Hrôðgâr maðelode, helm Scyldinga: "Ic hine cûðe cniht-wesende. "Wäs his eald-fäder Ecgþeó hâten, "þäm tô hâm forgeaf Hrêðel Geáta 375 "ângan dôhtor; is his eafora nu "heard her cumen, sôhte holdne wine. "þonne sägdon þät sæ-lîðende, "þâ þe gif-sceattas Geáta fyredon "þyder tô þance, þät he þrittiges 380 "manna mägen-cräft on his mund-grîpe "heaðo-rôf häbbe. Hine hâlig god "for âr-stafum us onsende, "tô West-Denum, þäs ic wên häbbe, "wið Grendles gryre: ic þäm gôdan sceal 385 "for his môd-þräce mâdmas beódan. "Beó þu on ôfeste, hât hig in gân, "seón sibbe-gedriht samod ätgädere; "gesaga him eác wordum, þät hie sint wil-cuman "Deniga leódum." Þâ wið duru healle 390 Wulfgâr eode, word inne âbeád: "Eów hêt secgan sige-drihten mîn, "aldor Eást-Dena, þät he eówer äðelu can "and ge him syndon ofer sæ-wylmas, "heard-hicgende, hider wil-cuman. 395 "Nu ge môton gangan in eówrum guð-geatawum, "under here-grîman, Hrôðgâr geseón; "lætað hilde-bord her onbidian, "wudu wäl-sceaftas, worda geþinges." Ârâs þâ se rîca, ymb hine rinc manig, 400 þryðlîc þegna heáp; sume þær bidon, heaðo-reáf heóldon, swâ him se hearda bebeád. Snyredon ätsomne, þâ secg wîsode under Heorotes hrôf; hyge-rôf eode, heard under helme, þät he on heoðe gestôd. 405 Beówulf maðelode (on him byrne scân, searo-net seówed smiðes or-þancum): "Wes þu Hrôðgâr hâl! ic eom Higelâces "mæg and mago-þegn; häbbe ic mærða fela "ongunnen on geogoðe. Me wearð Grendles þing 410 "on mînre êðel-tyrf undyrne cûð: "secgað sæ-lîðend, þät þes sele stande, "reced sêlesta, rinca gehwylcum "îdel and unnyt, siððan æfen-leóht "under heofenes hâdor beholen weorðeð. 415 "Þâ me þät gelærdon leóde mîne, "þâ sêlestan, snotere ceorlas, "þeóden Hrôðgâr, þät ic þe sôhte; "forþan hie mägenes cräft mînne cûðon: "selfe ofersâwon, þâ ic of searwum cwom, 420 "fâh from feóndum, þær ic fîfe geband, "ýðde eotena cyn, and on ýðum slôg "niceras nihtes, nearo-þearfe dreáh, "wräc Wedera nîð (weán âhsodon) "forgrand gramum; and nu wið Grendel sceal, 425 "wið þam aglæcan, âna gehegan "þing wið þyrse. Ic þe nu þâ, "brego Beorht-Dena, biddan wille, "eodor Scyldinga, ânre bêne; "þät þu me ne forwyrne, wîgendra hleó, 430 "freó-wine folca, nu ic þus feorran com, "þät ic môte âna and mînra eorla gedryht, "þes hearda heáp, Heorot fælsian. "Häbbe ic eác geâhsod, þät se äglæca "for his won-hýdum wæpna ne rêceð; 435 "ic þät þonne forhicge, swâ me Higelâc sîe,