BēowulfIV

189 Swā þā mǣl-ceare maga Healfdenes

190 singāla sēað; ne mihte snotor hæleð

191 wēan onwendan: wæs þæt gewin tō swȳð,

192 lāð and longsum, þē on þā lēode becōm,

193 nȳd-wracu nīð-grim, niht-bealwa mǣst.

194 Þæt fram hām gefrægn Higelāces þegn,

195 gōd mid Gēatum, Grendles dǣda:

196 sē wæs mon-cynnes mægenes strengest

197 on þǣm dæge þysses līfes,

198 æðele and ēacen. Hēt him ȳð-lidan

199 gōdne gegyrwan; cwæð hē gūð-cyning

200 ofer swan-rāde sēcean wolde,

201 mǣrne þēoden, þā him wæs manna þearf.

202 Þone sīð-fæt him snotere ceorlas

203 lȳt-hwōn lōgon, þēah hē him lēof wǣre;

204 hwetton higerōfne, hǣl scēawedon.

205 Hæfde se gōda Gēata lēoda

206 cempan gecorone, þāra þe hē cēnoste

207 findan mihte; fīftȳna sum

208 sund-wudu sōhte; secg wīsade,

209 lagu-cræftig mon, land-gemyrcu.

210 Fyrst forð gewāt: flota wæs on ȳðum,

211 bāt under beorge. Beornas gearwe

212 on stefn stigon; strēamas wundon

213 sund wið sande; secgas bǣron

214 on bearm nacan beorhte frætwe,

215 gūð-searo geatolīc; guman ūt scufon,

216 weras on wil-sīð wudu bundenne.

217 Gewāt þā ofer wǣg-holm winde gefȳsed

218 flota fāmig-heals fugle gelīcost,

219 oð þæt ymb ān-tīd ōðres dōgores

220 wunden-stefna gewaden hæfde,

221 þæt þā līðende land gesāwon,

222 brim-clifu blīcan, beorgas stēape,

223 sīde sǣ-næssas: þā wæs sund liden,

224 eoletes æt ende. Þanon up hraðe

225 Wedera lēode on wang stigon,

226 sǣ-wudu sǣldon (syrcan hrysedon,

227 gūð-gewǣdo); gode þancedon,

228 þæs þe him ȳð-lāde ēaðe wurdon.

229 Þā of wealle geseah weard Scildinga,

230 sē þe holm-clifu healdan scolde,

231 beran ofer bolcan beorhte randas,

232 fyrd-searu fūslīcu; hine fyrwyt bræc

233 mōd-gehygdum, hwæt þā men wǣron.

234 Gewāt him þā tō waroðe wicge rīdan

235 þegn Hrōðgāres, þrymmum cwehte

236 mægen-wudu mundum, meðel-wordum frægn:

237 “Hwæt syndon gē searo-hæbbendra

238 “byrnum werede, þē þus brontne cēol

239 “ofer lagu-strǣte lǣdan cwōmon,

240 “hider ofer holmas helmas bǣron?

241 “Ic wæs ende-sǣta, ǣg-wearde hēold,

242 “þæt on land Dena lāðra nǣnig

243 “mid scip-herge sceððan ne meahte.

244 “Nō hēr cūðlīcor cuman ongunnon

245 “lind-hæbbende; nē gē lēafnes-word

246 “gūð-fremmendra gearwe ne wisson,

247 “māga gemēdu. Nǣfre ic māran geseah

248 “eorla ofer eorðan, þonne is ēower sum,

249 “secg on searwum; nis þæt seld-guma

250 “wǣpnum geweorðad, næfne him his wlite lēoge,

251 “ǣnlīc an-sȳn. Nū ic ēower sceal

252 “frum-cyn witan, ǣr gē fyr heonan

253 “lēase scēaweras on land Dena

254 “furður fēran. Nū gē feor-būend,

255 “mere-līðende, mīnne gehȳrað

256 “ān-fealdne geþōht: ofost is sēlest

257 “tō gecȳðanne, hwanan ēowre cyme syndon.”