Hwæt! wē Gār-Dena in geār-dagum þēod-cyninga þrym gefrūnon, hū þā æðelingas ellen fremedon. Oft Scyld Scēfing sceaðena þrēatum, 5 monegum mǣgðum meodo-setla oftēah. Egsode eorl, syððan ǣrest wearð fēa-sceaft funden: hē þæs frōfre gebād, wēox under wolcnum, weorð-myndum ðāh, oð þæt him ǣghwylc þāra ymb-sittendra 10 ofer hron-rāde hȳran scolde, gomban gyldan: þæt wæs gōd cyning! þǣm eafera wæs æfter cenned geong in geardum, þone god sende folce tō frōfre; fyren-þearfe ongeat, 15 þæt hīe ǣr drugon aldor-lēase lange hwīle. Him þæs līf-frēa, wuldres wealdend, worold-āre forgeaf; Bēowulf wæs brēme (blǣd wīde sprang), Scyldes eafera Scede-landum in. 20 Swā sceal geong guma, gōde gewyrcean, fromum feoh-giftum on fæder wine, þæt hine on ylde eft gewunigen wil-gesīðas, þonne wīg cume, lēode gelǣsten: lof-dǣdum sceal 25 in mǣgða gehwǣre man geþēon. Him þā Scyld gewāt tō gescæp-hwīle fela-hrōr fēran on frēan wǣre; hī hyne þā ætbǣron tō brimes faroðe. swǣse gesīðas, swā hē selfa bæd, 30 þenden wordum wēold wine Scyldinga, lēof land-fruma lange āhte. Þǣr æt hȳðe stōd hringed-stefna, īsig and ūtfūs, æðelinges fær; ā-lēdon þā lēofne þēoden, 35 bēaga bryttan on bearm scipes, mǣrne be mæste. Þǣr wæs mādma fela, of feor-wegum frætwa gelǣded: ne hȳrde ic cȳmlīcor cēol gegyrwan hilde-wǣpnum and heaðo-wǣdum, 40 billum and byrnum; him on bearme læg mādma mænigo, þā him mid scoldon on flōdes ǣht feor gewītan. Nalas hī hine lǣssan lācum tēodan, þēod-gestrēonum, þonne þā dydon, 45 þē hine æt frumsceafte forð onsendon ǣnne ofer ȳðe umbor wesende: þā gȳt hīe him āsetton segen gyldenne hēah ofer hēafod, lēton holm beran, gēafon on gār-secg: him wæs geōmor sefa, 50 murnende mōd. Men ne cunnon secgan tō soðe sele-rǣdende, hæleð under heofenum, hwā þǣm hlæste onfēng. II. THE HALL HEOROT.