Chapter 1
Hwæt! wē Gār-Denain geār-dagum
þēod-cyningaþrym gefrūnon,
hū þā æðelingasellen fremedon. Oft Scyld Scēfingsceaðena þrēatum,
monegum mǣgðummeodo-setla oftēah. Egsode eorl,syððan ǣrest wearð
fēa-sceaft funden:hē þæs frōfre gebād,
wēox under wolcnum,weorð-myndum ðāh,
oð þæt him ǣghwylcþāra ymb-sittendra
ofer hron-rādehȳran scolde,
gomban gyldan:þæt wæs gōd cyning! þǣm eafera wæsæfter cenned
geong in geardum,þone god sende
folce tō frōfre;fyren-þearfe ongeat,
þæt hīe ǣr drugonaldor-lēase
lange hwīle.Him þæs līf-frēa,
wuldres wealdend,worold-āre forgeaf; Bēowulf wæs brēme(blǣd wīde sprang),
Scyldes eaferaScede-landum in. Swā sceal geong guma,gōde gewyrcean,
fromum feoh-giftumon fæder wine,
þæt hine on yldeeft gewunigen
wil-gesīðas,þonne wīg cume,
lēode gelǣsten:lof-dǣdum sceal
in mǣgða gehwǣreman geþēon. Him þā Scyld gewāttō gescæp-hwīle
fela-hrōr fēranon frēan wǣre; hī hyne þā ætbǣrontō brimes faroðe. swǣse gesīðas,swā hē selfa bæd,
þenden wordum wēoldwine Scyldinga,
lēof land-frumalange āhte. Þǣr æt hȳðe stōdhringed-stefna,
īsig and ūtfūs,æðelinges fær; ā-lēdon þālēofne þēoden,
bēaga bryttanon bearm scipes,
mǣrne be mæste.Þǣr wæs mādma fela,
of feor-wegumfrætwa gelǣded: ne hȳrde ic cȳmlīcorcēol gegyrwan
hilde-wǣpnumand heaðo-wǣdum,
billum and byrnum;him on bearme læg
mādma mænigo,þā him mid scoldon
on flōdes ǣhtfeor gewītan. Nalas hī hine lǣssanlācum tēodan,
þēod-gestrēonum,þonne þā dydon,
þē hine æt frumsceafteforð onsendon
ǣnne ofer ȳðeumbor wesende: þā gȳt hīe him āsettonsegen gyldenne
hēah ofer hēafod,lēton holm beran,
gēafon on gār-secg:him wæs geōmor sefa,
murnende mōd.Men ne cunnon
secgan tō soðesele-rǣdende,
hæleð under heofenum,hwā þǣm hlæste onfēng.
Chapter 2
Þā wæs on burgumBēowulf Scyldinga,
lēof lēod-cyning,longe þrāge
folcum gefrǣge(fæder ellor hwearf,
aldor of earde),oð þæt him eft onwōc
hēah Healfdene;hēold þenden lifde,
gamol and gūð-rēow,glæde Scyldingas. Þǣm fēower bearnforð-gerīmed
in worold wōcun,weoroda rǣswan,
Heorogār and Hrōðgārand Hālga til; hȳrde ic, þat Elan cwēnOngenþēowes wæs
Heaðoscilfingesheals-gebedde. Þā wæs Hrōðgārehere-spēd gyfen,
wīges weorð-mynd,þæt him his wine-māgas
georne hȳrdon,oð þæt sēo geogoð gewēox,
mago-driht micel.Him on mōd bearn,
þæt heal-recedhātan wolde,
medo-ærn micelmen gewyrcean,
þone yldo bearnǣfre gefrūnon,
and þǣr on innaneall gedǣlan
geongum and ealdum,swylc him god sealde,
būton folc-scareand feorum gumena. Þā ic wīde gefrægnweorc gebannan
manigre mǣgðegeond þisne middan-geard,
folc-stede frætwan.Him on fyrste gelomp
ǣdre mid yldum,þæt hit wearð eal gearo,
heal-ærna mǣst;scōp him Heort naman,
sē þe his wordes gewealdwīde hæfde. Hē bēot ne ālēh,bēagas dǣlde,
sinc æt symle.Sele hlīfade
hēah and horn-gēap:heaðo-wylma bād,
lāðan līges;ne wæs hit lenge þā gēn
þæt se ecg-heteāðum-swerian
