Chapter VII: Hrothgar's Welcome

Hrōðgār maðelode, helm Scyldinga:
"Ic hine cūðe cniht-wesende.
"Wæs his eald-fæder Ecgþēo hāten,
"þǣm tō hām forgeaf Hrēðel Gēata
375 "āngan dōhtor; is his eafora nū
"heard hēr cumen, sōhte holdne wine.
"þonne sægdon þæt sǣ-līðende,
"þā þe gif-sceattas Gēata fyredon
"þyder tō þance, þæt hē þrīttiges
380 "manna mægen-cræft on his mund-grīpe
"heaðo-rōf hæbbe. Hine hālig god
"for ār-stafum us onsende,
"tō West-Denum, þæs ic wēn hæbbe,
"wið Grendles gryre: ic þǣm gōdan sceal
385 "for his mōd-þræce mādmas bēodan.
"Bēo þū on ofeste, hāt hig in gān,
"sēon sibbe-gedriht samod ætgædere;
"gesaga him ēac wordum, þæt hīe sint wil-cuman
"Deniga lēodum." Þā wið duru healle
390 Wulfgār ēode, word inne ābēad:
"Ēow hēt secgan sige-drihten mīn,
"aldor Ēast-Dena, þæt hē ēower æðelu can
"and gē him syndon ofer sǣ-wylmas,
"heard-hicgende, hider wil-cuman.
395 "Nū gē mōton gangan in ēowrum guð-geatawum,
"under here-grīman, Hrōðgār gesēon;
"lǣtað hilde-bord hēr onbidian,
"wudu wæl-sceaftas, worda geþinges."
Ārās þā se rīca, ymb hine rinc manig,
400 þrȳðlīc þegna hēap; sume þǣr bidon,
heaðo-rēaf hēoldon, swā him se hearda bebēad.
Snyredon ætsomne, þā secg wīsode
under Heorotes hrōf; hyge-rōf ēode,
heard under helme, þæt hē on heoðe gestōd.
405 Bēowulf maðelode (on him byrne scān,
searo-net sēowed smiðes or-þancum):
"Wes þū Hrōðgār hāl! ic eom Higelāces
"mǣg and mago-þegn; hæbbe ic mǣrða fela
"ongunnen on geogoðe. Mē wearð Grendles þing
410 "on mīnre ēðel-tyrf undyrne cūð:
"secgað sǣ-līðend, þæt þes sele stande,
"reced sēlesta, rinca gehwylcum
"īdel and unnyt, siððan ǣfen-lēoht
"under heofenes hādor beholen weorðeð.
415 "Þā mē þæt gelǣrdon lēode mīne,
"þā sēlestan, snotere ceorlas,
"þēoden Hrōðgār, þæt ic þē sōhte;
"forþan hīe mægenes cræft mīnne cūðon:
"selfe ofersāwon, þā ic of searwum cwōm,
420 "fāh from fēondum, þǣr ic fīfe geband,
"ȳðde eotena cyn, and on ȳðum slōg
"niceras nihtes, nearo-þearfe drēah,
"wræc Wedera nīð (wēan āhsodon)
"forgrand gramum; and nū wið Grendel sceal,
425 "wið þām āglǣcan, āna gehegan
"þing wið þyrse. Ic þē nū þā,
"brego Beorht-Dena, biddan wille,
"eodor Scyldinga, ānre bēne;
"þæt þū mē ne forwyrne, wīgendra hlēo,
430 "frēo-wine folca, nū ic þus feorran cōm,
"þæt ic mōte āna and mīnra eorla gedryht,
"þes hearda hēap, Heorot fǣlsian.
"Hæbbe ic ēac geāhsod, þæt se ǣglǣca
"for his won-hȳdum wǣpna ne rēceð;
435 "ic þæt þonne forhicge, swā mē Higelāc sīe,
"mīn mon-drihten, mōdes blīðe,
"þæt ic sweord bere oððe sīdne scyld
"geolo-rand tō gūðe; ac ic mid grāpe sceal
"fōn wið fēonde and ymb feorh sacan,
440 "lāð wið lāðum; þǣr gelȳfan sceal
"dryhtnes dōme sē þe hine dēað nimeð.
"Wēn' ic þæt hē wille, gif hē wealdan mōt,
"in þǣm gūð-sele Gēatena lēode
"etan unforhte, swā hē oft dyde
445 "mægen Hrēðmanna. Nā þū mīnne þearft
"hafalan hȳdan, ac hē mē habban wile
"drēore fāhne, gif mec dēað nimeð;
"byreð blōdig wæl, byrgean þenceð,
"eteð ān-genga unmurnlīce,
450 "mearcað mōr-hopu: nō þū ymb mīnes ne þearft
"līces feorme leng sorgian.
"Onsend Higelāce, gif mec hild nime,
"beadu-scrūda betst, þæt mīne brēost wereð,
"hrægla sēlest; þæt is Hrēðlan lāf,
455 "Wēlandes geweorc. Gǣð ā Wyrd swā hīo scel!"