XLII.
Þā wæs gesȳne, þæt se sīð ne ðāh
þām ðe unrihte inne gehȳdde
3060wræte[1] under wealle. Weard ǣr ofslōh
fēara sumne; þā sīo fǣhð gewearð
gewrecen wrāðlīce. Wundur hwār þonne
eorl ellen-rōf ende gefēre
līf-gesceafta, þonne leng ne mæg
3065mon mid his [mā]gum[2] medu-seld būan.[3]
Swā wæs Bīowulfe, þā hē biorges weardFol. 196a.
sōhte, searo-nīðas; seolfa ne cūðe,
þurh hwæt his worulde gedāl weorðan sceolde.
Swā hit oð dōmes dæg dīope benemdon
3070þēodnas mǣre, þā ðæt þǣr dydon,
þæt se secg wǣre synnum scildig,
hergum geheaðerod, hell-bendum fæst,
wommum gewitnad, sē ðone wong strude.[4]
Næs hē gold-hwæt;[5] gearwor hæfde
3075Āgendes ēst ǣr gescēawod.
Wīglāf maðelode, Wihstānes sunu:
“Oft sceall eorl monig ānes willan
wræc ādrēogan,[6] swā ūs geworden is.
Ne meahton wē gelǣran lēofne þēoden,
3080rīces hyrde, rǣd ǣnigne,
þǣt hē ne grētte gold-weard þone,
- ↑ 3060. MS. ‘wræce’; Thorpe ‘wræte.’ Cf. l. 2771.
- ↑ 3065. MS. defective at corner.
- ↑ Wülcker has a question-mark after būan.
- ↑ 3073. MS. ‘strade.’ Cf. l. 3126.
- ↑ 3074. MS. ‘gold-hwæte.’ Thorpe and Wülcker ‘gold-hwaete’: Grein (after Bugge) ‘Næs (“not”) hē gold-hwæte (agreeing with ēst) gearwor etc’ Sievers ‘gold-hwætes’ (agreeing with āgendes).
- ↑ 3078. MS. ‘a dreogeð.’
9—2
