Texts

1. Sēo sunne gǣþ betwēonan heofone and eorþan: on dæġ bufan eorþan, and on niht under þisse eorþan. Ǣfre hēo biþ iernende ymb þās eorþan, and ealswā leohte sċīnþ under þǣre eorþan on niht swā-swā hēo on dæġ dēþ bufan ūrum hēafdum.

2. On þā healfe þe hēo sċīnþ, þǣr biþ dæġ; and on þā healfe þe hēo ne sċīnþ, þǣr biþ niht.

3. Wē hātaþ ānne dæġ fram sunnan ūpgange oþ ǣfen. Fram þǣre sunnan ūpgange oþ-þæt hēo eft becume þǣr hēo ǣr ūp-stāg — on þǣm fæce sind ġetealde fēower and twentiġ tīda.

4. Sēo sunne is swīþe miċel: ealswā brād hēo is, þæs þe bēċ sęcgaþ, swā eall eorþan ymbhwyrft. Ac hēo þynċþ ūs swīþe lȳtelu, for·þǣmþe hēo is swīþe feorr fram ūrum ġesihþum.

5. Se mōna and ealle steorran on·fōþ leoht of þǣre miċlan sunnan.

6. Niht is ġesętt mannum tō ręste on þissum middanġearde. Þēah-þe hit wundorliċ þynċe, nis niht nān-þing būtan þǣre eorþan sċeado betwēonan þǣre sunnan and mancynne.

7. Dæġhwæmlīċe þæs mōnan leoht biþ weaxende and waniende. Simle hē węnt his hrycg tō þǣre sunnan.

8. On þǣm ġēare sind ġetealde twelf mōnþas, and twā and fīftiġ wucena, þrēo hund daga and fīf and siextiġ daga, and þǣr-tō·ēacan siex tīda.

9. Reġnas cumaþ of þǣre lyfte. Sēo lyft ā·tīehþ þone wǣtan of ealre eorþan and of þǣre sǣ and ġegaderaþ tō sċūrum; and þonne hēo māre ā·beran ne mæġ, þonne fielþ hit of·dūne.

10. Hagol cymþ of þǣm reġndropum, þonne hīe bēoþ ġefrorene uppe on þǣre lyfte, and swā sōna feallaþ, swā-swā sum sċop be him ġieddode:

Hagol biþ ·hwītost corna; hwierfþ hit of ·heofones lyfte, wealcaþ hit ·windes sċūras; wierþ hit tō ·wætere siþþan.

11. Þēos lyft þe wē on libbaþ is ān þāra fēower ġesċeafta. Nis nān þing þe næbbe þā fēower ġesċeafta him mid: þæt is lyft, and fȳr, and eorþe, and wæter.

12. Lyft is swīþe þynne. Sēo ofer·gǣþ ealne middanġeard, and ūp-āstīġþ oþ þone mōnan. On þǣre flēogaþ fuglas swā-swā fisċas swimmaþ on wætere. Ne mihte hira nān flēogan, nære sēo lyft þe hie bierþ. Sēo lyft ā·bierþ eall wolcnu and ealle stormas.

13. Sēo lyft, þonne hēo ā·styred is, biþ wind.

14. Hwelċne cræft canst þū?

Iċ eom munuc.

15. Hwæt cunnon þās þīne ġefēran?

Sume sind ierþlingas, sume sċēaphierdas, sume hrīþerhierdas, sume huntan, sume fisċeras, sume fugleras, sume ċīepemęnn, sume sċōwyrhtan, sume sealteras, sume bæceras.

16. Hwæt sęġst þū, ierþling? Hū begæst þū þīnne cræft?

Lā lēof, þearle iċ swince! Ǣlċe dæġe iċ sċeal on dæġred ūt-gān. Þonne sċeal iċ þā oxan tō felda drīfan and tō þǣre sylh ġeocian. Nis nān winter swā stearc þæt iċ dyrre æt hām lūtian: ne dearr iċ for mīnes hlāfordes ęġe. Ac þonne iċ þā oxan ġeġeocod hæbbe, and þæt sċear and þone culter on þǣre sylh ġefæstnod hæbbe, þonne sċeal iċ fulne æcer ęrian oþþe māre.

17. Hæfst þū ǣniġne ġefēran?

Giese, iċ hæbbe cnapan: sē sċeal þā oxan mid gāde þīen. Sē is nū hās for ċiele and hrēame.

18. Hwæt māre dēst þū? Hæfst þū ġīet māre tō dōnne?

Giese lēof, miċel iċ hæbbe tō dōnne! Iċ sċeal þāra oxena binne mid hīeġe ā·fyllan, and hīe wæterian, and hira steall feormian.

19. Ealā, þæt is miċel ġedeorf!

Ġiese lēof, hit is miċel ġedeorf, for·þǣmþe iċ neom frēo.

20. Hwæt sęġst þū, sċēaphierde? Hæfst þū ǣniġ ġedeorf?

Ġiese lēof, iċ hæbbe miċel ġedeorf! On ǣrnemerġen iċ drīfe mīn sċēap tō læswe. Siþþan stande iċ ofer hīe mid hundum, þy·lǣsþe wulfas hīe for·swelgen. Þonne on ǣfen iċ lǣde hīe on-ġēan tō hira locum. Iċ hīe melce tuwa on dæġe. Iċ maciġe buteran and ċīese. And iċ eom mīnum hlāforde ġetrīewe.

21. Ealā hrīþerhierde, hwæt dēst þū?

Lā lēof, iċ swince þearle! þonne se ierþling þā oxan on·ġeocaþ, þonne lǣde iċ hīe tō lǣswe; and ealle niht iċ stande ofer hīe, waciende for þēofum; and þæs on morgenne iċ hīe betǣċe eft þǣm ierþlinge, wel ġefylde and ġewæterode.

22. Is þes mann ān of þīnum ġefērum?

Ġiese.

23. Canst þū ǣniġ þing?

Anne cræft iċ cann.

24. Hwelċne cræft canst þū?

Iċ eom hunta.

25. Hwæs hunta eart pū?

Iċ eom þæs cyninges hunta.

26. Hū begǣst þū þīnne cræft?

Iċ breġde mē nętt, and ā·sętte hīe on ġehæpre stōwe. Þonne tyhte iċ mīne hundas þæt hīe þāra wildēora ehten, oþ-þæt hīe on unġearwe on þā nętt becumen. Þonne hīe þus ġelæht sind, þonne cume iċ tō, and hīe on þǣm nęttum of·slēa.

27. Ne canst þū būtan nęttum huntian?

Ġiese, iċ cann būtan nęttum huntian.

28. Hū?

Iċ fō þā wildēor mid swiftum hundum.

29. Hwelċ wildēor ġefēhst þū swīþost?

Iċ ġefō heorotas, and rān, and bāras, and hwīlum haran.

30. Wǣre þū tō·dæġ on huntoþe?

Nese, for·þǣm hit is sunnan-dæġ; ac ġiestrandæġ iċ wæs on huntoþe.

31. Hwæt ġefenge þū?

Iċ ġefēng twēġen heorotas and ānne bār.

32. Hū ġefēnge þū hīe?

Þā heorotas on nęttum iċ ġefēng, and þone bār iċ of·sticode.

33. Hū wære þū swā ġedyrstiġ þæt þū bār of·sticodest?

Þā hundas hine bedrifon tō mē, and iċ þǣr fæstlīċe on·ġēan-stōd, and hine færlīċe mid spere of·sticode.

34. Swīþe ġedyrstiġ wære þū þā!

Ne sċeal hunta forhtmōd bēon, for·þǣm missenlicu wildēor wuniaþ on wudum.

35. Hwæt dēst þū ymb þīnne huntoþ?

Ic sęlle þǣm cyninge swā hwæt swā iċ ġefō, for·þǣm iċ eom his hunta.

36. Hwæt sęlþ hē þē?

Hē sċrytt mē wel and fētt, and hwīlum hē mē hors sęlþ oþþe bēag, þæt iċ þy ġeornor mīnne cræft begā.

37. Hwelċne cræft canst þū?

Iċ eom fisċere.

38. Hwæt beġietst þū of þīnum cræfte?

Bīleofan iċ mē beġiete, and sċrūd, and feoh.

39. Hū ġefehst þū þā fisċas?

Iċ gā on mīnne bāt, and rōwe ūt on þā ēa, and weorpe mīn nętt on þā ēa. Hwīlum iċ weorpe angel ūt mid ǣse, oþþe spyrtan; and swā hwæt swā hīe ġehæftaþ iċ nime.

40. Hwæt dēst þū ġif hit unclæne fisċas bēoþ?

Iċ weorpe þā unclǣnan ūt, and nime þā clǣnan mē tō męte.

41. Hwær ċīepst þū þīne fisċas?

On þǣre ċeastre.

42. Hwā byġþ hīe?

Þā ċeasterware. Ne mæġ iċ hira swā fela ġefōn swā iċ sęllan mæġe.

43. Hwelċe fisċas ġefēhst þū?

Ǣlas, and hacodas, and sċēotan, and ealle ōþre fisċas þe on þǣm ēam swimmaþ.

44. For·hwȳ ne fisċast þū on sǣ?

Hwīlum iċ dō swā, ac seldon; for·þǣm hit is mē miċel rēwett tō þǣre sǣ.

45. Hwæt ġefēhst þū on þǣre sǣ?

Hæringas, and leaxas, and styrian, and lopestran, and crabban, and fela ōþerra fisċa.

46. Wilt þū hwæl fōn?

Niċ!

47. For·hwȳ?

For·þǣm miċel pleoh is þæt man hwæl ġefō. Lǣsse pleoh mē biþ þæt iċ tō þǣre ēa gā mid mīnum bāte þonne iċ mid manigum sċipum on hwælhuntoþ fare.

48. For·hwȳ swā?

For·þǣm mē is lēofre þæt iċ fisċ ġefō þe iċ of·slēan mæġ þonne iċ fisċ ġefō þe nealles þæt ān mē selfne ac ēac swelċe mīne ġeferan mid ānum slęġe besęnċan mæġ oþþe of·slēan.

49. And þēah maniġe ġefōþ hwalas, and þǣm frēċennessum æt·berstaþ, and miċelne sċeatt þanon beġietaþ.

Sōþ þū sęġst; ac iċ ne dearr for mīnes mōdes slǣwþe.

50. Hwæt sęġst þū, fuglere? Hū beswīcst þū þā fuglas?

Iċ hīe on maniġfealde wīsan beswīce: hwīlum mid nęttum, hwīlum mid grīnum, hwīlum mid træppum, hwīlum mid līme, hwīlum mid wistlunge, hwīlum mid hafoce.

51. Hæfst þū hafocas?

Ġiese.

52. Canst þū tęmian hafocas?

Ġiese, iċ cann: hū sċeolden hīe mē nytte bēon, būtan iċ hīe tęmian cūþe?

53. Sęle mē hafoc!

Iċ þē sęlle lustlīċe, ġif þū mē sęlst swiftne hund. Hwelċne hafoc wilt þū habban, þone māran hwæþer-þe þone lǣssan?

54. Sęle mē þone māran! Hū ā·fētst þū þīne hafocas?

Hīe hīe selfe fēdaþ on wintra ġe ēac swelċe mē, and on lęnċtene iċ hīe lǣte tō wuda æt·flēogan; and iċ mē nime briddas on hærfest and hīe ġetęmiġe.

55. For·hwȳ lǣtst þū þā ġetęmedan hafocas þē æt·flēogan?

For·þǣm iċ nyle hīe on sumera fēdan, for·þǣmþe hīe þearle etaþ.

56. Ac maniġe fēdaþ þā ġetęmedan ofer sumor, þæt hīe hīe eft ġearwe hæbben.

Ġiese, hīe dōþ swā. Ac iċ nyle on swelċum ġeswince mid him bēon, for·þǣm iċ cann ōþre ġefōn — nealles ānne, ac maniġe.

