50 and of burgsalum beornþrēat monig
farað foldwegum folca þrȳþum;
ēoredcystum, ofestum gefȳsde,
dareðlācende —dēor [s]wā some—
æfter þǣre stefne on þone stenc farað.
eallum ēaðmēde ōþrum gesceaftum,
duguða gehwylcre, būtan dracan ānum,
āttres ordfruman— þæt is se ealda fēond
þone hē gesǣlde in sūsla grund,
60 and gefetrade fȳrnum tēagum,
biþeahte þrēanȳdum; and þȳ þriddan dæge
of dīgle ārās, þæs þe hē dēað fore ūs
þrēo niht þolade, Þēoden engla,
sigora Sellend. Þæt wæs swēte stenc,
65 wlitig and wynsum, geond woruld ealle.
Siþþan tō þām swicce sōðfæste men,
than aught that clothes the earth with beauty. Thereupon from cities, courts, and castle-halls many companies of heroes flock along the highways of earth; the wielders of the spear press forward in hurrying throngs to that perfume—and so also do animals—when once the music has ceased.
Even so the Lord God, the Giver of joy, is gracious to all creatures, to every order of them, save only the dragon, the source of venom, that ancient enemy whom he bound in the abyss of torments; shackling him with fiery fetters, and loading him with dire constraints, he arose from darkness on the third day after he, the Lord of angels, the Bestower of victory, had for three nights endured death on our behalf. That was a sweet perfume throughout the world, winsome and entrancing. Henceforth,
