Nū ic ēower sceal "frum-cyn witan, ǣr gē fyr heonan "lēase scēaweras on land Dena "furður fēran. Nū gē feor-būend, 255 "mere-līðende, mīnne gehȳrað "ān-fealdne geþōht: ofost is sēlest "tō gecȳðanne, hwanan ēowre cyme syndon." V. THE ERRAND. Him se yldesta andswarode, werodes wīsa, word-hord onlēac: 260 "Wē synt gum-cynnes Gēata lēode "and Higelāces heorð-genēatas. "Wæs mīn fæder folcum gecȳðed, "æðele ord-fruma Ecgþēow hāten; "gebād wintra worn, ǣr hē on weg hwurfe, 265 "gamol of geardum; hine gearwe geman "witena wēl-hwylc wīde geond eorðan.- "Wē þurh holdne hige hlāford þinne, "sunu Healfdenes, sēcean cwōmon, "lēod-gebyrgean: wes þū ūs lārena gōd! 270 "Habbað wē tō þǣm mǣran micel ǣrende "Deniga frēan; ne sceal þǣr dyrne sum "wesan, þæs ic wēne. Þū wāst, gif hit is, "swā wē sōðlice secgan hȳrdon, "þæt mid Scyldingum sceaða ic nāt hwylc, 275 "dēogol dǣd-hata, deorcum nihtum "ēaweð þurh egsan uncūðne nīð, "hȳnðu and hrā-fyl. Ic þæs Hrōðgār mæg "þurh rūmne sefan rǣd gelǣran, "hū hē frōd and gōd fēond oferswȳðeð, 280 "gyf him ed-wendan ǣfre scolde "bealuwa bisigu, bōt eft cuman "and þā cear-wylmas cōlran wurðað; "oððe ā syððan earfoð-þrāge, "þrēa-nȳd þolað, þenden þǣr wunað 285 "on hēah-stede hūsa sēlest." Weard maðelode, þǣr on wicge sæt ombeht unforht: "Ǣghwæðres sceal "scearp scyld-wiga gescād witan, "worda and worca, sē þe wēl þenceð. 290 "Ic þæt gehȳre, þæt þis is hold weorod "frēan Scyldinga. Gewītað forð beran "wǣpen and gewǣdu, ic ēow wīsige: "swylce ic magu-þegnas mīne hāte "wið fēonda gehwone flotan ēowerne, 295 "nīw-tyrwedne nacan on sande "ārum healdan, oð þæt eft byreð "ofer lagu-strēamas lēofne mannan "wudu wunden-hals tō Weder-mearce. "Gūð-fremmendra swylcum gifeðe bið, 300 "þæt þone hilde-rǣs hāl gedīgeð." Gewiton him þā fēran (flota stille bād, seomode on sāle sīd-fæðmed scyp, on ancre fæst); eofor-līc scionon ofer hlēor-beran gehroden golde 305 fāh and fȳr-heard, ferh wearde hēold. Gūðmōde grummon, guman ōnetton, sigon ætsomne, oð þæt hȳ sæl timbred geatolīc and gold-fāh ongytan mihton; þæt wæs fore-mǣrost fold-būendum 310 receda under roderum, on þǣm se rīca bād; līxte se lēoma ofer landa fela. Him þā hilde-dēor hof mōdigra torht getǣhte, þæt hīe him tō mihton gegnum gangan; gūð-beorna sum 315 wicg gewende, word æfter cwæð: "Mǣl is mē tō fēran; fæder alwalda "mid ār-stafum ēowic gehealde