V Opening of Beowulf
Edited and Translated by J. M. Kemble.
| Hwæt we Gár-Dena, | fela-hror feran |
| in gear-dagum, | on freán wæ re— |
| þeód-cy ˙ ninga, | hí hy ˙ ne þá æt-bǽron |
| þry ˙ m ge-frunon— | tó brimes faroðe, |
| hû ða æþelingas | swǽse ge-síþas, |
| ellen fremedon— | swá he selfa bæd; |
| oft Scy ˙ ld Scefing, | þenden wordum weóld |
| sceaþen(a) þreátum, | wine Scy ˙ ldinga |
| monegū mægþum, | leóf land-fruma |
| meodo-setla of-teáh— | lange áhte—— |
| egsode eorl— | þær æt hýðe stód |
| sy ˙ ððan ǽrest wearð | hringed-stefna, |
| feá-sceaft funden; | isig and út-fús, |
| he þæs frófre ge-bá(d), | æþelinges fær; |
| weóx under wolcnum, | á-ledon þá |
| weorð-my ˙ ndum þáh; | leófne þeóden, |
| oð þ ¯ him ǽg-hwly ˙ c | beága bry ˙ ttan, |
| þára ymb-sittendra, | on bearm scipes, |
| ofer hron-ráde, | mǽrne be mǽste: |
| hýran scolde, | þær wǽs mádma fela |
| gomban gy ˙ ldan— | of feor-wegum |
| þ ¯ wǽs gód cy ˙ ning— | frætwa ge-lǽded. |
| ðæm eafera wǽs | Ne hýrde ic cy ˙ mlicor |
| æfer cenned, | ceol ge-gy ˙ rwan, |
| geong in geardum, | hilde-wæpnum |
| þone gód sende | and heaðo-wǽdum, |
| folce to frófre; | billum and by ˙ rnum |
| fy ˙ ren-þearfe on-geat, | him on bearme læg |
| þ ¯ híe ǽr drugon, | mádma menigo, |
| aldor-(le)áse. | þa him mid scoldon |
| lange hwíle, | on flódes æht |
| him þæs líf-freá, | feor ge-wítan. |
| wuldres wealdend, | Nalæs hí hine læssan |
| worold-áre for-geaf— | lácum teódan, |
| Beó-wulf wǽs breme, | þeód-ge-streónum, |
| blǽd wíde sprang, | þon þá dy ˙ don |
| Scy ˙ ldes eafera, | þe hine, æt frum-sceafte, |
| Scede-landum in— | forð on-sendon, |
| swa sceal (wig-fru)ma | ǽnne ofer ýðe, |
| góde ge-wircean— | umbor-wesende. |
| fromum feo-giftum, | þá gy ˙ t híe him á-setton |
| on fæder-(feo)rme; | segen (gy ˙ l denne, |
| þ ¯ hine, on y ˙ lde, | heáh ofer heáfod— |
| eft ge-wunigen | leton holm ber(an) |
| wi(l)-ge-síþas, | geafon on gár-secg: |
| þonne wig cume. | him wǽs geomor-sefa |
| leóde ge-lǽsten, | murnende mód—— |
| lof-dǽdū sceal, | men ne cunnon |
| in mægþage-hwære, | secgan, tó sóðe, |
| man ge-þeón—— | séle rædenne, |
| him, ðá Scy ˙ ld ge-wát | hæleð under heofenū |
| tó ge-scæp hwíle | hwá þæm hlæste on-feng. |