Ond þū Unferð[1] lǣtealde lāfe,
wrætlīc wǣg-sweord,wīd-cūðne man
1490heard-ecg habban;ic mē mid Hruntinge
dōm gewyrce,*oþðe mec dēað nimeð.”Fol. 163a.
Æfter þǣm wordumWeder-Gēata lēod
efste mid elne,nalas ondsware
bīdan wolde;brim-wylm onfēng
1495hilde-rince.Ðā wæs hwīl dæges,
ǣr hē þone grund-wongongytan mehte.
Sōna þæt onfunde,sē ðe flōda begong
heoro-gīfre behēoldhund missera,
grim ond grǣdig,þæt þǣr gumena sum
1500æl-wihta eardufan cunnode.
Grāp þā, tōgēanes,gūð-rinc gefēng
atolan clommum;nō þȳ ǣr in gescōd
hālan līce;hring ūtan ymbbearh,
þæt hēo þone fyrd-homðurhfōn ne mihte,
1505locene leoðo-syrcan,lāþan fingrum.
Bær þā sēo brim-wyl[f],[2]þā hēo tō botme cōm,
hringa þengeltō hofe sīnum,
swā hē ne mihte nō(hē þēah[3] mōdig wæs)
wǣpna gewealdan;ac hine wundra þæs fela
1510swe[n]cte[4] on sunde,sǣ-dēor monig
hilde-tuxumhere-syrcan bræc,
ēhton āglǣcan.Ðā se eorl ongeat,
- ↑ 1488. MS. ‘hunferð.’
- ↑ 1506. MS. ‘brim wyl.’
- ↑ 1508. MS. ‘þæm’; Grundtvig (adopted by Heyne) ‘þæs’; Grein ‘þēah.’ Grein’s emendation makes admirable sense. I would retain the MS. reading in preference to þæs, which Heyne supports by parallel passages. It is undeniable that þæs is common enough with the meaning “so” (see l. 1509); but what can be feebler than to be told, half way through the poem, that Beowulf is brave enough to wield his weapons?
- ↑ 1510. MS. ‘swecte.’