57. Hwæt sęġst þū, mangere?

Iċ sęcge þæt iċ eom swīþe nytt þǣm cyninge, and þǣm ealdormannum, and þǣm weligum, and eallum folce.

58. Hū?

Iċ ā·stīge on mīn sċip mid mīnum hlæstum, and fare ofer sǣ, and sęlle mīn þing, and bycge dēorwierþu þing þe on þissum lande ā·cęnned ne bēoþ; and iċ hit lǣde tō ēow hider ofer sǣ mid miċlum plēo; and hwīlum iċ þoliġe for·lidennesse, swā þæt mē losiaþ eall mīn þing, and iċ self unēaþe cucu æt·berste.

59. Hwelċ þing lǣtst þū ūs hider ofer sǣ?

Pællas, seoloc, seldcūþ rēaf, wyrtġemang, wīn, ele, elpendbān, dēorwierþe ġimmas, gold, tin, mæstling, ār, seolfor, glæs, and fela ōþerra þinga.

60. Wilt þū þīn þing hēr on lande sęllan wiþ þǣm ilcan weorþe þe þū hīe þǣr ūte mid ġebohtest?

Niċ; hwæt fręmede mē þonne mīn ġedeorf? Ac iċ wile hīe wiþ māran weorþe hēr sęllan þonne iċ hīe þǣr mid ġebohte, þæt iċ mæġe mē sum ġestrēon beġietan, þe iċ mē mid ā·fēdan mæġe and mīn wīf and mīn bearn.

61. Þū sċōwyrhta, hwæt wyrċst þū ūs tō nytte?

Mīn cræft is ēow swīþe nytt and swīþe nīedbehēfe. Iċ bycge hyda and fell, and hīe ġearciġe mid mīnum cræfte, and wyrċe þǣr of missenliċes cynnes ġesċy, leþerhosa, þwangas, ġerǣdu, flasċan, and fǣtelsas; and ne mæġ ēower nān ofer winter wunian būtan mīnum cræfte.

62. Ealā þū sealtere, hwæt fręmeþ ūs þīn cræft?

Mīn cræft fręmeþ ēow eallum þearle. Ne mæġ ēower nān flǣsċmętta brūcan būtan mīnum cræfte. Hwelċ mann mæġ swētmętta brūcan būtan sealtes swæcce? Hwā ġefylþ his cleofan and hēdærn būtan mīnum cræfte? Ēowru butere eall ēow losaþ and ēower ċīese būtan iċ hīe mid mīnum cræfte ġehealde. Ne ġē ne magon furþum ēowerra wyrta brūcan būtan mē.

63. Hwæt sęġst þū, bæcere? Hwǣm fręmeþ þīn cræft? Hwæþer mæġen wē būtan þē ūre līf ā·drēogan?

Tō hwīle ġē magon ēower līf ā·drēogan būtan mīnum cræfte, ac nā lange ne tō wel; for·þǣm būtan mīnum cræfte ælċ bēod biþ ǣmettiġ ġeþuht, and būtan hlāfe ǣlċ męte biþ tō wlættan ġehwierfed. Iċ ġestrangiġe manna heortan: iċ eom wera mæġen; ġe furþum þā lytlingas nyllaþ mē for·þolian.

64. Hwæt sęcge wē be þǣm cōce? Hwæþer wē his cræftes tō āwihte beþurfon?

Ġif ġē mē of ēowrum ġefērsċipe ūt-ādrīfaþ, ġē etaþ ēowre wyrta grēne and ēowre flæsċmęttas hrēawe; ne magon gē furþum fǣtt broþ habban būtan mīnum cræfte.

65. Ne ręċċe wē be þīnum cræfte: nis hē ūs nā nīedbehēfe, for·þǣm wē magon selfe sēoþan þā þing þe tō sēoþanne sind, and brædan þā þing þe tō brædanne sind.

Gif ġē mē ūt-ādrīfaþ and þus dōþ, þonne bēo ġē ealle þēowas, and nān ēower ne biþ hlāford; and þēah·hwæþre ġē ne magon etan būtan mīnum cræfte.

66. Ealā munuc, iċ ġesēo þē habban gōde ġefēran and swīþe nytte; hæfst þū ōþre ēac him?

Iċ hæbbe īsensmiþas, goldsmiþas, seolforsmiþas, trēowwyrhtan, and maniġe ōþre.

67. Hæfst þū wīsne ġeþeahtere?

Ġewisslīċe iċ hæbbe: hū mæġ ūre ġefersċipe bēon ġewissod būtan ġeþeahtere?

68. Ealā þū wīsa ġeþeahtere, hwæt sęġst þū? Hwelċ þissa cræfta is þē fyrmest ġeþuht?

Iċ þē sęcge, Godes þēowdōm is mē fyrmest ġeþuht betweox þissum cræftum, swā-swā Crīst on his godspelle cwæþ ‘Fyrmest sēċaþ Godes rīċe, and þās þing eall ēow bēoþ tō-ġeīeċed’.

69. And hwelċ woruldcræft is þē fyrmest ġeþuht?

Eorþtilþ; for-þǣm se ierþling fētt ūs ealle.

70. (Se smiþ sęġþ:) Hwanon hæfþ se ierþling sċear oþþe culter, oþþe furþum gāde, būtan of mīnum cræfte? Hwanon hæfþ se fisċere angel, oþþe se sċōwyrhta āwel, oþþe se sēamere nædle būtan of mīnum ġeweorce?

71. (Se ġeþeahtere andswaraþ:) Sōþ þu sęġst; ac ūs eallum lēofre is mid þǣm ierþlinge tō wīcianne þonne mid þē: for·þǣm se ierþling sęlþ ūs hlāf and drynċe; ac þū, hwæt sęlst þū ūs on þīnre smiþþan būtan īsene spearcan, and bēatendra slęcga swēġ and blāwendra byliġa?

72. (Se trēowwyrhta sęġþ:) Hwelċ ēower ne notaþ mīnes cræftes, þonne iċ ēow eallum hūs wyrċe and sċipu and missenlicu fatu?

73. (Se smiþ andswaraþ:) Ealā trēowwyrhta, for·hwȳ spriċst þū swā, þonne furþum ān þyrel þū ne miht dōn būtan mīnum cræfte?

74. (Se ġeþeahtere sęġþ:) Ealā ġefēran and gōde wyrhtan, uton hrædlīċe ġesēman þās ġeflitu, and sīe sibb and ġeþwærnes betweox ēow, and fręmme ǣlċ ōþrum on his cræfte! And uton weorþian þone ierþling, of þǣm wē beġietaþ ūs selfum bīleofan and fōdor ūrum horsum! And iċ ġelǣre eallum wyrhtum þisne rǣd: þæt ānra-ġehwelċ his cræft ġeornlīċe begā. For·þǣm sē-þe his cræft forlǣtt, sē biþ fram þǣm cræfte for·lǣten. Swā hwelċ swā þū sīe, swā mæsseprēost, swā munuc, swā ċeorl, swā cęmpa, begā ġeornlīċe þīnne cræft! And bēo þæt þæt þū eart! For·þǣm hit is miċel dęmm and miċel sċand ġif man nyle bēon þæt þæt hē is and þæt þæt hē bēon sċeal.

75. Ēalā ġē ċild, hū līcaþ ēow þēos spræc?

Wel hēo ūs līcaþ; ac þearle dēoplīċe þū spriċst and ofer ūre mǣþ. Ac sprec wiþ ūs æfter ūrum andġiete, þæt wē mæġen under·standan þā þing þe þū spriċst.

76. Iċ āsċiġe ēow ‘For·hwȳ leorniġe ġē swā ġeornlīċe?’

For·þǣm wē nyllaþ bēon swā-swā stunt nīetenu, þe nān þing nyton būtan gærs and wæter.

77. Hwæt wille ġē þonne bēon?

Wē willaþ wīse bēon.

78. On hwelċum wīsdōme? Wille ġē lytiġe bēon and fācenfulle, wel-sprecende and yfel-þęnċende, swā-swā byrġels, þe is wiþ·ūtan fæġer and wiþ·innan fūl?

Wē nyllaþ swā bēon wīse; for·þǣm sē nis nā wīs sē-þe hine selfne mid līcettunge beswīcþ.

79. Hū wille ġē bēon wīse?

Wē willaþ bilewite bēon būtan līcettunge, and wīse, þæt we mæġen yfel for·būgan and gōd dōn. Þēah·hwæþre ġīet þū spriċst wiþ ūs dēoplicor þonne ūre ieldo ā·beran mæġe. Ac sprec wiþ ūs æfter ūrum ġewunan, næs swā dēoplīċe.

80. Iċ wile dōn ealswā ġē biddaþ. Þū cnapa, hwæt dydest þū tō·dæġ?

Maniġ þing iċ dyde. On þisse niht, þā-þā iċ þone cnyll ġehīerde, þā ā·rās iċ of mīnum będde, and tō ċiriċan ēode, and sang uhtsang mid þǣm ġebrōþrum. Æfter þǣm wē sungon ‘be eallum hālgum’ and lofsangas. Æfter þissum prīm wē sungon and seofon sealmas, mid letānian and capitolmæssan, and siþþan underntīd and þæs dæġes mæssan.

Æfter þissum wē sungon middæġ, and ǣton, and druncon, and slēpon; and eft wē ā·rison, and sungon nōn. And nū wē sind hēr beforan þē, ġearwe tō ġehīeranne hwæt þū ūs sęcgan wilt.

81. Hwonne wille ġē ǣfensang singan oþþe nihtsang?

Þonne hit tīma biþ.

82. Wǣre þū beswungen tō·dæġ?

Nese; for·þǣm iċ mē wærlīċe hēold.

83. And hū þīne ġefēran?

Hwæt āsċast þū mē be þǣm? Ne dearr iċ þē ūre dīeġelnessa yppan; ūre ġehwelċ wāt ġif hē beswungen wæs oþþe nā.

84. Hwæt itst þū?

Wyrta, and ǣġru, and fisċ, and ċīese, and buteran, and bēana, and eall clænu þing iċ ete mid miċelre þancunge. Ne brūce iċ ġīet flæsċmętta, for·þǣm iċ eom ċild under ġierde drohtiende.

85. Swīþe ġīfre eart þū, þonne þū eall þing itst þe þē beforan ġesętt sind.

Neom iċ swā miċel swelgere þæt iċ mæġe ealra cynna męttas on ānum mæle etan. Hwīlum iċ brūce ānes cynnes mętes, hwīlum ōþres, for·þǣm iċ neom nā swelgere.

86. Hwæt drincst þū?

Iċ drince ealo, ġif iċ hit hæbbe; oþþe wæter, ġif iċ ealo næbbe.

87. Ne drincst þū wīn?

Neom iċ swā spēdiġ þæt iċ mæġe mē wīn bycgan; and wīn nis nā ċilda drynċe ne dysiġra, ac ealdra and wīsra.

88. Hwær slæpst þū?

On þǣm slǣpærne mid þǣm ġebrōþrum.

89. Hwā ā·węċþ þē tō uhtsange?

Hwīlum iċ ġehīere þone cnyll, and ā·rīse; hwīlum mīn lārēow ā·węċþ mē stīþlīċe mid ġierde.

90. And nū, ġē ċild, iċ ēow maniġe þæt ġē þǣm godcundum lārum ġehīersumien and ġerisenlīċe ġebǣren on ǣlċre stōwe. Þonne ġē ġehīeraþ þǣre ċiriċan bellan, gāþ þēawlīċe tō ġebede, and būgaþ ēaþmōdlīċe tō þǣm hālgum wēofodum, and standaþ ġerisenlīċe, and singaþ ānmōdlīċe, and ġebiddaþ for ēowrum synnum, and gāþ ūt būtan hyġelīeste tō claustre oþþe tō leornunge.

