XXXVII.
Ðā ic æt þearfe [gefrægn][1] þeod-cyninges
2695andlongne eorl ellen cȳðan,
cræft ond cēnðu, swā him gecynde wæs;
ne hēdde hē þæs heafolan (ac sīo hand gebarn
mōdiges mannes, þǣr hē his mǣges[2] healp),
þæt hē þone nīð-gæst nioðor hwēne slōh,
2700secg on searwum, þæt ðæt sweord gedēaf
fāh ond fǣted, þæt ðæt fȳr ongon
sweðrian syððan. Þā gēn sylf cyning
gewēold his gewitte, wæll-seaxe gebrǣd
biter ond beadu-scearp, þæt hē on byrnan wæg;
2705forwrāt Wedra *helm wyrm on middan.Fol. 189a.
Fēond gefyldan, ferh ellen wræc,
ond hī hyne þā bēgen ābroten hæfdon,
sib-æðelingas; swylc sceolde secg wesan,
þegn æt ðearfe. Þæt ðām þēodne wæs
2710sīðas[t] sige-hwīle[3] sylfes dǣdum,
worlde geweorces.̌ Ðā sīo wund ongon,
þe him se eorð-draca ǣr geworhte,
swēlan ond swellan; hē þæt sōna onfand,
þæt him on brēostum bealo-nīð wēoll,
2715āttor on innan. Ðā se æðeling gīong,
þæt hē bī wealle wīs-hycgende
gesæt on sesse, seah on enta geweorc,
hū ðā stān-bogan stapulum fæste
ēce eorð-reced innan healde.[4]
2720Hyne þā mid handa heoro-drēorigne,
þēoden mǣrne, þegn ungemete till,
wine-dryhten his, wætere gelafede
hilde-sædne, ond his hel[m][5] onspēon.
Bīowulf maþelode: hē ofer benne spræc,
2725wunde wæl-blēate; wisse hē gearwe,
þæt hē dæg-hwīla gedrogen hæfde
eorðan wynn[e]; ðā wæs eall sceacen
dōgor-gerīmes, dēatð ungemete nēah:
“Nū ic suna mīnum syllan wolde
2730gūð-gewǣdu, þǣr mē gifeðe swā
ǣnig yrfe-*weard æfter wurdeFol. 189b.
līce gelenge. Ic ðās lēode hēold
fīftig wintra; næs se folc-cyning
ymbe-sittendra ǣnig ðāra,
2735þe mec gūð-winum grētan dorste,
egesan ðēon. Ic on earde bād
mǣl-gesceafta, hēold mīn tela,
ne sōhte searo-nīðas, ne mē swōr fela
āða on unriht. Ic ðæs ealles mæg
2740feorh-bennum sēoc gefēan habban;
forðam mē wītan ne ðearf Waldend fīra
morðor-bealo māga, þonne mīn sceaceð
līf of līce. Nū ðū lungre geong
hord scēawian under hārne stān,
2745Wīglāf lēofa, nū se wyrm ligeð,
swefeð sāre wund, since berēafod.
Bīo nū on ofoste, þæt ic ǣr-welan,
gold-ǣht ongite, gearo scēawige
swegle searo-gimmas, þæt ic ðȳ sēft mæge
2750æfter māððum-welan mīn ālǣtan
līf ond lēod-scipe, þone ic longe hēold.”
- ↑ 2694. No gap in MS. Kemble’s emendation. See ll. 2484, 2752, etc.
- ↑ 2698. MS. ‘mægenes’ (so Wülcker); cf. l. 2628 and foot-note. See also l. 2879.
- ↑ 2710. Grundtvig’s emendation. Kemble ‘sīðes sige-hwīl’; Grein ‘sīðast sige-hwīla.’
- ↑ 2719. Heyne ‘hēoldon.’ For the tense of. ll. 1923, 1928, 2486; and for the sing. verb with pl. subject in a subordinate clause cf. l. 2164, and see the note on l. 2035.
- ↑ 2723. MS. defective at edge, here and in l. 2727.