I
Ðā wæs on burgum Bēowulf Scyldinga,lēof lēodcyning longe þrāge
55folcum gefrǣge --fæder ellor hwearf,
aldor of earde --, oþ þæt him eft onwōc
hēah Healfdene; hēold þenden lifde
gamol ond gūðrēouw glæde Scyldingas.
Ðǣm fēower bearn forðgerīmed
60in worold wōcun, weoroda rǣswa[n],
Heorogār ond Hrōðgār ond Hālga til,
hȳrde ic þæt [...... wæs On]elan cwēn,
Heaðo-Scilfingas healsgebedda.
þā wæs Hrōðgāre herespēd gyfen,
65wīges weorðmynd, þæt him his winemāgas
georne hȳrdon, oðð þæt sēo geogoð gewēox,
magodriht micel. Him on mōd bearn,
þæt healreced hātan wolde,
medoærn micel men gewyrcean ......
70þon[n]e yldo bearn ǣfre gefrūnon,
ond þǣer on innan eall gedǣlan
geongum ond ealdum, swylc him God sealde,
būton folcscare ond feorum gumena.
Ðā ic wīde gefrægn weorc gebannan
75manigre mǣgþe geond þisne middangeard,
folcstede frætwan. Him on fyrste gelomp
ǣdre mid yldum, þæt hit wearð ealgearo,
healærna mǣst; scōp him Heort naman
sē þe his wordes geweald wīde hæfde.
80Hē bēot ne ālēh, bēagas dǣlde,
sinc æt symle. Sele hlīfade
hēah ond horngēap; heaðowylma bād,
lāðan līges; ne wæs hit lenge þā gēn,
þæt se ecghete āþumswēoran
85æfter wælnīðe wæcnan scolde.
Ðā se ellengǣst earfoðlīce
þrāge geþolode, sē þe in þȳstrum bād,
þæt hē dōgora gehwām drēam gehȳrde
hlūdne in healle; þǣr wæs hearpan swēg,
90swutol sang scopes. Sægde sē þe cūþe
frumsceaft fīra feorran reccan,
cwæð þæt se Ælmihtiga eorðan worh(te),
wlitebeorhtne wang, swā wæter bebūgetð,
gesette sigehrēþig sunnan ond mōnan
95lēoman tō lēohte landbūendum,
ond gefrætwade foldan scēatas
leomum ond lēafum, līf ēac gesceōp
cynna gehwylcum þāra ðe cwice hwyrfaþ. --
Swā ðā drihtguman drēamum lifdon,
100ēadiglīce, oð ðæt ān ongan
fyrene fre(m)man fēond on helle;
wæs se grimma gǣst Grendel hāten,
mǣre mearcstapa, sē þe mōras hēold,
fen ond fæsten; fīfelcynnes eard
105wonsǣlī wer weardode hwīle,
siþðan him Scyppend forscrifen hæfde
in Cāines cynne -- þone cwealm gewræc
ēce Drihten, þæs þe hē Ābel slōg;
ne gefeah hē þǣre fǣhðe, ac hē hine feor forwræc,
110Metod for þȳ māne mancynne fram.
þanon untȳdras ealle onwōcon,
eotenas ond ylfe ond orcneas,
swylce gīgantas, þā wið Gode wunnon
lange þrāge ; hē him ðæs lēan forgeald.
