XI
710 Ðā cōm of mōre under misthleoþumGrendel gongan, Godes yrre bær;
mynte se mānscaða manna cynnes
sumne besyrwan in sele þām hēan.
Wōd under wolcnum tō þæs þe hē wīnreced,
715goldsele gumena gearwost wisse
fǣttum fāhne. Ne wæs þæt forma sīð,
þæt hē Hrōþgāres hām gesōhte;
nǣfre hē on aldordagum ǣr nē siþðan
heardran hǣle, healðegnas fand !
720Cōm þā tō recede rinc sīðian
drēamurn bedǣled. Duru sōna onarn
fȳrbendum fæst, syþðan hē hire folmum (æthr)ān;
onbrǣd þā bealohȳdig, ðā (hē ge)bolgen wæs,
recedes mūþan. Raþe æfter þon
725on fāgne flōr fēond treddode,
ēode yrremōd; him of ēagum stōd
ligge gelīcost lēoht unfǣger.
Geseah hē in recede rinca manige,
swefan sibbegedriht samod ætgædere,
730magorinca hēap. þā his mōd āhlōg;
mynte þæt hē gedǣlde, ǣr þon dæg cwōme,
atol āglǣca ānra gehwylces
līf wið līce, þā him ālumpen wæs
wistfylle wēn. Ne wæs þæt wyrd þā gēn,
735þæt hē mā mōste manna cynnes
ðicgean ofer þā niht. þrȳðswȳð behēold
mǣg Higelāces, hū se mānscaða
under fǣrgripum gefaran wolde.
Nē þæt se āglǣca yldan þōhte,
740ac hē gefēng hraðe forman sīðe
slǣpendne rinc, slāt unwearnum,
bāt bānlocan, blōd ēdrum dranc,
synsnǣdum swealh; sōna hæfde.
unlyfigendes eal gefeormod,
745fēt ond folma. Forð nēar ætstōp,
nam þā mid handa higeþīhtigne
rinc on ræste, rǣhte tōgēan[es]
fēond mid folme; hē onfēng hraþe
inwitþancum ond wið earm gesæt.
750Sōna þæt onfunde fyrena hyrde,
þæt hē ne mētte middangeardes,
eorþan scēata on elran men
mundgripe māran; hē on mōde wearð
forht on ferhðe; nō þȳ ǣr fram meahte.
755Hyge wæs him hinfūs, wolde on heolster flēon,
sēcan dēofla gedræg; ne wæs his drohtoð þǣr
swylce hē on ealderdagum ǣr gemētte.
Gemunde þā se gōda, mǣg Higelāces,
ǣfensprǣce, ūplang āstōd
760ond him fæste wiðfēng; fingras burston;
eoten wæs ūtweard, eorl furþur stōp.
Mynte se mǣra, (þ)er hē meahte swā,
wīdre gewindan ond on weg þanon
flēon on fenhopu; wiste his fingra geweald
765on grames grāpum. þæt wæs gēocor sīð,
þæt se hearmscaþa tō Heorute ātēah !
Dryhtsele dynede; Denum eallum wearð,
ceasterbūiendum, cēnra gehwylcum,
eorlum ealuscerwen. Yrre wǣron bēgen,
770rēþe renweardas. Reced hlynsode.
þā wæs wundor micel, þæt se wīnsele
wiðhaefde heaþodēorum, þæt hē on hrūsan ne fēol,
fǣger foldbold; ac hē þæs fæste wæs
innan ond ūtan īrenbendum
775searoþoncum besmiþod. þǣr fram sylle ābēag
medubenc monig mīne gefrǣge
golde geregnad, þǣr þā graman wunnon.
þæs ne wēndon ǣr witan Scyldinga,
þæt hit ā mid gemete manna ǣnig
780betlic ond bānfāg tōbrecan meahte,
listum tōlūcan, nymþe līges fæþm
swulge on swaþule. Swēg ūp āstāg
nīwe geneahhe: Norð-Denum stōd
atelic egesa, ānra gehwylcum
785þāra þe of wealle wōp gehȳrdon,
gryrelēoð galan Godes andsacan,
sigelēasne sang, sār wānigean
helle hæfton. Hēold hine fæste
sē þe manna wæs mægene strengest
790on þæm dæge þysses līfes.