 on hyra man-dryhtnes miclan þearfe;

2851 ac hȳ scamiende scyldas bǣran,

2852 gūð-gewǣdu, þǣr se gomela læg:

2853 wlitan on Wīglāf. Hē gewērgad sæt,

2854 fēðe-cempa frēan eaxlum nēah,

2855 wehte hyne wætre; him wiht ne spēow;

2856 ne meahte hē on eorðan, þēah hē ūðe wēl,

2857 on þām frum-gāre feorh gehealdan,

2858 nē þæs wealdendes willan wiht oncirran;

2859 wolde dōm godes dǣdum rǣdan

2860 gumena gehwylcum, swā hē nū gēn dēð.

2861 Þā wæs æt þām geongan grim andswaru

2862 ēð-begēte þām þe ǣr his elne forlēas.

2863 Wīglāf maðelode, Wēohstānes sunu,

2864 secg sārig-ferð seah on unlēofe:

2865 “Þæt lā mæg secgan, sē þe wyle sōð sprecan,

2866 “þæt se mon-dryhten, se ēow þā māðmas geaf,

2867 “ēored-geatwe, þē gē þǣr on standað,

2868 “þonne hē on ealu-bence oft gesealde

2869 “heal-sittendum helm and byrnan,

2870 “þēoden his þegnum, swylce hē þrȳðlīcost

2871 “ōhwǣr feor oððe nēah findan meahte,

2872 “þæt hē gēnunga gūð-gewǣdu

2873 “wrāðe forwurpe. Þā hyne wīg beget,

2874 “nealles folc-cyning fyrd-gesteallum

2875 “gylpan þorfte; hwæðre him god ūðe,

2876 “sigora waldend, þæt hē hyne sylfne gewræc

2877 “āna mid ecge, þā him wæs elnes þearf,

2878 “Ic him līf-wraðe lȳtle meahte

2879 “ætgifan æt gūðe and ongan swā þēah

2880 “ofer mīn gemet mǣges helpan:

2881 “symle wæs þȳ sǣmra, þonne ic sweorde drep

2882 “ferhð-genīðlan, fȳr unswīðor

2883 “wēoll of gewitte. Wergendra tō lȳt

2884 “þrong ymbe þēoden, þā hyne sīo þrāg becwōm.

2885 “Nū sceal sinc-þego and swyrd-gifu

2886 “eall ēðel-wyn ēowrum cynne,

2887 “lufen ālicgean: lond-rihtes mōt

2888 “þǣre mǣg-burge monna ǣghwylc

2889 “īdel hweorfan, syððan æðelingas

2890 “feorran gefricgean flēam ēowerne,

2891 “dōm-lēasan dǣd. Dēað bið sēlla

2892 “eorla gehwylcum þonne edwīt-līf!”