Chapter XXII: Beówulf Seeks the Monster in the Haunts of the Nixies

Beówulf maðelode, bearn Ecgþeówes:
1385 "Ne sorga, snotor guma! sêlre bið æghwæm,
"þät he his freónd wrece, þonne he fela murne;
"ûre æghwylc sceal ende gebîdan
"worolde lîfes; wyrce se þe môte
"dômes ær deáðe! þät bið driht-guman
1390 "unlifgendum äfter sêlest.
"Ârîs, rîces weard; uton hraðe fêran,
"Grendles mâgan gang sceáwigan!
"Ic hit þe gehâte: nô he on helm losað,
"ne on foldan fäðm, ne on fyrgen-holt,
1395 "ne on gyfenes grund, gâ þær he wille.
"Þys dôgor þu geþyld hafa
"weána gehwylces, swâ ic þe wêne tô!"
Âhleóp þâ se gomela, gode þancode,
mihtigan drihtne, þäs se man gespräc.
1400 Þâ wäs Hrôðgâre hors gebæted,
wicg wunden-feax. Wîsa fengel
geatolîc gengde; gum-fêða stôp
lind-häbbendra. Lâstas wæron
äfter wald-swaðum wîde gesýne,
1405 gang ofer grundas; gegnum fôr þâ
ofer myrcan môr, mago-þegna bär
þone sêlestan sâwol-leásne,
þâra þe mid Hrôðgâre hâm eahtode.
Ofer-eode þâ äðelinga bearn
1410 steáp stân-hliðo, stîge nearwe,
enge ân-paðas, un-cûð gelâd,
neowle nässas, nicor-hûsa fela;
he feára sum beforan gengde
wîsra monna, wong sceáwian,
1415 ôð þät he færinga fyrgen-beámas
ofer hârne stân hleonian funde,
wyn-leásne wudu; wäter under stôd
dreórig and gedrêfed. Denum eallum wäs,
winum Scyldinga, weorce on môde,
1420 tô geþolianne þegne monegum,
oncýð eorla gehwæm, syððan Äsc-heres
on þam holm-clife hafelan mêtton.
Flôd blôde weól (folc tô sægon)
hâtan heolfre. Horn stundum song
1425 fûslîc fyrd-leóð. Fêða eal gesät;
gesâwon þâ äfter wätere wyrm-cynnes fela,
sellîce sæ-dracan sund cunnian,
swylce on näs-hleoðum nicras licgean,
þâ on undern-mæl oft bewitigað
1430 sorh-fulne sîð on segl-râde,
wyrmas and wil-deór; hie on weg hruron
bitere and gebolgne, bearhtm ongeâton,
gûð-horn galan. Sumne Geáta leód
of flân-bogan feores getwæfde,
1435 ýð-gewinnes, þät him on aldre stôd
here-stræl hearda; he on holme wäs
sundes þe sænra, þe hyne swylt fornam.
Hräðe wearð on ýðum mid eofer-spreótum
heoro-hôcyhtum hearde genearwod,
1440 nîða genæged and on näs togen
wundorlîc wæg-bora; weras sceáwedon
gryrelîcne gist. Gyrede hine Beówulf
eorl-gewædum, nalles for ealdre mearn:
scolde here-byrne hondum gebroden,
1445 sîd and searo-fâh, sund cunnian,
seó þe bân-côfan beorgan cûðe,
þät him hilde-grâp hreðre ne mihte,
eorres inwit-feng, aldre gesceððan;
ac se hwîta helm hafelan werede,
1450 se þe mere-grundas mengan scolde,
sêcan sund-gebland since geweorðad,
befongen freá-wrâsnum, swâ hine fyrn-dagum
worhte wæpna smið, wundrum teóde,
besette swîn-lîcum, þät hine syððan nô
1455 brond ne beado-mêcas bîtan ne meahton.
Näs þät þonne mætost mägen-fultuma,
þät him on þearfe lâh þyle Hrôðgâres;
wäs þäm häft-mêce Hrunting nama,
þät wäs ân foran eald-gestreóna;
1460 ecg wäs îren âter-teárum fâh,
âhyrded heaðo-swâte; næfre hit ät hilde ne swâc
manna ængum þâra þe hit mid mundum bewand,
se þe gryre-sîðas gegân dorste,
folc-stede fâra; näs þät forma sîð,
1465 þät hit ellen-weorc äfnan scolde.
Hûru ne gemunde mago Ecglâfes
eafoðes cräftig, þät he ær gespräc
wîne druncen, þâ he þäs wæpnes onlâh
sêlran sweord-frecan: selfa ne dorste
1470 under ýða gewin aldre genêðan,
driht-scype dreógan; þær he dôme forleás,
ellen-mærðum. Ne wäs þäm ôðrum swâ,
syððan he hine tô gûðe gegyred häfde.