swylce on næs-hleoðum nicras licgean, þā on undern-mǣl oft bewitigað 1430 sorh-fulne sīð on segl-rāde, wyrmas and wil-dēor; hīe on weg hruron bitere and gebolgne, bearhtm ongeāton, gūð-horn galan. Sumne Gēata lēod of flān-bogan fēores getwǣfde, 1435 ȳð-gewinnes, þæt him on aldre stōd here-strǣl hearda; hē on holme wæs sundes þē sǣnra, þē hyne swylt fornam. Hræðe wearð on ȳðum mid eofer-sprēotum heoro-hōcyhtum hearde genearwod, 1440 nīða genǣged and on næs togen wundorlīc wǣg-bora; weras scēawedon gryrelīcne gist. Gyrede hine Bēowulf eorl-gewǣdum, nalles for ealdre mearn: scolde here-byrne hondum gebrōden, 1445 sīd and searo-fāh, sund cunnian, sēo þe bān-cofan beorgan cūðe, þæt him hilde-grāp hreðre ne mihte, eorres inwit-feng, aldre gesceððan; ac se hwīta helm hafelan werede, 1450 sē þe mere-grundas mengan scolde, sēcan sund-gebland since geweorðad, befongen frēa-wrāsnum, swā hine fyrn-dagum worhte wǣpna smið, wundrum tēode, besette swīn-līcum, þæt hine syððan nō 1455 brond nē beado-mēcas bītan ne meahton. Næs þæt þonne mǣtost mægen-fultuma, þæt him on þearfe lāh þyle Hrōðgāres; wæs þǣm hæft-mēce Hrunting nama, þæt wæs ān foran eald-gestrēona; 1460 ecg wæs īren āter-tēarum fāh, āhyrded heaðo-swāte; nǣfre hit æt hilde ne swāc manna ǣngum þāra þe hit mid mundum bewand, sē þe gryre-sīðas gegān dorste, folc-stede fāra; næs þæt forma sīð, 1465 þæt hit ellen-weorc æfnan scolde. Hūru ne gemunde mago Ecglāfes eafoðes cræftig, þæt hē ǣr gespræc wīne druncen, þā hē þæs wǣpnes onlāh sēlran sweord-frecan: selfa ne dorste 1470 under ȳða gewin aldre genēðan, driht-scype drēogan; þǣr hē dōme forlēas, ellen-mǣrðum. Ne wæs þǣm ōðrum swā, syððan hē hine tō gūðe gegyred hæfde. XXIII. THE BATTLE WITH THE WATER-DRAKE.