Chapter 6
Strǣt wæs stān-fāh,stīg wīsode
gumum ætgædere.Gūð-byrne scān
heard hond-locen,hring-īren scīr
song in searwum,þā hīe tō sele furðum
in hyra gryre-geatwumgangan cwōmon. Setton sǣ-mēðesīde scyldas,
rondas regn-heardewið þæs recedes weal,
bugon þā tō bence;byrnan hringdon,
gūð-searo gumena;gāras stōdon,
sǣ-manna searo,samod ætgædere,
æsc-holt ufan grǣg:wæs se īren-þrēat
wǣpnum gewurðad.Þā þǣr wlonc hæleð
ōret-mecgasæfter æðelum frægn: "Hwanon ferigeað gēfǣtte scyldas,
"grǣge syrcanand grīm-helmas,
"here-sceafta hēap?--Ic eom Hrōðgāres
"ār and ombiht.Ne seah ic el-þēodige
"þus manige menmōdiglīcran. "Wēn' ic þæt gē for wlenco,nalles for wræc-sīðum,
"ac for hige-þrymmumHrōðgār sōhton." Him þā ellen-rōfandswarode,
wlanc Wedera lēodword æfter spræc,
heard under helme:"Wē synt Higelāces
"bēod-genēatas;Bēowulf is mīn nama. "Wille ic āsecgansuna Healfdenes,
"mǣrum þēodnemīn ǣrende,
"aldre þīnum,gif hē ūs geunnan wile,
"þæt wē hine swā gōdnegrētan mōton." Wulfgār maðelode(þæt wæs Wendla lēod,
wæs his mōd-sefamanegum gecȳðed,
wīg and wīs-dōm):"ic þæs wine Deniga,
"frēan Scildingafrīnan wille,
"bēaga bryttan,swā þū bēna eart,
"þēoden mǣrneymb þīnne sīð; "and þē þā andswareǣdre gecȳðan,
"þē mē se gōdaāgifan þenceð." Hwearf þā hrædlīce,þǣr Hrōðgār sæt,
eald and unhārmid his eorla gedriht; ēode ellen-rōf,þæt hē for eaxlum gestōd
Deniga frēan,cūðe hē duguðe þēaw. Wulfgār maðelodetō his wine-drihtne: "Hēr syndon geferedefeorran cumene
"ofer geofenes begangGēata lēode: "þone yldestanōret-mecgas
"Bēowulf nemnað.Hȳ bēnan synt,
"þæt hīe, þēoden mīn,wið þē mōton
"wordum wrixlan;nō þū him wearne getēoh,
"þīnra gegn-cwidaglædnian, Hrōðgār! "Hȳ on wīg-geatwumwyrðe þinceað
"eorla geæhtlan;hūru se aldor dēah,
"sē þǣm heaðo-rincumhider wīsade."
Chapter 7
Hrōðgār maðelode,helm Scyldinga: "Ic hine cūðecniht-wesende. "Wæs his eald-fæderEcgþēo hāten,
"þǣm tō hām forgeafHrēðel Gēata
"āngan dōhtor;is his eafora nū
"heard hēr cumen,sōhte holdne wine. "þonne sægdon þætsǣ-līðende,
"þā þe gif-sceattasGēata fyredon
"þyder tō þance,þæt hē þrīttiges
"manna mægen-cræfton his mund-grīpe
"heaðo-rōf hæbbe.Hine hālig god
"for ār-stafumus onsende,
"tō West-Denum,þæs ic wēn hæbbe,
"wið Grendles gryre:ic þǣm gōdan sceal
"for his mōd-þræcemādmas bēodan. "Bēo þū on ofeste,hāt hig in gān,
"sēon sibbe-gedrihtsamod ætgædere; "gesaga him ēac wordum,þæt hīe sint wil-cuman
"Deniga lēodum."Þā wið duru healle
Wulfgār ēode,word inne ābēad: "Ēow hēt secgansige-drihten mīn,
"aldor Ēast-Dena,þæt hē ēower æðelu can
"and gē him syndonofer sǣ-wylmas,
"heard-hicgende,hider wil-cuman. "Nū gē mōton ganganin ēowrum guð-geatawum,
"under here-grīman,Hrōðgār gesēon; "lǣtað hilde-bordhēr onbidian,
"wudu wæl-sceaftas,worda geþinges." Ārās þā se rīca,ymb hine rinc manig,
þrȳðlīc þegna hēap;sume þǣr bidon,
heaðo-rēaf hēoldon,swā him se hearda bebēad. Snyredon ætsomne,þā secg wīsode
under Heorotes hrōf;hyge-rōf ēode,
heard under helme,þæt hē on heoðe gestōd. Bēowulf maðelode(on him byrne scān,
searo-net sēowedsmiðes or-þancum): "Wes þū Hrōðgār hāl!ic eom Higelāces
"mǣg and mago-þegn;hæbbe ic mǣrða fela
"ongunnen on geogoðe.Mē wearð Grendles þing
