BēowulfIX

499 Unferð maðelode, Ecglāfes bearn,

500 þē æt fōtum sæt frēan Scyldinga;

501 onband beadu-rūne (wæs him Bēowulfes sīð,

502 mōdges mere-faran, micel æf-þunca,

503 forþon þe hē ne ūðe, þæt ǣnig ōðer man

504 ǣfre mǣrða þon mā middan-geardes

505 gehēdde under heofenum þonne hē sylfa):

506 “Eart þū sē Bēowulf, sē þe wið Brecan wunne,

507 “on sīdne sǣ ymb sund flite,

508 “þǣr git for wlence wada cunnedon

509 “and for dol-gilpe on dēop wæter

510 “aldrum nēðdon? Nē inc ǣnig mon,

511 “nē lēof nē lāð, belēan mihte

512 “sorh-fullne sīð; þā git on sund rēon,

513 “þǣr git ēagor-strēam earmum þehton,

514 “mǣton mere-strǣta, mundum brugdon,

515 “glidon ofer gār-secg; geofon ȳðum wēol,

516 “wintres wylme. Git on wæteres ǣht

517 “seofon niht swuncon; hē þē æt sunde oferflāt,

518 “hæfde māre mægen. Þā hine on morgen-tīd

519 “on Heaðo-rǣmas holm up ætbær,

520 “þonon hē gesōhte swǣsne ēðel

521 “lēof his lēodum lond Brondinga,

522 “freoðo-burh fægere, þǣr hē folc āhte,

523 “burg and bēagas. Bēot eal wið þē

524 “sunu Bēanstānes sōðe gelǣste.

525 “Þonne wēne ic tō þē wyrsan geþinges,

526 “þēah þū heaðo-rǣsa gehwǣr dohte,

527 “grimre gūðe, gif þū Grendles dearst

528 “niht-longne fyrst nēan bīdan!”

529 Bēowulf maðelode, bearn Ecgþēowes:

530 “Hwæt! þū worn fela, wine mīn Unferð,

531 “bēore druncen ymb Brecan sprǣce,

532 “sægdest from his sīðe! Sōð ic talige,

533 “þæt ic mere-strengo māran āhte,

534 “earfeðo on ȳðum, þonne ǣnig ōðer man.

535 “Wit þæt gecwǣdon cniht-wesende

536 “and gebēotedon (wǣron bēgen þā gīt

537 “on geogoð-feore) þæt wit on gār-secg ūt

538 “aldrum nēðdon; and þæt geæfndon swā.

539 “Hæfdon swurd nacod, þā wit on sund rēon,

540 “heard on handa, wit unc wið hron-fixas

541 “werian þōhton. Nō hē wiht fram mē

542 “flōd-ȳðum feor flēotan meahte,

543 “hraðor on holme, nō ic fram him wolde.

544 “Þā wit ætsomne on sǣ wǣron

545 “fīf nihta fyrst, oð þæt unc flōd tōdrāf,

546 “wado weallende, wedera cealdost,

547 “nīpende niht and norðan wind

548 “heaðo-grim andhwearf; hrēo wǣron ȳða,

549 “Wæs mere-fixa mōd onhrēred:

550 “þǣr mē wið lāðum līc-syrce mīn,

551 “heard hond-locen, helpe gefremede;

552 “beado-hrægl brōden on brēostum læg,

553 “golde gegyrwed. Mē tō grunde tēah

554 “fāh fēond-scaða, fæste hæfde

555 “grim on grāpe: hwæðre mē gyfeðe wearð,

556 “þæt ic āglǣcan orde gerǣhte,

557 “hilde-bille; heaðo-rǣs fornam

558 “mihtig mere-dēor þurh mīne hand.