2885 "Nū sceal sinc-þego and swyrd-gifu "eall ēðel-wyn ēowrum cynne, "lufen ālicgean: lond-rihtes mōt "þǣre mǣg-burge monna ǣghwylc "īdel hweorfan, syððan æðelingas 2890 "feorran gefricgean flēam ēowerne, "dōm-lēasan dǣd. Dēað bið sēlla "eorla gehwylcum þonne edwīt-līf!" XL. THE SOLDIER'S DIRGE AND PROPHECY. Heht þā þæt heaðo-weorc tō hagan bīodan up ofer ēg-clif, þǣr þæt eorl-weorod 2895 morgen-longne dæg mōd-giōmor sæt, bord-hæbbende, bēga on wēnum ende-dōgores and eft-cymes lēofes monnes. Lȳt swīgode nīwra spella, sē þe næs gerād, 2900 ac hē sōðlīce sægde ofer ealle; "Nū is wil-geofa Wedra lēoda, "dryhten Gēata dēað-bedde fæst, "wunað wæl-reste wyrmes dǣdum; "him on efn ligeð ealdor-gewinna, 2905 "siex-bennum sēoc: sweorde ne meahte "on þām āglǣcean ǣnige þinga "wunde gewyrcean. Wīglāf siteð "ofer Bīowulfe, byre Wīhstānes, "eorl ofer ōðrum unlifigendum, 2910 "healdeð hige-mēðum hēafod-wearde "lēofes and lāðes. Nū ys lēodum wēn "orleg-hwīle, syððan underne "Froncum and Frȳsum fyll cyninges "wīde weorðeð. Wæs sīo wrōht scepen 2915 "heard wið Hūgas, syððan Higelāc cwōm "faran flot-herge on Frēsna land, "þǣr hyne Hetware hilde gehnǣgdon, "elne geēodon mid ofer-mægene, "þæt se byrn-wiga būgan sceolde, 2920 "fēoll on fēðan: nalles frætwe geaf "ealdor dugoðe; ūs wæs ā syððan "Merewīoinga milts ungyfeðe. "Nē ic tō Swēo-þēode sibbe oððe trēowe "wihte ne wēne; ac wæs wīde cūð, 2925 "þætte Ongenþīo ealdre besnyðede "Hæðcyn Hrēðling wið Hrefna-wudu, "þā for on-mēdlan ǣrest gesōhton "Gēata lēode Gūð-scilfingas. "Sōna him se frōda fæder Ōhtheres, 2930 "eald and eges-full ond-slyht āgeaf, "ābrēot brim-wīsan, brȳd āhēorde, "gomela īo-meowlan golde berofene, "Onelan mōdor and Ōhtheres, "and þā folgode feorh-genīðlan 2935 "oð þæt hī oðēodon earfoðlīce "in Hrefnes-holt hlāford-lēase. "Besæt þā sin-herge sweorda lāfe "wundum wērge, wēan oft gehēt "earmre teohhe andlonge niht: 2940 "cwæð hē on mergenne mēces ecgum "gētan wolde, sume on galg-trēowum "fuglum tō gamene. Frōfor eft gelamp "sārig-mōdum somod ǣr-dæge, "syððan hīe Hygelāces horn and bȳman 2945 "gealdor ongeāton. Þā se gōda cōm "lēoda dugoðe on lāst faran. XLI. HE TELLS OF THE SWEDES AND THE GEATAS