"on mīnre ēðel-tyrfundyrne cūð: "secgað sǣ-līðend,þæt þes sele stande,
"reced sēlesta,rinca gehwylcum
"īdel and unnyt,siððan ǣfen-lēoht
"under heofenes hādorbeholen weorðeð. "Þā mē þæt gelǣrdonlēode mīne,
"þā sēlestan,snotere ceorlas,
"þēoden Hrōðgār,þæt ic þē sōhte; "forþan hīe mægenes cræftmīnne cūðon: "selfe ofersāwon,þā ic of searwum cwōm,
"fāh from fēondum,þǣr ic fīfe geband,
"ȳðde eotena cyn,and on ȳðum slōg
"niceras nihtes,nearo-þearfe drēah,
"wræc Wedera nīð(wēan āhsodon)
"forgrand gramum;and nū wið Grendel sceal,
"wið þām āglǣcan,āna gehegan
"þing wið þyrse.Ic þē nū þā,
"brego Beorht-Dena,biddan wille,
"eodor Scyldinga,ānre bēne; "þæt þū mē ne forwyrne,wīgendra hlēo,
"frēo-wine folca,nū ic þus feorran cōm,
"þæt ic mōte ānaand mīnra eorla gedryht,
"þes hearda hēap,Heorot fǣlsian. "Hæbbe ic ēac geāhsod,þæt se ǣglǣca
"for his won-hȳdumwǣpna ne rēceð; "ic þæt þonne forhicge,swā mē Higelāc sīe,
"mīn mon-drihten,mōdes blīðe,
"þæt ic sweord bereoððe sīdne scyld
"geolo-rand tō gūðe;ac ic mid grāpe sceal
"fōn wið fēondeand ymb feorh sacan,
"lāð wið lāðum;þǣr gelȳfan sceal
"dryhtnes dōmesē þe hine dēað nimeð. "Wēn' ic þæt hē wille,gif hē wealdan mōt,
"in þǣm gūð-seleGēatena lēode
"etan unforhte,swā hē oft dyde
"mægen Hrēðmanna.Nā þū mīnne þearft
"hafalan hȳdan,ac hē mē habban wile
"drēore fāhne,gif mec dēað nimeð; "byreð blōdig wæl,byrgean þenceð,
"eteð ān-gengaunmurnlīce,
"mearcað mōr-hopu:nō þū ymb mīnes ne þearft
"līces feormeleng sorgian. "Onsend Higelāce,gif mec hild nime,
"beadu-scrūda betst,þæt mīne brēost wereð,
"hrægla sēlest;þæt is Hrēðlan lāf,
"Wēlandes geweorc.Gǣð ā Wyrd swā hīo scel!"
Chapter 8
Hrōðgār maðelode,helm Scyldinga: "for were-fyhtum þū,wine mīn Bēowulf,
"and for ār-stafumūsic sōhtest. "Geslōh þin fæderfǣhðe mǣste,
"wearð hē Heaðolāfetō hand-bonan
"mid Wilfingum;þā hine Wedera cyn
"for here-brōganhabban ne mihte. "Þanon hē gesōhteSūð-Dena folc
"ofer ȳða gewealc,Ār-Scyldinga; "þā ic furðum wēoldfolce Deninga,
"and on geogoðe hēoldgimme-rīce
"hord-burh hæleða:þā wæs Heregār dēad,
"mīn yldra mǣgunlifigende,
"bearn Healfdenes.Sē wæs betera þonne ic! "Siððan þā fǣhðefēo þingode; "sende ic Wylfingumofer wæteres hrycg
"ealde mādmas:hē mē āðas swōr. "Sorh is mē tō secganneon sefan mīnum
"gumena ǣngum,hwæt mē Grendel hafað
"hȳnðo on Heorotemid his hete-þancum,
"fǣr-nīða gefremed.Is mīn flet-werod,
"wīg-hēap gewanod;hīe Wyrd forswēop
"on Grendles gryre.God ēaðe mæg
"þone dol-scaðandǣda getwǣfan! "Ful oft gebēotedonbēore druncne
"ofer ealo-wǣgeōret-mecgas,
"þæt hīe in bēor-selebīdan woldon
"Grendles gūðemid gryrum ecga. "Þonne wæs þēos medo-healon morgen-tīd,
"driht-sele drēor-fāh,þonne dæg līxte,
"eal benc-þelublōde bestȳmed,
"heall heoru-drēore:āhte ic holdra þȳ lǣs,
"dēorre duguðe,þē þā dēað fornam. "Site nū tō symleand onsǣl meoto,
"sige-hrēð secgum,swā þīn sefa hwette!" Þā wæs Gēat-mæcgumgeador ætsomne
on bēor-selebenc gerȳmed; þǣr swīð-ferhðesittan ēodon
þrȳðum dealle.Þegn nytte behēold,
sē þe on handa bærhroden ealo-wǣge,
scencte scīr wered.Scop hwīlum sang
hādor on Heorote;þǣr wæs hæleða drēam,
duguð unlȳtelDena and Wedera.
