In Old English

253-257
leassceaweras, on land Dena
furþur feran. Nu ge feorbuend,
mereliðende, minne gehyrað
anfealdne geþoht: ofost is selest
to gecyðanne, hwanan eowre cyme syndon.'

258-273
IIII Him se yldesta andswarode,
werodes wisa, wordhord onleac:
`We synt gumcynnes Geata leode
ond Higelaces heorðgeneatas.
Wæs min fæder folcum gecyþed,
æþele ordfruma, Ecgþeow haten;
gebad wintra worn, ær he on weg hwurfe,
gamol of geardum; hine gearwe geman
witenawelhwylc wide geond eorþan.
We þurh holdne hige hlaford þinne,
sunu Healfdenes secean cwomon,
leodgebyrgean; wes þu us larena god!
Habbað we to þæm mæran micel ærende
Deniga frean; ne sceal þær dyrne sum
wesan, þæs ic wene. Þu wast, gif hit is
swa we soþlice secgan hyrdon,

274-297
þæt mid Scyldingum sceaðona ic nat hwylc,
deogol dædhata deorcum nihtum
eaweð þurh egsan uncuðne nið,
hynðu ond hrafyl . Ic þæs Hroðgar mæg
þurh rumne sefan ræd gelæran,
hu he frod ond god feond oferswyðeþ---
gyf him edwenden æfre scolde
bealuwa bisigu bot eft cuman---,
ond þa cearwylmas colran wurðaþ;
oððe a syþðan earfoðþrage,
þreanyd þolað, þenden þær wunað
on heahstede husa selest.'
Weard maþelode, ðær on wicge sæt,
ombeht unforht: `Æghwæþres sceal
scearp scyldwiga gescad witan,
worda ond worca, se þe wel þenceð.
Ic þæt gehyre, þæt þis is hold weorod
frean Scyldinga. Gewitaþ forð beran
wæpen ond gewædu, iceow wisige;
swylce ic maguþegnas mine hate
wið feonda gehwone flotan eowerne,
niwtyrwydne nacan on sande
arum healdan, oþ ðæt eft byreð
ofer lagustreamas leofne mannan

298-319
wudu wundenhals to Wedermearce,
godfremmendra swylcum gifeþe bið
þæt þone hilderæs hal gedigeð.'
Gewiton him þa feran,--- flota stille bad,
seomode on sale sidfæþmed scip,
oa ancre fæst. Eoforlic scionon
ofer hleorbergan gehroden golde,
fah ond fyrheard,--- ferhwearde heold
guþmod grimmon. Guman onetton,
sigon ætsomne, oþ þæt hy sæl timbred
geatolic ond goldfah ongyton mihton;
þæt wæs foremærost foldbuendum
receda under roderum, on þæm se rica bad;
lixte se leoma ofer landa fela.
Him þa hildedeor hof modigra
torht getæhte, þæt hie him to mihton
gegnum gangan; guðbeorna sum
wicg gewende, word æfter cwæð:
`Mæl is me to feran; Fæder alwalda
mid arstafum eowic gehealde
siða gesunde! Ic to sæ wille,
wið wrað werod wearde healdan.'

320-338
V Stræt wæs stanfah, stig wisode
gumum ætgædere. Guðbyrnescan
heard hondlocen, hringiren scir
song in searwum, þa hie to sele furðum
in hyra gryregeatwum gangan cwomon.
Setton sæme þe side scyldas,
rondas regnhearde wið þæs recedes weal;
bugon þa to bence,--- byrnan hringdon,
guðsearo gumena; garas stodon,
sæmanna searo, samod ætgædere,
æscholt ufan græg; wæs se irenþreat
wæpnum gewurþad.
Þa ðær wlonc hæleð
oretmecgas æfter æþelum frægn:
`Hwanon ferigeað ge fætte scyldas,
græge syrcan ond grimhelmas,
heresceafta heap? Ic eom Hroðgares
ar ond ombiht. Ne seah ic elþeodige
þus manige men modiglicran.
Wen' ic þæt ge for wlenco, nalles for wræcsiðum,
ac for higeþrymmum Hroðgar sohton.'

340-360
Himþa ellenrof andswarode,
wlanc Wedera leod, word æfter spræc
heard under helme: `We synt Higelaces
beodgeneatas; Beowulf is min nama.
Wille ic asecgan sunu Healfdenes,
mærum þeodne, min ærende,
aldre þinum, gif he us geunnan wile,
þæt we hine swa godne gretan moton.'
Wulfgar maþelode --- þæt wæs Wendla leod,
wæs his modsefa manegumgecyðed,
wig ond wisdom--- : `Ic þæs wineDeniga,
frean Scildinga frinan wille,
beaga bryttan, swa þu bena eart,
þeoden mærne, ymb þinne sið,
ond þe þa andsware ædre gecyðan,
ðe me se goda agifan þenceð.'
Hwearf þa hrædlice þær Hroðgar sæt
eald ond anhar mid his eorla gedriht;
eode ellenrof, þæt he for eaxlum gestod
Deniga frean; cuþe he duguðe þeaw.
Wulfgar maðelode to his winedrihtne:

361-379
`Her syndon geferede, feorran cumene
ofer geofenes begang Geata leode;
þone yldestan oretmecgas
Beowulf nemnað. Hy benan synt,
þæt hie, þeoden min,wið þe moton
wordum wrixlan; no ðu him wearne geteoh
ðinra gegncwida, glædman Hroðar!
Hy on wiggetawum wyrðe þinceað
eorla geæhtlan; huru se aldor deah,
se þæm heaðorincum hider wisade.'
VI Hroðgar maþelode, helm Scyldinga:
'Ic hine cuðe cnihtwesende;
wæs his ealdfæder Ecgþeo haten,
ðæm to ham forgeaf Hreþel Geata
angan dohtor; is his eaforan nu
heard her cumen, sohte holdne wine.
Ðonne sægdon þæt sæliþende,
þa ðe gifsceattas Geata fyredon
þyder to þance, þæt he þritiges

380-401
manna mægencræft on his mundgripe
heaþorof hæbbe. Hine halig God
for arstafum us onsende,
to West-Denum, þæs ic wen hæbbe.
wið Grendles gryre. Ic þæm godan sceal
for his modþræce madmas beodan.
Beo ðu on ofeste, hat in gan
seon sibbegedriht samod ætgædere,
gesaga him eac wordum. þæt hie sint wil cuman
Deniga leodum.' Þa to dura eode
widcuð hæleð, word inne abead;
`Eow het secgan sigedrihten min,
aldor East-Dena, þæt he eoweræþelu can,
ond ge him syndon ofer sæwylmas
heardhicgende hider wilcuman.
Nu ge moton gangan in eowrum guðgetawum
under heregriman Hroðgar geseon;
lætað hildebord her onbidan,
wudu wælsceaftas worda geþinges.'
Aras þa se rica, ymb hine rinc manig,
þryðlic þegna heap ; sume þær bidon,
heaðoreaf heoldon, swa him se hearda bebead.