sweo[r]dum[1] āswefecle,þæt syðþan nā
ymb brontne fordbrim-līðende
lāde ne letton.Lēoht ēastan cōm,
570beorht bēacen Godes;brimu swaþredon,
þæt ic sǣ-næssasgesēon mihte,
windige weallas.Wyrd oft nereð
unfǣgne eorl,þonne his ellen dēah.
Hwæþere mē gesǣlde,þæt ic mid sweorde ofslōh
575niceras nigene.Nō ic on niht gefrægn
under heofones hwealfheardran feohtan,
ne on ēg-strēamumearmran mannon;
hwæþere[2] ic fāra fengfēore gedīgde,
sīþes wērig.Ðā mec sǣ oþbær,
580flod æfter faroðe,on Finna land,
wadu[3] weallendu.Nō ic wiht fram þē
swylcra searo-nīðasecgan hȳrde,
billa brōgan;Breca nǣfre git
æt heaðo-lāce,ne gehwæþer incer,
585swā dēorlīcedǣd gefremede
fāgum sweordum(nō ic þæs [fela][4] gylpe),
þēah ðū þīnum brōðrumtō banan wurde,
hēafod-mǣgum;þæs þū in *helle scealtFol. 143b.
werhðo drēogan.þēah þīn wit duge.
590Secge ic þē tō sōðe,sunu Ecglāfes,
þæt nǣfre Gre[n]del[5] swā felagryra gefremede,
- ↑ 567. MS., defective at corner, has only swe and part of o. Thorkelin A (first transcript) ‘sweodum.’
- ↑ 578. MS. ‘hwaþere.’
- ↑ 581. MS. ‘wudu.’ See l. 546.
- ↑ 586. The emendation is Grein’s; Kluge suggested ‘[geflites].’ Heyne, followed by Harrison and Sharp, assumes the loss of two half lines after sweordum, with the unpleasant consequence that the numbers of his lines are one too many throughout the rest of the poem.
- ↑ 591. MS. ‘gre del.’