æfter wæl-nīðewæcnan scolde. Þā se ellen-gǣstearfoðlīce
þrāge geþolode,sē þe in þȳstrum bād,
þæt hē dōgora gehwāmdrēam gehȳrde
hlūdne in healle;þǣr wæs hearpan swēg,
swutol sang scopes.Sægde sē þe cūðe
frum-sceaft fīrafeorran reccan,
cwæð þæt se ælmihtigaeorðan worhte,
wlite-beorhtne wang,swā wæter bebūgeð,
gesette sige-hrēðigsunnan and mōnan
lēoman tō lēohteland-būendum,
and gefrætwadefoldan scēatas
leomum and lēafum;līf ēac gesceōp
cynna gehwylcum,þāra þe cwice hwyrfað. Swā þā driht-gumandrēamum lifdon
ēadiglīce,oð þæt ān ongan
fyrene fremman,fēond on helle: wæs se grimma gæstGrendel hāten,
mǣre mearc-stapa,sē þe mōras hēold,
fen and fæsten;fīfel-cynnes eard
won-sǣlig werweardode hwīle,
siððan him scyppendforscrifen hæfde. In Caines cynneþone cwealm gewræc,
ēce drihten,þæs þe hē Ābel slōg; ne gefeah hē þǣre fǣhðe,ac hē hine feor forwræc,
metod for þȳ māneman-cynne fram. Þanon untȳdrasealle onwōcon,
eotenas and ylfeand orcnēas,
swylce gīgantas,þā wið gode wunnon
lange þrāge;hē him þæs lēan forgeald.
Chapter 3
Gewāt þā nēosian,syððan niht becōm,
hēan hūses,hū hit Hring-Dene
æfter bēor-þegegebūn hæfdon. Fand þā þǣr inneæðelinga gedriht
swefan æfter symble;sorge ne cūðon,
won-sceaft wera.Wiht unhǣlo
grim and grǣdiggearo sōna wæs,
rēoc and rēðe,and on ræste genam
þrītig þegna:þanon eft gewāt
hūðe hrēmigtō hām faran,
mid þǣre wæl-fyllewīca nēosan. Þā wæs on ūhtanmid ǣr-dæge
Grendles gūð-cræftgumum undyrne: þā wæs æfter wistewōp up āhafen,
micel morgen-swēg.Mǣre þēoden,
æðeling ǣr-gōd,unblīðe sæt,
þolode þrȳð-swȳð,þegn-sorge drēah,
syððan hīe þæs lāðanlāst scēawedon,
wergan gāstes;wæs þæt gewin tō strang,
lāð and longsum.Næs hit lengra fyrst,
ac ymb āne nihteft gefremede
morð-beala māreand nō mearn fore
fǣhðe and fyrene;wæs tō fæst on þām. Þā wæs ēað-fynde,þē him elles hwǣr
gerūmlīcorræste sōhte,
bed æfter būrum,þā him gebēacnod wæs,
gesægd sōðlīcesweotolan tācne
heal-þegnes hete;hēold hine syððan
fyr and fæstor,sē þǣm fēonde ætwand. Swā rīxodeand wið rihte wan
āna wið eallum,oð þæt īdel stōd
hūsa sēlest.Wæs sēo hwīl micel: twelf wintra tīdtorn geþolode
wine Scyldinga,wēana gehwelcne,
sīdra sorga;forþām syððan wearð
ylda bearnumundyrne cūð,
gyddum geōmore,þætte Grendel wan,
hwīle wið Hrōðgār;--hete-nīðas wæg,
fyrene and fǣhðefela missēra,
singāle sæce,sibbe ne wolde
wið manna hwonemægenes Deniga
feorh-bealo feorran,fēo þingian,
nē þǣr nǣnig witenawēnan þorfte
beorhtre bōtetō banan folmum; atol ǣglǣcaēhtende wæs,
deorc dēað-scūaduguðe and geogoðe
seomade and syrede.Sin-nihte hēold
mistige mōras;men ne cunnon,
hwyder hel-rūnanhwyrftum scrīðað. Swā fela fyrenafēond man-cynnes,
atol ān-gengea,oft gefremede
heardra hȳnða;Heorot eardode,
sinc-fāge selsweartum nihtum
(nō hē þone gif-stōlgrētan mōste,
māððum for metode,nē his myne wisse); þæt wæs wrǣc micelwine Scyldinga,
mōdes brecða.Monig-oft gesæt
