Beówulf maðelode, bearn Ecgþeówes: "Hwät! we þe þâs sæ-lâc, sunu Healfdenes, "leód Scyldinga, lustum brôhton, 1655 "tîres tô tâcne, þe þu her tô lôcast. "Ic þät unsôfte ealdre gedîgde: "wîge under wätere weorc genêðde "earfoðlîce, ät-rihte wäs "gûð getwæfed, nymðe mec god scylde. 1660 "Ne meahte ic ät hilde mid Hruntinge "wiht gewyrcan, þeáh þät wæpen duge, "ac me geûðe ylda waldend, "þät ic on wage geseah wlitig hangian "eald sweord eácen (oftost wîsode 1665 "winigea leásum) þät ic þý wæpne gebräd. "Ofslôh þâ ät þære säcce (þâ me sæl âgeald) "hûses hyrdas. Þâ þät hilde-bil "forbarn, brogden mæl, swâ þät blôd gesprang, "hâtost heaðo-swâta: ic þät hilt þanan 1670 "feóndum ätferede; fyren-dæda wräc, "deáð-cwealm Denigea, swâ hit gedêfe wäs. "Ic hit þe þonne gehâte, þät þu on Heorote môst "sorh-leás swefan mid þînra secga gedryht, "and þegna gehwylc þînra leóda, 1675 "duguðe and iogoðe, þät þu him ondrædan ne þearft, "þeóden Scyldinga, on þâ healfe, "aldor-bealu eorlum, swâ þu ær dydest." Þâ wäs gylden hilt gamelum rince. hârum hild-fruman, on hand gyfen, 1680 enta ær-geweorc, hit on æht gehwearf äfter deófla hryre Denigea freán, wundor-smiða geweorc, and þâ þâs worold ofgeaf grom-heort guma, godes andsaca, morðres scyldig, and his môdor eác; 1685 on geweald gehwearf worold-cyninga þäm sêlestan be sæm tweónum þâra þe on Sceden-igge sceattas dælde. Hrôðgâr maðelode, hylt sceáwode, ealde lâfe, on þäm wäs ôr writen 1690 fyrn-gewinnes: syððan flôd ofslôh, gifen geótende, giganta cyn, frêcne gefêrdon: þät wäs fremde þeód êcean dryhtne, him þäs ende-leán þurh wäteres wylm waldend sealde. 1695 Swâ wäs on þæm scennum scîran goldes þurh rûn-stafas rihte gemearcod, geseted and gesæd, hwâm þät sweord geworht, îrena cyst ærest wære, wreoðen-hilt and wyrm-fâh. Þâ se wîsa spräc 1700 sunu Healfdenes (swîgedon ealle): "Þät lâ mäg secgan, se þe sôð and riht "fremeð on folce, (feor eal gemon "eald êðel-weard), þät þes eorl wære "geboren betera! Blæd is âræred 1705 "geond wîd-wegas, wine mîn Beówulf, "þîn ofer þeóda gehwylce. Eal þu hit geþyldum healdest, "mägen mid môdes snyttrum. Ic þe sceal mîne gelæstan "freóde, swâ wit furðum spræcon; þu scealt tô frôfre weorðan "eal lang-twidig leódum þînum, 1710 "häleðum tô helpe. Ne wearð Heremôd swâ "eaforum Ecgwelan, Âr-Scyldingum; "ne geweôx he him tô willan, ac tô wäl-fealle "and tô deáð-cwalum Deniga leódum; "breát bolgen-môd beód-geneátas,