91. Hit ġelamp ġēo þæt ān cyning wæs on Dęnum, sē wæs hāten Hrōþgār. And se Hrōþgār wæs mǣre hęretoga, swā þæt his māgas him ġeorne ġehīerdon, oþ-þæt his folgoþ wēox þearle, and hē hæfde siġe swā hwider swā hē ēode, æġþer ġe on sǣ ġe on lande. B64

92. And sōna swā hē tō rīċe fēng, swā ġesamnode hē miċle fierd, and his fiend ġesohte on hira āgnum landum, and hīe swīþe for·slōg and for·dyde, oþ hīe ealle unġemetliċne ęġe fram him hæfdon.

93. Þā sęndon hīe him ǣrendracan tō, and hine friþes bǣdon. And hē him þæs ġetīþode on þæt ġerād þæt hīe him gafol gulden, and hine him tō hlāforde ġecuren. And hīe þæt ġelǣston swā; and hīe him ġīslas sealdon and miċle āþas; and man þā fulne frēondsċipe ġefæstnode mid worde and mid wędde on æġþre healfe.

94. Þā þæt gafol ġelǣst wæs and friþāþas ā·sworene wǣron, þā węnde Hrōþgār cyning on·ġēan tō Dęnum; and hīe his ġefæġene wǣron. And hē hēold siþþan his rīċe on gōdre ġeþwǣrnesse and on miċelre sibbe.

95. Þā be·arn him on mōde þæt hē miċle healle timbrede, and þǣr·inne his mannum ġedǣlde ealle þā hęrehȳþ þe hīe ǣr ġefēngon. B67

96. Þā hēt hē ealle þā bętstan wyrhtan tō his cynestōle ġebannan, ǣġþer ġe of his āgnum riċe ġe of eallum þǣm þēodum þe him underþīedde wǣron. Þā þā wyrhtan ealle ġesamnode wǣron, þā wearþ þæt weorc on·gunnen. B74

97. Þā ġelamp hit æfter fierste þæt sēo heall ġearo wæs. Sēo wæs ealra hūsa mǣst, and fæġerost on tō lōcianne. Hē þā Hrōþgār cyning ā·sċōp hire naman ‘Heorot’. B76

98. Ne ā·lēag hē nā his bēot; ac hē ġesamnode ealle his męnn tō miċlum ġebēorsċipe on þǣre healle, and him eall ġedǣlde þe hē ahte ġe on seolfre ġe on golde ġe on eallum māþmum. B80

99. Þǣr man mihte þā ġesēon blisse on Heorote þǣr man eft ġeseah þā mæstan iermþe. Þǣr mihte man þǣre hearpan swēġ ġehīeran and þæs sċopes sang. Hē sang be frumsċeafte: hū se ælmihtiga eorþan worhte and þā wæteru þe hīe ūtan ymb·licgaþ; and hū hē sunnan and mōnan on heofone ġesętte, mannum tō leohte; and hū hē þā eorþan mid trēowum frætwode and mid gærse and mid eallum wyrtum; and hū hē līf sealde eallum cucum wihtum þe þā eorþan ġeondhweorfaþ. B88

100. On þisse blisse þurh·wunode Hrōþgār cyning and his męnn lange tīd, oþ-þæt him fēond onsæġe wearþ. Þæt wæs unfǣlu wiht, Gręndel hātte. Sē būde on þǣm mearclande, and hæfde hi fæsten ġeworht on fęnnum, on·middan þǣm sweartum mōrum. B99

101. Sume męnn cwǣdon þæt Gręndel wǣre of Cāīnes cynne. For·þǣm, þā Cāīn of·slōg Abēl his brōþor, þā wearþ him se ælmihtiga gram, and hine on wræcsīþ ā·sęnde, and hēt hine on wēstenne wunian, feorr mancynne. Þanon on·wōcon ealle unfǣle wihta, dweorgas, and ielfe, and eotenas, þe wiþ God wunnon. B102

102. Þā ne mihte Gręndel þolian þæt hē ǣlċe dæġe blisse ġehīerde on Heorote, and hē self ūte wunode on þīestrum. B86

103. Þā on niht æfter þǣm ġebēorsċipe, þā þā męnn slēpon on þǣre healle, þā wearþ se rēþa Gręndel sōna ġearo: hē him on unġearwe on-bestæl, þā hīe him nānes yfeles ne wēndon, and hira þrītiġ ġenam, and mid him fęrede hām tō his fæstenne, þǣre hęrehȳþe fæġniende; for·þǣm hit wæs his þēaw þæt hē hlāf ne ǣt, ne wæter ne dranc, ac ǣt manna līchaman and hira blōd dranc. B115

104. Þā þæs on morgenne wearþ Gręndles hęrġung eallum mannum cūþ. Þā wæs miċel wōp ā·hafen and miċel hēofung. And se gōda cyning Hrōþgār sæt unblīþe, and him wæs wāniende æġþer ġe his āgne heardsǣlþa ġe ealles þæs folces. B126

105. Þā wæs Gręndles spor sweotole ġesīene. Ac næs þāra nān þe hit ġespyrian dorste: wæs him se fēond tō strang. B131

106. Ne lēt Gręndel nā langne fierst þæt hē eft ne cōm, ac ymb āne niht māran wælsliht ġefręmede: ne mearn hē for þǣre fǣhþe. B134

107. Þā nolde nān mann lęnġ wunian on Heorote on niht, ac hīe sohton him ęlleshwǣr ręste on ōþrum būrum, oþ-þæt Heorot stōd ǣmettiġ, eallum mannum unnytt, and on þǣm þurh·wunode twelf winter. B138

108. Ne wēne iċ þæt ǣniġ mann ā·tęllan mæġe ealne þone dęmm þe Dęnum ġedōn wearþ on þǣm twelf ġēarum. Tō·ēacan þǣm maniġfealdum yflum þe hīe drēogende wǣron, ne þorfton þā māgas þāra of·slæġenra nānre bōte wēnan æt Gręndles handum: hē nolde nā ġeþingian wiþ hīe, ne þā fǣhþe mid fēo for·ġieldan, swā riht biþ. B146

109. Wæs þæt miċel wundor þæt Gręndel āna wiþ hīe ealle winnende wæs! On eallum þǣm fæce hē rīċsode on Heorote on þǣm sweartum nihtum swelċe hē cyning wǣre; būtan hē ne dorste nā þæt cynesetl grētan for Godes ęġe. Ac ǣlċe dæġe, sōna þæs hit dagode, ġewāt hē eft ofer þā wildan mōras his fæsten sēċan. Ac nān ne dorste him æfterspyrian. B164

110. Þā wæs swā miċel ęġe fram Gręndle þæt nān mann ne mihte ā·þęnċan ne ā·cræftan hū hīe him wiþ·standan mihten, oþþe Dęna eard wiþ hine ġehealdan. Þā on·gann Hrōþgār cyning ġeorne tō smēaganne wiþ his witan hwæt him eallum rǣdlicost þuhte, þæt man Dęna earde ġebeorgan mihte, ǣr hē mid ealle for·dōn wurde. B172

111. Þā hīe þā ġesāwon þæt him nāhwǣþer ne dohte, ne wīg ne wīsdōm, þā ġerǣddon þā witan þæt hīe hira godum blōten æt hira heargum æfter hǣþenum ġewunan, þæt hīe him sume helpe ġefręmeden. And nā þȳ lǣs for eallum þissum ġeblōte hē fērde swā hē self wolde, and þæt earme folc slōg and hīende. B175

112. Þā on·gunnon þā sċopas lēoþ wyrċan be þǣm, oþ-þæt hit wearþ on eallum norþlandum cūþ hū Dęne ġebrocode wǣron. B149

113. Þā wæs þǣr sum þēod on Swēolande þe man hǣtt Ġēatas; Hyġelāc wæs ġehāten hira cyning. Sē hæfde þeġn, þæs nama wæs Bēowulf; sē wæs þæs cyninges nefa. And se Bēowulf wæs ealra manna cēnost and stręnġest. Is þæt ġesæġd þæt hē hæfde þrītiġra manna mæġen on his handgripe. B194

114. Þā wurdon Gręndles undǣda ēac on Ġēatum cūþe. And hraþe þæs-þe Bēowulf þæt ġehīerde, swā hēt hē him sċip ġierwan: cwæþ þæt hē wolde Hrōþgār sēċan, þā him wæs manna þearf. And hē him ġeċēas fīftīene cęmpan, þā cēnostan þe hē findan mihte, þæt hīe on þǣm sīþe his ġefēran wǣren. B198

115. Hē ēode þā mid his ġefērum tō þǣre sǣ strande, þǣr hē his sċip wiste. Hīe þā þæt sċip ūt-sċufon, and selfe on ēodon mid hira hęreġeatwum. Þā sętton hīe þā seġlas; and hīe hæfdon ambyrne wind, and hīe wǣron ealne þone dæġ iernende under seġle. Þā on niht hīe ġewīcodon. And þæs on morgenne hīe siġldon furþor, oþ-þæt hīe clifu ġesāwon him beforan, swelċe hwītne weall. B208

116. Þā wiston hīe þæt hīe tō Dęna lande cumene wǣron. Þā tugon hīe hira sċip ūp on þæt sand, and bǣron hira wǣpnu ūt. Þā stōdon hīe on þǣm strande, Gode þanciende þæs-þe hē hīe ġesunde þider brohte. B223

117. Þā wæs þǣr sum cyninges þeġn, sē wæs tō þǣm ġesętt þæt hē sċolde sǣwearde healdan. Sē of þǣm clife ġeseah þæt sċip tō lande cuman, and þā męnn ūp-gān mid wǣpnum mid ealle. Þā bræc hine firwit hwæt þā męnn wǣren. B229

118. Þā rād hē niþer tō þǣm strande, and his spere ā·cweahte, and him þus tō-cwæþ, swīþe unforht: ‘Hwæt sind ġē þe þus ġewǣpnode hider on land cōmon on ēowrum langsċipe? Iċ eom Hrōþgāres þeġn, Dęna cyninges; iċ eom tō þǣm ġesętt þæt iċ sǣwearde healde, and þisne eard węrige, þȳ·lǣsþe sċiphęre ūs on unġearwe on-bestele. Nǣfre ne dorste ūrra fēonda nān openlīċe hider on land cuman. B234

119. Þā cwæþ hē eft: ‘Ne ġeseah iċ nǣfre māran mann þonne ēower sum is: þǣm ġerīst wel þæt hē wǣpnu bere, būtan him his ansīen lēoge! Ac nū iċ sċeal witan hwanon ġē cumene sind, ǣr ġē furþor up-gān þæt land tō sċēawianne. Nū ġē sæmęnn, ġehīeraþ mīnne ānfealdne ġeþoht: ofost is bętst tō cyþanne hwanon ġē cumene sind.’ B247

120. Him þā Bēowulf andswarode, and þus cwæþ: ‘Wē sind Hyġelāces þeġnas, Ġēata cyninges. Mīn fæder wæs on eallum folcum cūþ, sē wæs Ęcgþēow hāten, æþeles cynnes mann. Þurh holdne hyġe wē sind hider cumene þīnne hlāford sēċan, Hrōþgār cyning. Wē habbaþ miċel ǣrende tō þǣm cyninge. Þū wāst ġif hit swā is swā wē sęcgan ġehīerdon; þæt sum dīeġle fēond unāsęcgendliċ yfel fręmeþ on Dęnum, mid·þǣmþe hē hīe of·slihþ and for·swilġþ on þǣm þīestrum nihtum. Iċ mæġ Hrōþgār cyning rǣd ġelǣran, hū hē þone fēond ofer·swīþan mæġe, ġif him se ælmihtiga þæs ġetīþaþ þæt him eft bōt cume þāra yfla þe him onsǣġu sind.’ B258

