ðāra þe on Sceden-igge[1] sceattas dǣlde.
Hrōðgār maðelode, hylt scēawode,
ealde lāfe, on ðǣm wæs ōr writen
fyrn-gewinnes, syðþan flōd ofslōh,
1690gifen gēotende, gīganta cyn;
frēcne gefērdon; þæt wæs fremde þēod
ēcean Dryhtne; him þæs ende-lēan
þurh wæteres wylm Waldend sealde.
Swā wæs on ðǣm scennum scīran goldes
1695þurh rūn-stafas rihte gemearcod,
geseted ond gesǣd, hwām þæt sweord geworht,
īrena cyst, ǣrest wǣre,
wreoþen-hilt ond wyrm-fāh. Ða se wīsa spræc
sunu Healfdenes; swīgedon ealle:
1700“Þæt, lā! mæg secgan, sē þe sōð ond riht
fremeð on folce, feor eal gemon,
eald ēðel-weard, þæt ðes eorl wǣre[2]
geboren betera. Blǣd is ārǣred
geond wīd-wegas, wine mīn Bēowulf,
1705ðīn ofer þēoda gehwylce. Eal þū hit geþyldum healdest,
mægen mid mōdes snyttrum. Ic þē sceal mīne gelǣstan
freoðe,[3] swā wit furðum sprǣcon; ðū scealt tō frōfre weorþan
eal lang-twidig lēodum þīnum,
*hæleðum tō helpe. Ne wearð Heremōd swāFol. 167b.
- ↑ 1686. MS. ‘scedenigge,’ in one word.
- ↑ 1702. Bugge suggests ‘þæt ðē eorl nǣre.’
- ↑ 1707. Wülcker and Heyne ‘frēode,’ taking that to be the reading of the MS. Zupitza: “I think the MS. has freoðe, not freode; although the left half of the cross stroke in ð has entirely faded, yet the place where it was is discernible, and the right half of it is left.”
