2550Lēt ðā of brēostum, ðā hē gebolgen wæs,
Weder-Gēata lēod word ūt faran,
stearc-heort styrmde; stefn in becōm
heaðo-torht hlynnan under hārne stān;
hete wæs onhrēred, hord-weard oncnīow
2555mannes reorde; næs ðǣr māra fyrst
frēode tō friclan. From ǣrest cwōm
oruð āglǣcean ūt of stāne,
hāt hilde-swāt; hrūse dynede.
Biorn under beorge bord-rand onswāf
2560wið ðām gryre-gieste, Gēata dryhten;
ðā wæs hring-bogan heorte gefȳsed
sæcce tō sēceanne. Sweord ǣr gebrǣd
gōd gūð-cyning, gomele lāfe,
ecgum unslaw;[1] ǣghwæðrum wæs
2565bealo-hycgendra *brōga fram ōðrum.Fol. 187a.
Stīð-mōd gestōd wið stēapne rond
winia bealdor, ðā se wyrm gebēah
snūde tōsomne; hē on searwum bād.
Gewāt ðā byrnende gebogen scrīðan,
2570tō gescipe scyndan.[2] Scyld wel gebearg
līfe ond līce lǣssan hwīle
mǣrum þēodne, þonne his myne sōhte,
ðǣr hē þȳ fyrste forman dōgore
wealdan mōste, swā him wyrd ne gescrāf
2575hrēð æt hilde. Hond ūp ābrǣd
- ↑ 2564. MS. ‘un/glaw.’ “A letter erased between l and a in glaw: that it was e is not quite certain.”—Z. As there is all the appearance of an uncompleted alteration, I have adopted Bugge’s emendation.
- ↑ 2570. MS. ‘ḡ scipe.’ Heyne adopts Mūllenhoff’s emendation, ‘scrīðan tō,/gescīfe scyndan,’ shoving himself, advancing, which the latter' bases on a gloss, “per praeceps, niðerscife [?], marg. niðerscēotende” (Haupt ix. 468 b).