121. Þā cwæþ se weard: ‘Gōdum þeġne ġedafenaþ þæt hē þæt ġesċād wite worda and dǣda! Iċ þæt ġehīere þæt þis is hold werod Dęna cyninge. Ġewītaþ nū mid ēowrum wǣpnum Hrōþgār sēċan; iċ ēow wīsiġe. Swelċe ēac iċ mīnum mannum bebēode þæt hīe ēower sċip wiþ ealle fīend ġehealden, oþ-þæt hit ēow eft bierþ ofer sǣ tō Ġēata lande, swelċum ēower ġifeþe biþ þæt hīe him ġesunde beorgaþ.’ B286

122. Hīe þā lēton hira sċip him behindan, on ancre fæst: ġewiton him selfe forþ on hira hęreġeatwum. Hīe hæfdon hira helmas on hēafdum. On þǣm helmum wǣron eofera līc, of golde ġeworht. Þā anliċnessa wǣron tō þǣm ġeworhte þæt hīe þāra manna fēorum wiþ ǣlċe frēċennesse ġeburgen. B301

123. Hīe þā ēodon forþ oþ-þæt hīe þā healle ġesāwon þe ealra hūsa mǣrost wæs; wæs se hrōf mid golde ġefrætwod, of þǣm leoht sċān ofer maniġ land. Hē þā se weard him þæt ġiesthūs ġetæhte, þæt hīe mihten hīe ġeręstan. Þā ġewęnde hē his hors, and him tō cwæþ: ‘Mǣl is mē tō fēranne. Ġehealde ēow se ælmihtiga ġesunde on ēowrum sīþe! Iċ tō sǣ wile, þæt iċ wiþ unfriþhęre wearde healde.’ B305

124. Hīe þā be þǣre stānstrǣte ēodon, oþ-þæt hīe tō þǣm ġiesthūse cōmon. Hīe þā ā·lęġdon hira sċieldas wiþ þæs hūses weall, and sętton hira speru on ānre hyrnan eall æt·samne. Þā ēodon hīe tō þǣm bęnċum þæt hīe hīe ġeręsten, for·þǣm hīe wǣron wēriġe æfter þǣre sǣfare. B321

125. Þā wæs þǣr sum mann, Wulfgār hātte, wīs mann and gōd cęmpa, sē him tō cwæþ: ‘Hwanon cume ġē þus ġewǣpnode hider on Dęna land? Iċ eom Hrōþgāres ǣrendraca. Ne ġeseah iċ nǣfre swā mōdiġe męnn hider on land cuman! Wēn is þæt ġē for mǣrþe Hrōþgār sohton, nealles for wræcsīþe!’ B331

126. Þā andswarode him Bēowulf: ‘Wē sind Hyġelāces þeġnas, Ġēata cyninges. Bēowulf is mīn nama. Iċ wile Hrōþgāre cyninge mīn ǣrende sęcgan, ġif hē for his gōdnesse ġeunnan wile þæt wē hine grētan mōten.’ B340

127. Þā cwæþ Wulfgār: ‘Iċ wile Hrōþgāre cyninge þīn ǣrende ā·bēodan, swā þū biddende eart, and þē þā andsware þǣr·rihte ġecȳþan.’ B348

128. Hē þā ēode hrædlīċe þǣr se cyning sæt mid his ealdormannum, and ġestōd beforan þæs cyninges eaxlum, swā þeġnes riht biþ, and him þus tō cwæþ: ‘Hēr sind feorrancumene męnn of Ġēata þēode, Bēowulf hātte hira lāttēow. Hīe biddende sind þæt hīe mōten wiþ þē sprecan. Ne wiern þū him þæs! Hīe þæs wierþe þynċaþ þæt hīe hwate męnn dōmes belęcgen. Hūru hira lāttēow dēah sē-þe hīe hider lædde.’ B356

129. Þā cwæþ Hrōþgār: ‘Iċ cūþe hine þā hē cniht wæs. His fæder hātte Ęcgþēow. Sē hæfde tō wīfe Hrēþles dohtor, Ġēata cyninges; næfde hē dohtor būtan hīe. And nū is his nefa hider cumen: sohte holdne frēond! Þæt sæġdon þā sċipmęnn þe Ġēata sęlena hider brohton þæt hē hæbbe þrītiġra manna stręnġo on his handgripe. Iċ wēne, God self hine sęnde ūs tō fultume wiþ Gręndles brōgan; iċ him sċeal māþmas beodan for his snelsċipe. Bēo þū on ofoste; hāt hine inn-gān mid his ġefērum! Sęġe him ēac þæt hīe ūs wilcuman sind hider ofer sǣ.’ B371

130. Þā ġe·ċierde Wulfgār eft fō þǣm ġiesthūse, and his ǣrende ā·bēad, and him tō cwæþ: ‘Eow hēt sęcgan mīn hlāford, Hrōþgār cyning, þæt hē ēowre ġebyrda cann, and ġē him wilcuman sind hider ofer sǣ. Nū ġē mōton gān on ēowrum hęreġeatwum Hrōþgār ġesēon. Lǣtaþ ēowre sċieldas and ēowru speru hēr on·bīdan þǣre sprǣce ġeęndunge.’ B389

131. Þā ā·rās Bēowulf mid his þeġna hēape. Hira sume he læfde him bæftan, and him bebēad þæt hīe þā wǣpnu hēolden. Þā ēode Bēowulf under Heorotes hrōf, þæt hē on þǣm heorþe ġestōd. Þā grētte hē Hrōþgār cyning fæġerum wordum, and him tō cwæþ: B399

132. ‘Hāl wes þū Hrōþgār! Iċ eom Hyġelāces mǣġ and þeġn; fela mǣrliċra dǣda iċ fręmede on ġeogoþe. Mē wearþ Gręndles þing cūþ on mīnum lande. Þæt sæġdon scipmęnn þæt þēos heall stande īdel and unnytt siþþan ǣfen cymþ, þēah hit sīe ealra hūsa bętst. B407

133. ‘Þā ġelǣrdon mē þā witan on mīnum lande þæt iċ þē sohte; for·þǣm hīe mīne stręnġo cūþon: ġesāwon mē of wīge blōdiġne cuman, þǣr iċ eotena cynn ūte on gārsęcge for·slōg and for·dyde, and hira fīfe ġeband. B415

134. ‘Nū wile iċ þē, Dęna cyning, ānre bēne biddan, nū iċ þus feorran cōm, þæt iċ āna mōte mid mīnra þeġna werode Heorot fǣlsian! Iċ hæbbe ēac ġehīered þæt Gręndel for his rēþnesse ne ręċþ nānra wǣpna. Iċ þæt þonne for·hycge — swā mē mīn hlāford, Hyġelāc cyning, blīþe sīe — þæt iċ sweord tō wīge bere oþþe sċield: mid barum handum iċ him wiþ-fō. Þæt biþ stīþ ġemōt, þonne wit tō·gædre fōþ! B425

135. ‘Wēn is, ġif hē siġe hæfþ, þæt hē wile Ġēatas for·swelgan unforhtlīċe, swā hē ǣr Dęne dyde. Ġif iċ on wīge ā·fealle, ne þearft þū mē bebyriġan, ne ymb mīnne līchaman sorgian! Ac ġif mē wīg nimþ, on·sęnd Hyġelāce mīne byrnan; sēo is Hrēþles lāf, and Wēlandes ġeweorc, þæs mǣran smiþes. Wyrd gæþ ā swā hēo sċeal!’ B442

136. Þā cwæþ Hrōþgār: ‘For ġefeohtum þū ūs sohtest and for fultume, mīn frēond Bēowulf! Sorg is mē tō sęcganne hwelċe iermþa mē Gręndel ġedōn hæfþ mid his hęrġunge. Mīne þeġnas sind of·slæġene, and mīn folgoþ is ġewanod. B456

137. ‘Full·oft ġebēotodon mīne þeġnas, þā hīe druncne æt hira ġebēorsċipe sǣton, þæt hīe wolden Gręndle mid ġefeohte wiþ·standan; ac þæs on morgenne, siþþan hit dagode, wǣron þā bęnċa mid blōde begotene; þā hæfde iċ þeġna þȳ læs.’ B480

138. Þā cwæþ hē eft: ‘Site nū tō þǣm ġebēorsċipe, and bēo blīþe mid þīnum ġefērum, swā þē þīn mōd hwętt!’ B489

139. Þā wæs þǣm Ġēatum bęnċ ġerymed on þǣre healle, þǣr hīe sittan ēodon ealle æt·samne. Þā behēold se byrele swīþe wel his note: ēode æfter bęnċum, and medo sċęnċte and hlūtor ealo. Þā on·gann se sċop singan and ġieddian beorhtre stemne. Þā męnn wǣron blīþe; þæt wæs miċel ġesamnung Dęna and Ġēata! B491

140. Þā wæs þǣr sum mann, Unferþ hātte, sē æt þæs cyninges fōtum sæt, for·þæmþe hē wæs þæs cyninges þyle. And se Unferþ wæs swīþe æfestiġ mann: ne ūþe hē nā þæt ǣniġ ōþer mann māran weorþmynt hæfde þonne hē self. And for þǣm wæs him Bēowulfes sīþ miċel æfþanca. B499

141. Þā cwæþ Unferþ: ‘Eart þu se Bēowulf sē-þe wiþ Brecan ymb sund flite, þonne ġit for ġielpe incrum fēorum nēþdon ūte on gārsęcge? Þæt wæs on wintra þæt ġit ūt on sǣ swummon. Ac nān mann, ne lēof ne lāþ, ne mihte inc þæs sīþes for·wiernan. Seofon niht ġit on yþum swuncon. Hē þē ofer·flāt æt sunde, for·þǣm hē māran stręnġo hæfde. Þā þæs on morgenne hine sǣ on land wearp; þanon hē ġesohte his āgenne eard, Brandinga land: hē his bēot wiþ þē befullan ġelǣste. Nū wēne iċ þē wiersan ġemētinge, ġif þū dearst ofer niht bīdan on Gręndles nēawiste.’ B506

142. Þā cwæþ Bēowulf: ‘Hwæt þū, mīn frēond Unferþ, fela sprǣce ymb Brecan sīþ! Fela īdles þū spriċst! Iċ sęcge þē tō sōþe þæt iċ māran stręnġo hæfde on sunde, and māran frēċennessa ġenēþde þonne hē ōþþe ǣniġ ōþer mann. Næs hit nā swā þū sęġst. Ac nū sċealt þū þæt sōþ ġehīeran hū hit ymb unc Brecan ġelamp: — B529

143. ‘Þæt is þæt wit on cnihthāde ġecwǣdon and ġebēotodon þæt wit uncrum fēorum ġenēþden ūte on gārsęcge. And wit þæt ġelǣston swā. Wit hæfdon nacod sweord on handum þā wit ūt-swummon: þohton unc wiþ þā sǣdēor węrian. Ne mihte hē mē nā oþ·swimman: iċ him fram nolde. B532

144. ‘Wit wǣron fīf niht ūte on gārsęcge. Þā ġelamp unc yfele on þǣre fare, þæt unc on-becōm swīþe hrēoh weder, and unc sēo wōde sǣ and se stranga norþwind wīde tō·drāf. B544

