Chapter XL: The Soldier's Dirge and Prophecy

Heht þā þæt heaðo-weorc tō hagan bīodan
up ofer ēg-clif, þǣr þæt eorl-weorod
2895 morgen-longne dæg mōd-giōmor sæt,
bord-hæbbende, bēga on wēnum
ende-dōgores and eft-cymes
lēofes monnes. Lȳt swīgode
nīwra spella, sē þe næs gerād,
2900 ac hē sōðlīce sægde ofer ealle;
"Nū is wil-geofa Wedra lēoda,
"dryhten Gēata dēað-bedde fæst,
"wunað wæl-reste wyrmes dǣdum;
"him on efn ligeð ealdor-gewinna,
2905 "siex-bennum sēoc: sweorde ne meahte
"on þām āglǣcean ǣnige þinga
"wunde gewyrcean. Wīglāf siteð
"ofer Bīowulfe, byre Wīhstānes,
"eorl ofer ōðrum unlifigendum,
2910 "healdeð hige-mēðum hēafod-wearde
"lēofes and lāðes. Nū ys lēodum wēn
"orleg-hwīle, syððan underne
"Froncum and Frȳsum fyll cyninges
"wīde weorðeð. Wæs sīo wrōht scepen
2915 "heard wið Hūgas, syððan Higelāc cwōm
"faran flot-herge on Frēsna land,
"þǣr hyne Hetware hilde gehnǣgdon,
"elne geēodon mid ofer-mægene,
"þæt se byrn-wiga būgan sceolde,
2920 "fēoll on fēðan: nalles frætwe geaf
"ealdor dugoðe; ūs wæs ā syððan
"Merewīoinga milts ungyfeðe.
"Nē ic tō Swēo-þēode sibbe oððe trēowe
"wihte ne wēne; ac wæs wīde cūð,
2925 "þætte Ongenþīo ealdre besnyðede
"Hæðcyn Hrēðling wið Hrefna-wudu,
"þā for on-mēdlan ǣrest gesōhton
"Gēata lēode Gūð-scilfingas.
"Sōna him se frōda fæder Ōhtheres,
2930 "eald and eges-full ond-slyht āgeaf,
"ābrēot brim-wīsan, brȳd āhēorde,
"gomela īo-meowlan golde berofene,
"Onelan mōdor and Ōhtheres,
"and þā folgode feorh-genīðlan
2935 "oð þæt hī oðēodon earfoðlīce
"in Hrefnes-holt hlāford-lēase.
"Besæt þā sin-herge sweorda lāfe
"wundum wērge, wēan oft gehēt
"earmre teohhe andlonge niht:
2940 "cwæð hē on mergenne mēces ecgum
"gētan wolde, sume on galg-trēowum
"fuglum tō gamene. Frōfor eft gelamp
"sārig-mōdum somod ǣr-dæge,
"syððan hīe Hygelāces horn and bȳman
2945 "gealdor ongeāton. Þā se gōda cōm
"lēoda dugoðe on lāst faran.