X
Ðā him Hrōþgār gewāt mid his hæleþa gedryht,eodur Scyldinga ūt of healle;
wolde wīgfruma Wealhþēo sēcan,
665cwēn tō gebeddan. Hæfde Kyningwuldor
Grendle tōgēanes, swā guman gefrungon,
seleweard āseted; sundornytte behēold
ymb aldor Dena, eotonweard' ābēad.
Hūru Gēata lēod georne trūowde
670mōdgan mægnes, Metodes hyldo.--
Ðā hē him of dyde īsernbyrnan,
helm of hafelan, sealde his hyrsted sweord,
īrena cyst ombihtþegne,
ond gehealdan hēt hildegeatwe.
675Gespræc þā se gōda gylpworda sum,
Bēowulf Gēata, ǣr hē on bed stige:
'Nō ic mē an herewæsmun hnāgran talige
gūþgeweorca, þonne Grendel hine;
forþan ic hine sweorde swebban nelle,
680aldre benēotan, þēah ic eal mæge;
nāt hē þāra gōda, þæt hē mē ongēan slea,
rand gehēawe, þēah ðe hē rōf sīe
nīþgeweorca; ac wit on niht sculon
secge ofersittan, gif hē gesēcean dear
685wīg ofer wǣpen, ond siþðan wītig God
on swā hwæþere hond hālig Dryhten
mǣrðo dēme, swā him gemet þince.'
Hylde hine þā heaþodēor, hlēorbolster onfēng
eorles andwlitan, ond hine ymb monig
690snellīc sǣrinc selereste gebēah.
Nǣnig heora þōhte, þæt hē þanon scolde
eft eardlufan ǣfre gesēcean,
folc oþðe frēoburh, þǣr hē āfēded wæs;
ac hīe hæfdon gefrūinen, þæt hīe ǣr tō fela micles
695in þǣm wīnsele wældēað fornam,
Denigea lēode. Ac him Dryhten forgeaf
wīgspēda gewiofu, Wedera leōdum,
frōfor ond fultum, þæt hīe fēond heora
ðurh ānes cræft ealle ofercōmon,
700selfes mibtum. Sōð is gecȳþed,
þæt mihtig God manna cynnes
wēold wīdeferhð. Cōm on wanre niht
scrīðan sceadugenga. Scēotend swǣfon,
þā þæt hornreced healdan scoldon,
705ealle būton ānum. þæt wæs yldum cūþ,
þæt hīe ne mōste, þā Metod nolde,
se s[c]ynscaþa under sceadu bregdan;--
ac hē wæccende wrālum on andan
bād bolgenmōd beadwa geþinges.
