ofer sǣ sōhtan, suna Ōhteres: hæfdon hȳ forhealden helm Scylfinga, þone sēlestan sǣ-cyninga, þāra þe in Swīo-rīce sinc brytnade, 2385 mǣrne þēoden. Him þæt tō mearce wearð; hē þǣr orfeorme feorh-wunde hlēat sweordes swengum, sunu Hygelāces; and him eft gewāt Ongenþīowes bearn hāmes nīosan, syððan Heardrēd læg; 2390 lēt þone brego-stōl Bīowulf healdan, Gēatum wealdan: þæt wæs gōd cyning. XXXIV. RETROSPECT OF BĒOWULF.--STRIFE BETWEEN SWEONAS AND GEATAS. Sē þæs lēod-hryres lēan gemunde uferan dōgrum, Ēadgilse wearð fēa-sceaftum fēond. Folce gestepte 2395 ofer sǣ sīde sunu Ōhteres wigum and wǣpnum: hē gewræc syððan cealdum cear-sīðum, cyning ealdre binēat. Swā hē nīða gehwane genesen hæfde, slīðra geslyhta, sunu Ecgþīowes, 2400 ellen-weorca, oð þone ānne dæg, þē hē wið þām wyrme gewegan sceolde. Gewāt þā twelfa sum torne gebolgen dryhten Gēata dracan scēawian; hæfde þā gefrūnen, hwanan sīo fǣhð ārās, 2405 bealo-nīð biorna; him tō bearme cwōm māððum-fæt mǣre þurh þæs meldan hond, Sē wæs on þām þrēate þreotteoða secg, sē þæs orleges ōr onstealde, hæft hyge-giōmor, sceolde hēan þonon 2410 wong wīsian: hē ofer willan gīong tō þæs þe hē eorð-sele ānne wisse, hlǣw under hrūsan holm-wylme nēh, ȳð-gewinne, sē wæs innan full wrǣtta and wīra: weard unhīore, 2415 gearo gūð-freca, gold-māðmas hēold, eald under eorðan; næs þæt ȳðe cēap, tō gegangenne gumena ǣnigum. Gesæt þā on næsse nīð-heard cyning, þenden hǣlo ābēad heorð-genēatum 2420 gold-wine Gēata: him wæs geōmor sefa, wǣfre and wæl-fūs, Wyrd ungemete nēah, sē þone gomelan grētan sceolde, sēcean sāwle hord, sundur gedǣlan līf wið līce: nō þon lange wæs 2425 feorh æðelinges flǣsce bewunden. Bīowulf maðelade, bearn Ecgþēowes: "Fela ic on giogoðe guð-rǣsa genæs, "orleg-hwīla: ic þæt eall gemon. "Ic wæs syfan-wintre, þā mec sinca baldor, 2430 "frēa-wine folca æt mīnum fæder genam, "hēold mec and hæfde Hrēðel cyning, "geaf mē sinc and symbel, sibbe gemunde; "næs ic him tō līfe lāðra ōwihte "beorn in burgum, þonne his bearna hwylc, 2435 "Herebeald and Hæðcyn, oððe Hygelāc mīn. "Wæs þām yldestan ungedēfelīce "mǣges dǣdum morðor-bed strēd, "syððan hyne Hæðcyn of horn-bogan, "his frēa-wine flāne geswencte, 2440 "miste mercelses and his mǣg ofscēt, "brōðor ōðerne, blōdigan gāre: "þæt wæs feoh-lēas gefeoht, fyrenum gesyngad "hreðre hyge-mēðe; sceolde hwæðre swā þēah "æðeling unwrecen ealdres linnan. 2445 "Swā bið geōmorlīc gomelum ceorle