[XXXIX.]
Ðā wæs gegongen guman unfrōdum[1]
earfoðlīce, þæt hē on eorðan geseah
þone lēofestan līfes æt ende
blēate gebǣran. Bona swylce læg,
2825egeslīc eorð-draca ealdre berēafod,
bealwe gebǣded. Bēah-hordum leng
wyrm wōh-bogen wealdan ne mōste,
ac hine[2] īrenna ecga fornāmon,
hearde, heaðo-scearde homera lāfe,
2830þæt se wīd-floga wundum stille
hrēas on hrūsan hord-ærne nēah;
nalles *æfter lyfte lācende hwearfFol. 191b.
middel-nihtum, māðm-ǣhta wlonc
ansȳn ȳwde, ac hē eorðan gefēoll
2885for ðæs hild-fruman hond-geweorce.
Hūru þæt on lande lȳt manna ðāh
mægen-āgendra, mīne gefrǣge,
þēah ðe hē dǣda gehwæs dyrstig wǣre,
þæt hē wið attor-sceaðan oreðe gerǣsde,
2840oððe hring-sele hondum styrede,
gif hē wæccende weard onfunde
būon on beorge. Bīowulfe wearð
dryht-māðma dǣl dēaðe forgolden;
hæfde ǣghwæðer[3] ende gefēred
- ↑ 2821. MS. ‘gumū unfrodū,’ doubtless another instance of “anticipation”; in l. 158 the MS. has ‘banū folmū,’
- ↑ 2828. MS. ‘him’; so Heyne and Wülcker. In all other instances forniman governs the accus.
- ↑ 2844. MS. ‘æghwæðre’; Kemble ‘æghwæðer.’ Grein ‘ǣghwæðre (acc. pl.) ende (nom.).’ But cf. l. 3063; besides, ǣghwæðer is found nowhere else in the pl.
