Þā se wyrm onwoc, wrōht wæs genīwad;
stonc ðā æfter stāne, stearc-heort onfand
fēondes fōt-lāst; hē tō forð gestōp
2290dyrnan cræfte dracan hēafde nēah.
Swā mæg unfǣge ēaðe gedīgan
wēan ond wræc-sīð, sē ðe Waldendes
hyldo gehealdeþ. Hord-weard sōhte
georne æfter grunde, wolde guman findan,
2295þone þe him on sweofote sāre getēode;
hāt ond hrēoh-mōd *hlǣw[1] oft ymbehwearfFol. 181a.
ealne ūtan-weardne; ne ðǣr ǣnig mon
on þǣm[2] wēstenne. Hwæðre hilde gefeh,
bea[du]-weorces;[3] hwīlum on beorh æthwearf,
2300sinc-fæt sōhte; hē þæt sōna onfand,
ðæt hæfde gumena sum goldes gefandod,
hēah-gestrēona. Hord-weard onbād
earfoðlīce, oð ðæt ǣfen cwōm;
wæs ðā gebolgen beorges hyrde,
2305wolde se lāða[4] līge forgyldan
drinc-fæt dȳre. Þā wæs dæg sceacen
wyrme on willan; nō on wealle leng[5]
bīdan wolde, ac mid bǣle fōr,
fȳre gefȳsed. Wæs se fruma egeslīc
2310lēodum on lande, swā hyt lungre wearð
on hyra sinc-gifan sāre geendod.
- ↑ 2296. MS. ‘hlæwū’; Grundtvig ‘hlǣw nū’ (so Wülcker and Heyne).
- ↑ 2298. B ‘þære’; A a blank; Grein ‘hǣðe,’ for the alliteration; “now nothing but the lower part of the perpendicular stroke of þ left” (Z.). Heyne ‘[wæs] on þǣre wēstenne.’ Grein inserts wæs after ne in the previous line.
- ↑ 2299. MS. defective at edge.
- ↑ 2305. MS. ‘fela ða’; Bugge ‘se lāða.’
- ↑ 2307. MS. ‘læg’; Thorpe ‘leng.’
