Nū sceall billes ecg, 2510 "hond and heard sweord ymb hord wīgan." Bēowulf maðelode, bēot-wordum spræc nīehstan sīðe: "Ic genēðde fela "gūða on geogoðe; gȳt ic wylle, "frōd folces weard, fǣhðe sēcan, 2515 "mǣrðum fremman, gif mec se mān-sceaða "of eorð-sele ūt gesēceð!" Gegrētte þā gumena gehwylcne, hwate helm-berend hindeman sīðe, swǣse gesīðas: "Nolde ic sweord beran, 2520 "wǣpen tō wyrme, gif ic wiste hū "wið þām āglǣcean elles meahte "gylpe wiðgrīpan, swā ic giō wið Grendle dyde; "ac ic þǣr heaðu-fȳres hātes wēne, "rēðes and-hāttres: forþon ic mē on hafu 2525 "bord and byrnan. Nelle ic beorges weard "oferflēon fōtes trem, fēond unhȳre, "ac unc sceal weorðan æt wealle, swā unc Wyrd getēoð, "metod manna gehwæs. Ic eom on mōde from, "þæt ic wið þone gūð-flogan gylp ofersitte. 2530 "Gebīde gē on beorge byrnum werede, "secgas on searwum, hwæðer sēl mǣge "æfter wæl-rǣse wunde gedȳgan "uncer twēga. Nis þæt ēower sīð, "nē gemet mannes, nefne mīn ānes, 2535 "þæt hē wið āglǣcean eofoðo dǣle, "eorl-scype efne. Ic mid elne sceall "gold gegangan oððe gūð nimeð, "feorh-bealu frēcne, frēan ēowerne!" Ārās þā bī ronde rōf ōretta, 2540 heard under helm, hioro-sercean bær under stān-cleofu, strengo getruwode ānes mannes: ne bið swylc earges sīð. Geseah þā be wealle, sē þe worna fela, gum-cystum gōd, gūða gedīgde, 2545 hilde-hlemma, þonne hnitan fēðan, (stōd on stān-bogan) strēam ūt þonan brecan of beorge; wæs þǣre burnan wælm heaðo-fȳrum hāt: ne meahte horde nēah unbyrnende ǣnige hwīle 2550 dēop gedȳgan for dracan lēge. Lēt þā of brēostum, þā hē gebolgen wæs, Weder-Gēata lēod word ūt faran, stearc-heort styrmde; stefn in becōm heaðo-torht hlynnan under hārne stān. 2555 Hete wæs onhrēred, hord-weard oncnīow mannes reorde; næs þǣr māra fyrst, frēode tō friclan. From ǣrest cwōm oruð āglǣcean ūt of stāne, hāt hilde-swāt; hrūse dynede. 2560 Biorn under beorge bord-rand onswāf wið þām gryre-gieste, Gēata dryhten: þā wæs hring-bogan heorte gefȳsed sæcce tō sēceanne. Sweord ǣr gebrǣ gōd gūð-cyning gomele lāfe, 2565 ecgum unglēaw, ǣghwæðrum wæs bealo-hycgendra brōga fram ōðrum. Stīð-mōd gestōd wið stēapne rond winia bealdor, þā se wyrm gebēah snūde tōsomne: hē on searwum bād. 2570 Gewāt þā byrnende gebogen scrīðan tō, gescīfe scyndan. Scyld wēl gebearg līfe and līce lǣssan hwīle mǣrum þēodne, þonne his myne sōhte, þǣr hē þȳ fyrste forman dōgore