In Old English

566-588
be yðlafe uppe lægon,
sweordum aswefede, þæt syðþan na
ymb brontne ford brimliðende
lade ne letton. Leoht eastan com,
beorht beacen Godes; brimu swaþredon,
þæt ic sænæssas geseon mihte,
windige weallas. Wyrd oft nereð
unfægne eorl, þonne his ellen deah!
Hwæþere me gesælde, þæt ic mid sweorde ofsloh
niceras nigene. No ic on niht gefrægn
under heofones hwealf heardran feohtan,
ne on egstreamum earmran mannon;
hwæþere ic fara feng feore gedigde
siþes werig. Ða mec sæ oþbær,
flod æfter faroðe on Finna land,
wadu weallendu. No ic wiht fram þe
swylcra searoniða secgan hyrde,
billa brogan. Breca næfre git
æt heaðolace, ne gehwæþer incer,
swa deorlice, dæd gefremede
fagum sweordum --- no ic þæs fela gylpe--- ,
þeah ðu þinum broðrum to banan wurde,
heafodmægum; þæs þu in helle scealt

589-608
werhðo dreogan, þeah þin wit duge.
Secge ic þe to soðe, sunu Ecglafes,
þæt næfre Grendel swa fela gryra gefremede,
atol æglæca, ealdre þinum,
hynðo on Heorote, gif þin hige wære,
sefa swa searogrim, swa þu self talast;
ac he hafað onfunden, þæt he þa fæhðe ne þearf,
atole ecgþræce eower leode
swiðe onsittan, Sige-Scyldinga;
nymeð nydbade, nænegum arað
leode Deniga, ac he lust wigeð,
swefeð ond snedeþ, secce ne weneþ
to Gar-Denum. Ac ic him Geata sceal
eafoð ond ellen ungeara nu,
guþe gebeodan. Gæþ eft se þe
mot to medo modig, siþþan morgenleoht
ofer ylda bearn oþres dogores,
sunne sweglwered suþan scineð!'
Þa wæs on salum sinces brytta,
gamolfeax ond guðrof; geoce gelyfde

609-629
brego Beorht-Dena, gehyrde on Beowulfe
folces hyrde fæstrædne geþoht.
Ðær wæs hæleþa hleahtor, hlyn swynsode,
word wæron wynsume. Eode Wealhþeow forð,
cwen Hroðgares, cynna gemyndig,
grette goldhroden guman on healle,
ond þa freolic wif ful gesealde
ærest East-Dena eþelwearde,
bæd hine bliðne æt þære beorþege,
leodum leofne; he on lust geþeah
symbel ond seleful, sigerof kyning.
Ymbeode þa ides Helminga
duguþe ond geogoþe dæl æghwylcne,
sincfato sealde, oþ þæt sæl alamp
þæt hio Beowulfe, beaghroden cwen
mode geþungen medoful ætbær;
grette Geata leod, Gode þancode
wisfæst wordum þæs ðe hire se willa gelamp,
þæt heo on ænigne eorl gelyfde
fyrena frofre. He þæt ful geþeah,
wælreow wiga, æt Wealhþeon,

630-653
ond þa gyddode guþe gefysed,
Beowulf maþelode, bearn Ecgþeowes:
`Ic þæt hogode, þa ic on holm gestah,
sæbat gesæt mid minra secga gedriht,
þæt ic anunga eowra leoda
willan geworhte, oþðe on wæl crunge
feondgrapum fæst. Ic gefremman sceal
eorlic ellen, oþðe endedæg
on þisse meoduhealle minne gebidan!'
Ðam wife þa word wel licodon,
gilpcwide Geates; eode goldhroden,
freolicu folccwen to hire frean sittan.
Þa wæs eft swa ær inne on healle
þryðword sprecen, ðeod on sælum,
sigefolca sweg, oþ þæt semninga
sunu Healfdenes secean wolde
æfenræste; wiste þæm ahlæcan
to þæm heahsele hilde geþinged,
siððan hie sunnan leoht geseon meahton,
oð þe nipende niht ofer ealle,
scaduhelma gesceapu scriðan cwoman
wan under wolcnum. Werod eall aras.
Gegrette þa guma oþerne,
Hroðgar Beowulf, ond him hæl abead,

654-661
winærnes geweald, ond þæt word acwæð:
`Næfre ic ænegum men ær alyfde,
siþðan ic hond ond rond hebban mihte,
ðryþærn Dena buton þe nu ða.
Hafa nu ond geheald husa selest,
gemyne mærþo, mægenellen cyð,
waca wiþ wraþum! Ne bið þe wilna gad,
gif þu þæt ellenweorc aldre gedigest.'

663-675
X Ða him Hroþgar gewat mid his hæleþa gedryht,
eodur Scyldinga ut of healle;
wolde wigfruma Wealhþeo secan,
cwen to gebeddan. Hæfde Kyningwuldor
Grendle togeanes, swa guman gefrungon,
seleweard aseted; sundornytte behold
ymb aldor Dena, eotonweard' abead.
Huru Geata leod georne truwode
modgan mægnes, Metodes hyldo.---
Ða he him of dyde iserbyrnan,
helm of hafelan, sealde his hyrsted sweord,
irena cyst ombihtþegne,
ond gehealdan het hildegeatwe.
Gespræc þa se goda gylpworda sum,

676-697
Beowulf Geata, ær he on bed stige:
`No ic me an herewæsmun hnagran talige
guþgeweorca, þonne Grendel hine;
forþan ic hine sweorde swebban nelle,
aldre beneotan, þeah ic eal mæge;
nat he þara goda, þæt he me ongean slea,
rand geheawe, þeah ðe he rof sie
niþgeweorca; ac wit on niht sculon
secge ofersittan, gif he gesecean dear
wig ofer wæpen, ond siðan witig God
on swa hwæere hond halig Dryhten
mærðo deme, swa him gemet þince.'
Hylde hine þa heaþodeor, hleorbolster onfeng
eorles andwlitan, ond hine ymb monig
snellic særinc selereste gebeah.
Nænig heora þohte, þæt he þanon scolde
eft eardlufan æfre gesecan,
folc oþðe freoburh, þær he afeded wæs;
ac hie hæfdon gefrunen, þæt hie ær to fela micles
in þæm winsele wældeað fornam,
Denigea leode. Ac him Dryhten forgeaf
wigspeda gewiofu, Wedera leodum.

698-718
frofor ond fultum, þæt hie feond heora
ðurh anes cræft ealle ofercomon,
selfes mihtum. Soð is gecyþed,
þæt mihtig God manna cynnes
weold wideferhð.
Com on wanre niht
scriðan sceadugenga. Sceotend swæfon,
þa þæt hornreced healdan scoldon,
ealle buton anum. Þæt wæs yldum cuþ,
þæt hie ne moste, þa Metod nolde,
se scynscaþa under sceadu bregdan;---
ac he wæccende wraþum on andan
bad bolgenmod beadwa geþinges.
XI Ða com of more under misthleoþum
Grendel gongan, Godes yrre bær;
mynte se manscaða manna cynnes
sumne besyrwan in sele þam hean.
Wod under wolcnum to þæs þe he winreced,
goldsele gumena gearwost wisse
fættum fahne. Ne wæs þæt forma sið,
þæt he Hroþgares ham gesohte;
næfre he on aldordagum ær ne siþðan