2695 Þā ic æt þearfe gefrægn þēod-cyninges
and-longne eorl ellen cȳðan,
cræft and cēnðu, swā him gecynde wæs;
ne hēdde hē þæs heafolan, ac sīo hand gebarn
mōdiges mannes, þǣr hē his mǣges healp,
2700 þæt hē þone nīð-gæst nioðor hwēne slōh,
secg on searwum, þæt þæt sweord gedēaf
fāh and fǣted, þæt þæt fȳr ongon
sweðrian syððan. Þā gēn sylf cyning
gewēold his gewitte, wæll-seaxe gebrǣ,
2705 biter and beadu-scearp, þæt hē on byrnan wæg:
forwrāt Wedra helm wyrm on middan.
Fēond gefyldan (ferh ellen wræc),
and hī hyne þā bēgen ābroten hæfdon,
sib-æðelingas: swylc sceolde secg wesan,
2710 þegn æt þearfe. Þæt þām þēodne wæs
sīðast sīge-hwīle sylfes dǣdum,
worlde geweorces. Þā sīo wund ongon,
þē him se eorð-draca ǣr geworhte,
swelan and swellan. Hē þæt sōna onfand,
2715 þæt him on brēostum bealo-nīð wēoll,
attor on innan. Þā se æðeling gīong,
þæt hē bī wealle, wīs-hycgende,
gesæt on sesse; seah on enta geweorc,
hū þā stān-bogan stapulum fæste
2720 ēce eorð-reced innan hēoldon.
Hyne þā mid handa heoro-drēorigne
þēoden mǣrne þegn ungemete till,
wine-dryhten his wætere gelafede,
hilde-sædne and his helm onspēon.
2725 Bīowulf maðelode, hē ofer benne spræc,
wunde wæl-blēate (wisse hē gearwe,
þæt hē dæg-hwīla gedrogen hæfde
eorðan wynne; þā wæs eall sceacen
dōgor-gerīmes, dēað ungemete nēah):
2730 "Nū ic suna mīnum syllan wolde
"gūð-gewǣdu, þǣr mē gifeðe swā
"ǣnig yrfe-weard æfter wurde,
"līce gelenge. Ic þās lēode hēold
"fīftig wintra: næs se folc-cyning
2735 "ymbe-sittendra ǣnig þāra,
"þē mec gūð-winum grētan dorste,
"egesan þēon. Ic on earde bād
"mǣl-gesceafta, hēold mīn tela,
"ne sōhte searo-nīðas, nē mē swōr fela
2740 "āða on unriht. Ic þæs ealles mæg,
"feorh-bennum sēoc, gefēan habban:
"forþām mē wītan ne þearf waldend fīra
"morðor-bealo māga, þonne mīn sceaceð
"līf of līce. Nū þū lungre
2745 "geong, hord scēawian under hārne stān,
"Wīglāf lēofa, nū se wyrm ligeð,
"swefeð sāre wund, since berēafod.
"Bīo nū on ofoste, þæt ic ǣr-welan,
"gold-ǣht ongite, gearo scēawige
2750 "swegle searo-gimmas, þæt ic þȳ sēft mǣge
"æfter māððum-welan mīn ālǣtan
"līf and lēod-scipe, þone ic longe hēold."