145. ‘Þā wearþ þāra sǣdēora mod ā·hwętt. Hira ān mē ġefēng and tō grunde ġetēah; hwæþre mē Dryhten for·ġeaf þæt iċ hine mid sweorde of·stang. Þæt is miċel wundor þæt iċ āna mē ā·węrede wiþ eall þā sǣdēor! Iċ him þæs lēan for·ġeald þæt hīe mīn swā þearle ehton. Næfdon hīe þone ġefēan þæt hīe mē him tō męte þiġeden, sittende æt hira ġebēorsċipe on þǣre sǣ grunde! Ac þæs on morgenne lāgon hīe uppe, swīþe for·wundode, oþ-þæt hīe sǣ on land wearp. Swā iċ of·slōg nigon niceras. B548

146. ‘Þā sċān sēo sunne sūþan, and þā ȳþa wurdon ġestilde. Þā wæs iċ tō þǣm wēriġ þæt iċ ne mihte furþor swimman, ac mē sǣ on land wearp. B569

147. ‘Ne ġehīerde iċ nǣfre be þē þæt þū swā mǣrliċe dǣda ġefręmedest; þēah þū þīnum ġebrōþrum tō banan wurde, þæs þū sċealt on hęlle wīte drēogan, þēah þīn ġewitt duge. Iċ sęcge þē tō sōþe, Unferþ, þæt Gręndel nǣfre swā miċel yfel ne ġedyde, ġif þīn mōd swā unforht wǣre swā þū self tęlst. Ac hē hæfþ on·funden þæt hē ne þearf him þā fǣhþe on·drǣdan: ne wēnþ hē him nānes wīges tō Dęnum! Ac iċ him sċeal sōna Ġēata wīgcræft ġelǣran! Tō·morgen sċeal ēower ġehwelċ orsorg tō ġebēorsċipe gān sōna swā hit dagaþ!’ B581

148. Þā wearþ se cyning blīþe: ġelīefde him helpe, siþþan hē ġehīerde Bēowulfes fæstrǣdne ġeþoht. B607

149. Þā ēode Wealhþēo forþ, sēo cwēn, and þā męnn grētte. Ǣrest hēo sealde þā cuppan Hrōþgāre cyninge, and bæd hine þæt hē blīþe wǣre æt þǣm ġebēorsċipe, and his mannum hold. B612

150. Þā ēode hēo æfter bęnċum, and þā cuppan eallum sealde ġe ealdum ġe ġeongum, oþ-þæt hēo tō Bēowulfe cōm, and him þā cuppan brohte, and hine grētte: þancode Gode mid snotrum wordum þæt hire se willa ġelamp þæt hēo mōste frōfre wēnan þāra iermþa þe hīe swā lange drugon. B620

151. Hē þā Bēowulf on·fēng þǣre cuppan æt þǣre cwēne handa. Þā wearþ his mōd on·bryrd, and hē cwæþ: ‘Þā iċ on sċip ā·stāg mid mīnum ġefērum, þā þohte iċ þæt iċ āhwæþer wolde, oþþe þīnra lēoda willan ġewyrċan, oþþe on wīge feallan. Nū tō·niht iċ sċeal mīnne þeġnsċipe ġecȳþan, oþþe mīnes līfes ęnde ġebīdan.’ B624

152. Þā ġelīcode þǣre cwēne Bēowulfes ġielpsprǣc. Hēo ēode þā tō þǣm cyninge sittan. B639

153. Þā wæs eft swā ǣr bliss and hleahtor on þǣre healle, oþ-þæt se cyning wolde his ręste sēċan. Þā ā·rās eall þæt werod. Þā grētte ǣġþer ōþerne, Hrōþgār Bēowulf; and se cyning cwæþ: ‘Nǣfre ǣr ne be·tǣhte iċ Dęna ġemōtærn ǣnigum męnn tō healdanne būtan þē ānum. Hafa nū and ġeheald þæt æþele hūs! Ġemyne þīnra mǣrþa, and ġecȳþ þīnne þeġnsċipe! Waca wiþ fēond! Ne biþ þē nānes gōdes wana, ġif þū þē ġesund bierġst!’ B642

154. Þā ġewat Hrōþgār cyning ut of þǣre healle; ne lǣfde hē him bæftan būtan þā Ġēatas āne. B662

155. Þā dyde Bēowulf his byrnan of and his helm, and hīe his handþeġne sealde and his sweord samod, þæt hē hīe ġehēolde. Þā spræc Bēowulf ġielpword ǣr hē on będd stige, þus cweþende: ‘Ne tęlle iċ mē nā eargran þonne Gręndel selfne! For þǣm nyle iċ hine mid sweorde of·slēan, þēah iċ ēaþe mihte. Ne cann hē sweordes wealdan oþþe sċieldes, þēah hē cēne sīe. Wit tō·niht sċulon wǣpnu ofer·sittan, ġif hē mē wiþ·standan dearr. Dēme siþþan se ælmihtiga þone siġe on swā hwæþre hand swā him ġemet þynċþ!’ B671

156. Þā on·hielde Bēowulf his hēafod tō þǣm bolstre, and his ġefēran swā same. Hira nān ne þohte þæt hē sċolde eft tō his earde becuman, oþþe his māgas and frīend eft ġesēon. Ac hīe wǣron sōna on fæstum slǣpe, ealle būtan Bēowulfe: sē wacode on·ġēan þæs fēondes cyme, ierre on mōde. B688

157. Þā cōm se ā-wierġda Gręndel of þǣm mōrum stealcian under þiċċum miste; þohte þāra manna sumne besierwan on Heorote. B711

158. Sōna swā hē tō þǣre healle cōm, swā arn hē þā duru on. Þā on·ġeat hē þæt hēo wæs fæste belocen. Þā wearþ hē ierre, and þā duru ġelæhte mid swīþliċre mihte and of heorrum ā·hōf. Hē ēode þā inn, rēþe on mōde; of his ēagum stōd leoht swelċe fyr. B720

159. Þā ġeseah hē þā Ġēatas on þǣre healle slǣpan. Þā ā·hlōg his mōd: þohte þæt hē hīe for·swelgan wolde ānne æfter ōþrum ǣr dæġ cōme. Ac Bēowulf wacode: behēold hū se fēond faran wolde. B728

160. Ne ielde Gręndel nā lange, ac hē hraþe ġefēng slǣpendne mann, and hine siþþan styċċemǣlum tō·bræġd: tō·bræc þā bān mid his tusċum, and þæt blōd of þǣm ǣdrum dranc, oþ-þæt hē ealne þone līchaman for·swolgen hæfde mid handum mid fōtum mid ealle. B739

161. Hē ēode þā furþor, and Bēowulf ġelæhte, on his będde licgende. Þā ġesæt Bēowulf wiþ earm, and him tō·ġēanes fēng. Þā on·ġeat Gręndel sōna þæt hē ne ġemētte ǣr on ǣnigum męnn māran handgripe! B745

162. Þā wearþ hē forht on mōde: wolde flēon tō þǣm mōrum, þǣr hē his wununge wiste mid þǣm ōþrum sċuccum. Næs his drohtoþ on Heorote swelċe hē ǣr ġemētte! B753

163. Þā ġemunde Bēowulf þāra ġielpworda þe hē ǣr ġespræc: stōd þā ūplang, and him fæstlīċe wiþ-fēng. Þā wæs Gręndel ūtweard. Ac Bēowulf him fram nolde: ġefēng hine þȳ fæstor, þēah him þā fingras ful·nēah bursten. Swā hīe mid unġemetliċe nīþe winnende wǣron, oþ-þæt sēo heall dynede, and maniġe þāra bęnċa fram þǣm syllum ā·bugon. Þæt wæs miċel wundor þæt sēo heall ne ā·hrure grundlunga. Ac hēo ne fēoll nā, for·þǣmþe hēo wæs swīþe fæste mid īsenbęndum besmiþod innān and ūtan. Þæt sæġdon ēac Dęna witan þæt nān mann ne mihte þæt hūs tō·brecan butan hit man mid fȳre for·bærnde. B758

164. Þā tugon Bēowulfes ġefēran hira sweord þæt hīe hira hlāford węreden. Hīe þā þider urnon ealle, and þā cęmpan bēġen ymb·þrungon, and on ǣlċe healfe hēowon, Gręndles feorh sēċende. Hīe nyston þæt nān sweord ne mihte þone fēond grētan, for·þǣm hē hæfde eallum wǣpnum for·sworen mid his drȳcræfte. B794

165. Hē þā Gręndel, siþþan hē on·ġeat þæt hē þanon æt·berstan ne mihte, þā hrīemde hē ęġeslīċe, swā þæt ealle Dęne hit ġehīerdon, ġe furþum þā weardas on þǣm wealle ā·fyrhte wǣron. B783

166. Þā wearþ wund ġesīenu on Gręndles eaxle, oþ-þæt þā sina on·sprungon and þā bān tō·burston. Hē þā æt·bærst þanon, tō dēaþe ġewundod: flēah tō þǣm mōrum, þæt hē him on his fæstenne burge. Hē ġefrēdde þēah þæt his līf wæs æt ęnde. B815

167. Swā Bēowulf ġelǣste his ġielp: fǣlsode þæs cyninges healle, and Dęnum þā yfel ġebētte þe hīe lange drugon. Þæt wæs sweotol tācen þā Bēowulf ġenam Gręndles earm and eaxle, and hīe on þǣm stapole ā·sętte æt þǣre healle dura, eallum mannum tō wǣfersīene. B825

168. Þæs on morgenne wæs þǣr miċel męniġo ymb þā healle, ġe ealde ġe ġeonge. Þæs cyninges ealdormęnn cōmon feorran and nēan þæt hīe þæt wundor ġesāwen. Gręndles dēaþ ne þuhte hira ǣnigum sārliċ. B837

169. Hīe þā Gręndle æfter-spyredon oþ hīe tō męre cōmon, ‘nicera męre’ hātte, þǣr Gręndel his fæsten hæfde. Þā ġesāwon hīe þæt þæt wæter wæs eall mid blōde ġedrēfed. B842

170. Hīe þā him hāmweard węndon of þǣm męre, ealde witan and ġeonge hagostealdmęnn ealle æt·gædere, on swiftum horsum rīdende. B853

171. On þǣm weġe hīe sprǣcon fela ymb Bēowulf. Hīe cwǣdon þæt nān bętera cęmpa nǣre norþ ne sūþ ġeond ealle eorþan, ne rīċes wierþra. Ne tǣldon hīe hūru hira āgenne hlāford, ac cwǣdon þæt hē wǣre gōd cyning. B853

172. Hwīlum hīe on ġeflite ærndon, þǣr him þā wegas fæġere þuhton. B864

173. Þā wæs þǣr mid him sum cyninges þeġn, sē wæs gōd sċop. Hē on·gann þā Bēowulfes sīþ on lēoþwīsan ā·sęcgan mid wel-ġesęttum wordum. Þā on·gann hē cweþan be Siġemunde þǣm mǣran wręċċan and Fitelan, hū hīe bēġen æt·gædere, ēam and nefa, fela mǣrliċra dǣda ġefręmedon. Þā cwæþ hē þæt sēo dǣd þe ealra mǣrlicost wæs, þæt hē þā ġefręmede him āna — næs him Fitela mid. B867

174. Þæt wæs þā hē þone dracan on his sċræfe ā·cwealde, þā hē under þone hāran stān ġenēþde, and hine hętelīċe þīede, þæt þæt sweord on þæs sċræfes wealle æt·stōd. Þā sōna ġemealt se draca, fram his āgenre hǣtan for·swǣled. Siġemund hæfde þā mīd his snelsċipe þæs dracan goldhord ġegān. Hē þā þæt gold and þā māþmas ealle on his sċip bær, and wearþ swā wręċċena mǣrost. B886

175. Þā sæġdon hīe ealle þæt Siġemund næfde ġefręmed mǣrliċran dǣda þonne Bēowulf. Swā hīe forþ ēodon, blīþe on mōde, oþ-þæt hīe tō Heorote cōmon. B914

