XL
Heht ðā þæt heaðoweorc tō hagan bīodanūp ofer ecgclif, þǣr þæt eorlweorod
morgenlongne dæg mōdgiōmor sæt,
2895bordhæbbende, bēga on wēnum,
endedōgores ond eftcymes
lēofes monnes. Lȳt swīgode
nīwra spella sē ðe næs gerād,
ac hē sōðlīce sægde ofer ealle:
2900'Nū is wilgeofa Wedra lēoda,
dryhten Gēata dēaðbedde fæst,
wunað wælreste wyrmes dǣdum;
him on efn ligeð ealdorgewinna
sexbennum sēoc; sweorde ne meahte
2905on ðām āglǣcean ǣnige þinga
wunde gewyrcean. Wīglāf siteð
ofer Bīowulfe, byre Wīhstānes,
eorl ofer ōðrum unlifigendum,
healdeð higemǣðum hēafodwearde
2910lēofes ond lāðes. Nū ys lēodum wēn
orleghwīle, syððan under[ne]
Froncum ond Frȳsum fyll cyninges
wīde weorðeð. Wæs sīo wrōht scepen
heard wið Hūgas, syððan Higelāc cwōm
2915faran flotherge on Frēsna land,
þǣr hyne Hetware hilde genǣgdon,
elne geēodon mid ofermægene,
þæt se byrnwiga būgan sceolde,
fēoll on fēðan; nalles frætwe geat
2920ealdor dugoðe. Ūs wæs ā syððan
Merewīoingas milts ungyfeðe. --
Nē ic te Swēoðēode sibbe oððe trēowe
wihte ne wēne, ac wæs wīde cūð,
þætte Ongenðīo ealdre besnyðede
2925Hæðcen Hrēþling wið Hrefnawudu,
þā for onmēdlan ǣrest gesōhton
Gēata lēode Gūð-Scilfingas.
Sōna him se frōda fæder Ōhtheres,
eald ond egesfull ondslyht āgeaf,
2930ābrēot brimwīsan, brȳd āhredde,
gomela iōmēowlan golde berofene,
Onelan mōdor ond Ōhtheres;
ond ðā folgode feorhgenīðlan,
oð ðær hī oðēodon earfoðlīce
2935in Hrefnesholt hlāfordlēase.
Besæt ðā sinherge sweorda lāfe
wundum wērge; wēan oft gehēt
earmre teohhe ondlonge niht,
cwæð, hē on mergenne mēces ecgum
2940gētan wolde, sum[e] on galgtrēowu[m]
[fuglum] tō gamene. Frōfor eft gelamp
sārigmōdum somod ǣrdæge,
syððan hīe Hygelāces horn ond bȳman,
gealdor ongēaton, þā se gōda cōm
2945lēoda dugoðe on lāst faran.
