2415eald under eorðan;  næs þæt ȳðe cēap
tō gegangenne  gumena ǣnigum.
Gesæt ðā on næsse  nīð-heard cyning,
þenden hǣlo ābēad  heorð-genēatum,
gold-wine Gēata.  Him wæs gēomor sefa,
2420wǣfre ond wæl-fūs,  wyrd ungemete nēah,
sē^[1] ðone gomelan  grētan sceolde,
sēcean sāwle hord,  sundur gedǣlan
līf wið līce;  nō þon lange wæs
feorh æþelinges  flǣsce bewunden.
2425Bīowulf maþelade,  bearn Ecgðēowes:
“Fela ic on giogoðe  gūð-rǣsa genæs,
orleg-hwīla;  ic þæt eall gemon.
*Ic wæs syfan-wintre,  þā mec sinca baldor,⁠Fol. 184a.
frēa-wine folca,  æt mīnum fæder genam;
2430hēold mec ond hæfde  Hrēðel cyning,
geaf mē sinc ond symbel,  sibbe gemunde;
næs ic him tō līfe  lāðra ōwihte
beorn in burgum  þonne his bearna hwylc,
Herebeald ond Hǣðcyn,  oððe Hygelāc mīn.
2435Wæs þām yldestan  ungedēfelīce
mǣges dǣdum  morþor-bed strēd,
syððan hyne Hǣðcyn  of horn-bogan,
his frēa-wine,  flāne geswencte,
miste mercelses  ond his mǣg ofscēt,
2440brōðor ōðerne,  blōdigan gāre.
Þæt wæs feoh-lēas gefeoht,  fyrenum gesyngad,
hreðre hyge-mēðe;  sceolde hwæðre swā þēah