176. Þā wæs se cyning ēac þider cumen, mōdiġlīċe stæppende on·middan his þeġna hēape, and sēo cwēn samod mid hire mæġdena hēape. Þā-þā Hrōþgār tō þǣre healle cōm, and on þǣm stapole ġestōd, and Gręndles hand ġeseah, þā cwæþ hē: B920

177. ‘Sīe Dryhtne þanc þisse ansīene! Iċ hæbbe fela bismra ġebiden æt Gręndles handum. Næs þæt ġēara þæt iċ nānre bōte ne wēnde þāra iermþa þe wē lange drugon. Ne wēndon ēac mīne witan þæt hīe mihten Dęna lēode wiþ þā sċuccan be·węrian. Ac God mæġ ā wyrċan wundor æfter wundre! And nū hæfþ feorrancund mann dǣd ġefręmed þe wē ǣr ne mihton þurh·tēon mid ūre ealra snytro! Hwæt, þæt wīf þe swelċne sunu ġebær, ġif hēo ġīet leofaþ, hēo mæġ sęcgan þæt hire God ēstiġ wǣre on hire bearntēame! B925

178. ‘Lēofa Bēowulf, nū þū eart þeġna bętst, iċ wile þē swelċe sunu lufian; heald wel forþ þā nīwan sibbe! Ne biþ þē nānes gōdes wana þæs-þe iċ ġeweald hæbbe. Oft iċ lēanode lǣssan dǣda wācran þeġne! Þū hæfst mid þīnum dǣdum ġefręmed þæt þīn dōm leofaþ ā būtan ęnde.’ B946

179. Þā andswarode Bēowulf: ‘Wē þæt ġeswinc and þæt ġewinn blīþelīċe drēogende wǣron. Ac mē lēofre wǣre þæt þū hine selfne ġesēon mōste! Iċ þohte hine fæste ġebindan; ac God ne ūþe mē þæt iċ him flēames forwiernde, þēah iċ him ġeorne æt·fulge: hē wæs mē tō strang on fēþe. Hē for·lēt þēah his earm him behindan. Ne þearf hē him lęnġran līfes wēnan, þēah hē æt·burste: is sēo wund tō dēop. Hē sċeal þæs miċlan dōmes on·bīdan, hū him se ælmihtiga wile dēman.’ B957

180. Þa ġeswīgode Unferþ his ġielpsprǣce, þā hē Gręndles hand ġeseah and þā fingras: wǣron þā næġlas swā hearde swā stīele and swā sċearpe. Ealle sæġdon þæt nān wǣpen ne mihte hine grētan, ne þā hand for·ċeorfan. B980

181. Þā het man Heorot innan frætwian. Þǣr wǣron maniġe weras and maniġ wīf þe þā healle ġearcodon, and þā wāgas mid dēorwierþum godewębbe bewrigon. B991

182. Ac þæt æþele hūs wæs swīþe tō·brocen innanweard ofer eall, and þā heorras tō·hlidene. Se hrōf āna þurh·wunode ansund. B997

183. Þā ēode se cyning tō þǣre healle, and sæt mid his mannum blissiġende samod. Næs nǣfre ǣr swā miċel þeġna hēap ymb hira cyning; and nǣfre þeġnas bęt ġebǣrdon! B1008

184. Þā for·ġeaf se cyning Bēowulfe gyldenne seġn, his siġes tō lēane, swelċe ēac helm, and byrnan, and dēorwierþe sweord. Ne þorfte Bēowulf nā sċamian þāra ġiefena! Þā hēt se cyning lǣdan inn eahta hors; þāra ān hæfde sadol on: þæt wæs þæs cyninges wīghors. Þā for·ġeaf hē Bēowulfe þā hors tō·ēacan þǣm ōþrum māþmum: hēt hine þāra wel brūcan. Swā manlīċe lēanode him se gōda cyning his þeġnsċipe! B1020

185. Þā·ġīet se cyning sealde Bēowulfes ġefērum dēorwierþe māþmas; and hēt þone ānne mid fēo for·ġieldan þe Gręndel ǣr ā·cwealde. B1050

186. Þā mihte man ġehīeran eft swā ǣr þǣre hearpan swēġ. Þā on·gann þæs cyninges sċop lēoþ singan be Hęnġeste and Finne, hū Finn on his āgenre byriġ ofslæġen wearþ. B1062

187. Þā þæt lēoþ ā·sungen wæs, þā wæs eft swā ǣr hleahtor and gamen on Heorote, and þā byrelas sċęnċton wīn of gyldenum fatum. B1159

188. Þā cōm Wealhþēo forþ, mid gyldenre cynewiþþan ġefrætwod: ēode þǣr Hrōþgār and Hrōþwulf æt·gædere sǣton, ēam and nefa. Þā cwæþ hēo: ‘On·fō þisse cuppan, mīn hlāford, Hrōþgār cyning! Bēo blīþe, and tō Ġēatum sprec mildum wordum, and lēana him mid ġiefum, swā cyninge ġedafenaþ! Þū hæfst nū gōdne friþ, feorran and nēan: Heorot is ġefǣlsod. B1162

189. ‘Brūc þīnes cynerīċes swā lange swā þū mōte, and hit þīnum māgum lǣf, þonne þū ġewītan sċealt! Iċ cann mīnne glædne Hrōþwulf þæt hē wile uncru ġemǣnu bearn ārlīċe healdan, ġif þū ǣr ġewītst þonne hē. Iċ wēne þæt hē wile uncrum bearnum mid gōde lēanian eall þæt wit him tō willan and tō āre ġedydon, ġif hē þæt ġeman.’ B1177

190. Þā ēode hēo þǣr hire suna twēġen sǣton, Hrēþrīċ and Hrēþmund, and maniġe æþelinga suna mid him. Þǣr sæt ēac Bēowulf be þǣm twæm ġebrōþrum. Þā bær hēo him þā cuppan, and him hræġl īewde and miċelne healsbēag, and hine grētte mildum wordum, and spræc þus beforan eallum þǣm werode: B1188

191. ‘Brūc þisses hræġles and þisses bēages, lēofa Bēowulf, and ġeþēoh wel! Bēo þissum cnihtum līþe lārēow; iċ þē þæs lēan ġeman! Hæfst þū swā ġebǣred þæt þīn lof biþ ā·rǣred ā būtan ęnde feorran and nēan. B1216

192. ‘Blissa nū on þǣm ġebēorsċipe! Hēr is ǣġhwelċ mann ōþrum ġetrīewe, and his hlāforde hold. Ealle sind ġeþwǣre; lustlīċe hīe dōþ swā iċ bidde.’ B1228

193. Þā sēo cwēn hire sprǣce geęndode, þā ēode hēo tō þǣm cyninge sittan. B1232

194. On þisse blisse þurh·wunodon hīe oþ-þæt niht cōm. Þā ġewāt se cyning tō his būre þæt hē hine þǣr·inne ġeręste. His þeġnas hē lǣfde þǣr bæftan, þæt hīe þā healle hēolden, swā hīe oft ǣr dydon. B1235

195. Þā wearþ sēo heall mid będdum and mid bolstrum ġeond·brædd, and ǣlċ mann his ręste sohte. Hīe sętton hira sċieldas him tō hēafdum. Þǣr mihte man ġesēon ǣlċes mannes wǣpnu him ġehęnde licgan; for·þǣm hira þēaw wæs þæt hīe ealneweġ tō wīge ġearwe wǣron ġe æt hām ġe ūte, swā oft swā hira hlāforde þearf wæs: þæt wæs gōd folc! B1237

196. Hīe þā sōna on·slēpon. Hira sum on·ġeald swīþe sārlīċe þǣre nihtręste, swā Dęnum oft ǣr ġelamp þurh Gręndles nīþ. Nū wearþ eallum mannum cūþ þæt wrecend þā·ġīet leofode: þæt wæs Gręndles mōdor. Sēo cōm on þǣre ilcan nihte tō Heorote. Þā wearþ Dęna ġefēa tō ġedrēfednesse ġeċierred, siþþan Gręndles mōdor inne-fealh. Ac se ęġe wæs lǣssa, for·þǣmþe hit wīf wæs, næs wer. B1251

197. Þā wearþ maniġ sweord ġetogen ġeond þā healle, and maniġ sċield ā·hafen; hīe ne ġemundon nā helm ne byrnan þā him se brōga on-becōm. Hēo wearþ þā swīþe ā·fyrht, siþþan hēo on·funden wæs: wolde ūt þanon, þæt hēo hire fēore burge. Ac hēo ġefēng hraþe þāra þeġna ānne, Æsċhęre hātte, and hine fęrede tō hire mōrfæstenne; and se Æsċhęre wæs þǣm cyninge ealra manna lēofost. Næs Bēowulf þǣr, ac him wæs ōþer būr ǣr ġeteohhod. Hēo ġenam ēac hire suna hand and eaxle, þǣr hēo hīe hangian ġeseah. B1288

198. Þā wæs se cyning swīþe ġedrēfed on mōde, þā hē ġehīerde þæt his ġelufoda þeġn dēad wæs. Hraþe wearþ Bēowulf fetod tō þæs cyninges būre. Hē þā Bēowulf ēode sōna mid his ġefērum þǣr se cyning his bād. Þā grētte hē þone cyning, and āsċode hine ġif sēo niht him ġetǣse wǣre. Þā andswarode se cyning: B1306

199. ‘Ne āsċa þū æfter ġesælþum! Sorg is ġenīwod mē and mīnum folce. Æsċhęre is dēad, Eormenrīċes ieldra brōþor, mīn wita and mīn ġefēra on wīge: oft wit on ġefeohte stōdon æt·samne, uncru hēafdu węriende, þonne fēþan hniton and helmas cnysedon. Nis nān swā gōd þeġn swā hē! B1321

200. ‘Nū is him tō banan ġeworden sum unfǣlu wiht. Ne wāt iċ hwider hēo oþ·flēah mid þǣre hęrehyþe. Hēo wræc þā fǣhþe þe þū Gręndel ā·cwealdest ġiestran-niht. Hē æt wīge ā·fēoll, and nū cōm ōþer fēond, hire sunu tō wrecanne. B1330

201. ‘Iċ þæt ġehīerde ūplęndisċe męnn sęcgan þæt hīe ġesāwen swelċe twā wihta hwearfian ġeond þā mōras. Þāra ōþer wæs, þæs-þe him þuhte, wīfe anliċ. Ōþer hæfde weres wæstm; būtan hē wæs māra þonne ǣniġ ōþer mann; þone man nęmnde Gręndel on ealddagum. Nyston hīe hwæþer hē fæder hæfde, oþþe hwæt his cynn wǣre. B1345

202. ‘Hīe eardiaþ on wēstum lande and on ǣmęnnum: nabbaþ him tō ġeferum būtan wulfas and wildēor. Nis þæt land manigum ġefēre, for·þǣm þǣr sind sċearpe wegas and stānihte, and hēa clifu, and wilde mōras. And þǣr is miċel męre ommiddan þǣm mōrum, þe man hætt “nicera męre.” And of þǣm męre ān ēa is iernende mid unġefōglicum strēame, hwīlum bufan eorþan, hwīlum under eorþan, oþ-þæt hēo ūt-sċīett on gārsęcg. B1357

203. ‘Nis hit feorr heonon þæt se męre stęnt under hārum stāne. Of þǣm stāne sind ā·weaxene swīþe hrīmiġe bearwas, þe þæt wæter ofer·helmiaþ; and þæt wæter is sweart under þǣm clife neoþan. Þǣr man mæġ miċel wundor on niht ġesēon, swelċe eall þæt wæter biernende wǣre. Nān swā wīs mann ne leofaþ þæt hē þone grund wite. B1361

