In Old English

1139-1158
swiðor þohte þonne to sælade,
gif he torngemot þurhteon mihte,
þæt he Eotena bearn inne gemunde.
Swa he ne forwyrnde weorodrædende,
þonne him Hunlafing hildeleoman,
billa selest on bearm dyde;
þæs wæron mid Eotenum ecge cuðe.
Swylce ferðfrecan Fin eft begeat
sweordbealo sliðen æt his selfes ham,
siþðan grimne gripe Guðlaf ond Oslaf
æfter sæsiðe, sorge mændon,
ætwiton weana dæl; ne meahte wæfre mod
forhabban in hreþre. Ða wæs heal roden
feonda feorum, swilce Fin slægen,
cyning on corþre, ond seo cwen numen.
Sceotend Scyldinga to scypon feredon
eal ingesteald eorðcyninges,
swylce hie æt Finnes ham findan meahton
sigla searogimma. Hie on sælade
drihtlice wif to Denum feredon,

1159-1174
læddon to leodum.
Leoð wæs asungen,
gleomannes gyd. Gamen eft astah,
beorhtode bencsweg, byrelas sealdon
win of wunderfatum. Þa cwom Wealhþeo forð
gan under gyldnum beage þær þa godan twegen
sæton suhtergefæderan; þa gyt wæs hiera sib ætgædere,
æghwylc oðrum trywe. Swylce þær Unferþ þyle
æt fotum sæt frean Scyldinga; gehwylc hiora his ferhþe treowde,
þæt he hæfde mod micel, þeah þe he his magum nære
arfæst æt ecga gelacum. Spræc ða ides Scyldinga:
`Onfoh þissum fulle, freodrihten min,
sinces brytta! þu on sælum wes,
goldwine gumena, ond to Geatum spræc
mildum wordum, swa sceal man don!
Beo wið Geatas glæd, geofena gemyndig,
nean ond feorran þu nu hafast.

1175-1194
Me man sægde, þæt þu ðe for sunu wolde
hererinc habban. Heorot is gefælsod,
beahsele beorhta; bruc þenden þu mote
manigra medo, ond þinum magum læf
folc ond rice, þonne ðu forð scyle,
metodsceaft seon. Ic minne can
glædne Hroþulf, þæt he þa geogoðe wile
arum healdan, gyf þu ær þonne he,
wine Scildinga, worold oflætest;
wene ic þæt he mid Gode gyldan wille
uncran eaferan, gif he þæt eal gemon,
hwæt wit to willan ond to worðmyndum
umborwesendum ær arna gefremedon.'
Hwearf þa bi bence, þær hyre byre wæron,
Hreðric ond Hroðmund, ond hæleþa bearn,
giogoð ætgædere; þær se goda sæt,
Beowulf Geata, be þæm gebroðrum twæm.
XVIII Him wæs ful boren, ond freondlaþu
wordum bewægned, ond wunden gold
estum geeawed, earmreade twa,

1195-1216
hrægl ond hringas, healsbeaga mæst
þara þe ic on foldan gefrægen hæbbe.
Nænigne ic under swegle selran hyrde
hordmaðum hæleþa, syþðan Hama ætwæg
to þære byrhtan byrig Brosinga mene,
sigle ond sincfæt,--- searoniðas fleah
Eormenrices, geceas ecne ræd. ---
þone hring hæfde Higelac Geata,
nefa Swertinges, nyhstan siðe,
siðþan he under segne sinc ealgode,
wælreaf werede; hyne wyrd fornam,
syþðan he for wlenco wean ahsode,
fæhðe to Frysum. He þa frætwe wæg,
eorclanstanas ofer yða ful,
rice þeoden; he under rande gecranc.
Gehwearf þa in Francna fæþm feorh cyninges,
breostgewædu, ond se beah somod;
wyrsan wigfrecan wæl reafedon
æfter guðsceare, Geata leode,
hreawic heoldon.--- Heal swege onfeng.
Wealhðeo maþelode, heo fore þæm werede spræc:
`Bruc ðisses beages, Beowulf leofa,

1217-1241
hyse, mid hæle, ond þisses hrægles neot,
þeodgestreona, ond geþeoh tela,
cen þec mid cræfte, ond þyssum cnyhtum wes
lara liðe! Ic þe þæs lean geman.
Hafast þu gefered, þæt ðe feor ond neah
ealne wideferhþ weras ehtigað,
efne swa side swa sæ bebugeð,
windgeard, weallas. Wes þenden þu lifige,
æþeling, eadig! Ic þe an tela
sincgestreona. Beo þu suna minum
dædum gedefe, dreamhealdende!
Her is æghwylc eorl oþrum getrywe,
modes milde, mandrihtne hold,
þegnas syndon geþwære, þeod ealgearo,
druncne dryhtguman doð swa ic bidde'
Eode þa to setle. Þær wæs symbla cyst,
druncon win weras. Wyrd ne cuþon,
geosceaft grimme, swa hit agangen wearð
eorla manegum, syþðan æfen cwom,
ond him Hroþgar gewat to hofe sinum,
rice to ræste. Reced weardode
unrim eorla, swa hie oft ær dydon.
Bencþelu beredon; hit geondbræded wearð
beddum ond bolstrum. Beorscealca sum
fus ond fæge fletræste gebeag.

1242-1250
Setton him to heafdon hilderandas,
bordwudu beorhtan; þær on bence wæs
ofer æþelinge yþgesene
heaþosteapa helm, hringed byrne,
þrecwudu þrymlic. Wæs þeaw hyra,
þæt hie oft wæron an wig gearwe,
ge æt ham ge on herge, ge gehwæþer þara,
efne swylce mæla, swylce hira mandryhtne
þearf gesælde; wæs seo þeod tilu.1251-1264
XVIIII Sigon þa to slæpe. Sum sare angeald
æfenræste, swa him ful oft gelamp,
siþðan goldsele Grendel warode,
unriht æfnde, oþ þæt ende becwom,
swylt æfter synnum. Þæt gesyne wearþ,
widcuð werum, þætte wrecend þa gyt
lifde æfter laþum, lange þrage,
æfter guðceare; Grendles modor,
ides aglæcwif yrmþe gemunde,
se þe wæteregesan wunian scoldeld ,cea
e streamas, siþðan Cain wearð
to ecgbanan angan breþer,
fæderenmæge; he þa fag gewat,
morþre gemearcod mandream fleon,

1265-1286
westen warode. Þanon woc fela
geosceaftgasta; wæs þæra Grendel sum,
heorowearh hetelic, se æt Heorote fand
wæccendne wer wiges bidan;
þær him aglæca ætgræpe wearð;
hwæþre he gemunde mægenes strenge,
gimfæste gife, ðe him God sealde,
ond him to Anwaldan are gelyfde,
frofre ond fultum; ðy he þone feond ofercwom,
gehnægde helle gast. Þa he hean gewat,
dreame bedæled deaþwic seon,
mancynnes feond. Ond his modor þa gyt
gifre ond galgmod gegan wolde
sorhfulne sið, sunu deoð wrecan.
Com þa to Heorote, ðær Hring-Dene
geond þæt sæld swæfun. Þa ðær sona wearð
edhwyrft eorlum, siþðan inne fealh
Grendles modor. Wæs se gryre læssa
efne swa micle, swa bið mægþa cræft,
wiggryre wifes be wæpnedmen,
þonne heoru bunden, hamere geþruen,
sweord swate fah swin ofer helme