rīce tō rūne;rǣd eahtedon,
hwæt swīð-ferhðumsēlest wǣre
wið fǣr-gryrumtō gefremmanne. Hwīlum hīe gehētonæt hærg-trafum
wīg-weorðunga,wordum bǣdon,
þæt him gāst-bonagēoce gefremede
wið þēod-þrēaum.Swylc wæs þēaw hyra,
hǣðenra hyht;helle gemundon
in mōd-sefan,metod hīe ne cūðon,
dǣda dēmend,ne wiston hīe drihten god,
nē hīe hūru heofena helmherian ne cūðon,
wuldres waldend.Wā bið þǣm þe sceal
þurh slīðne nīðsāwle bescūfan
in fȳres fæðm,frōfre ne wēnan,
wihte gewendan;wēl bið þǣm þe mōt
æfter dēað-dægedrihten sēcean
and tō fæder fæðmumfreoðo wilnian.
Chapter 4
Swā þā mǣl-cearemaga Healfdenes
singāla sēað;ne mihte snotor hæleð
wēan onwendan:wæs þæt gewin tō swȳð,
lāð and longsum,þē on þā lēode becōm,
nȳd-wracu nīð-grim,niht-bealwa mǣst. Þæt fram hām gefrægnHigelāces þegn,
gōd mid Gēatum,Grendles dǣda: sē wæs mon-cynnesmægenes strengest
on þǣm dægeþysses līfes,
æðele and ēacen.Hēt him ȳð-lidan
gōdne gegyrwan;cwæð hē gūð-cyning
ofer swan-rādesēcean wolde,
mǣrne þēoden,þā him wæs manna þearf. Þone sīð-fæt himsnotere ceorlas
lȳt-hwōn lōgon,þēah hē him lēof wǣre; hwetton higerōfne,hǣl scēawedon. Hæfde se gōdaGēata lēoda
cempan gecorone,þāra þe hē cēnoste
findan mihte;fīftȳna sum
sund-wudu sōhte;secg wīsade,
lagu-cræftig mon,land-gemyrcu. Fyrst forð gewāt:flota wæs on ȳðum,
bāt under beorge.Beornas gearwe
on stefn stigon;strēamas wundon
sund wið sande;secgas bǣron
on bearm nacanbeorhte frætwe,
gūð-searo geatolīc;guman ūt scufon,
weras on wil-sīðwudu bundenne. Gewāt þā ofer wǣg-holmwinde gefȳsed
flota fāmig-healsfugle gelīcost,
oð þæt ymb ān-tīdōðres dōgores
wunden-stefnagewaden hæfde,
þæt þā līðendeland gesāwon,
brim-clifu blīcan,beorgas stēape,
sīde sǣ-næssas:þā wæs sund liden,
eoletes æt ende.Þanon up hraðe
Wedera lēodeon wang stigon,
sǣ-wudu sǣldon(syrcan hrysedon,
gūð-gewǣdo);gode þancedon,
þæs þe him ȳð-lādeēaðe wurdon. Þā of wealle geseahweard Scildinga,
sē þe holm-clifuhealdan scolde,
beran ofer bolcanbeorhte randas,
fyrd-searu fūslīcu;hine fyrwyt bræc
mōd-gehygdum,hwæt þā men wǣron. Gewāt him þā tō waroðewicge rīdan
þegn Hrōðgāres,þrymmum cwehte
mægen-wudu mundum,meðel-wordum frægn: "Hwæt syndon gēsearo-hæbbendra
"byrnum werede,þē þus brontne cēol
"ofer lagu-strǣtelǣdan cwōmon,
"hider ofer holmashelmas bǣron? "Ic wæs ende-sǣta,ǣg-wearde hēold,
"þæt on land Denalāðra nǣnig
"mid scip-hergesceððan ne meahte. "Nō hēr cūðlīcorcuman ongunnon
"lind-hæbbende;nē gē lēafnes-word
"gūð-fremmendragearwe ne wisson,
"māga gemēdu.Nǣfre ic māran geseah
"eorla ofer eorðan,þonne is ēower sum,
"secg on searwum;nis þæt seld-guma
"wǣpnum geweorðad,næfne him his wlite lēoge,
"ǣnlīc an-sȳn.Nū ic ēower sceal
"frum-cyn witan,ǣr gē fyr heonan
"lēase scēawerason land Dena
"furður fēran.Nū gē feor-būend,
"mere-līðende,mīnne gehȳrað
"ān-fealdne geþōht:ofost is sēlest
"tō gecȳðanne,hwanan ēowre cyme syndon."
