þurh slīðne nīð sāwle bescūfan 185 in fȳres fæðm, frōfre ne wēnan, wihte gewendan; wēl bið þǣm þe mōt æfter dēað-dæge drihten sēcean and tō fæder fæðmum freoðo wilnian. IV. HYGELAC'S THANE. Swā þā mǣl-ceare maga Healfdenes 190 singāla sēað; ne mihte snotor hæleð wēan onwendan: wæs þæt gewin tō swȳð, lāð and longsum, þē on þā lēode becōm, nȳd-wracu nīð-grim, niht-bealwa mǣst. Þæt fram hām gefrægn Higelāces þegn, 195 gōd mid Gēatum, Grendles dǣda: sē wæs mon-cynnes mægenes strengest on þǣm dæge þysses līfes, æðele and ēacen. Hēt him ȳð-lidan gōdne gegyrwan; cwæð hē gūð-cyning 200 ofer swan-rāde sēcean wolde, mǣrne þēoden, þā him wæs manna þearf. Þone sīð-fæt him snotere ceorlas lȳt-hwōn lōgon, þēah hē him lēof wǣre; hwetton higerōfne, hǣl scēawedon. 205 Hæfde se gōda Gēata lēoda cempan gecorone, þāra þe hē cēnoste findan mihte; fīftȳna sum sund-wudu sōhte; secg wīsade, lagu-cræftig mon, land-gemyrcu. 210 Fyrst forð gewāt: flota wæs on ȳðum, bāt under beorge. Beornas gearwe on stefn stigon; strēamas wundon sund wið sande; secgas bǣron on bearm nacan beorhte frætwe, 215 gūð-searo geatolīc; guman ūt scufon, weras on wil-sīð wudu bundenne. Gewāt þā ofer wǣg-holm winde gefȳsed flota fāmig-heals fugle gelīcost, oð þæt ymb ān-tīd ōðres dōgores 220 wunden-stefna gewaden hæfde, þæt þā līðende land gesāwon, brim-clifu blīcan, beorgas stēape, sīde sǣ-næssas: þā wæs sund liden, eoletes æt ende. Þanon up hraðe 225 Wedera lēode on wang stigon, sǣ-wudu sǣldon (syrcan hrysedon, gūð-gewǣdo); gode þancedon, þæs þe him ȳð-lāde ēaðe wurdon. Þā of wealle geseah weard Scildinga, 230 sē þe holm-clifu healdan scolde, beran ofer bolcan beorhte randas, fyrd-searu fūslīcu; hine fyrwyt bræc mōd-gehygdum, hwæt þā men wǣron. Gewāt him þā tō waroðe wicge rīdan 235 þegn Hrōðgāres, þrymmum cwehte mægen-wudu mundum, meðel-wordum frægn: "Hwæt syndon gē searo-hæbbendra "byrnum werede, þē þus brontne cēol "ofer lagu-strǣte lǣdan cwōmon, 240 "hider ofer holmas helmas bǣron? "Ic wæs ende-sǣta, ǣg-wearde hēold, "þæt on land Dena lāðra nǣnig "mid scip-herge sceððan ne meahte. "Nō hēr cūðlīcor cuman ongunnon 245 "lind-hæbbende; nē gē lēafnes-word "gūð-fremmendra gearwe ne wisson, "māga gemēdu. Nǣfre ic māran geseah "eorla ofer eorðan, þonne is ēower sum, "secg on searwum; nis þæt seld-guma 250 "wǣpnum geweorðad, næfne him his wlite lēoge, "ǣnlīc an-sȳn.