Bēowulf VIII
43 lines
456 Hrōðgār maðelode, helm Scyldinga:
457 “for were-fyhtum þū, wine mīn Bēowulf,
458 “and for ār-stafum ūsic sōhtest.
459 “Geslōh þin fæder fǣhðe mǣste,
460 “wearð hē Heaðolāfe tō hand-bonan
461 “mid Wilfingum; þā hine Wedera cyn
462 “for here-brōgan habban ne mihte.
463 “Þanon hē gesōhte Sūð-Dena folc
464 “ofer ȳða gewealc, Ār-Scyldinga;
465 “þā ic furðum wēold folce Deninga,
466 “and on geogoðe hēold gimme-rīce
467 “hord-burh hæleða: þā wæs Heregār dēad,
468 “mīn yldra mǣg unlifigende,
469 “bearn Healfdenes. Sē wæs betera þonne ic!
470 “Siððan þā fǣhðe fēo þingode;
471 “sende ic Wylfingum ofer wæteres hrycg
472 “ealde mādmas: hē mē āðas swōr.
473 “Sorh is mē tō secganne on sefan mīnum
474 “gumena ǣngum, hwæt mē Grendel hafað
475 “hȳnðo on Heorote mid his hete-þancum,
476 “fǣr-nīða gefremed. Is mīn flet-werod,
477 “wīg-hēap gewanod; hīe Wyrd forswēop
478 “on Grendles gryre. God ēaðe mæg
479 “þone dol-scaðan dǣda getwǣfan!
480 “Ful oft gebēotedon bēore druncne
481 “ofer ealo-wǣge ōret-mecgas,
482 “þæt hīe in bēor-sele bīdan woldon
483 “Grendles gūðe mid gryrum ecga.
484 “Þonne wæs þēos medo-heal on morgen-tīd,
485 “driht-sele drēor-fāh, þonne dæg līxte,
486 “eal benc-þelu blōde bestȳmed,
487 “heall heoru-drēore: āhte ic holdra þȳ lǣs,
488 “dēorre duguðe, þē þā dēað fornam.
489 “Site nū tō symle and onsǣl meoto,
490 “sige-hrēð secgum, swā þīn sefa hwette!”
491 Þā wæs Gēat-mæcgum geador ætsomne
492 on bēor-sele benc gerȳmed;
493 þǣr swīð-ferhðe sittan ēodon
494 þrȳðum dealle. Þegn nytte behēold,
495 sē þe on handa bær hroden ealo-wǣge,
496 scencte scīr wered. Scop hwīlum sang
497 hādor on Heorote; þǣr wæs hæleða drēam,
498 duguð unlȳtel Dena and Wedera.