XV. HROTHGAR'S GRATULATION.

Hrôðgâr maðelode (he tô healle geóng,

stôd on stapole, geseah steápne hrôf

golde fâhne and Grendles hond):

"þisse ansýne al-wealdan þanc

"lungre gelimpe! Fela ic lâðes gebâd,

"grynna ät Grendle: â mäg god wyrcan

"wunder äfter wundre, wuldres hyrde!

"Þät wäs ungeâra, þät ic ænigra me

"weána ne wênde tô wîdan feore

"bôte gebîdan þonne blôde fâh

"hûsa sêlest heoro-dreórig stôd;

"weá wîd-scofen witena gehwylcne

"þâra þe ne wêndon, þät hie wîde-ferhð

"leóda land-geweorc lâðum beweredon

"scuccum and scinnum. Nu scealc hafað

"þurh drihtnes miht dæd gefremede,

"þe we ealle ær ne meahton

"snyttrum besyrwan. Hwät! þät secgan mäg

"efne swâ hwylc mägða, swâ þone magan cende

"äfter gum-cynnum, gyf heó gyt lyfað,

"þät hyre eald-metod êste wære

"bearn-gebyrdo. Nu ic Beówulf

"þec, secg betsta, me for sunu wylle

"freógan on ferhðe; heald forð tela

"niwe sibbe. Ne bið þe nænigra gâd

"worolde wilna, þe ic geweald häbbe.

"Ful-oft ic for lässan leán teohhode

"hord-weorðunge hnâhran rince,

"sæmran ät säcce. Þu þe self hafast

"dædum gefremed, þät þîn dôm lyfað

"âwâ tô aldre. Alwalda þec

"gôde forgylde, swâ he nu gyt dyde!"

Beówulf maðelode, bearn Ecgþeówes:

"We þät ellen-weorc êstum miclum,

"feohtan fremedon, frêcne genêðdon

"eafoð uncûðes; ûðe ic swîðor,

"þät þu hinc selfne geseón môste,

"feónd on frätewum fyl-wêrigne!

"Ic hine hrädlîce heardan clammum

"on wäl-bedde wrîðan þôhte,

"þät he for mund-gripe mînum scolde

"licgean lîf-bysig, bûtan his lîc swice;

"ic hine ne mihte, þâ metod nolde,

"ganges getwæman, nô ic him þäs georne ätfealh,

"feorh-genîðlan; wäs tô fore-mihtig

"feónd on fêðe. Hwäðere he his folme forlêt

"tô lîf-wraðe lâst weardian,

"earm and eaxle; nô þær ænige swâ þeáh

"feá-sceaft guma frôfre gebohte:

"nô þý leng leofað lâð-geteóna

"synnum geswenced, ac hyne sâr hafað

"in nýd-gripe nearwe befongen,

"balwon bendum: þær âbîdan sceal

"maga mâne fâh miclan dômes,

"hû him scîr metod scrîfan wille."

Þâ wäs swîgra secg, sunu Ecglâfes,

on gylp-spræce gûð-geweorca,

siððan äðelingas eorles cräfte

ofer heáhne hrôf hand sceáwedon,

feóndes fingras, foran æghwylc;

wäs stêde nägla gehwylc, stýle gelîcost,

hæðenes hand-sporu hilde-rinces

egle unheóru; æg-hwylc gecwäð,

þät him heardra nân hrînan wolde

îren ær-gôd, þät þäs ahlæcan

blôdge beadu-folme onberan wolde.