Prologue
Hwæt, wē Gār-Dena in gēardagum,þēodcyninga þrym gefrūnon,
hū ðā æþelingas ellen fremedon !
Oft Scyld Scēfing sceaþena þrēatum,
5monegum mǣgþum meodosetla oftēah,
egsode eorl[as], syððan ǣrest wearð
fēasceaft funden; hē þæs frōfre gebād,
wēox under wolcnum weorðmyndum þāh,
oð þæt him ǣghwylc ymbsittendra
10ofer hronrāde hȳran scolde,
gomban gyldan; þæt wæs gōd cyning!
Ðǣm eafera wæs æfter cenned
geong in geardum, þone God sende
folce tō frōfre; fyrenðearfe ongeat,
15þē hīe ǣr drugon aldor(lē)ase
lange hwīle; him þæs Liffrea,
wuldres Wealdend woroldāre forgeaf;
Bēowulf wæs brēme -- blǣd wīde sprang --
Scyldes eafera Scedelandum in.
20Swā sceal (geong g)uma gōde gewyrcean,
fromum feohgiftum on fæder (bea)rme,
þæt hine on ylde eft gewunigen
wilgesīþas, þonne wīg cume,
lēode gelǣsten; lofdǣdum sceal
25in mǣgþa gehwǣre man geþeon.
Him ðā Scyld gewāt tō gescæphwīle
felahrōr fēran on Frēan wǣre;
hī hyne þā ætbǣron tō brimes faroðe,
swǣse gesīþas, swā hē selfa bæd,
30þenden wordum wēold wine Scyldinga --
lēof landfruma lange āhte.
þǣr æt hȳðe stōd hringedstefna
īsig ond ūtfūs, æþelinges fær;
ālēdon þā lēofne þēoden,
35bēaga bryttan on bearm scipes,
mǣrne be mæste. þǣr wæs mādma fela
of feorwegum frætwa gelǣded;
ne hȳrde ic cȳmlīcor cēol gegyrwan
hildewǣpnum ond heaðowǣdum,
40billum ond byrnum; him on bearme læg
mādma mænigo, þā him mid scoldon
on flōdes ǣht feor gewītan.
Nalæs hī hine lǣssan lācum tēodan,
þēodgestrēonum, þon þā dydon,
45þē hine æt frumsceafte forð onsendon
ǣnne ofer ȳðe umborwesende.
þā gȳt hīe him āsetton segen g(yl)denne
hēah ofer hēafod, lēton holm beran,
gēafon on gārsecg; him wæs geōmor sefa,
50murnende mōd. Men ne cunnon
secgan tō sōðe, selerǣdende,
hǣleð under heofenum, hwā þǣm hlæste onfēng.
