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[1] 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.[2]
2720Hyne þā mid handa heoro-drēorigne,
þēoden mǣrne, þegn ungemete till,
wine-dryhten his, wætere gelafede
hilde-sædne, ond his hel[m][3] onspēon.
Bīowulf maþelode: hē ofer benne spræc,
2725wunde wæl-blēate; wisse hē gearwe,
- ↑ 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.
