Chapter II: The Hall Heorot

Þā wæs on burgum Bēowulf Scyldinga,
lēof lēod-cyning, longe þrāge
55 folcum gefrǣge (fæder ellor hwearf,
aldor of earde), oð þæt him eft onwōc
hēah Healfdene; hēold þenden lifde,
gamol and gūð-rēow, glæde Scyldingas.
Þǣm fēower bearn forð-gerīmed
60 in worold wōcun, weoroda rǣswan,
Heorogār and Hrōðgār and Hālga til;
hȳrde ic, þat Elan cwēn Ongenþēowes wæs
Heaðoscilfinges heals-gebedde.
Þā wæs Hrōðgāre here-spēd gyfen,
65 wīges weorð-mynd, þæt him his wine-māgas
georne hȳrdon, oð þæt sēo geogoð gewēox,
mago-driht micel. Him on mōd bearn,
þæt heal-reced hātan wolde,
medo-ærn micel men gewyrcean,
70 þone yldo bearn ǣfre gefrūnon,
and þǣr on innan eall gedǣlan
geongum and ealdum, swylc him god sealde,
būton folc-scare and feorum gumena.
Þā ic wīde gefrægn weorc gebannan
75 manigre mǣgðe geond þisne middan-geard,
folc-stede frætwan. Him on fyrste gelomp
ǣdre mid yldum, þæt hit wearð eal gearo,
heal-ærna mǣst; scōp him Heort naman,
sē þe his wordes geweald wīde hæfde.
80 Hē bēot ne ālēh, bēagas dǣlde,
sinc æt symle. Sele hlīfade
hēah and horn-gēap: heaðo-wylma bād,
lāðan līges; ne wæs hit lenge þā gēn
þæt se ecg-hete āðum-swerian
85 æfter wæl-nīðe wæcnan scolde.
Þā se ellen-gǣst earfoðlīce
þrāge geþolode, sē þe in þȳstrum bād,
þæt hē dōgora gehwām drēam gehȳrde
hlūdne in healle; þǣr wæs hearpan swēg,
90 swutol sang scopes. Sægde sē þe cūðe
frum-sceaft fīra feorran reccan,
cwæð þæt se ælmihtiga eorðan worhte,
wlite-beorhtne wang, swā wæter bebūgeð,
gesette sige-hrēðig sunnan and mōnan
95 lēoman tō lēohte land-būendum,
and gefrætwade foldan scēatas
leomum and lēafum; līf ēac gesceōp
cynna gehwylcum, þāra þe cwice hwyrfað.
Swā þā driht-guman drēamum lifdon
100 ēadiglīce, oð þæt ān ongan
fyrene fremman, fēond on helle:
wæs se grimma gæst Grendel hāten,
mǣre mearc-stapa, sē þe mōras hēold,
fen and fæsten; fīfel-cynnes eard
105 won-sǣlig wer weardode hwīle,
siððan him scyppend forscrifen hæfde.
In Caines cynne þone cwealm gewræc,
ēce drihten, þæs þe hē Ābel slōg;
ne gefeah hē þǣre fǣhðe, ac hē hine feor forwræc,
110 metod for þȳ māne man-cynne fram.
Þanon untȳdras ealle onwōcon,
eotenas and ylfe and orcnēas,
swylce gīgantas, þā wið gode wunnon
lange þrāge; hē him þæs lēan forgeald.