"syððan ic for dugeðum Däghrefne wearð "tô hand-bonan, Hûga cempan: "nalles he þâ frätwe Fres-cyninge, 2505 "breóst-weorðunge bringan môste, "ac in campe gecrong cumbles hyrde, "äðeling on elne. Ne wäs ecg bona, "ac him hilde-grâp heortan wylmas, "bân-hûs gebräc. Nu sceall billes ecg, 2510 "hond and heard sweord ymb hord wîgan." Beówulf maðelode, beót-wordum spräc niéhstan sîðe: "Ic genêðde fela "gûða on geogoðe; gyt ic wylle, "frôd folces weard, fæhðe sêcan, 2515 "mærðum fremman, gif mec se mân-sceaða "of eorð-sele ût gesêceð!" Gegrêtte þâ gumena gehwylcne, hwate helm-berend hindeman sîðe, swæse gesîðas: "Nolde ic sweord beran, 2520 "wæpen tô wyrme, gif ic wiste hû "wið þam aglæcean elles meahte "gylpe wiðgrîpan, swâ ic gió wið Grendle dyde; "ac ic þær heaðu-fýres hâtes wêne, "rêðes and-hâttres: forþon ic me on hafu 2525 "bord and byrnan. Nelle ic beorges weard "oferfleón fôtes trem, feónd unhýre, "ac unc sceal weorðan ät wealle, swâ unc Wyrd geteóð, "metod manna gehwäs. Ic eom on môde from, "þät ic wið þone gûð-flogan gylp ofersitte. 2530 "Gebîde ge on beorge byrnum werede, "secgas on searwum, hwäðer sêl mæge "äfter wäl-ræse wunde gedýgan "uncer twega. Nis þät eówer sîð, "ne gemet mannes, nefne mîn ânes, 2535 "þät he wið aglæcean eofoðo dæle, "eorl-scype efne. Ic mid elne sceall "gold gegangan oððe gûð nimeð, "feorh-bealu frêcne, freán eówerne!" Ârâs þâ bî ronde rôf oretta, 2540 heard under helm, hioro-sercean bär under stân-cleofu, strengo getrûwode ânes mannes: ne bið swylc earges sîð. Geseah þâ be wealle, se þe worna fela, gum-cystum gôd, gûða gedîgde, 2545 hilde-hlemma, þonne hnitan fêðan, (stôd on stân-bogan) streám ût þonan brecan of beorge; wäs þære burnan wälm heaðo-fýrum hât: ne meahte horde neáh unbyrnende ænige hwîle 2550 deóp gedýgan for dracan lêge. Lêt þâ of breóstum, þâ he gebolgen wäs, Weder-Geáta leód word ût faran, stearc-heort styrmde; stefn in becom heaðo-torht hlynnan under hârne stân. 2555 Hete wäs onhrêred, hord-weard oncniów mannes reorde; näs þær mâra fyrst, freóde tô friclan. From ærest cwom oruð aglæcean ût of stâne, hât hilde-swât; hruse dynede. 2560 Biorn under beorge bord-rand onswâf wið þam gryre-gieste, Geáta dryhten: þâ wäs hring-bogan heorte gefýsed säcce tô sêceanne. Sweord ær gebräd gôd gûð-cyning gomele lâfe, 2565 ecgum ungleáw, æghwäðrum wäs bealo-hycgendra brôga fram ôðrum. Stîð-môd gestôd wið steápne rond winia bealdor, þâ se wyrm gebeáh snûde tôsomne: he on searwum bâd. 2570 Gewât þâ byrnende gebogen scrîðan tô, gescîfe scyndan. Scyld wel gebearg lîfe and lîce lässan hwîle mærum þeódne, þonne his myne sôhte, þær he þý fyrste forman dôgore 2575 wealdan môste, swâ him Wyrd ne gescrâf hrêð ät hilde. Hond up âbräd Geáta dryhten, gryre-fâhne slôh incge lâfe, þät sió ecg gewâc brûn on bâne, bât unswîðor, 2580 þonne his þiód-cyning þearfe häfde, bysigum gebæded. Þâ wäs beorges weard äfter heaðu-swenge on hreóum môde, wearp wäl-fýre, wîde sprungon hilde-leóman: hrêð-sigora ne gealp 2585 gold-wine Geáta, gûð-bill geswâc nacod ät nîðe, swâ hyt nô sceolde, îren ær-gôd. Ne wäs þät êðe sîð, þät se mæra maga Ecgþeówes grund-wong þone ofgyfan wolde; 2590 sceolde wyrmes willan wîc eardian elles hwergen, swâ sceal æghwylc mon âlætan læn-dagas. Näs þâ long tô þon, þät þâ aglæcean hy eft gemêtton. Hyrte hyne hord-weard, hreðer æðme weóll, 2595 niwan stefne: nearo þrowode fýre befongen se þe ær folce weóld. Nealles him on heápe hand-gesteallan, äðelinga bearn ymbe gestôdon hilde-cystum, ac hy on holt bugon, 2600 ealdre burgan. Hiora in ânum weóll sefa wið sorgum: sibb æfre ne mäg wiht onwendan, þam þe wel þenceð.

