Þā cōm of mōre under mist-hleoðum Grendel gongan, godes yrre bær. Mynte se mān-scaða manna cynnes sumne besyrwan in sele þām hēan; 715 wōd under wolcnum, tō þæs þe hē wīn-reced, gold-sele gumena, gearwost wisse fǣttum fāhne. Ne wæs þæt forma sīð, þæt hē Hrōðgāres hām gesōhte: nǣfre hē on aldor-dagum ǣr nē siððan 720 heardran hæle, heal-þegnas fand! Cōm þā tō recede rinc sīðian drēamum bedǣled. Duru sōna onarn fȳr-bendum fæst, syððan hē hire folmum hrān; onbræd þā bealo-hȳdig, þā hē ābolgen wæs, 725 recedes mūðan. Raðe æfter þon on fāgne flōr fēond treddode, ēode yrre-mōd; him of ēagum stōd līge gelīcost lēoht unfǣger. Geseah hē in recede rinca manige, 730 swefan sibbe-gedriht samod ætgædere, mago-rinca hēap: þā his mōd āhlōg, mynte þæt hē gedǣlde, ǣr þon dæg cwōme, atol āglǣca, ānra gehwylces līf wið līce, þā him ālumpen wæs 735 wist-fylle wēn. Ne wæs þæt wyrd þā gēn, þæt hē mā mōste manna cynnes þicgean ofer þā niht. Þrȳð-swȳð behēold mǣg Higelāces, hū se mān-scaða under fǣr-gripum gefaran wolde. 740 Nē þæt se āglǣca yldan þōhte, ac hē gefēng hraðe forman siðe slǣpendne rinc, slāt unwearnum, bāt bān-locan, blōd ēdrum dranc, syn-snǣdum swealh: sōna hæfde 745 unlyfigendes eal gefeormod fēt and folma. Forð nēar ætstōp, nam þā mid handa hige-þīhtigne rinc on ræste; rǣhte ongēan fēond mid folme, hē onfēng hraðe 750 inwit-þancum and wið earm gesæt. Sōna þæt onfunde fyrena hyrde, þæt hē ne mētte middan-geardes eorðan scēata on elran men mund-gripe māran: hē on mōde wearð 755 forht on ferhðe, nō þȳ ǣr fram meahte; hyge wæs him hin-fūs, wolde on heolster flēon, sēcan dēofla gedræg: ne wæs his drohtoð þǣr, swylce hē on ealder-dagum ǣr gemētte. Gemunde þā se gōda mǣg Higelāces 760 ǣfen-sprǣce, up-lang āstōd and him fæste wiðfēng. Fingras burston; eoten wæs ūt-weard, eorl furður stōp. Mynte se mǣra, þǣr hē meahte swā, wīdre gewindan and on weg þanon 765 flēon on fen-hopu; wiste his fingra geweald on grames grāpum. Þæt wæs gēocor sīð, þæt se hearm-scaða tō Heorute ātēah: dryht-sele dynede, Denum eallum wearð, ceaster-būendum, cēnra gehwylcum, 770 eorlum ealu-scerwen. Yrre wǣron bēgen, rēðe rēn-weardas. Reced hlynsode; þā wæs wundor micel, þæt se wīn-sele wiðhæfde heaðo-dēorum, þæt hē on hrūsan ne fēol, fǣger fold-bold; ac hē þæs fæste wæs 775 innan and ūtan īren-bendum searo-þoncum besmiðod. Þǣr fram sylle ābēag medu-benc monig mīne gefrǣge,