brēost-gehygdum, ǣr hē bǣl cure, 2820 hāte heaðo-wylmas: him of hreðre gewāt sāwol sēcean sōð-fæstra dōm. XXXIX. THE COWARD-THANES. Þā wæs gegongen guman unfrōdum earfoðlīce, þæt hē on eorðan geseah þone lēofestan līfes æt ende 2825 blēate gebǣran. Bona swylce læg, egeslīc eorð-draca, ealdre berēafod, bealwe gebǣded: bēah-hordum leng wyrm wōh-bogen wealdan ne mōste, ac him īrenna ecga fornāmon, 2830 hearde heaðo-scearpe homera lāfe, þæt se wīd-floga wundum stille hrēas on hrūsan hord-ærne nēah, nalles æfter lyfte lācende hwearf middel-nihtum, māðm-ǣhta wlonc 2835 ansȳn ȳwde: ac hē eorðan gefēoll for þæs hild-fruman hond-geweorce. Hūru þæt on lande lȳt manna þāh mægen-āgendra mīne gefrǣge, þēah þe hē dǣda gehwæs dyrstig wǣre, 2840 þæt hē wið attor-sceaðan oreðe gerǣsde, oððe hring-sele hondum styrede, gif hē wæccende weard onfunde būan on beorge. Bīowulfe wearð dryht-māðma dǣl dēaðe forgolden; 2845 hæfde ǣghwæðer ende gefēred lǣnan līfes. Næs þā lang tō þon, þæt þā hild-latan holt ofgēfan, tȳdre trēow-logan tȳne ætsomne, þā ne dorston ǣr dareðum lācan 2850 on hyra man-dryhtnes miclan þearfe; ac hȳ scamiende scyldas bǣran, gūð-gewǣdu, þǣr se gomela læg: wlitan on Wīglāf. Hē gewērgad sæt, fēðe-cempa frēan eaxlum nēah, 2855 wehte hyne wætre; him wiht ne spēow; ne meahte hē on eorðan, þēah hē ūðe wēl, on þām frum-gāre feorh gehealdan, nē þæs wealdendes willan wiht oncirran; wolde dōm godes dǣdum rǣdan 2860 gumena gehwylcum, swā hē nū gēn dēð. Þā wæs æt þām geongan grim andswaru ēð-begēte þām þe ǣr his elne forlēas. Wīglāf maðelode, Wēohstānes sunu, secg sārig-ferð seah on unlēofe: 2865 "Þæt lā mæg secgan, sē þe wyle sōð sprecan, "þæt se mon-dryhten, se ēow þā māðmas geaf, "ēored-geatwe, þē gē þǣr on standað, "þonne hē on ealu-bence oft gesealde "heal-sittendum helm and byrnan, 2870 "þēoden his þegnum, swylce hē þrȳðlīcost "ōhwǣr feor oððe nēah findan meahte, "þæt hē gēnunga gūð-gewǣdu "wrāðe forwurpe. Þā hyne wīg beget, "nealles folc-cyning fyrd-gesteallum 2875 "gylpan þorfte; hwæðre him god ūðe, "sigora waldend, þæt hē hyne sylfne gewræc "āna mid ecge, þā him wæs elnes þearf, "Ic him līf-wraðe lȳtle meahte "ætgifan æt gūðe and ongan swā þēah 2880 "ofer mīn gemet mǣges helpan: "symle wæs þȳ sǣmra, þonne ic sweorde drep "ferhð-genīðlan, fȳr unswīðor "wēoll of gewitte. Wergendra tō lȳt "þrong ymbe þēoden, þā hyne sīo þrāg becwōm.