VIII
Unferð maþelode, Ecglāfes bearn,500þē æt fōtum sæt frēan Scyldinga,
onband beadūrne-- wæs him Bēowulfes sīð,
mōdges merefaran, micel æfþunca,
forpon þe hē ne ūþe, þæt ǣnig ōðer man
ǣfre mǣrða þon mā middangeardes
505gehēde under heofenum þonne hē sylfa--:
'Eart þū sē Bēowulf, sē þe wið Brecan wunne,
on sīdne sǣ ymb sund flite,
ðǣr git for wlence wada cunnedon
ond for dolgilpe on dēop wæter
510aldrum nēþdon ? Nē inc ǣnig mon,
nē lēof nē lāð, belēan mlhte
sorhfullne sīð, þā git on sund reon;
þǣr git ēagorstrēam earmum þehton,
mǣton merestrǣta, mundum brugdon,
515glidon ofer gārsecg; geofon ȳpum wēol,
wintrys wylm[um]. Git on wæteres ǣht
seofon niht swuncon; hē þē æt sunde oferflāt,
hæfde māre mægen. þā hine on morgentīd
on Heaþo-Rǣmas holm ūp ætbær;
520ðonon hē gesōhte swǣsne ēþel,
lēof his lēodum, lond Brondinga,
freoðoburh fægere, þǣr hē folc āhte,
burh ond bēagas. Bēot eal wið þē
sunu Bēanstānes sōðe gelæste.
525Ðonne wēne ic tō þē wyrsan geþingea,
ðēah þū heaðorǣsa gehwǣr dohte,
grimre gūðe, gif þū Grendles dearst
nihtlongne fyrst nean bīdan.'
Bēowulf maþelode, bearn Ecgþēowes:
530'Hwæt, þū worn fela, wine mīn Unferð,
bēore druncen ymb Brecan sprǣce,
sægdest from his siðe ! Sōð ic talige,
þæt ic merestrengo māran āhte,
earfeþo on ȳþum, ðonne ǣnig ōper man.
535Wit þæt gecwǣdon cnihtwesende
ond gebēotedon --wǣron bēgen þā gīt
on geogofðfēore-- þæt wit on gārsecg ūt
aldrum nēðdon, ond þæt geæfndon swā.
Hæfdon swurd nacod, þā wit on sund reon,
540heard on handa; wit unc wið hronfixas
werian þōhton. Nō hē wiht fram mē
flōdȳþum feor flēotan meahte,
hraþor on holme, nō ic fiam him wolde.
Ðā wit ætsomne on sǣ wǣron
545fīf nihta fyrst, oþ þæt unc flōd tōdrāf,
wado weallende, wedera cealdost,
nīpende niht, ond norþanwind
heaðogrim ondhwearf; hrēo wǣron ȳþa.
Wæs merefixa mōd onhrēred;
550þǣr mē wið lāðum licsyrce mīn
heard hondlocen helpe gefremede,
beadohrægl brōden, on brēostum læg
golde gegyrwed. Mē tō grunde tēah
fāh fēondscaða, fæste hæfde
555grim on grāpe; hwæþre mē gyfeþe wearð,
þæt ic āglǣcan orde gerǣhte,
hildebille; heaþorǣs fornam
mihtig merēdeor þurh mīne hand.