Chapter 9
Unferð maðelode,Ecglāfes bearn,
þē æt fōtum sætfrēan Scyldinga; onband beadu-rūne(wæs him Bēowulfes sīð,
mōdges mere-faran,micel æf-þunca,
forþon þe hē ne ūðe,þæt ǣnig ōðer man
ǣfre mǣrða þon māmiddan-geardes
gehēdde under heofenumþonne hē sylfa): "Eart þū sē Bēowulf,sē þe wið Brecan wunne,
"on sīdne sǣymb sund flite,
"þǣr git for wlencewada cunnedon
"and for dol-gilpeon dēop wæter
"aldrum nēðdon?Nē inc ǣnig mon,
"nē lēof nē lāð,belēan mihte
"sorh-fullne sīð;þā git on sund rēon,
"þǣr git ēagor-strēamearmum þehton,
"mǣton mere-strǣta,mundum brugdon,
"glidon ofer gār-secg;geofon ȳðum wēol,
"wintres wylme.Git on wæteres ǣht
"seofon niht swuncon;hē þē æt sunde oferflāt,
"hæfde māre mægen.Þā hine on morgen-tīd
"on Heaðo-rǣmasholm up ætbær,
"þonon hē gesōhteswǣsne ēðel
"lēof his lēodumlond Brondinga,
"freoðo-burh fægere,þǣr hē folc āhte,
"burg and bēagas.Bēot eal wið þē
"sunu Bēanstānessōðe gelǣste. "Þonne wēne ic tō þēwyrsan geþinges,
"þēah þū heaðo-rǣsagehwǣr dohte,
"grimre gūðe,gif þū Grendles dearst
"niht-longne fyrstnēan bīdan!" Bēowulf maðelode,bearn Ecgþēowes: "Hwæt! þū worn fela,wine mīn Unferð,
"bēore druncenymb Brecan sprǣce,
"sægdest from his sīðe!Sōð ic talige,
"þæt ic mere-strengomāran āhte,
"earfeðo on ȳðum,þonne ǣnig ōðer man. "Wit þæt gecwǣdoncniht-wesende
"and gebēotedon(wǣron bēgen þā gīt
"on geogoð-feore)þæt wit on gār-secg ūt
"aldrum nēðdon;and þæt geæfndon swā. "Hæfdon swurd nacod,þā wit on sund rēon,
"heard on handa,wit unc wið hron-fixas
"werian þōhton.Nō hē wiht fram mē
"flōd-ȳðum feorflēotan meahte,
"hraðor on holme,nō ic fram him wolde. "Þā wit ætsomneon sǣ wǣron
"fīf nihta fyrst,oð þæt unc flōd tōdrāf,
"wado weallende,wedera cealdost,
"nīpende nihtand norðan wind
"heaðo-grim andhwearf;hrēo wǣron ȳða,
"Wæs mere-fixamōd onhrēred: "þǣr mē wið lāðumlīc-syrce mīn,
"heard hond-locen,helpe gefremede; "beado-hrægl brōdenon brēostum læg,
"golde gegyrwed.Mē tō grunde tēah
"fāh fēond-scaða,fæste hæfde
"grim on grāpe:hwæðre mē gyfeðe wearð,
"þæt ic āglǣcanorde gerǣhte,
"hilde-bille;heaðo-rǣs fornam
"mihtig mere-dēorþurh mīne hand.
Chapter 10
"Swā mec gelōmelāð-getēonan
"þrēatedon þearle.Ic him þēnode
"dēoran sweorde,swā hit gedēfe wæs; "næs hīe þǣre fyllegefēan hæfdon,
"mān-fordǣdlan,þæt hīe mē þēgon,
"symbel ymb-sǣtonsǣ-grunde nēah,
"ac on mergennemēcum wunde
"be ȳð-lāfeuppe lǣgon,
"sweordum āswefede,þæt syððan nā
"ymb brontne fordbrim-līðende
"lāde ne letton.Lēoht ēastan cōm,
"beorht bēacen godes;brimu swaðredon,
"þæt ic sǣ-næssasgesēon mihte,
"windige weallas.Wyrd oft nereð
"unfǣgne eorl,ðonne his ellen dēah! "Hwæðere mē gesǣlde,þæt ic mid sweorde ofslōh
"niceras nigene.Nō ic on niht gefrægn
"under heofones hwealfheardran feohtan,
"nē on ēg-strēamumearmran mannan; "hwæðere ic fāra fengfēore gedīgde,
"siðes wērig.Þā mec sǣ oðbær,
"flōd æfter faroðe,on Finna land,
"wadu weallendu.Nō ic wiht fram þē
"swylcra searo-nīðasecgan hȳrde,
"billa brōgan:Breca nǣfre gīt
"æt heaðo-lāce,nē gehwæðer incer
"swā dēorlīcedǣd gefremede
"fāgum sweordum. . . . . . .
