Chapter XXXIII: Beowulf Resolves to Kill the Fire-Drake

Þā se gæst ongan glēdum spīwan,
beorht hofu bærnan; bryne-lēoma stōd
2315 eldum on andan; nō þǣr āht cwices
lāð lyft-floga lǣfan wolde.
Wæs þæs wyrmes wīg wīde gesȳne,
nearo-fāges nīð nēan and feorran,
hū se gūð-sceaða Gēata lēode
2320 hatode and hȳnde: hord eft gescēat,
dryht-sele dyrnne ǣr dæges hwīle.
Hæfde land-wara līge befangen,
bǣle and bronde; beorges getruwode,
wīges and wealles: him sēo wēn gelēah.
2325 Þā wæs Bīowulfe brōga gecȳðed
snūde tō sōðe, þæt his sylfes him
bolda sēlest bryne-wylmum mealt,
gif-stōl Gēata. Þæt þām gōdan wæs
hrēow on hreðre, hyge-sorga mǣst:
2330 wēnde se wīsa, þæt hē wealdende,
ofer ealde riht, ēcean dryhtne
bitre gebulge: brēost innan wēoll
þēostrum geþoncum, swā him geþȳwe ne wæs.
Hæfde līg-draca lēoda fæsten,
2335 ēa-lond ūtan, eorð-weard þone
glēdum forgrunden. Him þæs gūð-cyning,
Wedera þīoden, wræce leornode.
Heht him þā gewyrcean wīgendra hlēo
eall-īrenne, eorla dryhten
2340 wīg-bord wrǣtlīc; wisse hē gearwe,
þæt him holt-wudu helpan ne meahte,
lind wið līge. Sceolde lǣn-daga
æðeling ǣr-gōd ende gebīdan
worulde līfes and se wyrm somod;
2345 þēah þe hord-welan hēolde lange.
Oferhogode þā hringa fengel,
þæt hē þone wīd-flogan weorode gesōhte,
sīdan herge; nō hē him þā sæcce ondrēd,
nē him þæs wyrmes wīg for wiht dyde,
2350 eafoð and ellen; forþon hē ǣr fela
nearo nēðende nīða gedīgde,
hilde-hlemma, syððan hē Hrōðgāres,
sigor-ēadig secg, sele fǣlsode
and æt gūðe forgrāp Grendeles mǣgum,
2355 lāðan cynnes. Nō þæt lǣsest wæs
hond-gemota, þǣr mon Hygelāc slōh,
syððan Gēata cyning gūðe rǣsum,
frēa-wine folces Frēslondum on,
Hrēðles eafora hioro-dryncum swealt,
2360 bille gebēaten; þonan Bīowulf cōm
sylfes cræfte, sund-nytte drēah;
hæfde him on earme ... XXX
hilde-geatwa, þā hē tō holme stāg.
Nealles Hetware hrēmge þorfton
2365 fēðe-wīges, þē him foran ongēan
linde bǣron: lȳt eft becwōm
fram þām hild-frecan hāmes nīosan.
Oferswam þā sioleða bigong sunu Ecgþēowes,
earm ān-haga eft tō lēodum,
2370 þǣr him Hygd gebēad hord and rīce,
bēagas and brego-stōl: bearne ne truwode,
þæt hē wið æl-fylcum ēðel-stōlas
healdan cūðe, þā wæs Hygelāc dēad.
Nō þȳ ǣr fēa-sceafte findan meahton
2375 æt þām æðelinge ǣnige þinga,
þæt hē Heardrēde hlāford wǣre,
oððe þone cyne-dōm cīosan wolde;
hwæðre hē him on folce frēond-lārum hēold,
ēstum mid āre, oð þæt hē yldra wearð,
2380 Weder-Gēatum wēold. Hyne wræc-mæcgas
ofer sǣ sōhtan, suna Ōhteres:
hæfdon hȳ forhealden helm Scylfinga,
þone sēlestan sǣ-cyninga,
þāra þe in Swīo-rīce sinc brytnade,
2385 mǣrne þēoden. Him þæt tō mearce wearð;
hē þǣr orfeorme feorh-wunde hlēat
sweordes swengum, sunu Hygelāces;
and him eft gewāt Ongenþīowes bearn
hāmes nīosan, syððan Heardrēd læg;
2390 lēt þone brego-stōl Bīowulf healdan,
Gēatum wealdan: þæt wæs gōd cyning.