435 "ic þæt þonne forhicge, swā mē Higelāc sīe, "mīn mon-drihten, mōdes blīðe, "þæt ic sweord bere oððe sīdne scyld "geolo-rand tō gūðe; ac ic mid grāpe sceal "fōn wið fēonde and ymb feorh sacan, 440 "lāð wið lāðum; þǣr gelȳfan sceal "dryhtnes dōme sē þe hine dēað nimeð. "Wēn' ic þæt hē wille, gif hē wealdan mōt, "in þǣm gūð-sele Gēatena lēode "etan unforhte, swā hē oft dyde 445 "mægen Hrēðmanna. Nā þū mīnne þearft "hafalan hȳdan, ac hē mē habban wile "drēore fāhne, gif mec dēað nimeð; "byreð blōdig wæl, byrgean þenceð, "eteð ān-genga unmurnlīce, 450 "mearcað mōr-hopu: nō þū ymb mīnes ne þearft "līces feorme leng sorgian. "Onsend Higelāce, gif mec hild nime, "beadu-scrūda betst, þæt mīne brēost wereð, "hrægla sēlest; þæt is Hrēðlan lāf, 455 "Wēlandes geweorc. Gǣð ā Wyrd swā hīo scel!" VIII. HROTHGAR TELLS OF GRENDEL. Hrōðgār maðelode, helm Scyldinga: "for were-fyhtum þū, wine mīn Bēowulf, "and for ār-stafum ūsic sōhtest. "Geslōh þin fæder fǣhðe mǣste, 460 "wearð hē Heaðolāfe tō hand-bonan "mid Wilfingum; þā hine Wedera cyn "for here-brōgan habban ne mihte. "Þanon hē gesōhte Sūð-Dena folc "ofer ȳða gewealc, Ār-Scyldinga; 465 "þā ic furðum wēold folce Deninga, "and on geogoðe hēold gimme-rīce "hord-burh hæleða: þā wæs Heregār dēad, "mīn yldra mǣg unlifigende, "bearn Healfdenes. Sē wæs betera þonne ic! 470 "Siððan þā fǣhðe fēo þingode; "sende ic Wylfingum ofer wæteres hrycg "ealde mādmas: hē mē āðas swōr. "Sorh is mē tō secganne on sefan mīnum "gumena ǣngum, hwæt mē Grendel hafað 475 "hȳnðo on Heorote mid his hete-þancum, "fǣr-nīða gefremed. Is mīn flet-werod, "wīg-hēap gewanod; hīe Wyrd forswēop "on Grendles gryre. God ēaðe mæg "þone dol-scaðan dǣda getwǣfan! 480 "Ful oft gebēotedon bēore druncne "ofer ealo-wǣge ōret-mecgas, "þæt hīe in bēor-sele bīdan woldon "Grendles gūðe mid gryrum ecga. "Þonne wæs þēos medo-heal on morgen-tīd, 485 "driht-sele drēor-fāh, þonne dæg līxte, "eal benc-þelu blōde bestȳmed, "heall heoru-drēore: āhte ic holdra þȳ lǣs, "dēorre duguðe, þē þā dēað fornam. "Site nū tō symle and onsǣl meoto, 490 "sige-hrēð secgum, swā þīn sefa hwette!" Þā wæs Gēat-mæcgum geador ætsomne on bēor-sele benc gerȳmed; þǣr swīð-ferhðe sittan ēodon þrȳðum dealle. Þegn nytte behēold, 495 sē þe on handa bær hroden ealo-wǣge, scencte scīr wered. Scop hwīlum sang hādor on Heorote; þǣr wæs hæleða drēam, duguð unlȳtel Dena and Wedera.