XXII
Bēowulf maþelode, bearn Ecgþēowes:'Geþenc nū, se mǣa maga Healfdenes,
1475snottra fengel, nū ic eom sīðes fūs,
goidwine gumena, hwæt wit geō sprǣcon,
gif ic æt þearfe þīnre scolde
aldre linnan, þæt ðū mē ā wǣre
forðgewitenum on fæder stǣle.
1480Wes þū mundbora mīnum magoþegnum,
hondgesellum, gif mec hild nime;
swylce þū ðā mādmas, þē þū mē sealdest,
Hrōðgār lēofa, Higelāce onsend.
Mæg þonne on þǣm golde ongitan Gēata dryhten,
1485gesēon sunu Hrǣdles, þonne hē on þæt sinc starað,
þæt ic gumcystum gōdne funde
bēaga bryttan, brēac þonne mōste.
Ond þū Unferð lǣt ealde lāfe,
wrǣtlīc wǣgsweord wīdcūðne man
1490heardecg habban; ic mē mid Hruntinge
dōm gewyrce, oþðe mec dēað nimeð,
Æfter þǣm wordum Weder-Gēata lēod
efste mid elne,--- nalas andsware
bīdan wolde; brimwylm onfēng
1495hilderince. Ðā wæs hwīl dæges,
ǣr hē þone grundwong ongytan mehte.
Sōna þæt onfunde sē ðe flōda begong
heorogīfre behēold hund missēra,
grim ond grǣdig, þæt þǣr gumena sum
1500ælwihta eard ufan cunnode.
Grāp þā tōgēanes, gūðrinc gefēng
atolan clommum; nō þȳ ǣr in gescōd
hālan līce; hring ūtan ymbbearh,
þæt hēo þone fyrdhom ðurhfōn ne mihte,
1505locene leoðosyrcan lāþan fingrum.
Bær þā sēo brimwyl[f], þā hēo tō botme cōm,
hringa þengel tō hofe sīnum,
swā hē ne mihte nō -- hē þǣm mōdig wæs----
wǣpna gewealdan, ac hine wundra þæs fela
1510swe[n]cte on sunde, sǣdēor monig
hildetūxum heresyrcan bræc,
ēhton āglǣcan. Ðā se eorl ongeat,
þæt hē [in] nīðsele nāthwylcum wæs,
ðǣr him nǣnig wæter wihte ne sceþede,
1515nē him for hrōfsele hrīnan ne mehte
fǣrgripe flōdes; fȳrlēoht geseah,
blācne lēoman beorhte scīnan.
Ongeat þā se gōda grundwyrgenne,
merewīf mihtig;' mægenrǣs forgeaf
1520hildebille, hond sweng ne oftēah,
þæt hire on hafelan hringmǣl āgōl
grǣdig gūðlēoð. Ðā se gist onfand,
þæt se beadolēoma bītan nolde,
aldre sceþðan, ac sēo ecg geswāc
1525ðēodne æt þearfe; ðolode ǣr fela
hondgemōta, helm oft gescær,
fǣges fyrdhrægl; ðā wæs forma sīð
dēorum mādme, þæt his dōm ālæg.
Eft wæs anrǣd, nalas elnes læt,
1530mǣrða gemyndig mǣg Hȳlāces:
wearp ðā wundenmǣl wrǣttum gebunden
yrre ōretta, þæt hit on eorðan læg,
stīð ond stȳlecg; strenge getruwode,
mundgripe mægenes. Swā sceal man dôn,
1535þonne hē æt gūðe gegān þenceð
longsumne lof; nā ymb his līf cearað.
Gefēng þā be eaxle -- nalas for fǣhðe mearn ----
Gūð-Gēata lēod Grendles mōdor;
brægd þā beadwe heard, þā hē gebolgen wæs,
1540feorhgenīðlan, þæt hēo on flet gebēah.
Hēo him eft hraþe andlēan forgeald
grimman grāpum ond him tōgēanes fēng;
oferwearp þā wērigmōd wigena strengest,
fēþecempa, þæt hē on fylle wearð.
1545Ofsæt þā þone selegyst, ond hyre seax getēah
brād [ond] brūnecg; wolde hire bearn wrecan,
āngan eaferan. Him on eaxle læg
brēostnet brōden; þæt gebearh fēore,
wið ord ond wið ecge ingang forstōd.
1550Hæfde ðā forsīðod sunu Ecgþēowes
under gynne grund, Gēata cempa,
nemne him heaðobyrne helpe gefremede,
herenet hearde, ---- ond hālig God
gewēold wīgsigor; wītig Drihten,
1555rodera Rǣdend hit on ryht gescēd
ȳðelīce, syþðan hē eft āstōd.
