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BEOWULF.
109

bord ond byrnan.  Nelle ic beorges weard
2525oferflēon  fōtes trem,[1]
ac unc sceal weorðan æt wealle,  swā unc wyrd getēoð,
Metod manna gehwæs.  Ic eom on mōde from,
þæt ic wið þone gūð-flogan  gylp ofersitte.
Gebīde gē on beorge  byrnum werede,
2530secgas on searwum,  hwæðer sēl mæge
æfter wæl-rǣse  wunde gedȳgan
uncer twēga.  Nis þæt ēower sīð,
ne gemet mannes  nefn[e][2] mīn ānes,
þæt[3] hē wið āglǣcean  eofoðo dǣle
2535eorl-scype efne.  Ic mid elne sceall
gold gegangan,  oððe gūð nimeð,
feorh-bealu frēcne,  frēan ēowerne.”
Ārās ðā bī ronde  rōf ōretta,
heard under helme,  hioro-sercean bær
2540under stān-cleofu,  strengo getrūwode
ānes mannes;  ne bið swylc earges sīð.
Geseah ðā be wealle,  *sē ðe worna fela,Fol. 186b.
gum-cystum gōd,  gūða gedīgde,
hilde-hlemma,  þonne hnitan fēðan,
2545sto[n]dan[4] stān-bogan,  strēam ūt þonan
brecan of beorge;  wæs þǣre burnan wælm
heaðo-fȳrum hāt;  ne meahte horde nēah
unbyrnende   ǣnige hwīle
dēop gedȳgan  for dracan lēge.

  1. 2525. This line is metrically deficient. Ettmüller ‘[fēond] oferflēon’ (so Grein), but this still leaves the second half-line defective. Heyne considers that the second half-line is wanting, and supplies fēond unhȳre.
  2. 2533. MS. defective at edge.
  3. 2534. MS. ‘wat.’
  4. 2545. MS. ‘stodan.’