Þā wæs gesȳne, þæt se sīð ne þāh 3060 þām þe unrihte inne gehȳdde wrǣte under wealle. Weard ǣr ofslōh fēara sumne; þā sīo fǣhð gewearð gewrecen wrāðlīce. Wundur hwār, þonne eorl ellen-rōf ende gefēre 3065 līf-gesceafta, þonne leng ne mæg mon mid his māgum medu-seld būan. Swā wæs Bīowulfe, þā hē biorges weard sōhte, searo-nīðas: seolfa ne cūðe, þurh hwæt his worulde gedāl weorðan sceolde; 3070 swā hit oð dōmes dæg dīope benemdon þēodnas mǣre, þā þæt þǣr dydon, þæt se secg wǣre synnum scildig, hergum geheaðerod, hell-bendum fæst, wommum gewītnad, sē þone wong strāde. 3075 Næs hē gold-hwæt: gearwor hæfde āgendes ēst ǣr gescēawod. Wīglāf maðelode, Wīhstānes sunu: "Oft sceall eorl monig ānes willan "wrǣc ādrēogan, swā ūs geworden is. 3080 "Ne meahton wē gelǣran lēofne þēoden, "rīces hyrde rǣd ǣnigne, "þæt hē ne grētte gold-weard þone, "lēte hyne licgean, þǣr hē longe wæs, "wīcum wunian oð woruld-ende. 3085 "Hēoldon hēah gesceap: hord ys gescēawod, "grimme gegongen; wæs þæt gifeðe tō swīð, "þē þone þēoden þyder ontyhte. "Ic wæs þǣr inne and þæt eall geond-seh, "recedes geatwa, þā mē gerȳmed wæs, 3090 "nealles swǣslīce sīð ālȳfed "inn under eorð-weall. Ic on ofoste gefēng "micle mid mundum mægen-byrðenne "hord-gestrēona, hider ūt ætbær "cyninge mīnum: cwico wæs þā gēna, 3095 "wīs and gewittig; worn eall gespræc "gomol on gehðo and ēowic grētan hēt, "bæd þæt gē geworhton æfter wines dǣdum "in bǣl-stede beorh þone hēan "micelne and mǣrne, swā hē manna wæs 3100 "wīgend weorð-fullost wīde geond eorðan, "þenden hē burh-welan brūcan mōste. "Uton nū efstan ōðre sīðe "sēon and sēcean searo-geþræc, "wundur under wealle! ic ēow wīsige, 3105 "þæt gē genōge nēan scēawiað "bēagas and brād gold. Sīe sīo bǣr gearo "ǣdre geæfned, þonne wē ūt cymen, "and þonne geferian frēan ūserne, "lēofne mannan, þǣr hē longe sceal 3110 "on þæs waldendes wǣre geþolian." Hēt þā gebēodan byre Wīhstānes, hæle hilde-dīor, hæleða monegum bold-āgendra, þæt hīe bǣl-wudu feorran feredon, folc-āgende 3115 gōdum tōgēnes: "Nū sceal glēd fretan "(weaxan wonna lēg) wigena strengel, "þone þe oft gebād īsern-scūre, "þonne strǣla storm, strengum gebǣded, "scōc ofer scild-weall, sceft nytte hēold, 3120 "feðer-gearwum fūs flāne full-ēode." Hūru se snotra sunu Wīhstānes ācīgde of corðre cyninges þegnas syfone tōsomne þā sēlestan, ēode eahta sum under inwit-hrōf; 3125 hilde-rinc sum on handa bær