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77
BEOWULF.
Gif ic þonne on eorþan  ōwihte mæg

þīinre mōd-lufan  māran tilian,
gumena dryhten,  ðonne ic gyt dyde,
1825gūð-geweorca  ic bēo gearo sōna.
Gif ic þæt ge*fricge  ofer flōda begang,⁠Fol. 170a.
þæt þec ymb-sittend  egesan þȳwað,
swā þec hetende  hwīlum dydon,
ic ðē þūsenda  þegna bringe,
1830hæleþa tō helpe.  Ic on Higelāce wāt,
Gēata dryhten,  þēah ðe hē geong sȳ,
folces hyrde,  þæt hē mec fremman wile
wordum ond weorcum,[1]  þæt ic þē wel herige,
ond þē tō gēoce  gār-holt bere,
1835mægenes fultum,  þǣr ðē bið manna þearf.
Gif him þonne Hrēþrīc[2]  tō hofum Gēata
geþingeð,[3] þēodnes bearn,  hē mæg þǣr fela
frēonda findan;  feor-cȳþðe bēoð
sēlran gesōhte,  þǣm þe him selfa dēah.”
1840Hrōðgār maþelode  him on ondsware:
“Þē þā word-cwydas  wittig[4] Drihten
on sefan sende;  ne hȳrde ic snotorlīcor
on swā geongum fēore  guman þingian;
þū eart mægenes strang  ond on mōde frōd,
1845wīs word-cwida.  Wēn ic talige,
gif þæt gegangeð,  þæt ðe gār nymeð,
hild heoru-grimme,  Hrēþles eaferan,
ādl oþðe īren  ealdor ðīnne,

folces hyrde,  ond þū þīn feorh hafast,
  1. ↑ 1833. MS. ‘weordum ⁊worcum,’ probably a slip of the scribe.
  2. ↑ 1836. MS. ‘hreþrinc.’ Cf. l. 1189.
  3. ↑ 1837. MS. ‘geþinged.’
  4. ↑ 1841. MS. ‘wigtig.’
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