Hwylc is hæleþa þæs horsc ond þæs hygecræftig
þæt þæt mæge asecgan, hwa mec on sið wræce,
þonne ic astige strong, stundum reþe,
þrymful þunie, þragum wræce
5 fere geond foldan, folcsalo bærne,
ræced reafige? Recas stigað,
haswe ofer hrofum. Hlin bið on eorþan,
wælcwealm wera, þonne ic wudu hrere, …
Hwilum ic gewite, swa ne wenaþ men,
under yþa geþræc eorþan secan,
garsecges grund. Gifen biþ gewreged,
fam gewealcen;
5 hwælmere hlimmeð, hlude grimmeð,
streamas staþu beatað, stundum weorpaþ
on stealc hleoþa stane ond sonde,
ware ond wæge, þonne ic winnende,
holmmægne biþeaht, hrusan styrge,
10 side …
Hwilum mec min frea fæste genearwað,
sendeð þonne under salwonges
bearm þone bradan, ond on bid wriceð,
þrafað on þystrum þrymma sumne,
5 hæste on enge, þær me heord siteð
hruse on hrycge. Nah ic hwyrftweges
of þam aglace, ac ic eþelstol
hæleþa hrere; hornsalu wagiað,
wera wicstede, …
Ic eom anhaga iserne wund,
bille gebennad, beadoweorca sæd,
ecgum werig. Oft ic wig seo,
frecne feohtan. Frofre ne wene,
5 þæt me geoc cyme guðgewinnes,
ær ic …
Mec gesette soð sigora waldend
Crist to compe. Oft ic cwice bærne,
unrimu cyn eorþan getenge,
næte mid niþe, swa ic him no hrine,
5 þonne mec min frea feohtan …
Hrægl min swigað, þonne ic hrusan trede,
oþþe þa wic buge, oþþe wado drefe.
Hwilum mec ahebbað ofer hæleþa byht
hyrste mine, ond þeos hea lyft,
5 ond mec þonne wide wolcna strengu
ofer folc byreð. Frætwe mine
swogað hlude ond swinsiað,
torhte singað, þonne ic getenge ne beom
flode …
Mec on þissum dagum deadne ofgeafun
fæder on modor; ne wæs me feorh þa gen,
ealdor in innan. Þa mec an ongon,
welhold mege, wedum þeccan,
5 heold ond freoþode, hleosceorpe wrah
swa arlice swa hire agen bearn,
oþþæt ic under sceate, swa min gesceapu wæron,
ungesibbum wearð …
Neb wæs min on nearwe, ond ic neoþan wætre,
flode underflowen, firgenstreamum
swiþe besuncen, ond on sunde awox
ufan yþum þeaht, anum getenge
5 liþendum wuda lice mine.
Hæfde feorh …
Hrægl is min hasofag, hyrste beorhte,
reade ond scire on reafe minum.
Ic dysge dwelle ond dole hwette
unrædsiþas, oþrum styre
5 nyttre fore. Ic þæs nowiht wat
þæt heo swa gemædde, mode bestolene,
dæde gedwolene, …
Fotum ic fere, foldan slite,
grene wongas, þenden ic gæst bere.
Gif me feorh losað, fæste binde
swearte Wealas, hwilum sellan men.
5 Hwilum ic deorum drincan selle
beorne of bosme, hwilum mec bryd triedeð
felawlonc fotum, …
Hals is min hwit ond heafod fealo,
sidan swa some. Swift ic eom on feþe,
beadowæpen bere. Me on bæce standað
her swylce swe on hleorum. Hlifiað tu
5 earan ofer eagum. Ordum ic steppe
in grene græs. …
Ic eom wunderlicu wiht, on gewin sceapen,
frean minum leof, fægre gegyrwed.
Byrne (1) is min bleofag, swylce beorht seomað
wir ymb þone wælgim þe me waldend geaf,
5 se me widgalum wisað hwilum
sylfum to sace. Þonne ic …
Agof is min noma eft onhwyrfed;
ic eom wrætlic wiht on gewin sceapen. (1)
Þonne ic onbuge, ond me of bosme fareð
ætren onga, ic beom eallgearo
5 þæt ic me þæt feorhbealo feor aswape.
Siþþan me se waldend, …
Ic eom weorð werum, wide funden,
brungen of bearwum ond of burghleoþum,
of denum ond of dunum. Dæges mec wægun
feþre on lifte, feredon mid liste
5 under hrofes hleo. Hæleð mec siþþan
baþedan in bydene. Nu ic …
Ic þa wiht geseah wæpnedcynnes,
geoguðmyrþe grædig; him on gafol forlet
ferðfriþende feower wellan
scire sceotan, on gesceap þeotan.
5 Mon maþelade, se þe me gesægde:
“Seo wiht, gif hio gedygeð, duna briceð;
gif he tobirsteð, …
Wær sæt æt wine mid his wifum twam
ond his twegen suno ond his twa dohtor,
swase gesweostor, ond hyra suno twegen,
freolico frumbearn; fæder wæs þær inne
5 þara æþelinga æghwæðres mid,
eam ond nefa. Ealra wæron fife …
Moððe word fræt. Me þæt þuhte
wrætlicu wyrd, þa ic þæt wundor gefrægn,
þæt se wyrm forswealg wera gied sumes,
þeof in þystro, þrymfæstne cwide
5 ond þæs strangan staþol. Stælgiest ne wæs
wihte þy gleawra, þe he þam wordum swealg.
Ic seah wrætlice wuhte feower
samed siþian; swearte wæran lastas,
swaþu swiþe blacu. Swift wæs on fore,
fuglum framra fleag on lyfte;
5 deaf under yþe. Dreag unstille
winnende wiga, se him wegas tæcneþ
ofer fæted gold …
Ic seah in healle, þær hæleð druncon,
on flet beran feower cynna,
wrætlic wudutreow ond wunden gold,
sinc searobunden, ond seolfres dæl
5 ond rode tacn, þæs us to roderum up
hlædre rærde, ær he helwara
burg abræce. …
Oft mec fæste bileac freolicu meowle,
ides on earce, hwilum up ateah
folmum sinum ond frean sealde,
holdum þeodne, swa hio haten wæs.
5 Siðþan me on hreþre heafod sticade,
nioþan upweardne, on nearo fegde.
Gif þæs ondfengan …
Nis min sele swige, ne ic sylfa hlud
ymb * * * unc dryhten scop
siþ ætsomne. Ic eom swiftre þonne he,
þragum strengra, he þreohtigra.
Hwilum ic me reste; he sceal yrnan forð. …
Wiht cwom gongan þær weras sæton
monige on mæðle, mode snottre;
hæfde an eage ond earan twa,
ond II fet, XII hund heafda,
hrycg ond wombe ond honda twa,
earmas …