lēte hyne licgean, þǣr hē longe wæs,
wīcum wunian oð woruld-ende;
hēold on[1] hēah gesceap. Hord ys gescēawod,
3085grimme gegongen; wæs þæt gifeðe tō swīð,
þe ðone [þēod-cyning][2] þyder ontyhte.
Ic wæs þǣr inne ond þæt eall geondseh,
recedes geatwa, þā mē gerȳmed wæs
nealles swǣslīce, sīð ālȳfed
3090inn under eorð-weall. Ic on ofoste gefēng
micle mid mundum mægen-byrðenne
hord-gestrēona, hider *ūt ætbærFol. 196b.
cyninge mīnum; cwico wæs þā gēna,
wīs ond gewittig. Worn eall gespræc
3095gomol on gehðo, ond ēowic grētan hēt,
bæd þæt gē geworhton æfter wines dǣdum
in bǣl-stede beorh þone hēan,
micelne ond mǣrne, swā hē manna wæs
wīgend weorð-fullost wīde geond eorðan,
3100þenden hē burh-welan brūcan mōste.
Uton nū efstan ōðre [sīðe][3]
sēon ond sēcean searo-geþræc,
wundur under wealle; ic ēow wīsige,
- ↑ 3084. MS. ‘heoldon,’ or not impossibly ‘heold on.’ Heyne ‘Hēoldon hēah gesceap,’ wir erhielten ein schweres Schicksal. Wūlcker ‘woruld-ende, / healdan hēah-gesceap.’ These appear to me equally unsatisfactory, and I have therefore suggested an emendation, which, if it lacks analogy, yet seems to give the sense required: “We could not dissuade him; he held (on) to his high fate, or he held on (adv.) his high fate.” Grein and Toller give several instances of the intrans. use of healdan, and of on used adverbially. See also Mätzner's O. E. Dict., p. 405, col. 1; among other passages there quoted is: “hald hardiliche o ꝥ tu haues bigunuen,” St. Kath. 676.
- ↑ 3086. No gap in MS. Grein’s emendation. Grundtvig ‘þēoden.’
- ↑ 3101. No gap in MS.
