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BEOWULF.
121

[XXXIX.]

Ðā wæs gegongen  guman unfrōdum[1]
earfoðlīce,  þæt hē on eorðan geseah
þone lēofestan  līfes æt ende
blēate gebǣran.  Bona swylce læg,
2825egeslīc eorð-draca  ealdre berēafod,
bealwe gebǣded.  Bēah-hordum leng
wyrm wōh-bogen  wealdan ne mōste,
ac hine[2] īrenna  ecga fornāmon,
hearde, heaðo-scearde  homera lāfe,
2830þæt se wīd-floga  wundum stille
hrēas on hrūsan  hord-ærne nēah;
nalles *æfter lyfte  lācende hwearfFol. 191b.
middel-nihtum,  māðm-ǣhta wlonc
ansȳn ȳwde,  ac hē eorðan gefēoll
2885for ðæs hild-fruman  hond-geweorce.
Hūru þæt on lande  lȳt manna ðāh
mægen-āgendra,  mīne gefrǣge,
þēah ðe hē dǣda gehwæs  dyrstig wǣre,
þæt hē wið attor-sceaðan  oreðe gerǣsde,
2840oððe hring-sele  hondum styrede,
gif hē wæccende  weard onfunde
būon on beorge.  Bīowulfe wearð
dryht-māðma dǣl  dēaðe forgolden;
hæfde ǣghwæðer[3]  ende gefēred

  1. 2821. MS. ‘gumū unfrodū,’ doubtless another instance of “anticipation”; in l. 158 the MS. has ‘banū folmū,’
  2. 2828. MS. ‘him’; so Heyne and Wülcker. In all other instances forniman governs the accus.
  3. 2844. MS. ‘æghwæðre’; Kemble ‘æghwæðer.’ Grein ‘ǣghwæðre (acc. pl.) ende (nom.).’ But cf. l. 3063; besides, ǣghwæðer is found nowhere else in the pl.