IV.
Him se yldestaondswarode,
werodes wīsa,word-hord onlēac:
260“Wē synt gum-cynnesGēata lēode
ond Higelācesheoið-genēatas.
Wæs mīn fæderfolcum gecȳþed,
æþele ord-frumaEcgþēow hāten;
gebād wintra worn,ǣr hē on weg hwurfe
265gamol of geardum;hine gearwe geman
witena wel-hwylcwīde geond eorþan.
Wē þurh holdne higehlāford þīnne,
sunu Healfdenes,sēcean cwōmon,
lēod-gebyrgean;wes þū ūs lārena gōd.
270Habbað wē tō þǣm mǣranmicel ǣrende
Deniga frēan;ne sceal þǣr dyrne sum
wesan, þæs ic wēne.Þū wāst gif hit is,
swā wē sōþlīce*secgan hȳrdon,Fol. 136a.
þæt mid Scyldingumsceaðona[1] ic nāt hwylc,
275dēogol dǣd-hata,[2]deorcum nihtum
ēaweð þurh egsanuncūðne nīð,
hȳnðu ond hrā-fyl.Ic þæs Hrōðgār mæg
þurh rūmne sefanrǣd gelǣran,
hū hē frōd ond gōdfēond oferswȳðeþ,
280gyf him ed-wendanǣfre scolde
bealuwa bisigu,bōt eft cuman,
ond þā cear-wylmascōlran wurðaþ;
oððe ā syþðanearfoð-þrāge,