745fēt ond folma.Forð nēar ætstōp,
nam þā mid handahige-þihtigne
rinc on ræste;rǣhte ongēan
fēond mid folme;hē onfēng hraþe
inwit-þancumond wið earm gesæt.
750Sōna þæt onfundefyrena hyrde,
þæt hē ne mēttemiddan-geardes,
eorþan sceatta,[1]on elran men
mund-gripe māran;hē on mōde wearð
forht, on ferhðe;nō þȳ ǣr fram meahte.
755Hyge wæs him hin-fūs,wolde on heolster flēon,
sēcan dēofla gedræg;ne wæs his drohtoð þǣr,
swylce hē on ealder-dagumǣr gemētte.
Gemunde þā se gōdamǣg Higelāces
ǣfen-sprǣce,up-lang āstōd
760ond him fæste wiðfēng;fingras burston;
eoten wæs ūt-weard;eorl furþur stōp.
Mynte se mǣra,*hwǣr[2] hē meahte swā,Fol. 131b.
wīdre gewindanond on weg þanon
flēon on fen-hopu;wiste his fingra geweald
765on grames grāpum.Þæt (hē)[3] wæs gēocor sīð,
þæt se hearm-scaþatō Heorute ātēah.
Dryht-sele dynede;Denum eallum wearð,
ceaster-būendum,cēnra gehwylcum,
eorlum ealu-scerwen.Yrre wǣron begen
770rēþe rēn-weardas.Reced hlynsode;
- ↑ 752. Many editors normalise to ‘scēata.’ See Sievers § 230.
- ↑ 762. MS. defective at corner. Ettmüller, Wülcker, Heyne ‘þǣr.’ Zupitza’s transliteration ‘hwær,’ as if there were no doubt as to the reading, but his foot-note runs: “hwær (hw with another ink, and crossed out in pencil) B, …ær A; now only the lower part of r left.”
- ↑ 765. MS. ‘þæ he wæs.’ Grein suggested the accepted emendation—the omission of hē.
