XXIII
Geseah ðā on searwum sigeēadig bil,ealdsweord eotenisc ecgum þȳhtig,
wigena weorðmynd; þæt [wæs] wǣpna cyst ----
1560būton hit wæs māre ðonne ǣnig mon ōðer
tō beadulāce ætberan meahte,
gōd ond geatolīc, gīganta geweorc.
Hē gefēng þā fetelhilt, freca Scyldinga
hrēoh ond heorogrim, hrlngmǣl gebrægd
1565aldres orwēna, yrringa slōh,
þæt hire wið halse heard grāpode,
bānhringas bræc; bil eal ðurhwōd
fǣgne flǣschoman; hēo on flet gecrong,
sweord wæs swātig, secg weorce gefeh.
1570 Līxte se lēoma, lēoht inne stōd,
efne swā of hefene hādre scīneð
rodores candel Hē æfter recede wlāt;
hwearf þā be wealle, wǣpen hafenade
heard be hiltum Higelāces ðegn
1575yrre ond anrǣd,-- næs sēo ecg fracod
hildetince, ac hē hraþe wolde
Grendle forgyldan gūðrǣsa fela
ðāra þe hē geworhte tō West-Denum
oftor micle ðonne on ǣnne sīð,
1580þonne hē Hrōðgāres heorðgenēatas
slōh on sweofote, slǣpende frǣt
folces Denigea fȳftȳne men,
ond ōðer swylc ūt offerede,
lāðlicu lāc. Hē him þæs lēan forgeald,
1585rēþe cempa, tō ðæs þe hē on ræste geseah
gūðwērigne Grendel licgan,
aldorlēasne, swā him ǣr gescōd
hild æt Heorote. Hrā wīde sprong,
syþðan hē æfter dēaðe drepe þrōwade,
1590heorosweng heardne, ond hine þā hēafde becearf.
Sōna þæt gesāwon snottre ceorlas,
þā ðe mid Hrōðgāre on holm wliton,
þæt wæs ȳðgeblond eal gemenged,
brim blōde fāh. Blondenfeaxe,
1595gomele ymb gōdne ongeador sprǣcon,
þæt hig þæs æðelinges eft ne wēndon,
þæt hē sigehrēðig sēcean cōme
mǣrne þēoden; þā ðæs monige gewearþ,
þæt hine sēo brimwylf ābroten hæfde.
1600Ðā cōm nōn dæges. Næs ofgēafon
hwate Scyldingas; gewāt him hām þonon
goldwine gumena. Gistas sētan
mōdes sēoce ond on mere staredon;
wīston ond ne wēndon, þæt hīe heora winedrihten
1605selfne gesāwon.---- þā þæt sweord ongan
æfter heaþoswāte hildegicelum,
wīgbil wanian; þæt wæs wundra sum,
þæt hit eal gemealt īse gelīcost,
ðonne forstes bend Fæder onlǣteð,
1610onwindeð wǣlrāpas, sē geweald hafað
sǣla ond mǣla; þæt is sŌð Metod.
Ne nōm hē in þǣm wīcum, Weder-Gēata lēod,
māðmǣhta mā, þēh hē þǣr monige geseah,
būton þone hafelan ond þā hilt somod
1615since fāge; sweord ǣr gemealt,
forbarn brōdenmǣl; wæs þæt blōd tō þæs hāt,
ættren ellorgǣst, sē þǣr inne swealt.
Sōna wæs on sunde sē þe ǣr æt sæcce gebād
wīghryre wrāðra, wæter ūp þurhdēaf;
1620wǣron ȳðgeblana eal gefǣlsod,
ēacne eardas, þā se ellorgāst
oflēt līfdagas ond þās lǣnan gesceaft.
Cōm þā tō lande lidmanna helm
swīðmōd swymman; sǣlāce gefeah,
1625mægenbyrþenne þāra þe hē him mid hæfde.
Ēodon him þā tōgēanes, Gode þancodon,
ðrȳðlīc þegna hēap, þēodnes gefēgon,
þæs þe hī hyne gesundne gesēon mōston.
Ðā wæs of þǣm hrōran helm ond byrne
1630lungre ālȳsed. Lagu drūsade,
wæter under wolcnum, wældrēore fāg.
Fērdon forð þonon fēþelāstum
ferhþum fægne, foldweg mǣton,
cæuþe strǣte; cyningbalde men
1635from þǣm holmclife hafelan bǣron
earfoðlīce heora ǣghwæþrum
felamōdigra; fēower scoldon
on þǣm wælstenge weorcum geferian
tō þǣm goldsele Grendles hēafod,----
1640oþ ðæt semninga tō sele cōmon
frome fyrdhwate fēowertȳne
Gēata gongan; gumdryhten mid
mōdig on gemonge meodowongas træd.
Ðā cōm in gan ealdor ðegna,
1645dǣdcēne mon dōme gewurþad,
hæle hildedēor, Hrōðgār grētan.
þā wæs be feaxe on flet boren
Grendles hēafod, þǣr guman druncon,
egeslīc for eorlum ond þǣre idese mid,
1650wlitesēon wrǣtlīc; weras on sāwon.