Chapter 5
Him se yldestaandswarode,
werodes wīsa,word-hord onlēac: "Wē synt gum-cynnesGēata lēode
"and Higelācesheorð-genēatas. "Wæs mīn fæderfolcum gecȳðed,
"æðele ord-frumaEcgþēow hāten; "gebād wintra worn,ǣr hē on weg hwurfe,
"gamol of geardum;hine gearwe geman
"witena wēl-hwylcwīde geond eorðan.-
"Wē þurh holdne higehlāford þinne,
"sunu Healfdenes,sēcean cwōmon,
"lēod-gebyrgean:wes þū ūs lārena gōd! "Habbað wē tō þǣm mǣranmicel ǣrende
"Deniga frēan;ne sceal þǣr dyrne sum
"wesan, þæs ic wēne.Þū wāst, gif hit is,
"swā wē sōðlicesecgan hȳrdon,
"þæt mid Scyldingumsceaða ic nāt hwylc,
"dēogol dǣd-hata,deorcum nihtum
"ēaweð þurh egsanuncūðne nīð,
"hȳnðu and hrā-fyl.Ic þæs Hrōðgār mæg
"þurh rūmne sefanrǣd gelǣran,
"hū hē frōd and gōdfēond oferswȳðeð,
"gyf him ed-wendanǣfre scolde
"bealuwa bisigu,bōt eft cuman
"and þā cear-wylmascōlran wurðað; "oððe ā syððanearfoð-þrāge,
"þrēa-nȳd þolað,þenden þǣr wunað
"on hēah-stedehūsa sēlest." Weard maðelode,þǣr on wicge sæt
ombeht unforht:"Ǣghwæðres sceal
"scearp scyld-wigagescād witan,
"worda and worca,sē þe wēl þenceð. "Ic þæt gehȳre,þæt þis is hold weorod
"frēan Scyldinga.Gewītað forð beran
"wǣpen and gewǣdu,ic ēow wīsige: "swylce ic magu-þegnasmīne hāte
"wið fēonda gehwoneflotan ēowerne,
"nīw-tyrwednenacan on sande
"ārum healdan,oð þæt eft byreð
"ofer lagu-strēamaslēofne mannan
"wudu wunden-halstō Weder-mearce. "Gūð-fremmendraswylcum gifeðe bið,
"þæt þone hilde-rǣshāl gedīgeð." Gewiton him þā fēran(flota stille bād,
seomode on sālesīd-fæðmed scyp,
on ancre fæst);eofor-līc scionon
ofer hlēor-berangehroden golde
fāh and fȳr-heard,ferh wearde hēold. Gūðmōde grummon,guman ōnetton,
sigon ætsomne,oð þæt hȳ sæl timbred
geatolīc and gold-fāhongytan mihton; þæt wæs fore-mǣrostfold-būendum
receda under roderum,on þǣm se rīca bād; līxte se lēomaofer landa fela. Him þā hilde-dēorhof mōdigra
torht getǣhte,þæt hīe him tō mihton
gegnum gangan;gūð-beorna sum
wicg gewende,word æfter cwæð: "Mǣl is mē tō fēran;fæder alwalda
"mid ār-stafumēowic gehealde
"sīða gesunde!ic tō sǣ wille,
"wið wrāð werodwearde healdan."