XXXVI. WIGLAF HELPS BEÓWULF IN THE FEUD.

Wîglâf wäs hâten Weoxstânes sunu, leóflîc lind-wiga, leód Scylfinga, 2605 mæg Älfheres: geseah his mon-dryhten under here-grîman hât þrowian. Gemunde þâ þâ âre, þe he him ær forgeaf wîc-stede weligne Wægmundinga, folc-rihta gehwylc, swâ his fäder âhte; 2610 ne mihte þâ forhabban, hond rond gefêng, geolwe linde, gomel swyrd geteáh, þät wäs mid eldum Eánmundes lâf, suna Ôhteres, þam ät säcce wearð wracu wine-leásum Weohstânes bana 2615 mêces ecgum, and his mâgum ätbär brûn-fâgne helm, hringde byrnan, eald sweord eotonisc, þät him Onela forgeaf, his gädelinges gûð-gewædu, fyrd-searo fûslîc: nô ymbe þâ fæhðe spräc, 2620 þeáh þe he his brôðor bearn âbredwade. He frätwe geheóld fela missera, bill and byrnan, ôð þät his byre mihte eorl-scipe efnan, swâ his ær-fäder; geaf him þâ mid Geátum gûð-gewæda 2625 æghwäs unrîm; þâ he of ealdre gewât, frôd on forð-weg. Þâ wäs forma sîð geongan cempan, þät he gûðe ræs mid his freó-dryhtne fremman sceolde; ne gemealt him se môd-sefa, ne his mæges lâf 2630 gewâc ät wîge: þät se wyrm onfand, syððan hie tôgädre gegân häfdon. Wîglâf maðelode word-rihta fela, sägde gesîðum, him wäs sefa geômor: "Ic þät mæl geman, þær we medu þêgun, 2635 "þonne we gehêton ûssum hlâforde "in biór-sele, þe ûs þâs beágas geaf, "þät we him þâ gûð-geatwa gyldan woldon, "gif him þyslîcu þearf gelumpe, "helmas and heard sweord: þê he ûsic on herge geceás 2640 "tô þyssum sîð-fate sylfes willum, "onmunde ûsic mærða and me þâs mâðmas geaf, "þê he ûsic gâr-wîgend gôde tealde, "hwate helm-berend, þeáh þe hlâford ûs "þis ellen-weorc âna âþôhte 2645 "tô gefremmanne, folces hyrde, "forþam he manna mæst mærða gefremede, "dæda dollîcra. Nu is se däg cumen, "þät ûre man-dryhten mägenes behôfað "gôdra gûð-rinca: wutun gangan tô, 2650 "helpan hild-fruman, þenden hyt sý, "glêd-egesa grim! God wât on mec, "þät me is micle leófre, þät mînne lîc-haman "mid mînne gold-gyfan glêd fäðmie. "Ne þynceð me gerysne, þät we rondas beren 2655 "eft tô earde, nemne we æror mægen "fâne gefyllan, feorh ealgian "Wedra þiódnes. Ic wât geare, "þät næron eald-gewyrht, þät he âna scyle "Geáta duguðe gnorn þrowian, 2660 "gesîgan ät säcce: sceal ûrum þät sweord and helm, "byrne and byrdu-scrûd bâm gemæne." Wôd þâ þurh þone wäl-rêc, wîg-heafolan bär freán on fultum, feá worda cwäð: "Leófa Biówulf, læst eall tela, 2665 "swâ þu on geoguð-feore geâra gecwæde, "þät þu ne âlæte be þe lifigendum "dôm gedreósan: scealt nu dædum rôf, "äðeling ân-hydig, ealle mägene "feorh ealgian; ic þe fullæstu!" 2670 Äfter þâm wordum wyrm yrre cwom, atol inwit-gäst ôðre sîðe, fýr-wylmum fâh fiónda niósan, lâðra manna; lîg-ýðum forborn bord wið ronde: byrne ne meahte 2675 geongum gâr-wigan geóce gefremman: ac se maga geonga under his mæges scyld elne geeode, þâ his âgen wäs glêdum forgrunden. Þâ gen gûð-cyning mærða gemunde, mägen-strengo, 2680 slôh hilde-bille, þät hyt on heafolan stôd nîðe genýded: Nägling forbärst, geswâc ät säcce sweord Biówulfes gomol and græg-mæl. Him þät gifeðe ne wäs, þät him îrenna ecge mihton 2685 helpan ät hilde; wäs sió hond tô strong, se þe mêca gehwane mîne gefræge swenge ofersôhte, þonne he tô säcce bär wæpen wundrum heard, näs him wihte þê sêl. Þâ wäs þeód-sceaða þriddan sîðe, 2690 frêcne fýr-draca fæhða gemyndig, ræsde on þone rôfan, þâ him rûm âgeald, hât and heaðo-grim, heals ealne ymbefêng biteran bânum; he geblôdegod wearð sâwul-drióre; swât ýðum weóll.

XXXVII. BEÓWULF WOUNDED TO DEATH.