Nealles mid geweoldum wyrm-horda . . . cræft
sōhte sylfes willum, sē þe him sāre gesceōd,
2225 ac for þrēa-nēdlan þēow nāt-hwylces
hæleða bearna hete-swengeas flēah,
for ofer-þearfe and þǣr inne fealh
secg syn-bysig. Sōna in þā tīde
þæt . . . . . þām gyste . . . . br . g . stōd,
2230 hwæðre earm-sceapen . . . . . . .
. . ð . . . sceapen o . . . . i r . . e se fǣs begeat,
sinc-fæt geseah: þǣr wæs swylcra fela
in þām eorð-scræfe ǣr-gestrēona,
swā hȳ on geār-dagum gumena nāt-hwylc
2235 eormen-lāfe æðelan cynnes
þanc-hycgende þǣr gehȳdde,
dēore māðmas. Ealle hīe dēað fornam
ǣrran mǣlum, and se ān þā gēn
lēoda duguðe, sē þǣr lengest hwearf,
2240 weard wine-geōmor wīscte þæs yldan,
þæt hē lȳtel fæc long-gestrēona
brūcan mōste. Beorh eal gearo
wunode on wonge wæter-ȳðum nēah,
nīwe be næsse nearo-cræftum fæst:
2245 þǣr on innan bær eorl-gestrēona
hringa hyrde hard-fyrdne dǣl
fǣttan goldes, fēa worda cwæð:
"Heald þū nū, hrūse, nū hæleð ne mōston,
"eorla ǣhte. Hwæt! hit ǣr on þē
2250 "gōde begeāton; gūð-dēað fornam,
"feorh-bealo frēcne fȳra gehwylcne,
"lēoda mīnra, þāra þe þis līf ofgeaf,
"gesāwon sele-drēam. Nāh hwā sweord wege
"oððe fetige fǣted wǣge,
2255 "drync-fæt dēore: duguð ellor scōc.
"Sceal se hearda helm hyrsted golde
"fǣtum befeallen: feormiend swefað,
"þā þe beado-grīman bȳwan sceoldon,
"gē swylce sēo here-pād, sīo æt hilde gebād
2260 "ofer borda gebræc bite īrena,
"brosnað æfter beorne. Ne mæg byrnan hring
"æfter wīg-fruman wīde fēran
"hæleðum be healfe; næs hearpan wyn,
"gomen glēo-bēames, nē gōd hafoc
2265 "geond sæl swingeð, nē se swifta mearh
"burh-stede bēateð. Bealo-cwealm hafað
"fela feorh-cynna feorr onsended!"
Swā giōmor-mōd giohðo mǣnde,
ān æfter eallum unblīðe hwēop,
2270 dæges and nihtes, oð þæt dēaðes wylm
hrān æt heortan. Hord-wynne fond
eald ūht-sceaða opene standan,
sē þe byrnende biorgas sēceð
nacod nīð-draca, nihtes flēogeð
2275 fȳre befangen; hyne fold-būend
wīde gesāwon. Hē gēwunian sceall
hlāw under hrūsan, þǣr hē hǣðen gold
warað wintrum frōd; ne byð him wihte þē sēl.
Swā se þēod-sceaða þrēo hund wintra
2280 hēold on hrūsan hord-ærna sum
ēacen-cræftig, oð þæt hyne ān ābealh
mon on mōde: man-dryhtne bær
fǣted wǣge, frioðo-wǣre bæd
hlāford sīnne. Þā wæs hord rāsod,
2285 onboren bēaga hord, bēne getīðad
fēa-sceaftum men. Frēa scēawode
fīra fyrn-geweorc forman sīðe.
Þā se wyrm onwōc, wrōht wæs genīwad;
stonc þā æfter stāne, stearc-heort onfand
2290 fēondes fōt-lāst; hē tō forð gestōp,
dyrnan cræfte, dracan hēafde nēah.
Swā mæg unfǣge ēaðe gedīgan
wēan and wræc-sīð, sē þe waldendes
hyldo gehealdeð. Hord-weard sōhte
2295 georne æfter grunde, wolde guman findan,
þone þe him on sweofote sāre getēode:
hāt and hrēoh-mōd hlǣw oft ymbe hwearf,
ealne ūtan-weardne; nē þǣr ǣnig mon
wæs on þǣre wēstenne. Hwæðre hilde gefeh,
2300 beado-weorces: hwīlum on beorh æthwearf,
sinc-fæt sōhte; hē þæt sōna onfand,
þæt hæfde gumena sum goldes gefandod
hēah-gestrēona. Hord-weard onbād
earfoðlīce, oð þæt ǣfen cwōm;
2305 wæs þā gebolgen beorges hyrde,
wolde se lāða līge forgyldan
drinc-fæt dȳre. Þā wæs dæg sceacen
wyrme on willan, nō on wealle leng
bīdan wolde, ac mid bǣle fōr,
2310 fȳre gefȳsed. Wæs se fruma egeslīc
lēodum on lande, swā hyt lungre wearð
on hyra sinc-gifan sāre geendod.