Þā wæs on burgum Bēowulf Scyldinga, lēof lēod-cyning, longe þrāge 55 folcum gefrǣge (fæder ellor hwearf, aldor of earde), oð þæt him eft onwōc hēah Healfdene; hēold þenden lifde, gamol and gūð-rēow, glæde Scyldingas. Þǣm fēower bearn forð-gerīmed 60 in worold wōcun, weoroda rǣswan, Heorogār and Hrōðgār and Hālga til; hȳrde ic, þat Elan cwēn Ongenþēowes wæs Heaðoscilfinges heals-gebedde. Þā wæs Hrōðgāre here-spēd gyfen, 65 wīges weorð-mynd, þæt him his wine-māgas georne hȳrdon, oð þæt sēo geogoð gewēox, mago-driht micel. Him on mōd bearn, þæt heal-reced hātan wolde, medo-ærn micel men gewyrcean, 70 þone yldo bearn ǣfre gefrūnon, and þǣr on innan eall gedǣlan geongum and ealdum, swylc him god sealde, būton folc-scare and feorum gumena. Þā ic wīde gefrægn weorc gebannan 75 manigre mǣgðe geond þisne middan-geard, folc-stede frætwan. Him on fyrste gelomp ǣdre mid yldum, þæt hit wearð eal gearo, heal-ærna mǣst; scōp him Heort naman, sē þe his wordes geweald wīde hæfde. 80 Hē bēot ne ālēh, bēagas dǣlde, sinc æt symle. Sele hlīfade hēah and horn-gēap: heaðo-wylma bād, lāðan līges; ne wæs hit lenge þā gēn þæt se ecg-hete āðum-swerian 85 æfter wæl-nīðe wæcnan scolde. Þā se ellen-gǣst earfoðlīce þrāge geþolode, sē þe in þȳstrum bād, þæt hē dōgora gehwām drēam gehȳrde hlūdne in healle; þǣr wæs hearpan swēg, 90 swutol sang scopes. Sægde sē þe cūðe frum-sceaft fīra feorran reccan, cwæð þæt se ælmihtiga eorðan worhte, wlite-beorhtne wang, swā wæter bebūgeð, gesette sige-hrēðig sunnan and mōnan 95 lēoman tō lēohte land-būendum, and gefrætwade foldan scēatas leomum and lēafum; līf ēac gesceōp cynna gehwylcum, þāra þe cwice hwyrfað. Swā þā driht-guman drēamum lifdon 100 ēadiglīce, oð þæt ān ongan fyrene fremman, fēond on helle: wæs se grimma gæst Grendel hāten, mǣre mearc-stapa, sē þe mōras hēold, fen and fæsten; fīfel-cynnes eard 105 won-sǣlig wer weardode hwīle, siððan him scyppend forscrifen hæfde. In Caines cynne þone cwealm gewræc, ēce drihten, þæs þe hē Ābel slōg; ne gefeah hē þǣre fǣhðe, ac hē hine feor forwræc, 110 metod for þȳ māne man-cynne fram. Þanon untȳdras ealle onwōcon, eotenas and ylfe and orcnēas, swylce gīgantas, þā wið gode wunnon lange þrāge; hē him þæs lēan forgeald. III. GRENDEL'S VISITS.