204. ‘Nān mann þǣr eardian ne mæġ; ac for þǣm maniġfealdum brōgum and ęġesum and for þǣre ānnesse þæs wīdġillan wēstennes hit nǣniġ mann ā·drēogan ne mæġ, ac hit ǣlċ mann for þǣm beflīehþ, ġe furþum wildēor. Gif hit ġelimpþ þæt heorot þone wudu sēċe for hunda ęġe, him biþ lēofre þæt hē his līf þǣr on ōfre for·lǣte þonne hē inn wile on þæt wæter. Þæt is unhīeru stōw: is þæt wæter sweart, and mid stormum hrēoh; ǣfre hit riġnþ þǣr, swelċe heofon wēope. B1368

205. ‘Nū is eft swā ǣr rǣd æt þē ānum ġelang! Ne canst þū ġīet þā frēċnan stōwe þǣr þū hīe findan miht; sēċ, ġif þū dyrre! Iċ þē þā fǣhþe mid fēo lēaniġe and mid dēorwierþum māþmum, swā iċ ǣr dyde, ġif þū on·weġcymst.’ B1376

206. Þā cwæþ Bēowulf: ‘Ne sorga þū, snotra mann! Bętere is ǣġhwelċum þæt hē his frēond wrece þonne hē fela murne. Ūre ǣġhwelċ sċeal ġebīdan his līfes ęnde. Gewyrċe, sē-þe mōte, dōm ǣr his dēaþe! Þæt biþ him bętst æfter his dæġe. Ā·rīs, Hrōþgār cyning! Uton hraþe faran! Uton Gręndles mēder æfter-spyrian! Iċ hit þē ġehāte: ne losaþ hēo nā, ne on lande ne on sǣ, ne on sǣs grunde, gā þǣr hēo wile! Þȳs dæġe hafa ġeþyld þīnra iermþa, swā iċ þē wēne tō!’ B1383

207. Þā ā·hlēop se ealda cyning, Dryhtne þanciende þæs-þe Bēowulf ġespræc. Þā ġewāt hē þanon, on horse rīdende, and maniġe his þeġna mid him. Þā lāstas wǣron īeþġesīene, þǣr Gręndles mōdor þæs þeġnes līchaman fęrede. Hīe drifon þæt spor ġeond æceras and mǣdwa ūt of þǣm bynan lande inn on þone weald, siþþan ūt on þone mōr. B1397

208. Þā ēodon hīe tō þǣm stānihtan lande, þǣr þā paþas sticole wǣron and swīþe nearwe. Þā ēode se cyning beforan, fēowera sum his witena, for·þǣm hē cūþe bętst þone weġ. Þā fǣringa hīe ġesāwon þā for·sēarodan bēamas ofer þone hāran stān hangian and þone sweartan męre under·neoþan. B1408

209. Þā wearþ þǣm cyninge and his witum swīþe ange on mōde, þā hīe Æsċhęres hēafod on þǣm ōfre ġemētton, and ġesāwon hū þæt wæter wæs eall mid blōde ġedrēfed. Þā blēow man horn, and ġesamnode þæt werod. Hīe þā ealle wīcodon be þǣm męre. Hīe ġesāwon maniġra cynna nǣdran and sǣdracan on þǣm wætere swimman, swelċe ēac niceras on þǣm næssum licgan. Hīe þā ealle ierre on·weġhruron, sōna swā hīe þone horn ġehīerdon. Þāra ānne Bēowulf mid flāne ofsċēat: ġelętte hine his sundes. Þā wearþ hē mid sperum tō·sticod and mid hōcum on land ġetogen; þā męnn sċēawodon þone ęġeslican ġiest. B1417

210. Þā ġierede hine Bēowulf mid his hęreġeatwum: dyde on his byrnan, and sętte him helm on hēafod. Þone helm worhte sum cræftiġ smiþ on ealddagum; sē hine mid eofera anliċnessum besętte, þæt hine nān sweord bītan ne mihte. Bēowulf hæfde ēac swīþe ǣnliċ sweord; þæs him onlāh Unferþ, þæs cyninges þyle, þā him wæs gōdes wǣpnes þearf. Þæt wæs eald lāf: ne swāc hit nǣfre æt wīge. Hūru ne ġemunde Unferþ his ǣrran ġielpes, þā hē Bēowulfe þæs sweordes on·lāh: ne dorste his fēore ġenēþan under þǣm hrēom ȳþum. Þǣr ā·læġ his dōm, þæt hē þā æt nīehstan hine selfne tō nahte bemæt. Næs hit Bēowulfe swā, siþþan hē hine tō wīge ġeġiered hæfde. Þā cwæþ Bēowulf: B1441

211. ‘Geþęnċ nū, þū snotra cyning, nū iċ eom fūs tō sīþianne, hwæt wit ǣr ġesprǣcon: ġif iċ æt þīnre þearfe mīn līf for·lēte, þæt þū mē ā wǣre on fæder stǣle æfter mīnum forþsīþe. Bēo þū mundbora mīnum þeġnum, ġif iċ on wīge ā·fealle! On·sęnd ēac, lēofa Hrōþgār, Hyġelāce þā māþmas þe þū mē ǣr sealdest, þæt hē mæġe on·ġietan, þonne hē on þæt gold staraþ, þæt iċ cystiġne mundboran funde. And lǣt Unferþ mīn dēorwierþe sweord habban; iċ wile mē mid Hruntinge dōm ġewyrċan, oþþe mē sċeal dēaþ niman.’ B1473

212. Þā efste Bēowulf unforhtlīċe æfter þissum wordum: hē nolde nānre andsware bīdan, ac þǣr·rihte intō þǣm męre sċēat, and under þā ȳþa dēaf. Sęgþ þæt spell þæt hē ealne dæġ niþer swamm ǣr hē mihte þone grund on·ġietan. B1492

213. Þā under þǣm on·funde Gręndles mōdor þæt sum mann sċuccena eardes ufan fandode. Grāp þā him tō·ġēanes, and hine ġefeng mid hire ęġeslicum clāwum. Ac hēo ne mihte him naht lāþes ġedōn: ne mihte hēo nā þā īsenan hringas mid hire fingrum þurh·fōn. Ac hēo hine fæste befēng, þæt hē ne mihte hīs sweordes wealdan, ne hine wiþ þā sǣdēor węrian, þe hine on þǣm sunde swīþe swęnċton mid hira tusċum. B1497

214. Þā on·ġeat Bēowulf þæt hē on sumre healle wæs, þǣr him þæs wæteres flōd naht dęrian ne mihte for þǣm hrōfe. Þæt is ēac miċel wundor þæt hē leoht ġeseah inne on þǣre healle beorhte sċīnende. B1512

215. Þā on·ġeat hē þæt mihtiġe męrewīf, and þā rǣsde on hīe, and hīe on þæt hēafod slōg, þæt hit hlēoþrode mid þǣm dynte, swelċe þæt sweord sum ęġesliċ wīglēoþ sunge. Þā on·ġeat hē þæt þæt sweord nolde bītan; ac him sēo ęcg ġeswāc æt þǣre þearfe, þēah hit oft ǣr on wīge dohte. Þæt wæs se forma sīþ þæt þǣm sweorde his dōm ā·læġ. B1518

216. Þā wearþ Bēowulf ānrǣd swā ǣr, and his mǣrþa ġemunde. Hē wearp þā þæt sweord of·dūne, ierre on mōde, þæt hit on eorþan læġ; and his mæġne ġetrīewde, swā þeġn sċeal dōn, ġif hē him wile langsum word æt his ęnde ġewyrċan, and ne caraþ ymb his līf. Ne rohte hē þǣre fǣhþe: ġefēng þæt wīf be hire feaxe, and hīe on eorþan wearp. Ac hēo him þæt grimme for·ġeald, þā hēo hine ġefēng and ofer·wearp, þæt hē on fielle wearþ, and hire seax ġetēah: wolde hire sunu wrecan. B1529

217. Hē hæfde þā for·sīþod, būtan hine sēo byrne ġesċilde, and him þæs God ūþe þæt hē eft ā·stōd. Þā ġeseah hē sweord on þǣm wāge hangian. Þæt wæs eald lāf, ealra wǣpna bętst. Hit wæs māre þonne ǣniġ ōþer mann a·hębban mihte. Hē þā þæt sweord ġefēng, līfes orwēna, and hit of sċēaþe ā·tēah, and þæt wīf hętelīċe slōg on þone heals, þæt sēo ęcg eall þurh·wōd ġe flæsċ ġe bānhringas. Hēo þā mid þǣm dynte niþer ā·sāg, and hire līf ā·lēt. B1550

218. Þā ġefeah Bēowulf þæs weorces miċlum ġefēan; ac hē wæs wilniende þæt hē þæs ġewinnes mihte māre ġefręmman: wolde Gręndle for·ġieldan þā unārīmedlican hęrġunga þe hē on Dęnum ǣr ġeworhte. Hē þā funde hine on his ręste dēadne licgan: ne wearþ sēo wund ġehǣled þe hē ǣr on Heorote on·fēng. Þā ċearf hē him þæt hēafod of mid ānum dynte, þæt þæt bodiġ wīde sprang, and þæt hēafod forþ wand on þā flōre. B1569

219. Sōna þæt ġesāwon þā witan þe mid Hrōþgāre þone męre hēoldon þæt þæt wæter wæs eall mid blōde ġedrēfed. Þā on·gunnon hīe ymb Bēowulf tō sprecanne: cwǣdon þæt hīe ne wēndon þæt hē ǣfre eft cōme Hrōþgār sēċan, for·þǣm hīe ealle untwēogendlīċe wēndon þæt hine þæt męrewīf of·slæġen hæfde. B1591

220. Þā cōm nōn; þā forlēton hīe þone męre, and him hāmweard węndon. Ac þā Gēatas belifon þǣr bæftan: sǣton him on þǣm ōfre sēoce on mōde, and on þone męre starodon. Hīe wysċton, and þēah ne wēndon, þæt hīe hira hlāford eft ġesāwen. B1600

221. Þā under þǣm on·gann þāra ęnta sweord wanian swelċe hit īses ġiecel wǣre; wæs Gręndles blōd tō þǣm hāt and ǣtren. Wæs þæt miċel wundor þæt hit eall ġemealt būtan þǣm hilte ānum! Þā nam Bēowulf þæt hilt and Gręndles hēafod samod, and nān þing ęlles, þēah hē þǣr maniġe māþmas ġeseah. B1605

222. Þā ēode hē ūt of Gręndles healle, and wearþ hraþe on sunde: dēaf ūp þurh þæt wæter. Ne ehton his nā þā sǣdēor, swā hīe ǣr dydon, for·þǣm se męre wæs eall ġefǣlsod siþþan Gręndel dēad wæs. B1618

223. Hē cōm þā tō lande swimman, swīþe ġefēonde þǣre byrþenne þe hē him mid hæfde. Þā ēodon his þeġnas him tō·ġēanes, Gode þanciende þæt hīe hine mōsten ġesundne ġesēon, and him of-dydon helm and byrnan; of þǣm drēap wæter wiþ blōd ġemęnġed. B1623

224. Hīe þā fōron þanon, blīþe on mōde. Hira fēowere earfoþlīċe þæt hēafod fęredon on stęnġe. Ēodon swā forþ be þǣm cūþum wegum oþ-þæt hīe tō Heorote cōmon. Þā cōm Bēowulf inn-gān on þā healle, and grētte þone cyning. Þā wearþ Gręndles hēafod be feaxe inn-boren and þǣre mōdor samod, þǣm mannum tō wǣfersīene. Ealle wundrodon þǣre seldcūþan ġesihþe. B1632

225. Þā cwæþ Bēowulf: ‘Hwæt, wē þē þās sǣlāc hider brohton, Hrōþgār cyning, þæs siġes tō tācne! Iċ hīe under wætere earfoþlīċe ġeēode. Þæt wæs heard ġefeoht: iċ þǣr for·wurde on þæs męres grunde, būtan mē God ġesċilde.’ B1651

