Chapter XXIII: The Battle with the Water-Drake

Bēowulf maðelode, bearn Ecgþēowes:
1475 "geþenc nū, se mǣra maga Healfdenes,
"snottra fengel, nū ic eom sīðes fūs,
"gold-wine gumena, hwæt wit geō sprǣcon,
"gif ic æt þearfe þīnre scolde
"aldre linnan, þæt þū mē ā wǣre
1480 "forð-gewitenum on fæder stǣle;
"wes þū mund-bora mīnum mago-þegnum,
"hond-gesellum, gif mec hild nime:
"swylce þū þā mādmas, þē þū mē sealdest,
"Hrōðgār lēofa, Higelāce onsend.
1485 "Mæg þonne on þǣm golde ongitan Gēata dryhten,
"gesēon sunu Hrēðles, þonne hē on þæt sinc starað,
"þæt ic gum-cystum gōdne funde
"bēaga bryttan, brēac þonne mōste.
"And þū Unferð lǣt ealde lāfe,
1490 "wrǣtlīc wǣg-sweord wīd-cūðne man
"heard-ecg habban; ic mē mid Hruntinge
"dōm gewyrce, oððe mec dēað nimeð."
Æfter þǣm wordum Weder-Gēata lēod
efste mid elne, nalas andsware
1495 bīdan wolde; brim-wylm onfēng
hilde-rince. Þā wæs hwīl dæges,
ǣr hē þone grund-wong ongytan mehte.
Sōna þæt onfunde, sē þe flōda begong
heoro-gīfre behēold hund missēra,
1500 grim and grǣdig, þæt þǣr gumena sum
æl-wihta eard ufan cunnode.
Grāp þā tōgēanes, gūð-rinc gefēng
atolan clommum; nō þȳ ǣr in gescōd
hālan līce: hring ūtan ymb-bearh,
1505 þæt hēo þone fyrd-hom þurh-fōn ne mihte,
locene leoðo-syrcan lāðan fingrum.
Bær þā sēo brim-wylf, þā hēo tō botme cōm,
hringa þengel tō hofe sīnum,
swā hē ne mihte nō (hē þæs mōdig wæs)
1510 wǣpna gewealdan, ac hine wundra þæs fela
swencte on sunde, sǣ-dēor monig
hilde-tūxum here-syrcan bræc,
ēhton āglǣcan. Þā se eorl ongeat,
þæt hē in nið-sele nāt-hwylcum wæs,
1515 þǣr him nǣnig wæter wihte ne sceðede,
nē him for hrōf-sele hrīnan ne mehte
fǣr-gripe flōdes: fȳr-lēoht geseah,
blācne lēoman beorhte scīnan.
Ongeat þā se gōda grund-wyrgenne,
1520 mere-wīf mihtig; mægen-rǣs forgeaf
hilde-bille, hond swenge ne oftēah,
þæt hire on hafelan hring-mǣl āgōl
grǣdig gūð-lēoð. Þā se gist onfand,
þæt se beado-lēoma bītan nolde,
1525 aldre sceððan, ac sēo ecg geswāc
þēodne æt þearfe: þolode ǣr fela
hond-gemōta, helm oft gescær,
fǣges fyrd-hrægl: þæt wæs forma sīð
dēorum māðme, þæt his dōm ālæg.
1530 Eft wæs ān-rǣd, nalas elnes læt,
mǣrða gemyndig mǣg Hygelāces;
wearp þā wunden-mǣl wrǣttum gebunden
yrre ōretta, þæt hit on eorðan læg,
stīð and stȳl-ecg; strenge getruwode,
1535 mund-gripe mægenes. Swā sceal man dōn,
þonne hē æt gūðe gegān þenceð
longsumne lof, nā ymb his līf cearað.
Gefēng þā be eaxle (nalas for fǣhðe mearn)
Gūð-Gēata lēod Grendles mōdor;
1540 brægd þā beadwe heard, þā hē gebolgen wæs,
feorh-genīðlan, þæt hēo on flet gebēah.
Hēo him eft hraðe and-lēan forgeald
grimman grāpum and him tōgēanes fēng;
oferwearp þā wērig-mōd wigena strengest,
1545 fēðe-cempa, þæt hē on fylle wearð.
Ofsæt þā þone sele-gyst and hyre seaxe getēah,
brād and brūn-ecg wolde hire bearn wrecan,
āngan eaferan. Him on eaxle læg
brēost-net brōden; þæt gebearh fēore,
1550 wið ord and wið ecge ingang forstōd.
Hæfde þā forsīðod sunu Ecgþēowes
under gynne grund, Gēata cempa,
nemne him heaðo-byrne helpe gefremede,
here-net hearde, and hālig god
1555 gewēold wīg-sigor, wītig drihten;
rodera rǣdend hit on ryht gescēd,
ȳðelīce syððan hē eft āstōd.