". . . . . . .nō ic þæs gylpe; "þēah þū þīnum brōðrumtō banan wurde,
"hēafod-mǣgum;þæs þū in helle scealt
"werhðo drēogan,þēah þīn wit duge,
"Secge ic þē tō sōðe,sunu Ecglāfes,
"þæt nǣfre Grendel swā felagryra gefremede,
"atol ǣglǣcaealdre þīnum,
"hȳnðo on Heorote,gif þīn hige wǣre,
"sefa swā searo-grim,swā þū self talast. "Ac hē hafað onfunden,þæt hē þā fǣhðe ne þearf,
"atole ecg-þræceēower lēode
"swīðe onsittan,Sige-Scyldinga; "nymeð nȳd-bāde,nǣnegum ārað
"lēode Deniga,ac hē on lust wīgeð,
"swefeð ond sendeð,secce ne wēneð
"tō Gār-Denum.Ac him Gēata sceal
"eafoð and ellenungeāra nū
"gūðe gebēodan.Gǣð eft sē þe mōt
"tō medo mōdig,siððan morgen-lēoht
"ofer ylda bearnōðres dōgores,
"sunne swegl-weredsūðan scīneð!" Þā wæs on sālumsinces brytta
gamol-feax and gūð-rōf,gēoce gelȳfde
brego Beorht-Dena;gehȳrde on Bēowulfe
folces hyrdefæst-rǣdne geþōht. Þǣr wæs hæleða hleahtor;hlyn swynsode,
word wǣron wynsume.Ēode Wealhþēow forð,
cwēn Hrōðgāres,cynna gemyndig,
grētte gold-hrodenguman on healle,
and þā frēolīc wīfful gesealde
ǣrest Ēast-Denaēðel-wearde,
bæd hine blīðneæt þǣre bēor-þege,
lēodum lēofne;hē on lust geþeah
symbel and sele-ful,sige-rōf kyning. Ymb-ēode þāides Helminga
duguðe and geogoðedǣl ǣghwylcne; sinc-fato sealde,oð þæt sǣl ālamp,
þæt hīo Bēowulfe,bēag-hroden cwēn,
mōde geþungen,medo-ful ætbær; grētte Gēata lēod,gode þancode
wīs-fæst wordum,þæs þe hire se willa gelamp,
þæt hēo on ǣnigneeorl gelȳfde
fyrena frōfre.Hē þæt ful geþeah,
wæl-rēow wigaæt Wealhþēon,
and þā gyddodegūðe gefȳsed,
Bēowulf maðelode,bearn Ecgþēowes: "Ic þæt hogode,þā ic on holm gestāh,
"sǣ-bāt gesætmid mīnra secga gedriht,
"þæt ic ānungaēowra lēoda
"willan geworhte,oððe on wæl crunge,
"fēond-grāpum fæst.Ic gefremman sceal
"eorlīc ellen,oððe ende-dæg
"on þisse meodu-heallemīnne gebīdan." Þām wīfe þā wordwēl līcodon,
gilp-cwide Gēates;ēode gold-hroden
frēolīcu folc-cwēntō hire frēan sittan. Þā wæs eft swā ǣrinne on healle
þrȳð-word sprecen,þēod on sǣlum,
sige-folca swēg,oð þæt semninga
sunu Healfdenessēcean wolde
ǣfen-ræste;wiste æt þǣm āhlǣcan
tō þǣm hēah-selehilde geþinged,
siððan hīe sunnan lēohtgesēon ne meahton,
oððe nīpendeniht ofer ealle,
scadu-helma gesceapuscrīðan cwōman,
wan under wolcnum.Werod eall ārās. Grētte þā giddumguma ōðerne,
Hrōðgār Bēowulf,and him hǣl ābēad,
wīn-ærnes gewealdand þæt word ācwæð: "Nǣfre ic ǣnegum menǣr ālȳfde,
"siððan ic hond and rondhebban mihte,
"þrȳð-ærn Denabūton þē nū þā. "Hafa nū and gehealdhūsa sēlest; "gemyne mǣrðo,mægen-ellen cȳð,
"waca wið wrāðum!Ne bið þē wilna gād,
"gif þū þæt ellen-weorcaldre gedīgest."