gearo gūð-freca, gold-māðmas hēold,
2415eald under eorðan; næs þæt ȳðe cēap
tō gegangenne gumena ǣnigum.
Gesæt ðā on næsse nīð-heard cyning,
þenden hǣlo ābēad heorð-genēatum,
gold-wine Gēata. Him wæs gēomor sefa,
2420wǣfre ond wæl-fūs, wyrd ungemete nēah,
sē[1] ðone gomelan grētan sceolde,
sēcean sāwle hord, sundur gedǣlan
līf wið līce; nō þon lange wæs
feorh æþelinges flǣsce bewunden.
2425Bīowulf maþelade, bearn Ecgðēowes:
“Fela ic on giogoðe gūð-rǣsa genæs,
orleg-hwīla; ic þæt eall gemon.
*Ic wæs syfan-wintre, þā mec sinca baldor,Fol. 184a.
frēa-wine folca, æt mīnum fæder genam;
2430hēold mec ond hæfde Hrēðel cyning,
geaf mē sinc ond symbel, sibbe gemunde;
næs ic him tō līfe lāðra ōwihte
beorn in burgum þonne his bearna hwylc,
Herebeald ond Hǣðcyn, oððe Hygelāc mīn.
2435Wæs þām yldestan ungedēfelīce
mǣges dǣdum morþor-bed strēd,
syððan hyne Hǣðcyn of horn-bogan,
his frēa-wine, flāne geswencte,
miste mercelses ond his mǣg ofscēt,
2440brōðor ōðerne, blōdigan gāre.
Þæt wæs feoh-lēas gefeoht, fyrenum gesyngad,
hreðre hyge-mēðe; sceolde hwæðre swā þēah
æðeling unwrecen ealdres linnan.
- ↑ 2421. Wülcker ‘sēo.’ Wyrd is fem. elsewhere in the poem; but cf. ll. 1344, 2685.
