BēowulfV

258 Him se yldesta andswarode,

259 werodes wīsa, word-hord onlēac:

260 “Wē synt gum-cynnes Gēata lēode

261 “and Higelāces heorð-genēatas.

262 “Wæs mīn fæder folcum gecȳðed,

263 “æðele ord-fruma Ecgþēow hāten;

264 “gebād wintra worn, ǣr hē on weg hwurfe,

265 “gamol of geardum; hine gearwe geman

266 “witena wēl-hwylc wīde geond eorðan.—

267 “Wē þurh holdne hige hlāford þinne,

268 “sunu Healfdenes, sēcean cwōmon,

269 “lēod-gebyrgean: wes þū ūs lārena gōd!

270 “Habbað wē tō þǣm mǣran micel ǣrende

271 “Deniga frēan; ne sceal þǣr dyrne sum

272 “wesan, þæs ic wēne. Þū wāst, gif hit is,

273 “swā wē sōðlice secgan hȳrdon,

274 “þæt mid Scyldingum sceaða ic nāt hwylc,

275 “dēogol dǣd-hata, deorcum nihtum

276 “ēaweð þurh egsan uncūðne nīð,

277 “hȳnðu and hrā-fyl. Ic þæs Hrōðgār mæg

278 “þurh rūmne sefan rǣd gelǣran,

279 “hū hē frōd and gōd fēond oferswȳðeð,

280 “gyf him ed-wendan ǣfre scolde

281 “bealuwa bisigu, bōt eft cuman

282 “and þā cear-wylmas cōlran wurðað;

283 “oððe ā syððan earfoð-þrāge,

284 “þrēa-nȳd þolað, þenden þǣr wunað

285 “on hēah-stede hūsa sēlest.”

286 Weard maðelode, þǣr on wicge sæt

287 ombeht unforht: “Ǣghwæðres sceal

288 “scearp scyld-wiga gescād witan,

289 “worda and worca, sē þe wēl þenceð.

290 “Ic þæt gehȳre, þæt þis is hold weorod

291 “frēan Scyldinga. Gewītað forð beran

292 “wǣpen and gewǣdu, ic ēow wīsige:

293 “swylce ic magu-þegnas mīne hāte

294 “wið fēonda gehwone flotan ēowerne,

295 “nīw-tyrwedne nacan on sande

296 “ārum healdan, oð þæt eft byreð

297 “ofer lagu-strēamas lēofne mannan

298 “wudu wunden-hals tō Weder-mearce.

299 “Gūð-fremmendra swylcum gifeðe bið,

300 “þæt þone hilde-rǣs hāl gedīgeð.”

301 Gewiton him þā fēran (flota stille bād,

302 seomode on sāle sīd-fæðmed scyp,

303 on ancre fæst); eofor-līc scionon

304 ofer hlēor-beran gehroden golde

305 fāh and fȳr-heard, ferh wearde hēold.

306 Gūðmōde grummon, guman ōnetton,

307 sigon ætsomne, oð þæt hȳ sæl timbred

308 geatolīc and gold-fāh ongytan mihton;

309 þæt wæs fore-mǣrost fold-būendum

310 receda under roderum, on þǣm se rīca bād;

311 līxte se lēoma ofer landa fela.

312 Him þā hilde-dēor hof mōdigra

313 torht getǣhte, þæt hīe him tō mihton

314 gegnum gangan; gūð-beorna sum

315 wicg gewende, word æfter cwæð:

316 “Mǣl is mē tō fēran; fæder alwalda

317 “mid ār-stafum ēowic gehealde

318 “sīða gesunde! ic tō sǣ wille,

319 “wið wrāð werod wearde healdan.”