226. Hē sæġde þā þǣm cyninge hū hine hæfde ġeworden wiþ Gręndles mōdor. Þā cwæþ hē eft: ‘Iċ hit þē ġehāte þæt þū mōst on Heorote būtan sorge slǣpan, þū and þīne þeġnas: ne þearft þū þē nānne hearm on·drǣdan on þā healfe, swā þū ǣr dydest.’ B1659

227. Þā wearþ þæt gyldene hilt þǣm cyninge on hand ā·ġiefen. Hē þā se cyning sċēawode þæt hilt; on þǣm wæs ęnta ġewinn swīþe fæġere ġemearcod, swelċe hit ā·tīefred wǣre, hū hīe wiþ God wunnon, and hū hē him þæs lēan for·ġeald, þā hē hīe mid wæterflōde for·dyde. Þæt wæs þæt ǣreste ġewinn þe on þissum middanġearde ġewearþ. Þǣr wæs ēac on þǣm hilte mid rūnstafum ġemearcod and ġesętt hwæm þæt sweord ǣrest ġeworht wǣre. B1677

228. Þā cwæþ se cyning (ealle swīgodon): ‘Þæt lā mæġ wita sęcgan, sē-þe eall ġeman þæs-þe on ealddagum ġewearþ, þæt nān swā gōd þeġn swā þū eart ne wearþ nǣfre ġeboren, mīn frēond Bēowulf! Is þīn lof ā·rǣred wīde ġeond eorþan. Ne eart þū tō swīþe ūp-āhafen for þīnum mæġne, ac þū hit mid ġeþyldum hieltst. Þū sċealt þīnum folce tō frōfre weorþan tō langre tīde. B1687

229. ‘Ne wearþ Dęnum swā Hęremōd cyning. Ne ġewēox hē him tō frōfre, ac tō forwyrde, mid·þæmþe hē his āgne māgas slōg and ā·mierde, oþ-þæt hē of his rīċe ā·flīemed wearþ, and his līf on wræcsīþe geęndode, hwearfiende āna. And þēah se ælmihtiga hine mid mæġne ġegōdode and mid snelsċipe ofer ealle męnn. Þā grēow hwæþre wælhrēownes on his mōde, and ġītsung, and ealle uncysta. Lǣr þē be þǣm! Iċ hæbbe þē þis bīspell ā·reaht þæt þū mæġe wīsdōm leornian. B1709

230. ‘Is miċel wundor tō sęcganne hū se ælmihtiga his ġiefa sęlþ þǣm-þe hē wile: sumum męnn hē for·ġiefþ wīsdōm, sumum þeġnsċipe. Hwīlum hē þǣm męnn his willan tō-forlǣtt tō langre tīde: sęlþ him ealle eorþan wynna, and ġedēþ him brād rīċu under·þīedd, þæt hē ne mæġ for his unwīsdōme his ęnde ġeþęnċan. Hē leofaþ on wistum. Ne ġeswęnċþ hine ādl ne sorg. Ne dręċþ hine unfriþhęre on ǣniġe healfe. Ac eall woruld him on willan węnt. B1725

231. ‘Ne cann hē þæt wierse; oþ-þæt him on·innan ofermētto weaxaþ, þonne se ęnġel slæpþ þe þǣre sāwle ġīemþ. Is se slǣp tō fæst, and se bana nēah, sē-þe mid his bogan fācenlīċe sċīett. Þonne wierþ hē on heortan of·sċoten mid biterre flāne. Ne mæġ hē hine ġesċildan wiþ þone ā·wierġdan sċuccan; ac hē him on hand gǣþ, and wierþ his bebodum under·þīedd, and on eallum þingum færþ be his rǣde. B1740

232. ‘Þonne þynċþ him se wela tō lytel þe hē ǣr brūcende wæs mid unġemete. Þonne wierþ hē tō ġītsere: hordaþ his gold, and ne sęlþ hit nā his mannum, swā cyninge ġedafenaþ. Ac for þǣm hwīlwęndlicuth spēdum þe him God sealde hē for·ġiett and for·ġīemþ þæt tōwearde līf. B1748

233. ‘Þonne fǣrlīċe becymþ se ęnde: se fǣġa līchama fielþ. Þonne fēhþ ōþer tō, sē-þe þā māþmas dǣlþ unhnēawlīċe þe se ōþer hordode: ne ġīemþ nā his ęġes. B1753

234. ‘For·būg þā uncyste, lēofa Bēowulf, manna bętsta! Ġeċēos þē ēċne rǣd! Ne ġīem þū ofermētta! Nū is þīnre ġeogoþe blǣd tō lytelre hwīle; sōna hit biþ þæt þē ādl oþþe ieldo þīnes mæġnes benimþ, oþþe wǣpnes ęcg, oþþe fyres fęnġ, oþþe flodes wielm, oþþe ēagena bearhtm: ne miht þū dēaþ for·flēon! B1758

235. ‘Swā iċ Dęna riċe hēold fīftiġ wintra, and hīe wiþ hira fīend heardlīċe bewęrede, þæt iċ nānne wiþerwinnan findan ne mihte ġeond ealne middanġeard. Hwæt mē þæs edwęnden cōm, siþþan mē Gręndel wearþ onsǣġe! Gode ælmihtigum sīe þanc þæt iċ mōste starian on þæs fēondes hēafod unlibbendes, æfter uncrum ealdum ġewinne! Gā nū tō setle, and þæs ġebēorsċipes brūc! Gefeoh þīnra mǣrþa! Þū sċealt fela māþma on·fōn, siþþan morgen biþ.’ B1769

236. Hē þā Bēowulf blissode miċlum þǣre sprǣce, and wistfullode on þǣm ġebēorsċipe, swā him se cyning bebēad. Þā wæs eft swā ǣr fæġeru ġereordung. B1785

237. Þā cōm niht; þæt werod eall ā·rās, and se cyning his ręste sohte. Bēowulfe wæs ēac slǣpes miċel lust. Hine þā swā mēþiġne se sęleþeġn tō þǣm būre ġelǣdde þe him ǣr ġeteohhod wæs; and hē þǣr·inne slēp oþ-þæt þā fuglas mid hira sange þæt dæġred bododon. B1789

238. Þā ā·rison þā Ġēatas ealle: hīe tō sċipe woldon, þæt hīe eft hira eard ġesohten. B1803

239. Þā hēt Bēowulf Unferþe his sweord eft ā·ġiefan: hēt hine þæt sweord niman, and sæġde him þǣre lǣne þanc. Hē hęrede ēac þæt sweord: cwæþ þæt hit gōd wǣpen wǣre. On þǣm ġecyþde Bēowulf his þeġnsċipe and his mōd þæt hē þæt sweord ne leahtrode, þēah hit him ǣr æt wīge ġeswice. B1807

240. Þā þā Ġēatas ealle ġearwe wǣron, þā ēodon hīe þǣr Hrōþgār sæt on his cynesetle. Þā grētte Bēowulf þone cyning, and cwæþ: ‘Nū wē cuman willaþ sęcgan þæt wē fūse sind Hyġelāc cyning tō sēċanne. Wē wǣron hēr on eallum þingum wel bewęnede: þū ūs wel dohtest. Ġif iċ þē tō willan māre dōn mæġ, iċ bēo sōna ġearo. Ġif iċ ġehīere ofer sǣ þæt þā nēahþēoda wiþ þē ġewinn ūp-āhębben, iċ bringe þē þūsend cęmpena tō helpe. Iċ wāt on Hyġelāce cyninge, þēah hē ġeong sīe, þæt hē mē fręmman wile mid wordum and mid weorcum, ġif þē biþ manna þearf. Ġif þonne þīn sunu, Hrēþrīċ æþeling, tō Ġēata lande þęnċþ, hē mæġ þǣr fela frēonda findan: gōd biþ þǣm þe dēah þæt hē fierlenu land sēċe.’ B1813

241. Þā andswarode him Hrōþgār: ‘Se ælmihtiga þurh his wīsdōm sęnde þē þās word on mōde: ne ġehīerde iċ nǣfre swā ġeongne mann snotorlicor sprecan! Þū eart on līchaman strang, and on mōde wīs. Iċ wēne, ġif hit ġelimpþ þæt Hyġelāc on wīge ā·fielþ, oþþe him ęlles-hwæt ġesǣlþ, and þū līfes bist, þæt Ġēatas nānne bęteran cyning tō ċēosanne næbben, ġif þū þæs rīċes on·fōn wilt. Mē þīn mōd līcaþ swā lęnġ swā bęt, lēofa Bēowulf! Hæfst þū swā ġebǣred þæt sibb sċeal bēon ġemǣne þǣm folcum bǣm, Ġēatum and Dęnum, and þā ġewinn ręstan þe hīe ǣr drugon. Hūru man sċeal friþ healdan and mid ġiefum fæstnian swā lange swā iċ rīċe hæbbe. Iċ wāt þæt þā folc bā ealles fæstmōd sind ġe wiþ fēond ġe wiþ frēond on þā ealdan wīsan.’ B1840

242. Þā sealde him se cyning twelf māþmas: bæd hine mid þǣm ġiefum his āgene lēode sēċan, and hrædlīċe eft cuman. Þā cyste hine se cyning and be healse nam. Tēaras him of þǣm ēagum feollon: wæs him se mann tō þǣm lēof þæt hē ne mihte þā tēaras for·beran. Wearþ him þæt blōd mid langoþe on·ǣled. Hē wysċte and wilnode þæt hē mōste hine eft ġesēon; and þēah hine þæs twēode, for·þǣm hē wæs swīþe eald. B1866

243. Þā ġewāt Bēowulf þanon mid māþmum ġeweorþod: ēode þǣr his þæt sċip bād. On þǣm weġe hęredon þā Ġēatas þæs cyninges cystiġnesse: þæt wæs cyning ealles orleahtre, oþ-þæt hine ieldo his mæġnes benam, swā hēo maniġe dēþ. B1880

244. Þā Gēatas ēodon swā forþ, oþ-þæt hīe tō þǣre sǣ strande cōmon. Þā rād him se weard tō·ġēanes. Ne grētte hē hīe nā mid hearme, swā hē ǣr dyde; ac hē him frēondlīċe tō-cwæþ: bæd hīe ġesunde tō hira sċipe gān, þǣr hit on ancre rād, mid hęreġeatwum ġehladen and mid missenlicum māþmum. Þā sealde Bēowulf þǣm bātwearde golde-fǣted sweord, þæt hē siþþan þȳ wierþra wæs for þǣm māþme, þonne hē on healle sæt. B1888

245. Swā Bēowulf and his ġefēran of Dęna lande fōron, and tō hira āgnum lande becōmon. Sōna swā hīe tō lande cōmon, þā ēodon hīe Hyġelāc cyning grētan. And se cyning hira ġefæġen wæs, for·þǣm hē ne wēnde nā þæt hē sċolde Bēowulf his mǣġ eft libbendne ġesēon. B1963

246. Þā on·gann se cyning hine ġeorne befriġnan hū him on þǣm sīþe ġelamp. And Bēowulf him þæt eall sweotollīċe sæġde. And þā hē his sprǣce ġeęndod hæfde, þā sealde hē þǣm cyninge þā bętstan þāra māþma þe hē him mid brohte; and hē sealde sume þā māþmas þǣre cwēne, sume his frēondum and māgum. And hīe ealle þāra ġiefena fæġnodon. B1984

247. And se cyning weorþode Bēowulf miċlum ġe mid fēo ġe mid landāre. And Bēowulf þurh·wunode siþþan on þǣm mæstum ġesǣlþum and on þǣre mǣstan weorþunge. B2190