Chapter XXV: Hrothgar's Gratitude: He Discourses

Beówulf maðelode, bearn Ecgþeówes:
"Hwät! we þe þâs sæ-lâc, sunu Healfdenes,
"leód Scyldinga, lustum brôhton,
1655 "tîres tô tâcne, þe þu her tô lôcast.
"Ic þät unsôfte ealdre gedîgde:
"wîge under wätere weorc genêðde
"earfoðlîce, ät-rihte wäs
"gûð getwæfed, nymðe mec god scylde.
1660 "Ne meahte ic ät hilde mid Hruntinge
"wiht gewyrcan, þeáh þät wæpen duge,
"ac me geûðe ylda waldend,
"þät ic on wage geseah wlitig hangian
"eald sweord eácen (oftost wîsode
1665 "winigea leásum) þät ic þý wæpne gebräd.
"Ofslôh þâ ät þære säcce (þâ me sæl âgeald)
"hûses hyrdas. Þâ þät hilde-bil
"forbarn, brogden mæl, swâ þät blôd gesprang,
"hâtost heaðo-swâta: ic þät hilt þanan
1670 "feóndum ätferede; fyren-dæda wräc,
"deáð-cwealm Denigea, swâ hit gedêfe wäs.
"Ic hit þe þonne gehâte, þät þu on Heorote môst
"sorh-leás swefan mid þînra secga gedryht,
"and þegna gehwylc þînra leóda,
1675 "duguðe and iogoðe, þät þu him ondrædan ne þearft,
"þeóden Scyldinga, on þâ healfe,
"aldor-bealu eorlum, swâ þu ær dydest."
Þâ wäs gylden hilt gamelum rince.
hârum hild-fruman, on hand gyfen,
1680 enta ær-geweorc, hit on æht gehwearf
äfter deófla hryre Denigea freán,
wundor-smiða geweorc, and þâ þâs worold ofgeaf
grom-heort guma, godes andsaca,
morðres scyldig, and his môdor eác;
1685 on geweald gehwearf worold-cyninga
þäm sêlestan be sæm tweónum
þâra þe on Sceden-igge sceattas dælde.
Hrôðgâr maðelode, hylt sceáwode,
ealde lâfe, on þäm wäs ôr writen
1690 fyrn-gewinnes: syððan flôd ofslôh,
gifen geótende, giganta cyn,
frêcne gefêrdon: þät wäs fremde þeód
êcean dryhtne, him þäs ende-leán
þurh wäteres wylm waldend sealde.
1695 Swâ wäs on þæm scennum scîran goldes
þurh rûn-stafas rihte gemearcod,
geseted and gesæd, hwâm þät sweord geworht,
îrena cyst ærest wære,
wreoðen-hilt and wyrm-fâh. Þâ se wîsa spräc
1700 sunu Healfdenes (swîgedon ealle):
"Þät lâ mäg secgan, se þe sôð and riht
"fremeð on folce, (feor eal gemon
"eald êðel-weard), þät þes eorl wære
"geboren betera! Blæd is âræred
1705 "geond wîd-wegas, wine mîn Beówulf,
"þîn ofer þeóda gehwylce. Eal þu hit geþyldum healdest,
"mägen mid môdes snyttrum. Ic þe sceal mîne gelæstan
"freóde, swâ wit furðum spræcon; þu scealt tô frôfre weorðan
"eal lang-twidig leódum þînum,
1710 "häleðum tô helpe. Ne wearð Heremôd swâ
"eaforum Ecgwelan, Âr-Scyldingum;
"ne geweôx he him tô willan, ac tô wäl-fealle
"and tô deáð-cwalum Deniga leódum;
"breát bolgen-môd beód-geneátas,
1715 "eaxl-gesteallan, ôð þät he âna hwearf,
"mære þeóden. mon-dreámum from:
"þeáh þe hine mihtig god mägenes wynnum,
"eafeðum stêpte, ofer ealle men
"forð gefremede, hwäðere him on ferhðe greów
1720 "breóst-hord blôd-reów: nallas beágas geaf
"Denum äfter dôme; dreám-leás gebâd,
"þät he þäs gewinnes weorc þrowade,
"leód-bealo longsum. Þu þe lær be þon,
"gum-cyste ongit! ic þis gid be þe
1725 "âwräc wintrum frôd. Wundor is tô secganne,
"hû mihtig god manna cynne
"þurh sîdne sefan snyttru bryttað,
"eard and eorl-scipe, he âh ealra geweald.
"Hwîlum he on lufan læteð hworfan
1730 "monnes môd-geþonc mæran cynnes,
"seleð him on êðle eorðan wynne,
"tô healdanne hleó-burh wera,
"gedêð him swâ gewealdene worolde dælas,
"sîde rîce, þät he his selfa ne mäg
1735 "for his un-snyttrum ende geþencean;
"wunað he on wiste, nô hine wiht dweleð,
"âdl ne yldo, ne him inwit-sorh
"on sefan sweorceð, ne gesacu ôhwær,
"ecg-hete eóweð, ac him eal worold
1740 "wendeð on willan; he þät wyrse ne con,
"ôð þät him on innan ofer-hygda dæl
"weaxeð and wridað, þonne se weard swefeð,
"sâwele hyrde: bið se slæp tô fäst,
"bisgum gebunden, bona swîðe neáh,
1745 "se þe of flân-bogan fyrenum sceóteð.